Opening up a kitchen or living space? If the wall is load-bearing, you need the steel designed properly and a clear plan for your builder. That is what we do.
Open plan, done properly.
When a load-bearing wall comes out, everything it was holding up, floors, walls and sometimes the roof, has to be carried by a new steel beam (often called an RSJ) and taken safely down to the foundations.
We survey the house, work out exactly what the wall is carrying, and design the beam, its bearings and padstones to Eurocode 3. You get calculations and a clear drawing your builder can price and build from, including how to prop the structure while the wall comes out.
It is the same process we followed on a recent two-storey house in Bray, Co. Wicklow, where internal walls came out to create an open-plan kitchen, dining and living space. See the project.
Typical jobs — kitchen knock-throughs · opening up to an extension · chimney breast removal · garage conversions · replacing an old or undersized RSJ
If the wall is load-bearing, yes. Walls that look like simple partitions can still be carrying floor joists or the wall above, so it is worth having it checked before anyone starts knocking.
It depends on the size of the opening and what is sitting on the wall. Tell us when your builder wants to start and we will give you a timeframe when we reply.
Every wall is different, so we price each job on its own. Send us a few photos and we will come back to you with a quote.
Taking out an internal wall does not usually need planning permission unless the house is a protected structure, but the work must still meet the Building Regulations. We will tell you what applies to your job.
A few photos of the wall from both sides, a photo of the ceiling and floor above if you can get to it, and a rough idea of what you want to open up. Plans are useful if you have them, but not essential.
