Chimney Scaffolding in London

Chimney jobs that need a scaffold

A chimney stack weathers faster than the rest of the roof because it is fully exposed on every face. Over time the mortar joints erode, the flaunching around the pots cracks, the lead flashing at the roof junction lifts, and in bad cases the brickwork itself needs rebuilding. All of that is skilled work carried out at height on a small footprint, and all of it needs a stable platform around the stack.

• Repointing eroded mortar joints on the stack.
• Re-flaunching — renewing the mortar bed that holds the pots.
• Renewing lead flashing and soakers where the stack meets the roof.
• Rebuilding or taking down an unsafe or redundant stack.
• Fitting or replacing pots, cowls and bird guards.

How a chimney scaffold is built

A chimney scaffold is usually carried up from the perimeter scaffold or an independent structure, taken above the ridge, and finished with a boarded working platform that wraps the stack so the trades can reach all four faces safely. It has full guard rails and toe boards, a safe access route from the lift below, and ties into the building so it stays rigid at the most wind-exposed part of the roof.

Because the platform sits above the ridge line, the design has to handle the extra height and exposure — again the sort of configuration we prove with a proper design where it falls outside standard TG20 patterns.

Access, conservation and neighbours

On London terraces the stack is often shared or sits on a party line, and access can mean working over a neighbour's roof or garden. In conservation areas and on listed buildings the repair specification itself may be controlled, so the scaffold has to suit a careful, like-for-like repair rather than a quick fix. We plan access and any neighbour agreements as part of the survey.

Where the scaffold reaches the stack from the front and stands over the public footway, the usual highway licence applies and we arrange it with the borough.

Cost of a chimney scaffold

A chimney scaffold is priced on how it is reached — whether it needs a full perimeter scaffold beneath it or can be taken up a single elevation — plus the height above the ridge, the hire period and any licence. It is often erected alongside a re-roof, which shares the perimeter scaffold cost.

We give a fixed price after a free survey covering the erect, weekly hire and dismantle. Send us the property and the chimney works through the quote form for a quote within one working day.