Taking out a load-bearing wall means the floors, walls or roof it carried must be held up by something else, usually a steel beam. The work is straightforward when it is planned in the right order.
1. Structural calculations
A structural engineer works out the loads and specifies the beam, the bearings and any padstones or posts. Building control needs these calculations.
2. Building Regulations approval
Structural alterations need Building Regulations approval. You can apply to your council’s building control service or use a registered building control approver.
3. Party wall notice
If the beam bears into a wall shared with a neighbour, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 usually applies. A party structure notice must normally be served at least two months before that work starts.
4. Fabrication
We make the beam to the engineer’s drawing, with end plates, bolts and splices where it has to be carried through the house in pieces. Measure the opening on site before fabrication, not from old plans.
5. On the day
- The builder props the structure above with adjustable props and needles.
- The wall is removed and the padstones are set at the right level.
- The beam is lifted into place, packed tight with steel shims or dry-pack mortar, and the props are removed once everything is solid.
6. Fire protection and inspection
A beam that holds up a floor in a house usually needs fire protection, often 30 minutes, given by fire-rated plasterboard or intumescent paint. Building control inspects before the beam is covered up, so book the visit in good time.
