Renovating a home can involve far more metalwork than you might expect.
You may be removing a wall, opening up a living area, extending the back of the house, adding a balcony, changing a staircase or modifying an existing structure. Depending on the design, some of that work may require steel components to be fabricated, installed, repaired or welded.
So, what can a mobile welder actually help with during a home renovation?
For Brisbane homeowners and residential builders, mobile welding can be a practical option when steelwork needs to be worked on at the property rather than transported to a workshop.
Hudson Contracting provides residential welding and mobile welding services throughout Brisbane, including work involving posts, beams, base plates, cleats, caps, upstands and cross-bracing.
Here’s where a mobile welder may fit into your renovation.
Can a Mobile Welder Help With Steel Beams?
Yes, depending on the project requirements.
Steel beams may be used when modifying or extending parts of a home, particularly where an existing wall or structure is being altered.
A welding contractor may be involved in fabricating, modifying or connecting steel components as specified by the relevant plans and engineering requirements.
Hudson Contracting’s residential welding services include posts and beams.
If your renovation involves a structural beam, the welding contractor should work with the relevant plans and specifications rather than determining the structural design themselves.
What About Steel Posts?
Steel posts can be another common requirement during renovations and extensions.
For example, a renovation may involve creating a larger opening, extending a living area or changing part of the home’s layout.
Depending on the design, steel posts may be required to support the structure.
Hudson Contracting provides residential welding for posts and beams and can work with builders and contractors on the onsite welding requirements.
If you’re a homeowner, your builder or engineer will generally determine what structural steel is required. The welding contractor then carries out the fabrication or welding work according to the project requirements.
Can a Mobile Welder Modify Existing Steel?
This is one of the situations where onsite welding can be particularly useful. Unlike a new build, renovations involve an existing structure.
You may discover that an existing steel component needs to be:
- Modified
- Extended
- Repaired
- Reinforced
- Connected to new steelwork
- Adjusted to accommodate the renovation
Removing a large steel component and transporting it to a workshop isn’t always practical. A mobile welder can instead attend the property and assess what needs to be done.
Hudson Contracting provides mobile welding and onsite fabrication, making it possible to discuss modifications and custom metalwork at the property.
Can Welding Be Used for Brackets and Supports?
Yes.
Not every welding job involves a large beam.
Residential renovations can also require smaller fabricated components such as:
- Brackets
- Cleats
- Base plates
- Supports
- Caps
- Upstands
- Cross-bracing
Hudson Contracting’s residential welding service specifically includes these types of components.
These pieces may need to be fabricated or modified to suit the particular structure and dimensions of the renovation.
What About Handrails and Balustrades?
Metal handrails can also involve welding and fabrication.
For example, you may be renovating:
- A staircase
- Balcony
- Deck
- Entrance
- Outdoor area
A handrail may need to fit around an existing structure or particular architectural features.
Having the work completed onsite can be useful where accurate measurements and fitting are important.
The exact requirements will depend on the design and applicable building requirements.
Can a Mobile Welder Help With Gates and Fencing?
Potentially, yes.
Renovations often involve changes to outdoor areas as well as the house itself. You may be installing:
- A new driveway gate
- Metal fencing
- Garden gates
- Security gates
- Custom steelwork
Depending on the design, welding may be required to fabricate, modify or install these components.
Hudson Contracting’s mobile welding service covers gates and fencing alongside other residential welding applications.
What If Something Doesn’t Fit Once It Gets to the House?
This is one of the practical challenges of renovation work.
Even when measurements have been carefully taken, existing homes aren’t always perfectly straightforward.
You might find:
- An existing wall is slightly different from expected
- A component needs a small modification
- Another part of the renovation has changed
- Access is more restricted than anticipated
- New steel needs to connect with existing steelwork
This is where onsite welding and fabrication can be useful.
Rather than automatically sending the component back to a workshop, a mobile welding contractor can assess whether the required modification can be completed at the property.
Does the Welder Need to See the Renovation Before Quoting?
Not always.
For straightforward jobs, photographs, measurements and drawings may provide enough information to start the quoting process.
For more complicated work, an onsite inspection may be appropriate.
When contacting Hudson Contracting, provide:
- Photos
- Measurements
- Plans
- Location
- Material information
- A description of the work
Hudson encourages customers to provide photographs or drawings where possible when making an enquiry.
This can make it much easier to understand the project before discussing the work.
Should You Book the Welder Before the Renovation Starts?
If you know welding will be required, it’s worth discussing it early.
You don’t necessarily need to have the exact date locked in immediately, but having the welding requirements identified early can make scheduling easier.
Talk to your builder about:
- What steelwork is required
- Who is supplying it
- When it needs to be installed
- Whether welding will happen onsite
- Whether fabrication is required
- What drawings apply
This helps prevent welding from becoming an unexpected task halfway through the renovation.
Mobile Welding or Workshop Fabrication?
It depends on what you’re doing.
Workshop fabrication may be suitable when a component needs to be manufactured from scratch and can easily be transported.
Mobile welding can make more sense when:
- Steel is already installed
- Components are too large or awkward to move
- Existing structures need modification
- Work needs to happen at the property
- A custom component needs to be adjusted onsite
Some projects may use both.
A component can be fabricated in a workshop and then installed or modified onsite.
Hudson Contracting offers both mobile welding and fabrication services, so the appropriate approach can be discussed based on the requirements of the renovation.
What Should Homeowners Know About Structural Welding?
If the welding forms part of the home’s structure, it should be treated as a construction task rather than a simple general repair.
Your builder or engineer should determine the structural requirements and provide the relevant plans or specifications.
The welding contractor then works within those requirements.
Hudson Contracting states that its mobile welding work is carried out to a minimum AS1554 SP structural-purpose standard.
The exact standards and engineering requirements applicable to your renovation should always be confirmed for the specific project.
A Mobile Welder Can Be Another Useful Trade During a Renovation
Welding might not be needed on every renovation, but when it is, having the right contractor available can make the process much easier.
From posts and beams to brackets, supports, handrails and modifications to existing steelwork, onsite welding can provide a practical solution when the work needs to happen at the property.
The key is to involve the welding contractor early, provide the relevant plans and photographs, and make sure the work is coordinated with the rest of the renovation.
Renovating in Brisbane? Talk to Hudson Contracting
If your renovation involves steel posts, beams, brackets, supports, modifications or other welded components, Hudson Contracting can help.
Contact Hudson Contracting to discuss your residential welding requirements and find out whether onsite welding or fabrication is the right option for your renovation.
You can also read our guide to hiring a mobile welding contractor for your residential project to find out what questions to ask before booking.