Self build 2 storey extension - 1 year on

Been meaning to put this on here for ages incase anyone's interested.
Started a year ago with foundations, done everything myself apart from digger guys for foundations and sparky, squeezing it in at any time I can outside of the 9-5 job. (last summer many evenings and weekends bricklaying - loved every minute - kind of!)
Built 2 storey section, roof, plastering, now finished upstairs apart from ensuite fit out (stalled until I save a bit of cash for it) and this year's project is to build the single storey rear kitchen extension, which'll hopefully be easier!
This site has been a massive help - top bunch of guys of all ability/experience and some good humour along the way

 

Top job!!!

 

Did you only need love?

 

lol. I can't comment on how the client (the wife) dresses the rooms after I've finished skimming them

 

Gutted as masonry paint is now bubbling and coming off. Don’t want to duplicate posts as I’ve asked in detail over on the decorating forum. I feel a right muppet as it totally lets the job down and need to find a way to put it right. Suspect render wasn’t dried out enough. Moral of story don’t bodge/rush the paintwork as it can ruin the finished job

 

You have done a cracking job there. Looks very sharp. Brickwork especially. Just can't get over how tidy everyones site is..... I'm a disgrace.

With your painted render woes, take a deep breath and assess the situation. If it were me (which it may well be in a few months), I'd leave the paint for a few more weeks to do its thing, then get a scraper and some coarse sandpaper and go over the lot. Will be a days soul destroying work, but will get all the loose stuff off. Then leave for a few weeks and repaint.

 

Cheers, I've loved every minute of it to be fair, and am absolutely chuffed with it. Just embarassing re. the painting as it's such a schoolboy error, and its so visible.
Sounds like you're happy with yours too - costs aside! Where in the mids are you, you're not warwks like me are you?

 

Not a million miles from Warks.... Sutton Coldfield.

As far as loving every minute, I go in peaks and troughs. Been on it constantly for so long now there are more troughs! Normal work and building work consume my time almost totally.

 

to be fair, from what I've seen of it yours appears more complex/wierd (no offence lol) than mine - mine's about as basic as it gets - roof trusses etc - my next bit is single storey lean to, velux's, birdsmouthed rafters, knock throughs steels etc - expect questions....

 

Mine, especially the roof was rather complex. I had many factors of the original house to contend with- nice landing window I couldn’t obstruct, roof lights I wanted to install, flat roof I didn’t want to see etc etc. All this cuts down your options. An amateur can design the madness on sketch up, but then finds himself in a world of pain when it comes to building.

With regards to asking questions, this forum has saved my bacon on many occasion!

 

@23vc

At least you did not have the issue a lot of my neighbours seem to have suffered. Painting the render white during the Autumn/Winter, only to have a deluge of rain that evening which resulted in streams of white paint running off the render and onto the brickwork.

Did you ever consider through colour render (the monocouche stuff)? I wonder if it is any good....

 

I’ve never done krend/thinncoat/silicone render so although in retrospect it would have been a smarter move, I stuck with sand and cement as done it before.

 

Believe this or not my brother who can barely read or write built his own extension and when it got inspected he only had to make one two inch adjustment on an outside drain. I take my hat off to people like you! I hate the attitude and sub standard of workmanship we get do very often these days. I could write a small book on cowboy builders!

 

After a few months off with the arrival of second daughter (ok more like a few weeks off) started on the single story rear extension in March, and now plastering and awaiting the boiler to be moved and bifold doors to be fitted before looking at the knockout for the kitchen diner. Utility room going in which will also serve as a makeshift kitchen when doing the knockouts. Still loving every minute despite having even less time for it now.

 

Oh yeah! Looking good. Seeing the build pics makes me miss mine in a sadistic way. Filling and painting woodwork has none of the manlyness of raw building.

Keep the progress pics coming and congrats on the new arrival..... the bifolds that is.