Lift span

Thank Russell. Chap I spoke to was a local fabricator. He did say the 80mm section would hold the house up! I like your 50mm better! How about the flanges though? This: or this:

Very observant Mr Punter, it’s asbestos cement board. The Building Control Officer noted this and was very helpful about how to dispose of it. I’m fine though ... I got the Mrs to bash it off ?. Nice idea about the window seat. However, I can’t see anyone ever sitting there apart from the dog. He likes to perch there and watch the world (well pigeons) go by. A low seat means he couldn’t. So, I’m really doing all this for the mutt! Here’s how it looks now: Regarding the brackets, I spoke to a local chap and he said get a structural engineer. I asked him if he was to over engineer it what would he do and he reckoned 80mm box section with longer verticals as shown below: Looks a bit over the top to me but might be the quickest option!

Thanks Russell. I think you are right . The brickwork is better lower down and the wall ties don’t start till about a metre down as well.

Thanks everyone! That’s a great help. I’ve removed the current windows and the existing rafters above have L shaped timber brackets on to form a triangle. The windows were screwed into these. I reckon I can use them too. How about the design below: It has 6x2 timber for the verticals, the middle horizontals and the “noggins”. The rest is 4x2. I’ve doubled up around where the windows will go. This would then be clad in 11mm OSB with insulation in the spaces above bracket level: How about these box section brackets below with resin fixed bolts into the wall. Maybe I would only need two brackets?

Nice! Where did you get the aluminium from if you don’t mind me asking?

Hi, I want to build a box bay window out of timber and I was looking for a few tips regarding construction. Here is the existing window: Here is what I’m hoping for: Here is what I thought: 6x2 timbers bolted to the wall vertically with wall anchors. 6x2 and 4x2 timbers as shown below. 2 or 3 gallow brackets, again with wall anchors into the brick work. Then insulation, plywood, covered in membrane then clad. Caldding would be either renderboard plus render, aluminium, or wood. The aluminium window weighs 143kg and it would also need to be strong enough to sit on. Internally it would look like this: Here is the existing internals: Does any body have any tips on construction or cladding? Thanks!

I’m a big fan of architouch3d on the ipad: http://www.architouch3d.com/

Next for me is to build the box bay window (which has got bigger). But, what should I cover it in? I was thinking aquapanel then render and painted. That way I could change the colour any time. But, then I thought aluminium pressings: Or cladding of some sort: Any thoughts?

Thanks for the replies. It all helps! I like the basalt grey Bitpipe. However, I’d like a subtle silver/grey render (probably paint actually!) rather than a pure white so that might offset the anthracite a bit. Dreadnaught, the internal config probably wouldn’t work with the shifted door. But, see below for the window. Ferdinand, you made me use up half an hour of my life looking at kids toys from my childhood! Time well spent actually! How about this though:

Ferdinand...that’s weird ... I was having exactly the same thoughts! ? Just for you, how is this:

Well, things have moved on and the front extension is almost built but I need to finalise the windows. What do people prefer? Option A: Or Option B:

Yes, go down from the kitchen to the playroom under the stairs to the bedroom. There are a few structural issues to overcome but all possible I think. We thought about putting a long window in the spare room facing south but it would change the whole look at the front. It’s a nice idea to split the rooms as well but, having lived there a few years we like the room layout the way it is. One extra piece of information. Some time in the future I’d like to put a loft conversion in. With your idea I think loft steps would work well up from the +2 level as shown below.

Jimbo, I recommend Architouch 3D for initial designs. Really easy to use on an ipad. The later designs are in Sketchup. Not sure if I can post the Sketchup file on here, but there is a free 3D viewer on the ipad which is brilliant.

Here is the view from the front door looking in. We want light to come from the front of the house to the back and this new configuration would block that. However, glass risers and a window style opening to the right may solve that? More views:

Well AliG you’ve come up with something I’d completely missed! Reversing the stairs down to the kitchen from the living room to now go up instead. Is this what you mean (arrows on stairs go up).

Anyone had experience of installing stone cladding? I’m considering something like the picture below by these people: https://www.norstone.co.uk/ Only downside I can see so far is that the outer skin of blockwork would have to be dense aggregate blocks to support the weight as they are around 60-70kg/m2.

Ah... now I get you: 1. Landings must be provided at the top and bottom of every staircase. 2. The landing distance in front of the top and bottom step must be at least the width of the staircase. Thanks. Will need to change that then.

That’s a fair point. I’ve modified the stairs. Is the lower left step what you’re talking about?

I’d definitely decided on a grey door. Now you’ve got me thinking :

Yes pretty much. Although in reality there won’t be steps outside the front door. We’ve been around this alot and and in the end decided it’s a quirky house now and it will be when it’s done. We thought about swapping the kitchen to the lower floor. Or, having an open central atrium with a level area to the kitchen. In the end we thought other parts of the house would be compromised for the sake of a few steps. It’s never too late though ....!

The interior hasn’t changed much apart from the entrance way itself. We have also got plans for kitchen extension which I’ll do after this is complete. View from inside looking towards front door:

My Ferarri parked out the front adds a bit of colour. (Only kidding. It’s a Skoda and it’s grey.)

Just to update this. It took a while but I’ve got planning permission through and I’m in the process of getting the Building Regs approved. I’ve changed things a little bit. What do people think? I’ve gone off the Cedral cladding idea and am looking at stone/flint cladding only on the front extension instead. The windows and doors are in Iron grey (RAL 7011).

Dear All, Finally got planning permission and I’m looking at what my options are for building my new front entrance way. The slight complication is that a 6m long retaining wall is required as part of the design (1.5m high of earth to be retained). I’m thinking standard footings with steel reinforced hollow concrete blocks for the retaining wall. This wall would also form the substructure under the doorway. For the walls of the entrance way what would be better? Timber or blockwork?

Thanks for that ProDave. We probably don’t even want to go beyond the wall. I think on top of the wall is all we need for space. You have hit the nail on the head though as to why we may have problems going out further. I reckon it is all made up ground so we would have to go very deep or use an alternate expensive foundation system. How would we bridge the gap over from the house to the retaining wall though?