Kieran McCarthy: Steel work to get you beaming

Reinforcing gaps and load-bearing means steel can be a necessary expense

"In general terms, when it comes to cost, I always tell people that the more elaborate and architectural design, the more it will cost to build"

Hi Kieran, When I see people working on homes, I often see steel beams as part of extensions, even on single-storey extensions. In fact, many of these extensions now have corner windows with steels overhead and even in the corner.

At what point does steel become part of the project rather than just bricks and mortar? We are in the early stages of looking at an extension into our back garden and wanted to know why steel is needed and how much it might add to a project.