6m Extension, roof question

[darlip]

Hi, I am hoping that someone might be able to offer some advice or point me in the right direction. My brother is building an extension for my husband and I, its single storey 5.6m wide and 6m long. My husband is full of confidence in his lil bro however I am slightly less so seeing as its his second ever building job!?
My specific concern is the roof, he keeps umming and arring and wont give me specifics when i ask him about it. It was designed to be a gable roof /\ with a center ridge beam (and a 29 degree angle) and have four roof windows, three one side one the other and be all open no beams etc but he keeps telling me that i have to have ten beams going down the whole extension which i think will be really ugly and i am certain that there must be another way and I am wondering if he is just being so insistent as he has no other experience. My friend has just had an extension, smaller but same roof style and doesnt have beams all the way down it. Her builder put a steel beam down the middle, i was wondering if we could do the same? Thanks for reading my little essay, D

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

What do the drawings say? What does your engineer say?

Oh, wait a minute .....

 

[darlip]

amusing but not helpful.... Its is supposed to be a simple box extension to provide a safe downstairs bedroom for a disabled child. We are trying to build it as cheaply as possibly, however I will not compromise on safety therefore, if pointed in the direction of an engineer.........

 

[^woody^]

You have a clueless in-law! You seen to know more than him, and you should really step in and sort it out

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Hope you avoided paying the planning and Building Regs local authority fees then.

Building Control will likely expect some engineers cacls for the ridge beam, assuming that is a satisfactory solution.

 

[darlip]

You have a clueless in-law! You seen to know more than him, and you should really step in and sort it out

Hi woody, I intend to if needed but am completely new to this and so have been doing my own research and have come to a confusing stop about tables, live weights dead weight yada yada yada and dont really feel comfortable stepping in without a bit better understanding which I was maybe hoping to find here. I did a level maths but still dont understand the roof stuff!

freddy don't worry I have avoided paying the LA planning fees, no avoiding the BRfees as far as I can see though. Unless you have any tips?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I have done a couple of Building Regs projects where we avoided paying the fee as the works were solely for the benefit of disabled persons. Though don't know if that applies here. If you got your planning fee exempt then I'd hazard it does. Most authorities will have some blurb on their website somewhere eg http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/bui...rom_Building_Regulations_charges_v2_Jan12.pdf

 

[catlad]

Surely you will need planning for an extension of that size.

 

[tony1851]

....

 

[darlip]

Hi all, thanks for your replies, planning is not really an issue for me as I'm all sorted in that area. The issue for me is the roof and trying to understand that specific point. Just to clarify the extension is 5.4 by 6m the max height of ridge is 3.7m and the angle is 28.8 degrees. What I was wondering is whether I could have a central ridge beam for that massive length and if it could be wood or steel. Many thanks for your help. D

 

[tony1851]

[quote="darlip";p="2809491" What I was wondering is whether I could have a central ridge beam for that massive length [/quote]

Without roof trusses you WOULD need a ridge beam on that length; probably steel - something like 203x133 (ish).

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

In engineering terms 6m is nothing. You could have steel or wood, if timber, the depth of the beam required would probably make it a cost prohibitive option so steel probably cheaper, something like a 254 deep beam but as mentioned you're gonna need an engineer to size it. Doubtful BC will accept the word of an internet forum member! Find a one man band rather than some big firm of engineers.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Gah tony beat me!

 

[tony1851]

Makes a change!

 

[tony1851]

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