tiny extension - need foundation??

[mzt]

Hi all!

I am new on here and just wanted some advice. I have googled a lot and not been able to find my answer.

Right, so basically i am trying to build a small extension to my house. My neighbour already has done a very large extension and i will be using his wall. However whilst his extention is about 18 feet, mine will be far smaller - about 7 feet. I am looking to make it using blocks and it will be quicker and cheaper. The roof can be the plastic sheets as it will also be cheaper i believe.

So it will be attached to the house but with a slope style plastic sheet roof. Total height will be about 7 feet. I only really need it as a store room to keep the kids bike out of the rain so it does not need anything fancy.

The question i have is, do i need foundation for an extension this size? My garden already has been concreted over. The reason why i am doing a self build is because i was quoted £5k by a builder which is something i do not have.

Any help and advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Yes of course your new wall needs a foundation. You doing this to Building Regs?

 

[mzt]

Yes of course your new wall needs a foundation. You doing this to Building Regs?

Thank you for your reply freddy. No, not doing this via planning permission or building reg. Just a conservatory type extension with plastic sheets for a roof. I was hoping i could just start building from the concrete floor and take it from there?

 

[taz123]

It won't be a conservatory though and may require regs.

Does your neighbour know you're using his wall(party wall act?)

 

[mzt]

It won't be a conservatory though and may require regs.

Does your neighbour know you're using his wall(party wall act?)

i thought i was able to build anything that is less than 3 meters without building reg?

and we live in a terraced house and my neighbor has built his extension exact in line to the border of my garden so i assume i am able to use his wall? also, the neighbor whose wall i will use is a friend of mine (the other neighbor is a whole different story!).

 

[taz123]

You need permission to do anything to another persons wall or party wall.

 

[mzt]

You need permission to do anything to another persons wall or party wall.

thanks for letting me know, i was not aware of this. not that he will, but would he be able to reject my use of his wall?

 

[taz123]

You need permission to do anything to another persons wall or party wall.

thanks for letting me know, i was not aware of this. not that he will, but would he be able to reject my use of his wall?

Yes he can refuse you permission if he so feels and if you ignored it then you would be liable for any damage caused.

 

[mzt]

would i be able to build a wall that touches his wall? as he has been able to maximize his garden space so would i be able to build my wall right on the border line too?

 

[jay679]

If its just a store to keep bikes out of the rain, why go to the bother of what sounds like a particularly ugly bodge lean to, when you could just buy a decent shed?

 

[xdave]

Sadly not - it can be built up to but must not touch or gain any support from the other wall. Unless it was built with a parapet wall then it is highly likely that the eaves/verge of the neighbour's roof are the boundary rather than the wall. (Sometimes people build over their boundaries, and if he has you could build up to the wall but not require him to remove the overhang now it has been completed.)

Even if you are granted permission to use his wall for your lean to I would not do it myself as if the neighbour has any problems with damp, etc., along that bit of the wall then he will put you on notice and come knocking on your door for money to put it right.

If you only want a structure to store bikes then I suggest you either buy a pre-built timber shed, or if you need something a bit more customised then build it out of timber yourself. Make sure it sits about 1cm from the wall and does not direct water onto the wall (or cause water to flow/build up in such a way that can damage your neighbour's property). Four wooden posts, some siding timber, some fibre insulation and some plastic sheets would probably be less than a pre-built shed and last longer.

 

[geraldthehamster]

i thought i was able to build anything that is less than 3 meters without building reg?

On a terraced house you would be allowed to building a single storey extension that extended up to three metres from the house, without planning permission, which is not the same as building regulations.

Wehre building regulations are concerned, your extension would be exempt from having to notify building control if classed as a conservatory. An exempt conservatory must be less than 30 sq m internally, have external doors between it and the house, and not share a heating system with the house. Depending on how they interpret current regulations, your council might also consider it relevant whether the walls and roof are substantially glazed.

Cheers
Richard

 

[jeds]

Just to clarify, your proposal would be classed as an extension under building regs. If you retain the external door between the extension and the main house and you do not connect any heating to the main house heating system then it will be exempt from building regs. But that doesn't mean you can avoid having a functional foundation. The purpose of a foundation is to hold the thing up and prevent it moving around. If your foundation isn't adequate your extension will move around at a different rate to the house and that will inevitably cause cracking.

 

[mzt]

thank you for all the replies.

i will not be putting in any heating to the extension and there wont be a heavy roof on it either. so that will be classed as a conservatory?

also, the reason i do not want a wooden shed is because i have an outdoor toilet and a separate sink in the garden attached to my wall. i would rather have it all under the roof of the extension / conservatory.

i was really hoping i did not have to do the foundations as that would definitely require a builder!

 

[taz123]

You keep referring to it as a conservatory, for this to conform you will need at least half of the new wall(s) and three quarters of the roof to be either glazed or a translucent material.

As for foundations: If you are competent enough to lay bricks/block to a decent standard/or you are confident you can, then foundations would not/should not present any problem for you.