How to support a structural wall

Working on your home's structure is a technical job and you'll need planning permission from your local planning authority. You may also need to employ an engineer (after you have permission for the work) to help determine the actual work involved in this project, as each case will be different.

Read this basic guide to understand the steps involved in supporting a structural wall.

Level of difficulty

Level 3: Advanced

What you need

  • Scaffold boards
  • Needles on jacks
  • Chisel
  • Club hammer
  • Bolster
  • Pad stones
  • Mortar mix
  • Beam
  • Tape measure
  • Brick-cutting saw

The steps to follow

  1. Before you start any work, make sure you have a permit or an approval from your local authority's building control office to start working on this project.
  2. To support the wall, reinforced and concrete lintels can be used for walls up to 3 m (10 ft) tall but rolled steel joists are required for larger spans to ensure that the weight of the wall is fully supported. For every 300 mm (1ft) span, make a 25mm (1in) insert to install the beam.
  3. Position the beam under the ceiling joists. The height of the opening is determined by the height of the ceiling and the depth of the beam. It is best to consult an expert to calculate and acquire a correct height for this project.
  4. Set up some scaffold boards to assist you when lifting the beam. Ask for help to lift the beam and set into position.
  5. Apply mortar to the pad stone and then fit the beam in place.
  6. Pack pieces of slate between the beam and the brickwork to fill out the gap. Dry-pack the gap with mortar mix.
  7. If the gap requires a brick or more to fill, apply a bed of mortar and build brickwork on top of the beam.
  8. Fit the beams against the ceiling joists.

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