Dear all,
I would greatly appreciate some assistance with the following enquiry which will help to shape my proposal prior to commissioning the services of my local builder.
I am considering having a small extension built to my property. The property is a small 3 bedroom detached house, built in the 1960’s. The house has double skinned external walls with imperial bricks and breeze blocks. The internal walls are breeze blocks. The entrance door is on the side of the house which is separated from the adjacent houses by concrete driveways.
The house has only one toilet in the upstairs bathroom and would be greatly enhanced by an occasional downstrairs toilet with basin and maybe a downstairs shower room.
To address this, some years ago, the property adjacent to ours had a simple, one story extension built into their driveway. The builder appears to have done a good job, however, this type of extension moves the front door from the position on the existing outer skin into the driveway thereby reducing the width of the driveway for the length of the extension. I am considering having a similar extension but am looking for ways of reducing the depth of the extension into the driveway.
I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide some guidance on the following:-
1. Considering that the existing outer double skinned wall would be retained and therefore become a new double skinned internal wall, would the new outer wall have to be double skinned? Please note that the toilet with basin/shower would be for occasional use. Heating in the extension would be either electric or water type underfloor heating. If the new outer wall had to be double skinned please can you advise on any known methods to reduce the wall thickness. For example, perhaps there is a very desnse plasterboard available which can be considered a second skin.
2. Could the extension be made from so called ‘slip bricks’ to reduce wall width.
3. There is an existing manhole cover in the driveway which appears to be an inspection cover or rodding point for my toilet pipework. It only serves my property. Could this cover be ‘removed’ or permanently sealed to allow the extension to be built over it? Please note there is a second cover ‘downstream’ of the first cover.
4. Prior to undertaking the extension, could I remove the existing outer skin of brick at ground level and insert a lintel to support the brickwork above. The fitment of the extention would then ensure that the brickwork that was removed would then be an interior wall.
Your initial thoughts on the above would be greatly appreciated.
Kind Regards
Paul
I would greatly appreciate some assistance with the following enquiry which will help to shape my proposal prior to commissioning the services of my local builder.
I am considering having a small extension built to my property. The property is a small 3 bedroom detached house, built in the 1960’s. The house has double skinned external walls with imperial bricks and breeze blocks. The internal walls are breeze blocks. The entrance door is on the side of the house which is separated from the adjacent houses by concrete driveways.
The house has only one toilet in the upstairs bathroom and would be greatly enhanced by an occasional downstrairs toilet with basin and maybe a downstairs shower room.
To address this, some years ago, the property adjacent to ours had a simple, one story extension built into their driveway. The builder appears to have done a good job, however, this type of extension moves the front door from the position on the existing outer skin into the driveway thereby reducing the width of the driveway for the length of the extension. I am considering having a similar extension but am looking for ways of reducing the depth of the extension into the driveway.
I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide some guidance on the following:-
1. Considering that the existing outer double skinned wall would be retained and therefore become a new double skinned internal wall, would the new outer wall have to be double skinned? Please note that the toilet with basin/shower would be for occasional use. Heating in the extension would be either electric or water type underfloor heating. If the new outer wall had to be double skinned please can you advise on any known methods to reduce the wall thickness. For example, perhaps there is a very desnse plasterboard available which can be considered a second skin.
2. Could the extension be made from so called ‘slip bricks’ to reduce wall width.
3. There is an existing manhole cover in the driveway which appears to be an inspection cover or rodding point for my toilet pipework. It only serves my property. Could this cover be ‘removed’ or permanently sealed to allow the extension to be built over it? Please note there is a second cover ‘downstream’ of the first cover.
4. Prior to undertaking the extension, could I remove the existing outer skin of brick at ground level and insert a lintel to support the brickwork above. The fitment of the extention would then ensure that the brickwork that was removed would then be an interior wall.
Your initial thoughts on the above would be greatly appreciated.
Kind Regards
Paul