Guy's House Project
Discussion
Hitch78 said:
Looks really good. I've just re-read it with interest as may be about to commence a similar two-phase scheme. You haven't got an outline plan of works you'd be willing to share have you?
Not really. First phase was reasonably straightforward and merely listed on a word document. Part 2 is only outline plans at the moment but I guess we will have to prepare a schedule for this in due course. Resurrection!
Over two years since the last update on our project we have much progress! Lengthy delay while we found builders that we felt comfortable with. Loads of insane quotes both too high and too low. In the end, one of my clients picked it up. They usually build and sell nice houses and this is their first extension project.
Build started in August for a finish in early December.
First step was having the front, cough, 'garden' cleared with the eventual aim of making decent off street parking and also removing the truly hideous porch from the front door in expectation of its replacement later as well as draining and removing the oil tank so we can get a proper digger in to make the work swifter. A tight fit!
Digger got straight to work clearing the garden. We used existing rubble to fill the pond and, as there will never be another opportunity like this I had them do a stack of other clearing work too including tree stump removal and all sorts. Aside from the extra room we'll have in the house, having had the garden cleared back to a blank canvass and all the crap removed is one of the best parts of the job!
Due to the proximity of a couple of neighbouring trees and also the clay soil, building regs man wanted us to dig to 1950mm deep (!!) for foundations. He became my best friend when upon visiting to inspect the foundations at 1500mm he declared the soil make up to be 'Maul' which is a clay/chalk mix and thus medium shrinkage rather than high shrinkage and that we could stop at 1500mm. Great! That's about £2k back for me!! Then he declared he wanted two, 2 x 2 x 2m soakaways dug which blew the £2k saving and then spent a load more. No longer my friend.
Anyway, groundsmen cracked on and in no time at all, we had the block and beam floor done.
Then moving swiftly on, the walls went in. We're rendering the new bit so it's all built in block and thus went up in two days!
Then it was demolition time and the placement of some truly monster steels!
And following swiftly on, in came the carpenters to start putting the roof structure in place. The roof took four days from start to water-tight!
Loving how big the kitchen is going to be, 7000mm wide by 7300mm deep!
Stud walls going in followed quickly by the underfloor heating pipes....
Below is looking into what will be the new Bed 5 through to small downstairs shower room then extended utility with the new 'back' door which shall also be our 'dirty door' allowing little muddy football boots to enter the house into an area where everything can be cleaned down easily!
And here we are on 30th October:
More images will follow as we progress if you're interested. Screed is starting today and they are using a quick dry solution which will be ready for tiling after 5-6 days rather than the 20 odd. Doors and windows arrive this week and will start fitting on Friday. Kitchen due for installation on 1-2 December so it's all go!
WE WILL BE DONE FOR CHRISTMAS!
(so I keep telling myself!)
Over two years since the last update on our project we have much progress! Lengthy delay while we found builders that we felt comfortable with. Loads of insane quotes both too high and too low. In the end, one of my clients picked it up. They usually build and sell nice houses and this is their first extension project.
Build started in August for a finish in early December.
First step was having the front, cough, 'garden' cleared with the eventual aim of making decent off street parking and also removing the truly hideous porch from the front door in expectation of its replacement later as well as draining and removing the oil tank so we can get a proper digger in to make the work swifter. A tight fit!
Digger got straight to work clearing the garden. We used existing rubble to fill the pond and, as there will never be another opportunity like this I had them do a stack of other clearing work too including tree stump removal and all sorts. Aside from the extra room we'll have in the house, having had the garden cleared back to a blank canvass and all the crap removed is one of the best parts of the job!
Due to the proximity of a couple of neighbouring trees and also the clay soil, building regs man wanted us to dig to 1950mm deep (!!) for foundations. He became my best friend when upon visiting to inspect the foundations at 1500mm he declared the soil make up to be 'Maul' which is a clay/chalk mix and thus medium shrinkage rather than high shrinkage and that we could stop at 1500mm. Great! That's about £2k back for me!! Then he declared he wanted two, 2 x 2 x 2m soakaways dug which blew the £2k saving and then spent a load more. No longer my friend.
Anyway, groundsmen cracked on and in no time at all, we had the block and beam floor done.
Then moving swiftly on, the walls went in. We're rendering the new bit so it's all built in block and thus went up in two days!
Then it was demolition time and the placement of some truly monster steels!
And following swiftly on, in came the carpenters to start putting the roof structure in place. The roof took four days from start to water-tight!
Loving how big the kitchen is going to be, 7000mm wide by 7300mm deep!
Stud walls going in followed quickly by the underfloor heating pipes....
Below is looking into what will be the new Bed 5 through to small downstairs shower room then extended utility with the new 'back' door which shall also be our 'dirty door' allowing little muddy football boots to enter the house into an area where everything can be cleaned down easily!
And here we are on 30th October:
More images will follow as we progress if you're interested. Screed is starting today and they are using a quick dry solution which will be ready for tiling after 5-6 days rather than the 20 odd. Doors and windows arrive this week and will start fitting on Friday. Kitchen due for installation on 1-2 December so it's all go!
WE WILL BE DONE FOR CHRISTMAS!
(so I keep telling myself!)
Edited by E36GUY on Tuesday 30th October 12:49
RC1807 said:
Finally, Guy! 
Looks great - massive - but great! Thise are some F.O. steels!
I actually had a search back through bookmarks at the weekend to see if I'd missed your updates.
Hope all is well, otherwise.
Russell
Thanks Russ. All good thanks and yes, Finally!!Looks great - massive - but great! Thise are some F.O. steels!
I actually had a search back through bookmarks at the weekend to see if I'd missed your updates.
Hope all is well, otherwise.
Russell
Danm1les said:
That’s an impressive extension, probably bigger than a lot of bungalows!
It's pretty big. It's 700sqft (65msq) we're adding which is the size of our first house and more than 1/3 of the this house as it started! Really looking forward to the extra space.Edited by E36GUY on Tuesday 30th October 12:50
Harry Flashman said:
Guy - I expect the lighting in this project to be truly spectacular! Please tell me that you are going large on cool stuff...
Lol. I'm not sure it's going to be what you would term spectacular. It'll be well lit with layers for different atmospheres and I'm going with some special finishing in the kitchen for the down lights but I'm really lighting it as as a family house which means in places, more than I might do on a pure architectural project.
I'm also on rather a tight budget which despite offers of favours from those I know in the control world, I can't afford anything beyond simple dimmer switches! But I'm ok with that TBH!
E36GUY said:
Lol.
I'm not sure it's going to be what you would term spectacular. It'll be well lit with layers for different atmospheres and I'm going with some special finishing in the kitchen for the down lights but I'm really lighting it as as a family house which means in places, more than I might do on a pure architectural project.
I'm also on rather a tight budget which despite offers of favours from those I know in the control world, I can't afford anything beyond simple dimmer switches! But I'm ok with that TBH!
I'm not sure it's going to be what you would term spectacular. It'll be well lit with layers for different atmospheres and I'm going with some special finishing in the kitchen for the down lights but I'm really lighting it as as a family house which means in places, more than I might do on a pure architectural project.
I'm also on rather a tight budget which despite offers of favours from those I know in the control world, I can't afford anything beyond simple dimmer switches! But I'm ok with that TBH!
I loved some of the architectural lighting you guys do. I'd at least hope for some of your LED strip in fun hidden places, to throw some interesting colours around when required...
Harry Flashman said:
I loved some of the architectural lighting you guys do. I'd at least hope for some of your LED strip in fun hidden places, to throw some interesting colours around when required...
Good progress!
Floor screeding is all done! Don't know what the product is but the team have used a screed that's ready for tiling after six days which has helped them claw back some serious time instead of waiting the usual 20.
All the first fix electrics and plumbing is now done and yesterday, the bifolds and windows all went in and the space is transformed. A real feeling that the end is so close. Boarding of all the steels starts today.
Floor screeding is all done! Don't know what the product is but the team have used a screed that's ready for tiling after six days which has helped them claw back some serious time instead of waiting the usual 20.
All the first fix electrics and plumbing is now done and yesterday, the bifolds and windows all went in and the space is transformed. A real feeling that the end is so close. Boarding of all the steels starts today.
E36GUY said:
Good progress!
Floor screeding is all done! Don't know what the product is but the team have used a screed that's ready for tiling after six days which has helped them claw back some serious time instead of waiting the usual 20.
Crikey: when our 10m x 4m sun room was built, we were told we had to wait 3 months for it to go off......6 days??! Voodoo magic! Floor screeding is all done! Don't know what the product is but the team have used a screed that's ready for tiling after six days which has helped them claw back some serious time instead of waiting the usual 20.
Sounds like a great time saver: nice progress, looks great!
Did you consider a lantern for the roof, or 'sun tubes' to get some natural light in there?
(I do appreciate your main role means you can probably make it like day anyway, t'was just a thought!)
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