zoothorn

Hi Peter- yes a step down is part of the plan, advised by the 'architectural consultant'. No door on road side, its on opposite/ house front side. Re-reading your ^ posts, I think I understand what you mean re. roof. I just assumed the upstairs room to be "open to apex", no idea this was anything but normal. I never, ever wanted a flat celing across just above my head: this would ruin the room. Ok so if I want room2 'open to apex' can you expand why I couldn't have the side window too, & the basic build difference.. any disadvantages to this 'open' design? (can it be built as strongly? the weather will pummel the room often side-on). I'm glad you spotted this thanks- I would've no doubt cracked on just assuming this was to be. 1st major bullet dodged I think.. why the AC didn't pick up on this tho/ who knows.

I'm only using the book to give me a rough guide, I'm not following it to a T. Its useful like this. I know & trust the judgements of those like yourself who've helped me out.. I don't know the writer of the book. I just need to establish two things for the time being. What wall method to use. What I need to do within the 'rules' process to forward my build. Thanks, zoot

Hi PeterW (not harsh at all) whether or not in order to obtain PP, I went the route I did or could've gone a different route (I had no idea, at the time the process was done any other way than: get an architect > draws design > submits for PP).. its done now. I wish I'd known of this site 1.5 yrs ago before I got the 'architectural consultant' on, & could have done alot myself maybe saving me £1k min.. but its in the past. Id never have known I needed a "bat survey" so at least that's one thing I benefitted from (at a cost of £600 mind you). All I know is I have PP, but I don't know what this actually means. I thought it meant "Congratulations/ design approved/ you can build!'. Tbh I still don't know if this is true, because according to the book it is not a green light I have now to face 'building regs' via a very detailed drawing > & submit this (which surely is where the AC earns his money). The details of the roof etc, I'm a way off establishing- I'm still waiting on a quote (probably another month min wait). I just need to get over my current hurdles. Can I start? if not what do I do to get the go-ahead?

Well, re. the tricky corner point. I have BIG worries about this. Afaik, by reading the Haynes book the next step, having got PP, is to either myself or my 'architectural consultant'.. to submit a much more detailed plan, to the building regs dept. I need to establish if this is correct. If correct, the position of this cnr relative to the road is my big concern. Prior replies from Onoff suggested that it had to be 5m away (if built in TF), or 2m away.. I couldn't ascertain. IE: I don't know if by getting agreed PP, whether this cnr point has -definitely- been given the green light.. or not at all & has to be 'agreed' by another department (then another?). Whether I am waiting, or whether I don't need to wait. To be, or not to be.. This is typical: the process prior to starting still being a total mystery (even having a detailed book to hand).

What are you referring to, my difficult corner?

@PeterW edited photos, & added 3rd property overview. Pencil = my only difficult cnr the whole design rests on (in order to follow a straight line from house -and- be able to fit in my 1st knock-thru door, extending enough outwards for a decent sized room -and- leaving enough distance to road: a ton of time choosing this point!). thanks zoot

Yes below. Tbh the door I can fashion it thicker, redo it even in time if very ''leaky".. or make a sliding panel across the door, inside, to baffle the noise maybe even. I can cross this bridge later/ last etc.

No, I don't need it to be heated (only 10 hrs per week in it too, all 30 min bursts). The work tho will be routing: noisey & I'm close to road, so I have in mind ideally some wall density plus rockwool for room1 to appease sod n'bors complaining to authorities. A thick door is my idea too. I thought regs would just enforce me to put 100mm insulation in the floor, even it called a 'storeroom' on plans.. but if it -saves a good chunk- & helps height without I'd be fine: if you might recall my mainroom ceiling is terribly low.. & replicating same ceiling H across in this "wing" means a ceiling barely 6" above my head- in a small room it'll be oppressive (main room's big). So idea is build a foot down. thanks, zoot

Unheated workshop exactly Peter, one door only.. but called a 'storeroom' (dont want regs to know a portion of my work done in here- no need to know). Upper story really to make very best use of area above (& a very fine south view from french windows): this room yes part of house, via a knock-thru door from my bedroom. A 'study' its called, but a 3rd bedroom best 'sold' as.

That's very encouraging PeterW. (you could do that.. you mean me do it tho?)

@PeterW ok thanks. I must say this is amazing to learn I don't neccessarily need a cavity. You see I've worked on such a build (17yr old), witnessed such builds as a single story extension ~10 yrs ago, see only eg's of such builds around, & my plans submitted suggest this build either has, or will have, such cavity-based builds. So you see I had no other idea, than this was what regs stipulate for extention walls for a decade+ now. Ok I need to reasses I think with this knowledge. My budget is £30k with vat included. My rough idea was to do as £best I possibly could: get builder to do main stuff: TF inner course 3x walls, floor, 2nd story, roof, 2 windows/ 2 doors.. all up to watertight. Then I do the outer course either myself (wood cladding all I could do, I'd think) or get s'one else cheaper to do. I pB inside. I do wiring. I finish off skirting, decorate etc. If all walls are TF plus timber cladding, I'm worried about one thing: structural solidity. I get hit with full force weather at this spot- its sits like a duck in this respect. So if I -could- I'd be much happier with a BLOCK inner course instead.

But in my world, that's not a cavity bc its got wood in it- the moisture would travel across the cavity via the wood! Ok I need to take stock & go back a step. Right, I'm reading all about walls' construction in the haynes book. And it has seemingly 2 options: block > cavity > brick... and TF > ? > cladding. I cannot figure out this ? bit, and, I want to know if these 2 options are the only ones.. or if there are others I can choose (or, has my choice been made already by way of the plans submitted & agreed by the PP?). lordy.

I don't need a cavity? so what do I need then? how is anyone like me possibly in a position to choose what kind of wall construction to go with? or do I just say 'right, no cavity- so then I want a single block wall'. simple as that. can I do that?

Chrissakes. I can barely cope with choosing & understanding what the heck the walls might be made from.. let alone the 'rules' processes. Why the heck there isn't anything out there, like a simplified 10-step plan/ anything, to help normal folks comprehend the processes, I cannot begin to understand.

More sense, thanks.. but where is the 50mm cavity tho?? I hadn't heard of a render board I must say I thought all modern walls had to be 2 courses, with a cavity between, as a certainty.

Hi Declan. I have not decided on the wall build- I need to know the options, in order to be able to choose (this is typical of the series of catch22's I seem to be stuck firm in last few months). If I'm considering timber frame, and I understand now the basics of this construction as primarily its all to do with a TF inner course, with say bricks or blocks as "cladding" options.. I'm 1st trying to understand whether a cavity is needed in such a wall. Then, if so, I'm trying to understand how a wood cladding (not brick cladding) attatches to this cavity (it can't is my point- it can't attatch to thin air, so what does it attatch to?).

Hi Tennents'. Thanks I understand what you say.. but I'm now more confused as a result, bc I was sure, that a cavity of maybe 50mm(or thereabouts) HAD to be between TWO wall courses.. for an extention/ for any modern dwellings' wall construction. When you say 'block & 145mm timbers'.. are you talking about both with the construction of one course, or a block & timber ie two separate courses? Or to put my Q another way. What are the options of wall construction for my extention? I mean forget the complicated options: what are the more simple types I could consider to meet BCO standards, but of course be solid still-?

Can someone help me out on this simple Q. If an inner course wall is built, say a TFrame, & I'm left to 'choose any manner of ways to clad the outside'.. Does a cavity -always- have to be incorporated between the two courses? and if I choose a nice stepped-vertical-cedar "cladding" for my outside.. what does it fix onto? I mean if there's a cavity (& I think its right that a modern wall has to have one) it can't be fixed it to the inner course. So what does it fix onto.. I can't visualise/ understand it. I can understand perfectly, if the outer course was block, or, if the inner course was block & the cladding fixed to this with no cavity between.

Yes helps alot thanks Tennents'. Where does the floor insulation fit in to the mix tho? I thought there was 100mm as standard thesedays, & it was within this 1st phase, prior to main builder coming along ontop of floor to build walls. I'm reading suggested Haynes: Home Extention book now, 1/3rd way thru. JesusH I thought it was difficult to understand before.. now Ive got another ton of things more to consider (I honestly have no comprehension how anyone could contemplate getting an extention made, let alone actually going ahead, its so complex I'm snowed under trying to understand the processes & totally up a gumtree.. but I have no choice but continue).

MMm.. food for thought Declan & the idea of a horrendoes zoothorn concrete face twds my sod n'bors is one ive mused on, alot. Neat idea for carjack use, I'll bear that in mind. I'm swaying between the sleepers/retaining wall idea.. & the walkway idea with square 5-6" posts, put into dug holes then concrete poured in. @Onoff I'd be inclined to dig hole/ shove sleeper in, & also pour in concrete around too.. unless that's a stupid additional idea? the ground as I said is pretty loose n squidgy.If put this barrier on the curve/ slope, filling it with earth will mean the higher up the barrier the load will press most on the top tiers- I don't want the barrier to tip over: especially so with a smaller walkway further down slope: sleeper barrier will be approx shoulder height here Any thoughts on this anyone? any romans out there?

Yup nice fedge.. but not sure how its gonna help me out-? @Onoff can you run me thru the sleeper uprights, how these were anchored/ in your pic eg- thanks alot for replies & ideas folks- zoot

Make best use of it, simple as. At the mo I occasionally amble down & my n'bor sees unused so whacked his rotten seating area uncompromisingly overlooking both area two & three. So tbh I don't know, but all I can think of is widening the mid area two, & putting something across btm area three, in order to make it useable: a log cabin I was thinking, would surely make best use of the space.. if.. I could logistically seat it across the slope that is. I'm even thinking as the opposite side of brook, area three, is actually unregistered land (sod n'bor's land ends at the big tree bow above buttercups in 3rd pic above: so the bank to the left of it's unregistered).. could I maybe put 2 or 3 telegraph poles across the brook from just on from the tree, sat into the bank?? would -this- be both the surest, & least complicated way to form my cabin base?? it would defo mitigate against stream swell/ & therefore worrying water disturbance of 2 pillars' founds near the stream.. as would be a good 1.5m above brook.

@Onoff that's an interesting pic.. I was veering twds PeterW's idea of the metal brackets fixed onto a set concrete block, going the walkway plan. But your pic of the retaining wall with sleepers, is the best idea I've seen re. the retaining wall plan. How are those verticals fixed in & depth? my slope ground/ soil is pretty soft & squidgy tbh, hard ground the least thing to worry about.. does that mean I'd need to set the b'stards in deeper then? I guess capillary action sucks brook water up into bank, so could get wetter: things such as this to consider are prime reasons Ive been tentative & not jumped hammer & tongs you see, until I know a sure-as-dammit approach so it'll not shift badly, or even collapse.. that'll be an awful job to ruin lawn top, heave 3 tons of soil out/ up, to redo the pillars etc.

@ProDave hi there, are you referring to the idea of a retaining wall.. or a base for the walkway?

I can't get good photos. Ok I break garden into 3rds, 15m/ 10m /6m lengths. Property only 8m wide, & narrows twds lower end (away from house) to 5m. A brook goes down long side (below sod's walkway). I'm on a high bank, this takes up 3m of width. A fag shape, yellow filter is house bit. Pic 1 = nearest house area one 15m (lawn/ done), & a bit of the middle area two (bit in Q for walkway, or retaining wall). Pic 2 = mid area two 10m. Pic 3 = most of mid area two, & onwards (LHS) down to the trickiest/ narrowest width (& steepest slopes both sides) area three 6m.