Structural Alterations
Structural Alterations in Boldon Colliery
The ground is the part of structural alterations in Boldon Colliery that catches people out, since the clue is in the name, and the ground here carries a direct colliery legacy which puts much of the village inside the Coal Authority high risk mapping. Boldon Colliery is a former colliery village between Sunderland and South Shields, named for the pit that shaped it.
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Andy is a time served general builder with more than 25 years behind him, and no Boldon Colliery job is priced from a phone call alone. We look at the property first, then put the figure in writing.
Structural Alterations
Our structural alterations in Boldon Colliery cover
- RSJ and steel beam installation: padstones, bearings and fire protection detailed as the calculations require
- Underpinning and foundation support: where existing foundations need strengthening before other work proceeds
- Doorway and opening widening: new lintels and made good openings in load bearing and non load bearing walls
- Support steelwork: goalpost frames and columns where a wall cannot simply be beamed over
- Temporary works: propping designed and installed properly, not improvised on the day
- Load bearing wall removal: temporary support, beam installation and permanent works to the engineer specification
Local Knowledge
Local considerations for structural alterations in Boldon Colliery
The authority for structural alterations in Boldon Colliery is South Tyneside Council, and that is worth confirming before anything else is decided. It also matters that South Tyneside Council is the authority for planning and building control, not Sunderland, which surprises people who think of the area as part of Sunderland. That is not a barrier so much as a sequence. Establish the constraint, then design to it, and the application goes through far more smoothly.
Then there is what is under the plot. The clue is in the name, and the ground here carries a direct colliery legacy which puts much of the village inside the Coal Authority high risk mapping. On a structural alteration the ground matters where the load path ends, because a new beam concentrates load onto padstones and the wall and foundation beneath them.
The housing itself is not uniform either. Toward East Boldon, West Boldon, the Boldon Flats the stock tends to be colliery terraces and inter war housing around the old village, and away from there Boldon Colliery also has later estates spreading toward East Boldon and West Boldon. For structural alterations, in older property the wall you want removed is more often solid and load bearing, while newer housing more commonly uses timber studwork for non structural partitions. The low lying Boldon Flats nearby mean drainage and surface water need thinking about on plots at the lower end of the village. That is a planning point rather than a pricing one, because the written quote still follows a site visit either way.
Recent work
Our Approach
How we work in Boldon Colliery
Site visit first
Every job starts with a proper look at the property. Quoting from a description alone is how a figure ends up changing halfway through.
A written quote
Everything goes in writing before work starts, including what is in the price and what is not.
Regulations handled
This is the one category where there is no grey area. Removing or altering a load bearing element is notifiable building work every time, needs structural calculations from an engineer, and needs building control sign off. Anyone offering to do it without either is a problem, not a bargain.
Kept informed
We keep you updated as the work goes on rather than disappearing for a week. It is the least complicated part of building work and the part most often done badly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Structural Alterations in Boldon Colliery: your questions
Are there any planning restrictions I should know about in Boldon Colliery?
It depends on the address. South Tyneside Council is the authority for planning and building control, not Sunderland, which surprises people who think of the area as part of Sunderland. We check the designation before any design work goes far enough to be expensive to change.
How much mess does this create?
A meaningful amount, which is why we sheet up, isolate the working area and remove waste as we go. There is no way to make a structural opening dust free, but there is a difference between contained and uncontrolled.
Do ground conditions in Boldon Colliery affect structural alterations?
Yes, and it is worth knowing early. The clue is in the name, and the ground here carries a direct colliery legacy which puts much of the village inside the Coal Authority high risk mapping. Where that applies we say so before you commit, not once the trench is open.
Which council handles structural alterations applications in Boldon Colliery?
It is South Tyneside Council. People sometimes send paperwork to a neighbouring authority because of the postal address or the historic county, and that costs time rather than money. For structural alterations you will need structural calculations from an engineer and building control sign off, without exception.
Can I stay in the house while the work is done?
Usually yes, though the day the wall actually comes out is disruptive and noisy. We tell you which day that will be so you can plan around it.
Is the structural work guaranteed?
Yes. Workmanship is guaranteed for an agreed period, and the building control completion certificate is the formal record that the work met the approved design.
Do you cover the areas around Boldon Colliery as well, such as Jarrow and Hebburn and Sunderland?
We do. Jarrow, Hebburn, Sunderland are all within our normal working area for structural alterations, as is most of Tyne and Wear, County Durham and south east Northumberland.
Will you make good the ceilings and walls afterwards?
Yes. Making good is part of the quote rather than a separate job you are left to arrange.
How do I know if a wall is load bearing?
Wall thickness, what sits directly above it, the direction the floor joists run and the age and type of construction all give an indication. We check on site, and where there is any doubt the structural engineer confirms it before anything is cut.
What sort of properties do you carry out structural alterations on in Boldon Colliery?
Everything from colliery terraces and inter war housing around the old village through to later estates spreading toward East Boldon and West Boldon. Which of those you have changes the method more than the postcode does, which is why we look before we quote.
Also covering near Boldon Colliery
We carry out structural alterations across the surrounding area as well as in Boldon Colliery itself.
Other building services in Boldon Colliery
Whatever else the project needs, it is the same team and the same standard.
Planning structural alterations in Boldon Colliery?
Send over the details or give us a ring. We will visit the property, talk through the options for structural alterations in Boldon Colliery and put a written quote in front of you with nothing hidden in the small print.
Call 07854 366464Request a Quote