Often I am asked about the feasibility of altering an existing extension to provide a more rational floor plan and facilities. In some cases I have to advise that the demolition and rebuilding of an extension is the most cost effective route to achieve the client's goals. Key factors that may have a bearing are: Age of the existing extension and the method of construction. This may make it unsuitable or structurally expensive to alter. The existing fabric will not meet today's need to conserve energy in the home and therefore would require upgrading. The position of the extension in relation to the house may have been designed poorly resulting in a floor plan which does not provide the opportunity to improve the linkage with the existing house and/ or improve the layout of the facilities. Glazing. It may be because the client wishes to change the nature of the extension to a family room for instance with improved visibility to a garden that larger windows are necessary....
So no news appears to be good news. The City of Edinburgh planning dept will now only respond if they want changes made or the application is likely to be refused. No dialoge. No response to emails. So hire an Architect with experience from the outset, as he will be able to guide you on the liklihood of approval from an early stage in the process. This application in Willowbrae Edinburgh had absolutely zero feedback from planning and then approved out of the blue! https://marchitectsltd.com
In older properties it can often make sense to create one larger room for modern family living. The most efficient way of doing this is to knock the wall down between two rooms, called forming a slapping. A structural engineer should always be consulted to ensure the correct lintels specification is used to support the wall and floors above. You will also need to ensure that any steel beams are protected from fire. The builder will needle the wall above the opening and support these on temporary props before removing the wall where the opening is being formed. The lintel will then be positioned on padstones set into the wall on each side and shims put in above to make up the space between the top of the lintel and the remaining wall. As with all structural alterations there will be evidence of settlement in the finishes around the affected area.
Comments
Post a Comment