Removing a chimney breast takes out masonry that may still be carrying load above it. In Welwyn Garden City the stack is also part of what the town's designations look at, so the part of the chimney you can see from the street and the part inside the house are treated differently. We appoint a structural engineer for the support design and coordinate the building control inspections.
Chimneys are part of the protected character here
The stacks are not incidental detail. Typical housing in Guessens Road consists of semi detached red brick houses with steep tiled roofs and emphatic angled chimney stacks. The Peartree Conservation Area appraisal records that chimneys are prominent within the skyline of the area and have largely been retained. Taking breasts out internally while leaving the stack above roof level intact is one way to reconcile the two, and it is a decision to settle before the work is priced.
The Estate Management Scheme lists chimneys by name
The scheme's design guide lists chimneys and flues among the changes that need consent. That consent is separate from planning permission and separate again from building regulations. If the plan is to take a stack down to roof level or below, that is a change to the outside of the building, and it should be checked against the scheme before dates are booked or scaffolding is ordered.
Support for what stays, and who signs it off
Whatever remains above has to be carried, and building control has to see how. Gallows brackets bolted back to the party wall are one accepted solution, and a steel beam is the other, depending on what the engineer's calculations allow. Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council's building control web address redirects to Hertfordshire Building Control, which provides the building control service for the borough. We make the application and arrange the inspections.
- Roof tiling, flashing and leadwork made good
- Rubble bagged and carried out rather than dropped inside
- Ceiling and joist support where the breast carried them
- Hearth removal and floor structure reinstatement
- Chimney breast removal on one floor or on every floor
The GS Renovation Difference in Welwyn Garden City
The risk on a chimney job is the part you leave behind, not the part you take out. We survey the breast on every floor, establish what remains above it, and appoint a structural engineer to design the support. We build to those calculations rather than producing them. Our founder has over 30 years of hands-on experience. The company is fully insured and registered in England, company number 14611254, and quotations are free and carry no obligation.
- Structural engineer instructed and coordinated on your behalf
- Honest updates if a date or a detail has to move
- Party Wall Act notices served for stacks in a shared wall
- Neighbours spoken to early when the stack is shared
- Itemised pricing, so you can see what every stage costs
- Registered in England, Companies House no. 14611254