TEMBOK Design & Build
Structural Alterations
That Open Up Your Home
in Kent
Load-bearing wall removals, RSJ installations, new openings and structural modifications — engineered, approved and built with precision to transform your home's layout safely.
5-star rated on Google · Structural work you can trust completely
What Are Structural Alterations?
Structural alterations involve modifying the load-bearing elements of your home — removing internal walls, installing steel beams (RSJs), creating new openings, widening doorways or reconfiguring floor layouts. These changes transform how your home feels and functions.
The most common request is removing a wall between the kitchen and dining room to create an open-plan living space. This single change can dramatically improve natural light, family interaction and the practical flow of your ground floor.
At TEMBOK, every structural alteration is designed by a qualified structural engineer, approved through building control and installed by our experienced team. We never guess with structural work — every beam size, bearing point and temporary support is calculated and verified.
We carry out structural alterations across Kent for homeowners who want to modernise their layout without moving. Whether you live in a Victorian terrace in Tunbridge Wells or a 1960s detached in Maidstone, we can open up your home safely and efficiently.
Why This Matters
Why DIY Structural Work Is Dangerous
Removing or modifying a load-bearing wall without proper engineering creates immediate risk of structural collapse. Even if the wall does not fail catastrophically, inadequate support causes gradual settlement — cracking in walls, sloping floors, sticking doors and windows, and long-term structural damage.
Incorrectly sized steel beams deflect under load, causing visible sagging in ceilings above and cracking in surrounding masonry. Insufficient bearing pads crush brickwork beneath beam ends. Missing padstones distribute load unevenly, creating stress fractures.
Unnotified structural work creates serious problems when selling your property. Conveyancing solicitors require building control completion certificates for all structural modifications. Without these, sales fall through, mortgages are refused, and expensive retrospective applications are required.
Professional structural alterations eliminate these risks entirely. Proper engineering, building control approval and skilled installation ensure your home is safe, compliant and retains its full market value.
Our Process
How We Deliver Safe Structural Changes
Site Survey & Assessment
We inspect the wall or structure, identify load paths, check for services (plumbing, electrics, gas) within the wall, and assess the overall structural condition.
Structural Engineering
Our structural engineer designs the steel beam, calculates loads, specifies bearing details and produces drawings for building control approval.
Building Control Application
We submit the engineering drawings and structural calculations to building control and obtain approval before any work begins.
Temporary Support & Demolition
Strongboys and acrow props are installed to temporarily support the structure above. The wall is carefully removed, services rerouted, and the opening prepared for the steel beam.
Steel Installation & Making Good
The RSJ is lifted into position, packed and secured on engineered bearing pads. Temporary supports are removed. The beam is cased in plasterboard, walls made good, and building control final inspection completed.
What You Get
Why Choose TEMBOK for Structural Work
Engineer-Designed, Every Time
No guesswork. Every beam, padstone and bearing detail is calculated by a qualified structural engineer and verified through building control.
Full Building Control Compliance
We manage the entire approval process. You receive completion certificates that protect your property's value and satisfy future buyers' solicitors.
Safe, Controlled Demolition
Temporary support systems are engineered for the specific load. Demolition is controlled, methodical and safe — no shortcuts.
Clean, Complete Finishing
Beams are cased, plaster is restored, floors are levelled and the finished result looks like the wall was never there.
Services Rerouted Properly
Electrics, plumbing, gas and heating pipes within walls are traced, disconnected and rerouted by qualified trades before demolition begins.
Minimal Disruption Period
Most single-wall removals are completed in 3–5 days from prop installation to plastering. We contain dust and maintain access throughout.
Structural Alteration Services in Detail
Load-Bearing Wall Removal: Complete removal of internal load-bearing walls with RSJ installation to create open-plan living spaces. We handle single-span and multi-span beams, including situations where multiple walls intersect or where loads from upper floors and roofs must be redirected.
RSJ & Steel Beam Installation: Universal beams (UBs), parallel flange channels (PFCs) and other steel sections installed to structural engineer specifications. Beams are delivered, manoeuvred into position and secured with appropriate bearing pads, padstones and fixings.
New Openings & Doorways: Creating new doorways or widening existing openings in load-bearing walls. Each opening requires a lintel or beam sized by our structural engineer to carry the load above.
Chimney Breast Removal: Partial or full chimney breast removal at ground or first floor level, with appropriate support for the remaining structure above. Includes gallows brackets or steel support as required by the structural engineer.
Floor Structure Modifications: Strengthening or modifying floor joists to support new layouts, bathrooms on upper floors, or heavy items such as freestanding baths. Includes adding steels, doubling joists and installing new bearings.
Underpinning & Foundation Work: Where structural issues require foundation strengthening, we carry out traditional mass concrete underpinning to stabilise settlement and prevent further movement.
We complete structural alterations across Kent including Cranbrook, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone and Ashford.
Common Questions