GS Renovation removes redundant chimney breasts across Ealing, from Southall's Victorian terraces to the Edwardian homes around Ealing Common. With 30+ years in W5, W7 and UB1, we take out unwanted breasts, support the retained stack above and square off the room, leaving no sign the masonry was ever there.
Chimney breast removal in Ealing terraces
In Ealing's bay-fronted Victorian and Edwardian terraces the chimney breast usually projects into a bedroom or reception, eating floor space you would rather use. Because the breast helps carry the brickwork and stack above it, removal is never simply knocking it out. We start with a structural engineer's assessment of exactly what the masonry overhead is resting on before we plan any support.
On a lower-floor breast we support the retained stack with steel gallows brackets bolted into the party wall, or a small beam where the brackets are unsuitable for the loading. Where the stack runs full height and is no longer used, we more often remove the whole thing and make good the roof. A retained stack is never left hanging unsupported, and any redundant flue is capped with ventilation to prevent damp.
Party wall and building control in Ealing
Ealing's terraces sit wall-to-wall, so the chimney stack almost always shares the party wall with the house next door. Removing the breast, or bolting gallows brackets into that shared wall, is notifiable under the Party Wall Act, so we prepare and serve notice on the adjoining owner before work begins. This keeps you on the right side of your neighbour and the law from day one.
The structural support itself is notifiable under the Building Regulations, and Ealing Council building control, or an approved inspector, signs off the brackets or beam. We manage the whole sequence: the engineer's design, the party wall notices, careful demolition with the room protected from dust, capping the flue, and replastering so the wall reads flat and clean. No exterior consent is needed unless you are in a conservation area.
- Steel beam support where brackets are unsuitable
- Full chimney stack removal and roof making good
- Structural engineer calculations
- Party Wall Act notices for shared stacks
- Making good, plastering and reinstating the wall
Why Choose GS Renovation in Ealing
Ealing homeowners choose GS Renovation because we treat chimney breast removal as the structural job it is. You get an engineer-designed support solution using gallows brackets or a beam, party wall notices and Ealing Council building control handled end to end, dust-controlled working in an occupied W5 or UB1 home, and a certified, squared-off result backed by 30+ years locally.
- 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