Structural alterations & steel beams in Devon & Cornwall
Knocking through two rooms to create one open space is the single biggest visual change you can make to a house. Done properly — with the right beam, the right padstones, and proper temporary propping — it is a three-day job that transforms the way you live in the house. Done badly, it causes cracks in the floors above at best and a genuine collapse risk at worst. We work to a structural engineer's specification on every load-bearing alteration and submit a building regulations application before any wall is touched.
What is involved in structural alterations
Propping is the part of structural work where corners get cut and disasters happen. The temporary props have to be placed before any masonry is removed, at the centres specified by the engineer, and they have to be properly bearing on a solid surface above and below. We position the props, check them for plumb, and confirm they are bearing before a single brick comes out. The beam is craned or chain-blocked into final position rather than levered awkwardly by hand. The padstones are bedded in proper sand-cement mortar rather than gypsum or quick-set. None of this is exotic; it is just doing the work in the right order with the right materials, and it is the difference between a structural job you forget about for the next thirty years and one that causes a problem two years later.
Most load-bearing wall removals do not require planning permission as they are internal alterations. Building regulations approval is mandatory and we handle the application and inspections. On-site duration depends on the span and the wider make-good required — we'll give you a realistic timeline as part of your written quote.
Scope on a typical job
- Pre-works structural engineer's drawing reviewed and priced
- Building regulations application submitted in advance
- Acrow propping with scaffold boards to support floor above
- Hand removal of masonry in the opening to engineer dimensions
- Padstones bedded in mortar on each bearing point
- RSJ steel beam lifted into position with chain block, checked for level
- Cavity fill packed above beam to transfer load to padstones
- Masonry built up to close gap above beam; props removed when cured
- Building control inspection at steel install stage; completion certificate at sign-off
Full Q&A and pricing in our everything-you-need-to-know page.
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