Hadlow, Kentinfo@thompsonstowers.com Mon–Sat 9am–5pm · Sunday closedOut of hours emergencies answered - Services Areas Our WorkReviewsAboutContactCall us direct07355 037000Get a Free Quote Call Home/ServicesInternal Scaffolding # Internal ScaffoldingIn Hadlow,Built Inside Your Building Internal scaffolding and birdcage access for work inside buildings: ceilings, roof voids, high-level services, warehouses, halls and barn conversions. Get My Free Quote 07355 037000 Free survey, written quote within one day, six weeks' hire included. CISRS-carded teams Every scaffolder trained and card-checked £10m insurance Public and employers' liability cover 6 weeks' hire Included as standard on every scaffold Family-run Katie & Mason Thompson, office in Hadlow The Thompsons Towers standard ## Internal Scaffolding Backed By A Team You Can Check ### CISRS-carded scaffolders Every scaffolder trained, carded and checked before they set foot on your property. ### £10m public and employers' liability Full cover in place on every domestic and commercial job we take on. ### Free survey, quote in one day We survey at no charge and send an itemised written quote back within one day. ### Six-week hire included Six weeks of hire as standard, with weekly inspections throughout. Get a Free Quote The service ## Safe working platforms inside the building Internal scaffolding is what you need when the work is above your head rather than outside your walls. Ceilings, roof voids, exposed trusses, high-level lighting, ductwork, sprinklers, plaster repairs and structural steel all sit at heights that ladders and towers simply cannot serve safely for a full working day. The usual answer is a birdcage scaffold: a grid of standards and ledgers built off the floor slab and fully boarded out at working height, so the whole ceiling area becomes a flat, guarded platform. Trades walk across the boards instead of repositioning a tower every few minutes, which is both safer and considerably faster. We survey the inside of the building first: floor loadings, headroom, door widths, stair routes, existing racking, machinery and whatever has to keep operating while we work. That determines how we break the structure down for transport in, and how we sequence the build so your building stays usable. Everything is erected by CISRS-carded scaffolders to TG20 compliant configurations, boarded out fully, guarded, tagged and inspected weekly for as long as it stands. Where a structure falls outside standard configurations, design drawings and calculations can be supplied at extra charge. We work across Hadlow, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Gravesend and into Sussex and London, for homeowners, builders, shopfitters, property managers and main contractors alike. ### Who it's for Builders, shopfitters, M&E contractors, plasterers, decorators, property managers and homeowners with high internal ceilings or open roof structures. ### When you need it Ceiling replacement, plastering, painting, insulation, roof void repairs, structural steel work, lighting, ducting and sprinkler installations. ### Why a birdcage A boarded platform gives continuous, guarded access to the whole ceiling instead of forcing trades to work off a tower and move it constantly. What it costs to wait ## What goes wrong with internal access done badly Interior work tends to be treated as lower risk than external work, and it very often is not. Falls happen from modest heights onto hard floors, and internal structures carry their own hazards. ### Towers used where a platform is needed A tower serves one spot. Repeatedly climbing down, moving it and climbing back up is where overreaching, tipping and falls happen. ### Floor loading ignored Standards concentrate load into small footprints. On suspended floors, tiled slabs or over services, that needs spreading with base plates and sole boards, not guesswork. ### Access routes blocked A birdcage built without thought for fire exits, doorways and machinery leaves a building that legally or practically cannot be used while your works run. ### Mistakes we get called out to fix Assuming any scaffolder can plan a birdcage without an internal survey - Boarding only part of the platform, leaving gaps and edges near work areas - Building over live machinery or stock that could have been moved first - Skipping the scaff tag and weekly inspection because the scaffold is indoors - Forgetting protection for finished floors, screeds and tiling - Not checking headroom, so the platform sits too close to the ceiling to work from Our process ## From First Call ToSigned-Off Scaffold 01 ### Free internal survey We look at heights, floor construction, access routes, doorways and anything that must keep running while the platform is up. 02 ### Quote in one day A written quote back within one day, setting out the platform area, working height, boarding, protection and hire period. 03 ### Materials in Tube, fittings and boards are carried in through the routes agreed at survey, with floor protection down before anything is stacked. 04 ### Birdcage erected Standards are set out on spread bases, lifts built to your working height and the platform boarded out fully with guardrails and toe boards. 05 ### Tag, inspect, dismantle Handed over tagged with RAMS, inspected weekly while it stands, then dismantled and cleared out cleanly when you're finished. What you get ## Specific Outcomes,Not Vague Promises ### A whole ceiling at once Trades work across a continuous boarded deck rather than shifting a tower, which usually cuts days off a ceiling or roof void programme. ### Floors protected Sole boards and floor protection go down first, so finished screeds, timber and tiling are not marked by base plates or dropped fittings. ### Your building keeps working We plan around fire exits, doorways, racking and machinery so the space stays usable and compliant while the platform is in place. ### Tidy in, tidy out Materials are carried in and out along agreed routes, stacked neatly, and the space is swept and cleared on dismantle. ### Proper paperwork RAMS, scaff tags and weekly inspection records are handed over, which matters for site inductions and insurers on commercial jobs. ### One point of contact Katie runs the office and Mason runs the site, so you ring one number and get an answer about your job, not a call centre. In detail ## How we approach internal scaffolding in detail The technical decisions on an internal scaffold differ from an external one: load goes into a floor rather than the ground, and there is no scope to widen the base outwards. ### Materials used Standard tube and fitting scaffold is our default for internal work because it can be built to almost any plan shape and cut around columns, beams and machinery. Boards are standard scaffold boards laid tight across transoms so the deck has no gaps at working level. Base plates always sit on sole boards or proprietary spreader pads indoors, both to spread load into the floor and to protect the finish beneath. Where headroom is tight we use shorter standards and closer lift spacing rather than forcing a taller frame into the space. ### Methods and sequencing The build starts with a set-out on the floor: standard positions marked to suit the ceiling area, the doorways that have to stay clear and the plant that cannot move. Materials come in along a single agreed route with protection down, so there is one path to keep clean rather than a whole floor to make good. Lifts go up in sequence with ties or bracing taken back into sound structure where available, or with the frame widened and braced internally where tying in is not appropriate. The platform is boarded, guarded and toe-boarded before anyone hands it over. ### Service variations A full birdcage covering the whole floor plan suits ceiling replacement, plastering and decorating. A partial birdcage or bay-by-bay platform suits localised repairs, allowing part of the space to stay in use while work moves through it. We also build internal stair towers and loading platforms where materials have to be moved up inside the building, and internal edge protection around stairwells, lift shafts and floor openings during construction. ### Situations it applies to Warehouses and industrial units with corrugated roofs, churches and halls with high vaulted ceilings, barn conversions with exposed trusses, shops and offices during fit-out, and houses with double-height hallways or galleried landings. Insurance and reinstatement work is common too: fire or water damage inside a building needs safe high-level access for surveyors and then for the trades stripping and rebuilding ceilings. ### Residential vs commercial differences In homes the priority is protecting finishes and keeping the household able to live around the platform, so we work in smaller sections, protect floors carefully and clear up daily. In commercial buildings the priority is usually operational: staying clear of fire routes and racking, meeting site induction requirements, working within agreed hours, and providing the RAMS and inspection records the site or landlord requires. Common questions ## Internal ScaffoldingQuestions Answered Still unsure? Ring 07355 037000 and speak to Katie or Mason directly. What is a birdcage scaffold?+It's a grid of scaffold standards built off the floor and boarded out at working height, giving a flat, guarded platform across the whole ceiling area rather than access to one spot at a time. Will you damage my floor?+Base plates sit on sole boards or spreader pads with floor protection down first, and materials come in along one agreed route. We're known for working tidily; it's why customers call us the posh scaffolders. Can we keep using the building?+Usually yes. At survey we agree which doorways, fire exits, racking and machinery must stay clear, and we set the scaffold out around them or build it in sections. How much does internal scaffolding cost?+It depends on the platform area, working height and access into the building, so we survey first and quote in writing within one day. We'll also beat any genuine written scaffolding quote. How long can we keep it?+Six weeks' hire is included as standard, with weekly inspections throughout. If your works run longer we simply agree an extension. Are your scaffolders qualified?+Yes. Every scaffolder is CISRS-carded and holds CITB training including Manual Handling, Working at Heights, Asbestos Awareness and Scaffold Inspection. Do you provide paperwork?+Every job is handed over with RAMS, a scaff tag and inspection records, and we carry £10m public and £10m employers' liability insurance. Do you cover my area?+We're based in Hadlow with our yard in Five Oak Green, and cover Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Kings Hill, Paddock Wood, Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Gravesend and London. ## Related scaffolding services - Access Scaffolding & Towers - Commercial Scaffolding - Renovation & RefurbishmentSee every service on the scaffolding services overview or read more about Thompsons Towers. ## Areas we cover - Tonbridge - Tunbridge Wells - Hadlow - Kings Hill - Paddock Wood - Maidstone - Sevenoaks - Ashford - Canterbury - Dartford - Gravesend - London - Sussex - EssexPostcode not listed? Check our coverage or ring the office. Free survey · Quote in one day ## Need safe access inside your building?Get a free survey. Tell us the ceiling height and the works planned and we'll survey, quote in one day and get a boarded platform in place. 07355 037000Email the office - CISRS-carded scaffolders - £10m public & employers' liability - RAMS, scaff tags & inspections - Six-week hire included as standard ### Opening hours - Monday9am – 5pm - Tuesday9am – 5pm - Wednesday9am – 5pm - Thursday9am – 5pm - Friday9am – 5pm - Saturday9am – 5pm - SundayClosedPhone answered out of hours for emergencies. Family-run scaffolding from Hadlow, near Tonbridge. CISRS-carded scaffolders working across Kent, Sussex and London. - ### Services Domestic Scaffolding - Commercial Scaffolding - Roofing Scaffolding - Chimney Scaffolding - Scaffolding For Extensions - New-Build Scaffolding - Renovation & Refurbishment - Temporary Roof Systems - Access Scaffolding & Towers - Emergency Scaffolding - Scaffold Hire - Repointing & Brickwork - Internal Scaffolding - Cladding Scaffolding - Rendering Scaffolding - Painting & Decorating Scaffolding - All scaffolding services ### Areas Covered - Tonbridge - Tunbridge Wells - Hadlow - Kings Hill - Paddock Wood - Maidstone - Sevenoaks - Ashford - Canterbury - Dartford - Gravesend - London - Sussex - Essex - All areas covered ### Contact Hadlow, Kent Office in Hadlow. Our yard is based in Five Oak Green. 07355 037000 info@thompsonstowers.com Mon–Sat 9am–5pm · Sunday closed - About Us - Our Work - Reviews - Contact © 2026 Thompsons Towers Scaffolding Services Ltd. All rights reserved. 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