South East & East England - 0208 183 4321

South West, Wales & Midlands - 01452 346 156

North England & Scotland - 0161 820 3230

PorthouseDean
  • About Us
    • Our Practice
    • Meet the Team
    • Careers
    • Testimonials
  • Locations
  • For Architects
  • Services
    • Extensions
    • New Build Homes
    • Home Renovation
    • Loft Conversion
    • Basements
    • Structural Engineer Calculations
    • Structural Engineering Drawings
    • Lift Apertures
  • Process
    • Quality Assurance
  • Advice
    • Industry Professionals
    • Homeowners
    • Careers
  • Get In Touch
  • Become an Architectural Partner
  • I’m a homeowner See your quotes and projects I’m a professional Architect, builder or surveyor My hub
  • About Us
    • Our Practice
    • Meet the Team
    • Careers
    • Testimonials
  • Locations
  • For Architects
  • Services
    • Extensions
    • New Build Homes
    • Home Renovation
    • Loft Conversion
    • Basements
    • Structural Engineer Calculations
    • Structural Engineering Drawings
    • Lift Apertures
  • Process
    • Quality Assurance
  • Advice
    • Industry Professionals
    • Homeowners
    • Careers
  • Get In Touch
  • Become an Architectural Partner
  • I’m a homeowner See your quotes and projects I’m a professional Architect, builder or surveyor My hub

South East & East England - 0208 183 4321

South West, Wales & Midlands - 01452 346 156

North England & Scotland - 0161 820 3230

load-bearing-walls

Can’t We Use Gallows Brackets for Chimney Support?

Advice Centre

Posted on March 31, 2026

Gallows brackets have a poor track record for supporting chimney breast removals. Here’s why PorthouseDean recommends steel beams instead.

Tags: atomic, load-bearing-walls

Do I Still Need a Steel Beam If There’s No Wall Above the Ceiling?

Advice Centre

Posted on March 31, 2026

If the wall you’re removing only goes up to ceiling height with nothing above it, you may not need a steel beam at all. Here’s why.

Tags: atomic, load-bearing-walls

Is the Wall I’m Proposing to Remove Load-Bearing?

Advice Centre

Posted on March 31, 2026

How to tell if a wall is load-bearing before you start building work — and what it means for your structural calculations.

Tags: load-bearing-walls, supporting

Why Is There a Column Specified in My External Wall?

Advice Centre

Posted on March 31, 2026

Steel columns in external walls serve one of two purposes: lateral wind bracing or carrying a beam load too great for masonry alone. This explains both.

Tags: atomic, load-bearing-walls

Removing a Chimney — When Do You Need Cranked Beams?

Advice Centre

Posted on March 31, 2026

Partial chimney removals can require cranked steelwork to navigate around the remaining structure. Full removals from first floor upward generally do not.

Tags: atomic, load-bearing-walls

This Post Isn’t Supporting Anything — Why Is It Required?

Advice Centre

Posted on March 31, 2026

Your structural drawings show a post or column in an external wall that doesn’t seem to carry any vertical load. Here’s why it’s still needed.

Tags: atomic, load-bearing-walls

PorthouseDean

Registered at Company House in England. Company No: 08086677

Contact Us

Head Office
PorthouseDean
Cubo, No1 Spinningfields
Spinningfields
Manchester
M3 3EB

info@porthousedean.co.uk 0161 820 3230

Quick Links

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Request a Quote
  • Contact
Customer Portal

All rights reserved © 2026 PorthouseDean · £500k professional indemnity insured | Website by Mosaic Digital Media

Pay by Klarna, Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, JCB or WorldPay
South East & East England 0208 183 4321 South West, Wales & Midlands 01452 346 156 North 0161 820 3230
info@porthousedean.co.uk Sign in to your hub
PorthouseDean
Why PorthouseDean The homeowner experience, start to finish. Your quote Your price and what happens next — instant or manual. Your journey The whole sequence, from first price to final documents. Your hub Your project in one place — included with every project. Advice for homeowners Plain-English answers to common questions. Locations Structural engineers who know your area.
Get a quote A clear price for your client — instant or manual. Structural packages What every package includes and how delivery runs. FeeBuilderFree Price a job yourself; your quotes follow you across devices. LoftNowFree check Loft feasibility under Permitted Development — instant check, drawings included.
Why work with us The full story for practices. The HubIncluded Every client, every project, in one view. Advice for professionals Technical guidance from the engineering team. Locations Local engineers across England & Wales.
VIP partner programme Priority service and agreed terms for regular practices. Refer and earn Introduce a client, earn a referral fee.
All services Extensions Loft Conversions Home Renovation New Build Homes Basements Lift Apertures Calculations Drawings
Our story Who we are, our values, and our mission — since 2012. Testimonials What homeowners and professionals say about working with us. Projects Recent structural projects across England & Wales. Contact Phone, email and the team — here to help.
I'm a homeowner Your project, quotes and documents. I'm a professional Every client, every project, one view.
Get started
Structural calculations Extension, loft, wall removal, new build A survey Someone at the property to measure or inspect Partnerships Architects and builders — free to join, VIP for regular work I’m not sure Send your drawings or describe it — we’ll sort it
Why PorthouseDean Your quote Your journey Your hub Advice for homeowners Locations
Get a quote Structural packages FeeBuilderFree LoftNowFree check
Why work with us The HubIncluded Advice for professionals Locations
VIP partner programme Refer and earn
All services Extensions Loft Conversions Home Renovation New Build Homes Basements Lift Apertures Calculations Drawings
Our story Testimonials Projects Contact
Contact Sign in — homeowner Sign in — professional Get started

We use cookies to understand how our site is used and to measure our advertising. Essential cookies (sign-in, security, checkout) are always on. See our privacy & cookie policy.