GS Renovation removes load-bearing walls across Old Street, from the brick warehouse conversions off Clerkenwell to the new-build apartments around the Angel. With over 30 years of structural work in EC1, we know that in these flats the wall that matters is rarely the flimsy partition you expect, so we start with an engineer's assessment.
Reading the structure in Old Street flats
Many Old Street homes are warehouse conversions or contemporary apartments, and their internal layout is a mix of original loadbearing brick and lightweight studwork added when the shell was carved into flats. A partition that looks structural is often just a plasterboard divider, while a slim column beside your kitchen may be carrying floors above. We never assume; a structural engineer confirms exactly what each wall supports before anyone lifts a tool.
Where a wall genuinely carries load, we design a steel beam sized to the spans of your EC1 apartment. The beam bears onto padstones spreading its weight into sound masonry or the retained frame, and we install temporary propping so the structure above stays supported throughout. Demolition is then staged carefully, the steel is set, and the opening is finished cleanly with no cracking in the flats around you.
Leasehold and building control near the Angel
Almost every apartment around Old Street and the Angel is leasehold, so removing a load-bearing wall means obtaining the freeholder's licence to alter before work begins. We prepare the engineer's drawings and calculations your managing agent will need, coordinate approvals, and work within the building-management rules that govern noise, access hours and the goods lift in these converted and new-build blocks.
Structural wall removal is controlled under the Building Regulations, not planning permission, so Islington Council's building control inspects and signs off the steelwork. Because you share floors and ceilings with neighbours, we also respect the sound-insulation standards between flats, making sure any reinstated finishes maintain the acoustic separation your lease and the regulations both require. You receive full certification at completion.
- Padstones and correct bearing at each end
- Knock-throughs between reception rooms
- Making good, plastering and finishing
- Building control sign-off and party wall notices
- Assessment of whether a wall is load-bearing
Trusted Load-Bearing Wall Removal in Old Street
Old Street homeowners choose GS Renovation because we handle load-bearing wall removal as one accountable team: engineer's design, freeholder's licence to alter, managing-agent coordination and Islington building control all managed for you. We prop safely, work tidily in an occupied leasehold flat, protect shared finishes, and hand over certified work backed by 30+ years in EC1.
- 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