Every trade under one contract across Angel and N1. Structural work, extensions, kitchens and bathrooms, building control handled for you.
Renovations in Angel are carried out on some of the oldest housing anyone in London still lives in. The Georgian and Regency terraces running back from Upper Street were built with lime mortar, deep softwood joists and lath and plaster ceilings, and every generation since has altered them. A great many were later divided, so one N1 address can be leasehold on the upper floors and freehold below. GS Renovation works here as a contractor: we appoint structural engineers where a design is needed and build to what they specify. Our founder, Abdelaaziz Saaid, has over 30 years of hands-on experience in fabric of exactly this age.
Walls built in lime were meant to take up moisture and release it again. Seal them behind a cement render, a gypsum skim and a plastic paint and the moisture has nowhere to go, which is why so many damp complaints in Angel houses turn out to be a materials problem in disguise. Our approach on a refurbishment here is to strip back to a sound background, make good in a mix that suits the wall, and let the construction behave the way it was designed to. Original joinery, shutters and sash boxes are usually worth repairing rather than replacing, and the repair costs less disruption than a like for like swap.
Structurally, the spine wall between the front and back rooms is carrying floors, and so are the chimney breasts stacked above one another. Nothing in a house of this age should be assumed. We appoint an independent structural engineer to inspect, trace the load path and produce the calculations; we then install the steel, the padstones and the temporary support exactly as drawn. Notifiable work is registered and inspected by Islington Council building control, and we hold the records for handover. Where a listing or a conservation designation applies to your address, we establish that at survey stage rather than after the drawings are paid for.
Almost nothing about an Angel site is convenient. The lanes around Camden Passage and the streets by Chapel Market are narrow, controlled for parking and busy from early morning, and a Georgian terrace rarely offers a rear route into the garden. That means materials arrive in small, timed loads rather than a single pallet, waste goes out in bags through the front door, and a bay suspension or skip permit from the council is arranged before the week it is needed. Where the house has been converted, the communal stair is the only way in and it gets boarded and sheeted before a tool is carried up it.
You are also working within a few metres of several other households at all times. We set out in advance which stages are noisy, keep percussive work inside normal weekday hours, and give the flats above and below written dates so nobody is surprised by a breaker at eight in the morning. One named project manager runs the job and is the person you call, which matters more than it sounds when a Georgian house has five trades moving through it. GS Renovation is fully insured, registered in England under company number 14611254, and quotations follow a proper site visit and carry no obligation.
Every Service, One Team
One accountable team for every trade in Angel. Choose the work you need:
RSJ and Steel Beam Installation in Angel: steel beam installation, RSJ and structural alterations.
Load-Bearing Wall Removal in Angel: safe load-bearing wall removal with steel beam support.
Structural Alterations in Angel: structural alterations, new openings and steel support.
Chimney Breast Removal in Angel: chimney breast removal with gallows bracket or beam support.
Open-Plan Conversions in Angel: open-plan kitchen, diner and living conversions.
House Extensions in Angel: single and double storey extensions.
Loft Conversion in Angel: dormer, hip to gable and mansard loft conversions.
Home Renovation in Angel: full refurbishments and whole-house renovations.
Kitchen Renovation in Angel: bespoke kitchen design and installation.
Bathroom Renovation in Angel: luxury bathroom and wet-room refurbishment.
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FAQ
Yes, in almost every case where the flat is leasehold. Anything touching structure, layout, floor finishes, drainage or the services running through the building will normally require a licence to alter from the freeholder, and the lease sets out what else is reserved. We help assemble the drawings and insurance details the managing agent asks for, and we do not start structural work until that consent is in writing.
Frequently, yes. Solid lime-built walls dry outwards, so a cement render outside or an impermeable coating inside traps water in the masonry and pushes it to show as staining, blown plaster and salting. Before anyone talks about injections, we look at what has been applied to the wall, at ground levels outside, and at rainwater goods. Fixing the cause first is what makes the replastering last.
Through the front, in small quantities, on a delivery schedule agreed in advance. Long or heavy items such as a steel beam can sometimes come in through a ground floor sash opening on a lifting frame rather than round a period stair, and where a section is too heavy to handle the engineer can specify it in bolted parts. Waste leaves the same day it is bagged so nothing accumulates in the street.
An independent structural engineer does, and never us. We are a building contractor: we appoint and coordinate the engineer, take their drawings and calculations, and construct precisely to that design with the propping they specify. That separation is deliberate, because the person checking the load path should not be the person pricing the steel. Islington Council building control then inspects and certifies the finished work.
George did a great job on our new bathroom. He is a really friendly and helpful guy and always ready to discuss any issues or concerns and come up with a sensible solution. Best of all, he works to budget and does not try and find…
What can I say!!! George is an extremely lovely man his workmanship is second to none, he has an excellent eye for detail and nothing was to much trouble. George it was a pleasure having you in our home! thank you for all your hard work…
George was very friendly and helpful from start to finish. He worked really hard to ensure our kitchen was installed to a high standard and was accommodating to the changes we wanted along the way. We're really happy with the end result…
Free, no-obligation quote for any renovation work in Angel. Rated 4.9 from 31 reviews on MyBuilder, fully insured, and building control handled for you.