GS Renovation removes chimney breasts across Paddington, from the stucco terraces near Hyde Park to the converted Georgian townhouses of W2. With more than 30 years of structural experience in Westminster, we take out redundant breasts safely, support the retained stack above and leave the room squared off and replastered.
Removing a chimney breast in Paddington's period homes
Most of Paddington's period townhouses still carry their original chimney breasts, and in these tightly built W2 terraces the flues are usually shared through the party wall with the house next door. Because the breast helps support the masonry stack above, we always start with a structural engineer's assessment of exactly what the wall is holding up.
On the lower floors we support the retained stack with steel gallows brackets bolted firmly into the party wall, or a small beam where brackets are unsuitable. In these tall Regency and Georgian homes the stack often runs the full height of the building, in which case we more often remove the whole stack and make good the roof rather than leave it hanging.
Party wall and building control in W2
As Paddington's terraces sit shoulder to shoulder, the chimney stack almost always lies within the shared party wall, so removing the breast or fixing gallows brackets is notifiable under the Party Wall Act. We serve notice on the adjoining owner before any work begins, keeping relations with the neighbour straightforward.
The structural support is controlled under the Building Regulations rather than planning, and Westminster City Council's building control signs it off. We manage the lot: the engineer's calculations, the party wall notices, safe removal and propping, capping any redundant flue with ventilation to prevent damp, and replastering so there is no trace the breast was ever there.
- Structural engineer calculations
- Party Wall Act notices for shared stacks
- Making good, plastering and reinstating the wall
- Flue capping, ventilation and building control sign-off
- Chimney breast removal on one or all floors
The GS Renovation Difference in Paddington
Paddington homeowners choose GS Renovation because we treat chimney breast removal as the structural job it is. You get an engineer-designed support solution, party wall notices and Westminster building control handled end to end, tidy working in an occupied W2 home, and a fully certified, squared-off result, backed by 30+ years across central London.
- 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