GS Renovation removes chimney breasts throughout Charlton's Victorian and Edwardian terraces, reclaiming the space these redundant stacks swallow in bedrooms and reception rooms. With over 30 years in SE7, we take out breasts safely, support the masonry left above and leave the wall replastered so there is no sign a breast was ever there.
Removing a chimney breast in Charlton
Almost every Charlton terrace still carries its original chimney breasts, and with open fires long gone they eat into the useable width of the room. The catch is that the breast helps support the brickwork and stack above it, so it cannot simply be knocked out. We begin with a structural engineer confirming exactly what is bearing on the breast at each floor before any masonry moves.
Where you keep the stack on the floors above, we support the retained masonry on steel gallows brackets bolted into the sound party wall, or a beam where brackets are unsuitable. In many Charlton houses the sensible route is to remove the full-height stack outright and make the roof good, which removes the load entirely rather than hanging it off the wall.
Party wall and building control in SE7
In Charlton's terraces the chimney stack sits within the party wall shared with next door, so removing a breast or bolting gallows brackets into that wall is notifiable under the Party Wall Act. We serve notice on the adjoining owner before work starts and record the condition of both sides, which matters when the stack you are altering is literally shared masonry.
The structural support is notifiable under the Building Regulations, and the Royal Borough of Greenwich building control inspects the brackets or beam and signs the work off. We manage the engineer's calculations, the party wall notices, safe removal and propping, capping any redundant flue with proper ventilation against damp, then replastering so the room is finished flush and certified.
- Flue capping, ventilation and building control sign-off
- Chimney breast removal on one or all floors
- Gallows bracket support for the stack above
- Steel beam support where brackets are unsuitable
- Full chimney stack removal and roof making good
Trusted Chimney Breast Removal in Charlton
Charlton homeowners choose GS Renovation because we treat chimney breast removal as the structural job it is, not a demolition afterthought. You get an engineer-designed gallows or beam solution, party wall notices and Greenwich building control handled end to end, dust-controlled working in an occupied home, and a certified, replastered result backed by 30+ years across SE7.
- Free, no-obligation quotations
- Over 30 years of experience
- Dedicated project management
- Fully insured and guaranteed work
- Building control and planning support
- Clean, tidy and reliable tradespeople