GS Renovation removes chimney breasts across Islington, from the Georgian terraces around Canonbury and Barnsbury to the Victorian streets of Holloway and the warehouse conversions of Clerkenwell. With over 30 years of structural experience in N1, N5, N7, N19 and EC1, we take out redundant breasts safely, support the stack above and leave the room squared off and ready to decorate.
Removing a chimney breast in Islington's period homes
Most Islington homes still carry their original chimney breasts and stacks, and in the borough's many conservation areas the flues are usually shared through the party wall with the house next door. Because the breast helps carry the masonry above it, you cannot simply knock it out, so we begin every job with a structural engineer's assessment of what the wall is holding up.
On the ground or first floor we typically support the retained stack with steel gallows brackets bolted back into the party wall, or a small beam where brackets are unsuitable. In taller Barnsbury and Canonbury townhouses, where the stack runs the full height, we more often remove the whole stack and make good the roof, which avoids leaving heavy masonry hanging on brackets.
Party wall and building control in N1 and N7
As Islington's terraces are tightly packed, the chimney stack almost always sits within the shared party wall, so removal is notifiable under the Party Wall Act and we serve notice on the adjoining owner before work starts. The structural support is also notifiable under building regulations, and Islington Council's building control (or an approved inspector) inspects and signs the work off.
We manage the whole process for you: the engineer's calculations, the party wall notices, the safe removal and propping, capping any redundant flue with proper ventilation to prevent damp, and replastering the wall so there is no trace the breast was ever there.
- 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 Islington
Islington homeowners choose GS Renovation because we treat chimney breast removal as the structural job it is, not a quick demolition. You get an engineer-designed support solution, the party wall and building control handled end to end, tidy working in an occupied home, and a fully certified result, all backed by more than 30 years of structural work across the borough.
- 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