allthatpebbledash

It’s possible I may need someone to model my existing house, the proposed plans, and run through scenarios of what various levels of improvements would result? I don’t want to stick 100mm EPS to the outside as a blanket if say 140mm would give me much better comfort for not much extra cost. Are there any services people can recommended who help with this?

That is very convincing. Say if you had a poorly filled mineral wool cavity, and it was going to be easily vacuumed out, this would nicely in refilling it. Could you use these in newly built walls too? What width cavity would be needed if built using blockwork to reach min building reg u values? What did you end up doing OP?

Understandably this makes sense. Was there a possibility in which you would’ve gone about it as the following; since you having planning approval for the renovation, so whilst works were ongoing, submitted a concurrent application with the same drawing sets (more or less) but with a full application for demolition and rebuild? This way you would’ve continued to make progress on site, works staged so that you would avoid doubling back on the remaining walls till after a decision was made? This is exactly my thought process right now. The cash flow aspect is critical. Given the cost of a new planning application which is circa £600 with my LA, the saving of a further 5k per every £100k on the works does sound attractive. If the total cost for instance runs up to £250k, that’s a sum of £12.5k which can fit out 2-3 bathrooms. I think? But I can’t help think if all the walls came down, would building control allow existing foundations to be used? Would they allow the cavity’s to remain the same width, or dictate new wider foundations? Would they stipulate the wall insulation value be improved if allowed to keep the foundation and cavity the same? In my case, I would be having 2 external walls left standing hence the line of questioning. After much reading on here and elsewhere, I think the saving of £12.5k for instance could easily be sunk in the above added works easily. New foundations and extra insulation. Unless someone more clued on could educate me on this. I am pretty conflicted. On the one hand I’d end up with a better insulated house and build up without errors of the previous construction, but at the same time, how much thermal performance can be made to make it worth it? If you can shed more light on this (privately via DM if you have to), what do you mean by getting away with it? Would the remaining standing walls “accidentally meet steel” therefore need to be taken down for safety and rebuilt? How would the building inspector react to this? I’m sure this kind of stuff happens all the time.

Bringing this back up, can you point me in direction of this person? I want to read through what happened and the fallout as a result, thanks. What did you end up doing then? I find myself in a very similar position.

They do look nice. Still undecided on the brick yet. Thanks for sharing images though, does help if we go red brick or not.

Presumably to @Iceverge much sought delight, I embark upon my next point of discussion here, should I go back to the idea of a full demolition and new build? To understand the context of the post, you can read this topic here. Okay so, I have a stripped out house that’s standing as a shell. Bricks, blocks and timbers with a roof on. Externally it’s covered with pebbledash which I want to get rid of. Insulation is poor in the cavity walls with none at all below ground floor. Being empty for 2 years means my VAT is going to be 5% for this, so a huge saving there. I am/was planning on retrofitting, so all new windows and doors, new ground and intermediate floor decks, removing the old roof and putting on a entire new roof structure, rewiring, new plumbing, improve insulation, essentially fitting it all out again. The retrofit plans require demolition of all the rear wall and adding a new single storey extension and then rebuild the first floor wall, and there’s also demolition of half of the front house wall and adding a new double storey extension here. This is now suggesting to me given everything else being taken out, I might as well do a full demolition and build a new house. Much better built, better insulated, more comfortable, better looking (externally), overall a slightly less of a headache. But, I have concerns over the cost. The existing house floor area approx is; 145sqm GF 135sqm FF 280sqm TOTAL I understand from reading various topics on the forum, and elsewhere, I can estimate a build cost of £2000sqm. With that in mind, I think a replacement 2 storey house is ideal. If possible, go into the loft for added floor space as I understand this won’t add much cost on to the build. If built back to the same floor area, I’m looking at a construction and fit out cost of approx £560,000. Can someone elaborate based on their experience and knowledge, firstly if I’ve reached a correct understanding of this, and if there’s ways to reduce costs? Like for instance I already have services connected to the plot as there’s an existing house there, can I knock £25,000 or more off that figure? The existing footprint is ideal for us, so drainage around the house can be reused in some or most parts? How much would that knock off? And the BIG question here, given the existing footprint is ideal, can I reuse the existing foundations? How much would this knock off that figure? Obviously the challenge here would be for the architect to creatively fill the floor space within this. If I also then went for a fuss-less finish, how much less can that per sqm estimate figure come down to, £1500sqm? Or even less, £1000sqm? Let me hear your thoughts, advice, suggestions, experiences, all of it.

What brick was that, and any chance of a closer image of the wall in the middle? Also, the second image is great. Looking to have rough render off white and red brick too. So Weinerbeger manufacture it? Interesting, I wonder what it goes as under their brand. Look forward to seeing the full wall photos. £993/thousand seems in ball park of others I’ve had priced from them, few others have come in £1280 plus. Anything less than a quid a brick is budget I’ve set myself. Will look into this one on the website you’ve given. Nice brick, even better price! How did you manage such a bargain? Prefer a full red or full buff though. Interesting, these guys are next on my list to enquire. Would you happen to know if they have offerings for about £1 a brick or less?

Long shot but there’s bound to be someone who’s built a wall of sorts on here with either of the above colours in brick? I’m thinking a red brick would be easier to swallow for the planner due to site appraisals, but brown and buff could be thrown down too. Would people be kind enough to post an image or two of their walls and what brick they used? I find the online edited/filtered images used to sell them aren’t a true reflection, neither are sample boards showing 4.5 bricks laid with no mortar. Currently I’m looking at these options from Wienerberger. Reds Autumn russet sovereign stock Oast russet sovereign stock Mellowed red sovereign stock Marpessa multi Jasmine blend Woodbridge claret stock Warnham red stock Waresley red stock Olde southwater Blue velvet Browns Pagus brown/black Buffs Anglesey weathered buff Weathered gault blend St Ives creams rustica PT450 iron Oakington buff Marziale As you can tell, need to narrow things down a bit, before looking at other manufacturers. Looking for a nice stock, waterstruck, or handmade brick. Something you won’t see on a Barret house.

Okay thanks, I’ll look in to last 3. Wasn’t aware they did them also.

I learnt this too when considering a new build, circa 26,000 bricks needed. I was lucky however as the first BM I had asked to get an estimate didn’t inform me of the “address lock” method. I thought the quote given was reasonable. But, as I have a friend, architect, who works for a major national practice and relationships in the construction industry due to position in the company, they introduced me to a major supplier of materials for multimillion pound projects. Said supplier has a fantastic relationship with said manufacturer of the brick. After an informal discussion with senior person in the brick manufacturers organisation, email sent to appropriate person stating certain facts, I was successfully able to have the “lock removed” from BM and now locked to above major supplier instead. As a result, the new estimate provided by the major supplier was surprisingly 20% less! TLDR; find the brick you want. Enquire with the manufacturer who they do preferred business and large off takes with, then approach that BM/supplier to source the bricks and lock the address. I find that is how to unlock huge savings, should the manufacturer not be willing to deal and supply direct. Now on to the brick discussion. I’m also considering linear bricks. Not as many as project has changed from demo and rebuild to retrofit with extension. Would you be willing to share data on prices you’ve been getting? The Kolumba bricks are priced out for me. Been given a flat rate of £250 sqm supply. I’m looking for alternatives. The standard 215x65mm brick in red and buff tones I’m seeing average £40-60 sqm. Grey/white/black I’m getting £55-80 sqm. Seeing as you’ve looked at alternatives already in terms of linear bricks, have you had estimates or any figures back?

Most probably what I’ll do. Can you show and explain more of the image? Was this something you’re doing or have completed? Thanks. LOL Come on, I can’t knock it down. It’s gonna be a headache I can imagine, but it’s too much money to bulldoze now. Especially if the VAT is 5% for me too.

Coming around to the idea I will be adding EWI to the existing structure and rendering over. I have 2 existing external wall build ups, so want to understand if one solution would work all around. Both walls have engineered brick exposed above ground level, 3 courses to one side and 7 or so at the other as the site slopes. 1960s brick cavity house, with few blockwork additions as it’s had few extensions previously. Property is detached with 5m minimum to boundaries on all sides. New roof going on so eaves can be detailed as required. As well as new doors/windows/ground floor/intermediate floors. It’s a deep retrofit, house is a shell right now, back to brick etc. Wall 1. 100mm brick 70mm cavity (filled with blown wool) 100mm brick 10mm pebbledash Wall 2. 100mm blockwork 70mm cavity (has 50mm PIR in) 100mm blockwork 10mm pebbledash I’m tempted to remove the pebbledash first as I can’t see how fixing the EWI boards to it won’t leave gaps in between? Anyways. Would I better using 100mm of mineral wool slabs instead of EPS for this? Or won’t it make a difference? I’d like a well insulated and air tight house, and been thinking what if I doubled the thickness to 200mm? I read somewhere but couldn’t fully understand I need to be careful with the dew point and condensation risk. Although I am looking to spec an MVHR system too as part of the works. Would this mitigate said risk? Finally, doing EWI would allow me to hide the orange engineering bricks externally too as I understand I should take 50mm PIR into the ground. Or is this not really necessary? Would like to hear some thoughts on this.

I agree, seemingly option 3 is most likely candidate. Existing original foundations in areas are under bearing. Engineer thinks it’s okay as settlement and all that, and I’m very close to sandstone too. But potentially can be corrected with localised underpinning if needs be. Don’t need to do the whole footprint. I’d be very interested in hearing the figures and sums that led you to determine this route. Wow. The cavity is filled so I understand EWI would be okay to use. Cavity is filled. But could top it up. And close up. I seem to be changing course more frequently than a ship without a rudder. As per my partner anyway. Thanks lad. So. Don’t think I will rebuild the outer leaf. Don’t think I will erect a third skin of brick creating 2 cavity’s. I really don’t want to knock down and rebuild. Thinking the most likely course of action is to either; Strip off pebbledash, affix EWI, render over. OR Affix EWI straight to pebbledash, render over. Whilst render is something I don’t particularly want as a finish, suppose I’ll have to get a craftsman on it to give it a half decent chance in looking good.

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Yeah lots, anything specific you want to see or just elevations? What’s the sunk cost fallacy? What about building a third leaf creating 2 wall cavity’s that are filled? Basement was an option early on, but we decided against it. As for the new build planning, I already floated one application of a new build through the council. They wanted a CMRA which is fine, but then comments from biodiversity department were suggesting they request a bat survey prior to even any consideration of looking at the application. According to a neighbour friend of mine, it can take months to have one completed, theirs had taken 30 weeks! I think it actually always is about the pounds and pennies. The carbon implication conversation is just a calling card at election campaigns. If not, the government would be incentivising retrofit applications as opposed to nil rating the demos and rebuilds only. Given the majority of the populous I believe only extend and renovate and pay full VAT for doing so means more cash in the kitty. True. Okay so yesterday I happened across an old episode of grand designs. Maybe taking down the external leaf and rebuilding it is a terrible idea, but building a third leaf is a better one? Already spoken to the engineer who’s done this and the house in question is a beautiful award winning house. Here’s the idea. Increase width of foundations. As we need some underpinning in areas as it is, this can be done as part of the works. Then, build a third leaf of facing brick, insulation in the now 2nd wall cavity, which gives a more better insulated and air tight external wall. What is the opinion on this?