Opening-Up Works
Carefully formed openings in floors, walls and ceilings that record what a building is actually made of - located on plan, photographed, drawn in section and reinstated.
Drawings say what a building should be; opening-up works record what it actually is. We form careful, targeted openings in floors, ceilings and walls so the real construction build-up - joists, boards, lintels, wall make-up - can be seen, measured and photographed, then we reinstate what we opened.
Every opening is given a reference, located on a plan of the property, photographed and drawn in section, so your structural engineer works from evidence rather than assumption. The examples below are from a real issued investigation.
When opening-up works are asked for
- Structural alterations: your engineer needs the real floor and wall build-ups before removing or loading anything.
- Subsidence and movement investigations: confirming how the affected elements are constructed, usually alongside trial pits.
- Renovations of older properties: Victorian and inter-war construction rarely matches assumptions - a few openings prevent expensive surprises mid-build.
- Pre-purchase due diligence: recording what a specific defect is really sitting in before you commit.
Careful in, careful out
Openings are the minimum size that answers the question, formed with dust control and protection in place, and reinstated afterwards. The record - plan, photographs, sections - goes into a BS 5930 report alongside any trial pits, so the whole investigation reads as one document.
Know what the building is made of.
Call Clever Works on 01252 214 098 or request a fixed quote - send your engineer's list of questions and we will scope the openings to answer them.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How big are the openings?
The minimum that answers the engineer's question - typically a few hundred millimetres square in a ceiling or floor. Each one is agreed in the scope before anything is opened.
Do you repair the openings afterwards?
Yes, reinstatement is part of the job. Where a decorative finish is affected we agree the standard of making good with you first.
Can this be done in an occupied house?
Yes - openings are formed with dust control and protection in place, one area at a time, and closed up before we leave.
What do I receive at the end?
A plan locating every opening, photographs of each, and section drawings of the recorded construction - issued as part of a BS 5930 report, combined with trial pits where both were needed.