Earlier in June there was a news story in Lewisham that effectively showed how important it is to consider the stability of a property throughout a project that includes structural alterations. The home in question had been purchased at auction for £665,000 with a valuation of £690,000. The new owner planned to extend it at the rear and side as well as renovating the interior.
A lot of work had taken place on the terraced structure since the sale in January. Problems started becoming apparent over the course of the project. The local police were eventually called in to cordon off part of the street after the building began to sag. The neighbours in the adjoining property had to be evacuated from their home for fear of collapse. This occurred when workers arrived to attempted to inspect the damage. Luckily nobody was injured.
The building work done on the 100 year old property is expected to be the cause of the collapse. It is believed many of the internal walls had been removed as part of the structural alterations. This left the roof lacking suitable support.
The collapse shows how important it is to ensure that structural supports are in place when altering a structure. It also indicates that care should always be taken when it comes to removing internal walls, even those partitions that don’t seem to be load bearing. These can easily become an essential part of the building over time, especially when it has stood for a lot of years. Their removal can result in instability and collapse if this has occurred.
At Denon Construction we are committed to offering the best advice and professional services to all clients considering altering a structure. We have worked in a lot of settings over the years, including rural areas and city centres. If you are planning structural alterations please call on us for help in ensuring your project can progress safely and effectively. We offer cost effective services, especially when you consider how large the bill can be if the property you are working on does collapse.