Steel BeamInstallers
Plasterer seen from behind skimming a newly boxed beam

Plastering & making good · South Croydon

Plastering & making good in South Croydon

Plastering & making good for homes in CR0, CR2, CR7, designed by a structural engineer.

  • Itemised written quote
  • Beam sized by a structural engineer
  • Covering South Croydon and nearby

Free survey in South Croydon

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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

About our plastering & making good service in South Croydon

Our plastering & making good service in South Croydon covers everything from the first visit to the completion paperwork. The wider London area is covered as well. Postcode districts we cover here include CR0, CR2, CR7, CR8 and CR9.

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.

Worth knowing before you start

  • Hairline cracks sometimes appear along board joints or where new plaster meets old, as the building settles onto the steel and the plaster dries out. They are normal in the first months and are usually filled at the next redecoration.
  • Period cornicing and ceiling roses can often be repaired or run to match the existing profile. Where a wall is removed between two rooms with cornice, the ends are usually returned neatly along the new beam so the detail looks intentional.
  • Metal angle beads on every outside corner of the boxing give crisp, straight lines and protect the edges from knocks. They are set true to the ceiling and walls, so a slightly out-of-level beam does not show once skimmed.
  • 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.
  • 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.

What happens, step by step

  1. Survey in South Croydon

    We visit, look at the wall and what sits above it, measure the opening and note services, access and how the steel can be brought in.

  2. Engineer's design

    A structural engineer sizes the beam, padstones and any posts, and sets out the temporary support needed while the wall is out.

  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. Install and sign-off

    Props go in, the opening is formed, the steel is set and packed, building control inspects it, and we make good.

What does plastering & making good cost in South Croydon?

As a guide, budget £380–£1,540 including VAT for plastering and making good in South Croydon, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for London prices (+28%).

JobTypical guide rangeWhat it usually covers
Plastering and making good£380–£1,540Boxing the beam, bead and skim, reveals, floor infill where the wall stood and tidy-up
Kitchen-diner knock-through£3,200–£7,700Internal structural wall between kitchen and dining room, steel beam, approvals and making good (kitchen fitting extra)
Fire protection to a steel beam£190–£770 per beamFire-rated board boxing or an intumescent coating system as specified
Through-lounge knock-through£3,200–£7,050Wall between front and back reception rooms, steel beam, approvals, plastering and floor infill

Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for London prices (+28%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.

Building control and neighbours in South Croydon

In England, taking out a load-bearing wall or putting in a beam is building work under the Building Regulations 2010. It needs approval from building control, either the local council's building control team or a registered building control approver, through a full plans application or a building notice. Part A covers the structure and Part B covers fire safety, which is why steel in homes is usually fire protected.

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 South Croydon

Plastering & making good in South Croydon: your questions

What happens at the survey visit in South Croydon?

We look at the wall, the floor and ceiling either side and what sits above, measure the opening you want, and note cables, pipes and access for the steel. It usually takes under an hour and there is no charge.

Do you cover South Croydon for plastering & making good?

Yes. We carry out plastering & making good in South Croydon and the CR0, CR2, CR7, CR8 and CR9 postcode districts. Book a free survey visit and we will check the wall, arrange the engineer's calculations and send an itemised written quote.

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.

Do you decorate after making good?

Not usually. Making good leaves surfaces skimmed, dry and ready for paint, with trims refitted, and decoration is normally left to you or your decorator so you can choose colours and finishes yourself. Whoever paints should start with a thinned mist coat on the new plaster before the main coats.

Is plastering included when a load-bearing wall is removed?

Yes, on our structural jobs making good is priced as part of the work and itemised on the written quote, so you can see exactly what is included. If another firm is doing the steelwork, check their quote closely, as some stop at the beam and leave plastering, floor infill and skirting for you to arrange.

Can I stay at home while the work is done in South Croydon?

Usually, yes. The work area is screened and floors are protected. The rooms either side of the opening are out of action for a few days, and there is some noise and dust while the masonry comes out.

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.