Extensions - how they're done now

[ldoodle]

Hi,

I've seen a few extensions go up recently, all on various type (semi, detached etc.) houses. One common theme I am seeing is that the brickwork is no longer stitched/toothed to the existing brickwork and rather just butted on the end. Whereas over the years they have been done 'properly'.

Why is this? It looks ****ing awful. The absolute star of any brick house, is and should be, the brickwork.

Is it a new regulation or just laziness/money saving/combination? I am considering one myself, but not like that. No way!

Thanks

(Wasn't sure if this was better suited to General Discussion - happy for it to be moved)

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

New extension walls should not be toothed in, if there is any movement or settlement of the new extension foundation the toothed jont will fail, toothing in is no longer the right way to do it, itneeds a joint to allow for some movement.

 

[Notch7]

Hi,

I've seen a few extensions go up recently, all on various type (semi, detached etc.) houses. One common theme I am seeing is that the brickwork is no longer stitched/toothed to the existing brickwork and rather just butted on the end. Whereas over the years they have been done 'properly'.

Why is this? It looks ****ing awful. The absolute star of any brick house, is and should be, the brickwork.

Is it a new regulation or just laziness/money saving/combination? I am considering one myself, but not like that. No way!

Thanks

(Wasn't sure if this was better suited to General Discussion - happy for it to be moved)

these days joins are done with a wall starter

and its fairly standard on a house with a cavity for a 50mm slot cut in the existing house wall between the wall starters -which is to extend the cavity to prevent thermal bridge and damp

And just to expand on what Freddiemercurys twin says: a new extension will be on a foundation not connected to the house foundation and it will probably be a different specification -often deeper. Two different foundations will tend to move differently and when the do the abutment of the house wall will crack

 

[phatboy]

Is it a new regulation or just laziness/money saving/combination? I am considering one myself, but not like that. No way!

Mostly ignorance on your part, I'm afraid. Wall starters are used now. They are quicker, and there shouldn't be cracking like with a toothed joint, as the differing foundations move independently.

 

[^woody^]

It's been around for half a century. Hardly new.

 

[ldoodle]

Mostly ignorance on your part, I'm afraid

That's a bit harsh.

It's been around for half a century. Hardly new.

But not all extensions in the last half century have been done this way. I've seen plenty that have been toothed in. My neighbour has a side-extension, done circa 2005 which is all toothed in. My parents had side and back done circa mid-90's, all toothed in. My parents in law also had one done mid-90's and that was all toothed in as well.

Anyway, doesn't change the fact it looks rubbish not toothed in. And massively puts me off having one, which is why I asked in the first place.

 

[Charlie George]

One way to avoid a straight joint is to set the extension back a half brick or so to make it less obvious, and most extensions i have built over the years that were in line have been toothed in, i have once or twice hidden a straight joint with a downpipe/soilpipe.

 

[noseall]

Hi,

I've seen a few extensions go up recently, all on various type (semi, detached etc.) houses. One common theme I am seeing is that the brickwork is no longer stitched/toothed to the existing brickwork and rather just butted on the end. Whereas over the years they have been done 'properly'.

Why is this? It looks ****ing awful. The absolute star of any brick house, is and should be, the brickwork.

Is it a new regulation or just laziness/money saving/combination? I am considering one myself, but not like that. No way!

Thanks

(Wasn't sure if this was better suited to General Discussion - happy for it to be moved)

We tooth bond where feasible....

tooth.jpg

• noseall
• 5 Jul 2023

 

[^woody^]

Anyway, doesn't change the fact it looks rubbish not toothed in

Maybe. But not as rubbish as cracked toothing.

Or different style and colour bricks toothed in.

Or other toothing in that stands out a mile.

 

[noseall]

Maybe. But not as rubbish as cracked toothing.

Or different style and colour bricks toothed in.

Or other toothing in that stands out a mile.

Or a bunch of ruined (existing) bricks, because the mortar is like bell iron. One of the worst instances we had was on a new-ish house. We'd toothed out ready, only to discover that the existing brickwork was miles out of plumb (tapered in). It measured 50mm difference from top to bottom.

 

[cwhaley]

When we had the shell of our extension built in 2021, my job was to remove the old outhouse attached the back wall. I - naively - believed that the new brickwork would be toothed in to the old brickwork so I removed every other brick, dressed the remaining ones and left them clean and dry for the builders to tooth into. When they started, they just filled in the half brick gaps and bolted a wall starter kit to the wall...

I have seen plenty of recent extensions where it's been toothed in, but it's always been on newer buildings and they've managed to get a match for the brick.

 

[jeds]

As noseall says, it comes down to assessing each situation. A matching (brick) extension against a relatively new house, each having equivalent foundations, is fine. Tooth it in. An extension against an older house with a lesser foundation would be risky to tooth in and is not recommended.

 

[^woody^]

This is why robots won't be taking over on site any time soon.

Building needs thinkers not autorons.