GS Renovation removes chimney breasts in Clerkenwell's older converted workshops and period warehouse buildings around EC1. With 30+ years of structural experience in Islington, we take out redundant breasts safely, support whatever masonry remains above, and square the room off so there is no sign the breast was ever there.
Removing a chimney breast in Clerkenwell
Not every Clerkenwell flat has a chimney breast; the newer riverside-style apartments never did. But the converted Victorian workshops and warehouse buildings often retain original breasts and flues from their industrial days. Because the breast helps carry the brickwork above it, we begin every removal with a structural engineer confirming exactly what load the masonry is supporting before anything is taken down.
On lower floors we support the retained stack above with steel gallows brackets bolted into solid masonry, or a small beam where brackets are unsuitable. Where a stack runs the full height of the building, it is often cleaner to remove the whole thing and make the roof good. A retained stack is never left hanging unsupported, whatever the floor level.
Freeholder consent and party walls in EC1
In a leasehold Clerkenwell flat, removing a chimney breast needs the freeholder's licence to alter and the managing agent's sign-off, since it touches structure the building owner is responsible for. We prepare the engineer's support drawing for that consent and work to any building-management conditions, including protecting common parts and meeting sound-insulation standards between flats.
Where the stack sits within a wall shared with the adjoining flat or building, removal is notifiable under the Party Wall Act and we serve notice on that neighbour first. The structural support is controlled under the Building Regulations, so Islington Council's building control signs it off. We also cap any redundant flue with ventilation to prevent damp, then replaster so the room is left clean.
- 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
- Structural engineer calculations
The GS Renovation Difference in Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell homeowners choose GS Renovation because we treat chimney breast removal as the structural job it is. You get an engineer-designed gallows-bracket or beam solution, freeholder licence, party wall notices and building control all handled, tidy working in an occupied EC1 flat, and a certified result backed by 30+ years across Islington.
- 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