“That went easier than expected”

When it comes to installing steel and creating large structural openings in a client's house, it takes planning. A lot of planning. Months in advance, we sit down with our engineer to find the best solution to form a new opening and work out exactly what steel we need to make it work.

Then weeks in advance, we work out the sizes we need to make the steel, measure, check, measure again and then do a final check before we commit to the manufacturing. 

Then we prepare the site – making sure any ground beams or temporary foundations are in place ready to take the load. Then walls are taken down, openings formed and all the rubble removed from site and disposed of.

The day before the steel is delivered, we cone off the street and make sure that there is loads of room for the truck, crane or wagon to park, checking there are no overhead cables that will get in the way. We set up any temporary structures or chutes which will help the steel get into the property easily. We also have genie lifts, hoists or ropes in place ready to move the steel around. 

Finally when the steel arrives, it’s all hands on deck, sometimes ten of us just to lift and manoeuvre the beams in place. This is when we do things real slowly. Having up to 500kg of metal pivoting on a crane above you is a very sobering experience... This is something you don't want to rush. Then once it’s in position, we use specialist drills and fixings to secure it in place, tighten the bolts and give a sigh of relief that all our measurements worked out.

So next time when we’re installing your steel and making it look easy, you know what's behind it all.