Steel BeamInstallers
Plasterer seen from behind skimming a newly boxed beam

Plastering & making good · Andover

Plastering & making good in Andover

Plastering & making good for homes in SP10, SP11, designed by a structural engineer.

  • Free survey visit in Andover
  • Engineer's calculations arranged
  • Building control handled for you

Free survey in Andover

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  • Free survey visit
  • Engineer's calculations arranged
  • Building control handled
  • Fixed written price once scope is agreed
  • England, Wales, mainland Scotland & NI

Planning plastering & making good in Andover

Our plastering & making good service in Andover covers everything from the first visit to the completion paperwork. The wider Hampshire area is covered as well. Postcode districts we cover here include SP10 and SP11.

We make good as the final stage of our structural jobs, and can quote it separately where another firm has fitted the steel. It covers boxing and fire boarding, plastering and skimming, floor infills and skirting, leaving smooth, dry surfaces for your decorator.

What to expect

  • Textured ceiling coatings applied before 2000 can contain asbestos. Before a textured ceiling is cut, scraped or sanded, a sample is tested or an asbestos survey of the area is arranged, and the finish is only disturbed once the result is known.
  • A boxed beam usually leaves a downstand below the ceiling line. Where a flat ceiling is wanted, the beam has to be set up into the floor void during installation, so the finish needs deciding before the steel goes in, not after.
  • Plastering itself is wet rather than dusty, but cutting back old plaster and sanding filler is not. Work areas are sheeted off, floors protected and dust extraction used when cutting, so the mess stays in the room being worked on.
  • When a wall is removed, a strip of floor goes with it. On suspended timber floors the gap is joisted and boarded, and on solid floors it is filled and screeded. Either way, the infill must sit level so new flooring does not show a ridge.
  • Fresh plaster has to dry before it is painted. A thin skim over board in a warm, ventilated room often dries within a few days to a week, while backing coats and deeper repairs take longer. Painting too soon can cause peeling and patchy colour.

How the job runs in Andover

  1. Free visit

    A short visit to Andover to see the job, agree what you want and check the bearings, floors and services that affect the design.

  2. Calculations

    The engineer's calculations and a simple drawing are prepared for your opening and shared with you before anything is ordered.

  3. Building control

    We submit a building notice or full plans application to the local council's building control team, so approval is in place before the wall is touched.

  4. Steel in, made good

    On site we prop, open up, fit and pack the steel, then fire protect, box in and plaster once the inspection is done.

How much should I budget in Andover?

As a guide, budget £340–£1,340 including VAT for plastering and making good in Andover, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the South East (+12%).

JobTypical guide rangeWhat it usually covers
Plastering and making good£340–£1,340Boxing the beam, bead and skim, reveals, floor infill where the wall stood and tidy-up
Through-lounge knock-through£2,800–£6,150Wall between front and back reception rooms, steel beam, approvals, plastering and floor infill
Load-bearing wall removal with steel beam£2,250–£5,600Typical internal wall up to about 4 m: calculations, building control, propping, steel, padstones, fitting, fire protection and making good
Kitchen-diner knock-through£2,800–£6,700Internal structural wall between kitchen and dining room, steel beam, approvals and making good (kitchen fitting extra)

Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in the South East (+12%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.

Building control and neighbours in Andover

Structural openings in English homes need building regulations approval before work starts. The local council's building control team can deal with it, or you can use a registered building control approver. Either way the steel is inspected before it is covered, and a completion certificate is issued at the end. Keep it safe for when you sell.

If the beam bears into a wall you share with a neighbour, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies, and a party structure notice must be served at least two months before that work starts. We arrange this through a party wall surveyor.

Building rules in England

Plastering & making good near Andover

Local questions answered

Who approves plastering & making good in Andover?

Structural work in Andover needs a building notice or full plans application to the local council's building control team or a registered building control approver. We prepare and submit it with the structural engineer's calculations and arrange the inspections, so the completion paperwork follows the job.

How much does plastering & making good cost in Andover?

As a guide, budget £340–£1,340 including VAT for plastering and making good in Andover, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the South East (+12%). The exact figure depends on the span, what the wall carries, access and the finish, and is fixed in writing once the scope is agreed.

How long after a knock-through can I decorate?

Once the new plaster has dried right through, which for a thin skim in a warm, ventilated room is often a few days to a week. Deeper repairs and backing coats take longer. Plaster turns from dark to an even pale colour when it is dry, and painting before then risks poor adhesion.

How do you hide a steel beam in the ceiling?

Most beams are boxed with fire-rated plasterboard fixed to a light frame, then finished with corner beads and a skim coat so they read as part of the ceiling. If you want no downstand at all, the beam has to be set into the floor void when it is installed, which is decided at the design stage.

Can you match my old textured ceiling?

Often, yes, although a perfect match is hard over large patches. Before anything is touched, a textured coating applied before 2000 is tested for asbestos. Small areas can then be re-textured to blend in, while many people choose to skim the whole ceiling flat for a cleaner, consistent finish.

Do you also work near Andover?

Yes. We also cover nearby towns including Winchester, Newbury, Salisbury and Thatcham.

Planning to take a wall out?

Book a free survey visit. You get an itemised written quote covering calculations, building control, steel and making good.