GS Renovation removes chimney breasts throughout Southwark, from the Georgian terraces near Peckham Rye to the tall townhouses of Dulwich and Camberwell. With over 30 years across SE5, SE15, SE21 and SE22, we take out redundant breasts safely, support the stack above and square the room off so there is no sign it was ever there.
Removing a chimney breast in Southwark
Most of Southwark's period homes still carry their original chimney breasts, and in the borough's tightly packed Victorian and Georgian terraces the flues are shared with the neighbouring house through the party wall. Because the breast helps carry the masonry stack above, we begin every removal with a structural engineer assessing exactly what sits on top of it before anything is taken down.
On the lower floors we support the retained stack with steel gallows brackets bolted firmly into the party wall, or a small beam where the brickwork or bracket geometry does not suit brackets. In the taller SE21 and SE22 townhouses, where a stack runs the full height of the house, we more often remove the whole stack and make the roof good rather than leave weight hanging on brackets.
Party wall and building control in Southwark
Because Southwark's terraces share a party wall, the chimney stack almost always sits within it, so removing the breast or fixing gallows brackets is notifiable under the Party Wall Act. We serve notice on the adjoining owner before work starts and agree the condition of the shared wall. In Bermondsey's converted warehouses the flues may sit differently, and any structural change there needs the freeholder's licence to alter.
The structural support is a Building Regulations matter, so Southwark Council's building control signs off the gallows brackets or beam, not the planning department. We manage the lot: the engineer's assessment, the party wall notices, safe removal and propping, capping and ventilating any redundant flue to prevent damp, and replastering so the room is left clean and level.
- 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
- Party Wall Act notices for shared stacks
Why Southwark Homeowners Choose GS Renovation
Southwark homeowners choose GS Renovation because we treat chimney breast removal as structural work, never a quick knock-out. You get an engineer-designed support solution, party wall notices or freeholder consent handled, Southwark building control sign-off, tidy working in an occupied home and a certified result, backed by 30+ years across SE1 to SE22.
- 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