15 May 2025
SHW Saves Victorian Balcony!
Building Consultancy, Residential, SHW News
SHW’s Building Consultancy Department have successfully completed stone balcony repair works to the Portico of a Grade II Listed period property; 70 & 71 Kensington Gardens Square, London, SW1W 8BP.
During recent external Works at 71 Kensington Gardens Square, a Victorian era mid terrace building, William Kerr, Building Surveyor for SHW noted vertical fractures to the front elevation at 3no. bearing junctions of the portico where the existing brick and tiled beam had failed and was only being supported by the stone slab embedded into the face of the building.
A Structural Engineer (SE) was instructed to immediately inspect and provide recommendations for temporary propping, as health and safety was a concern. The size, appearance and location indicated the failure likely caused by a single historical event producing a significant movement such as WWII bomb damage which was supported by bomb sight mapping data.
The required Listed Building Consent (LBC) was gained, and the contract was to be completed within 6 weeks, coming in £2,935 below the £40,518.38 budget.
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The works included:
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The required Listed Building Consent (LBC) was gained, and the contract was to be completed within 6 weeks, coming in £2,935 below the £40,518.38 budget.
William Kerr commented “We are pleased to have identified the risk before structural failure. Due to being a cantilevered structure, any failure would have given little warning before hand, resulting in the whole structure collapsing and posing a significant danger to anyone using the balconies or passing underneath.”
