I would like some advice please as I can't find the answer- who should have realised the extension needed a step up? We get on very well with our builder so don't want to assign blame unnecessarily
We are having a side return and back kitchen extension. We had some problems with our architect who wasn't great and we ended up parting ways after too many mistakes and delays.
Our Victorian end of terrace is on a slope so we have built a retaining wall to allow a flat patio and then a flat grassy area behind. The patio area that we extended was level with the manhole cover.
The (suspended) floor for the extension has been built at the same level as the rest of the house and thus at the far end, it is now below the patio level so our builder has told us the patio and the side path need to be lowered, which means the manhole cover will need to be lowered and the foundation of our wall exposed.
Most extensions I have seen involve a step up or down, I imagine for this reason (and I did think we were quite lucky getting away without a step). Who should have identified the need for a step? The architect, structural engineer (did calculations based on architect drawings) or the builder? Lowering the patio and side path will obviously involve a fair bit of work (which we will have to do ourselves as budget is spent!) but I can't really work out who should have spotted it!
As an aside, I will also add that I'm a bit annoyed as I asked the architect to plan for a level threshold from the kitchen out to the patio and she said she did but then the builder has said this isn't possible for ventilation of the floor and walls. Once again I'm not sure who made the error- did the architect not plan appropriately or did the builder not read the plans correctly.
We are having a side return and back kitchen extension. We had some problems with our architect who wasn't great and we ended up parting ways after too many mistakes and delays.
Our Victorian end of terrace is on a slope so we have built a retaining wall to allow a flat patio and then a flat grassy area behind. The patio area that we extended was level with the manhole cover.
The (suspended) floor for the extension has been built at the same level as the rest of the house and thus at the far end, it is now below the patio level so our builder has told us the patio and the side path need to be lowered, which means the manhole cover will need to be lowered and the foundation of our wall exposed.
Most extensions I have seen involve a step up or down, I imagine for this reason (and I did think we were quite lucky getting away without a step). Who should have identified the need for a step? The architect, structural engineer (did calculations based on architect drawings) or the builder? Lowering the patio and side path will obviously involve a fair bit of work (which we will have to do ourselves as budget is spent!) but I can't really work out who should have spotted it!
As an aside, I will also add that I'm a bit annoyed as I asked the architect to plan for a level threshold from the kitchen out to the patio and she said she did but then the builder has said this isn't possible for ventilation of the floor and walls. Once again I'm not sure who made the error- did the architect not plan appropriately or did the builder not read the plans correctly.
