Sam odell

Does this look good?? better than the ones above??

I'm assuming it'll all be done 'properly' as it will be HETAS approved etc. Installers have quoted for a flexible liner system, flue etc

Thanks - we do have a void, will think about this. I have to choose due to cost constraints and what fitters are offering. What would you suggest?? thanks

So basically I still need to know which you'd pick out of these if you HAD to: ! The M-Fires Tinderbox Medium The Ecosy+ Hampton 5 thanks

I'm assuming the house leaks. Happy for a wee draught, need to keep cost down. But useful info, thanks

Thanks for this. Context is: We just moved. Used to have a real fireplace in old house and we miss it. Want to use this occaisionally through winter months, as it is 'nice' and 'beautiful' etc. Not going to reply on it for heat. Aware of dangers. We also have very very little cash, so are limited to cheapo stoves. So I'm basically looking for the best bang for buck at c. £500/600/700 thanks

Ah - no the back of the stove leads to the neighbours' front room, so I don't think that's doable for us. So apart from the sealed room air flow spigot - which is the better stove??

It's a terraced victorian house, stove is for front room - c. 4 square metres. What is the importance of combustion air coming in on a duct pipe? I don't understand anything about stoves yet! thanks

Hi all, I've been offered two different stoves from 2 different installers: The M-Fires Tinderbox Medium The Ecosy+ Hampton 5 Each installer says their one is the best stove. Anyone know? thanks a lot Sam

Anyone???🤔

Hi, We are planning a single storey side return in oxford, on a terraced house. We have a single storey extended kitchen already, this only widens it to include the side alley also. The issue is the neighbours have a kitchen diner beside the boundary. It has 3 windows, all north facing: a skylight on a partially extended kitchen, a regular window in the kitchen part and a side patio door onto the diner. The patio door is closest to the proposed extension, and it is perpendicular to the boundary. I am wondering if the 45 degree or 25 degree rule applies here. My architect says the 25 degree rule applies to the patio door - measured from the sill, which would render the project a no-go due to ceiling height restrictions. I can;t see any regs that agree. Surely as their kitchen has 3 light sources, and the patio door is perpendicular, it is 45 degree at most? And measured from centre of patio door? I attach diagrams. Please help! thanks

This may be the way to go, if it's doable:

Thanks again @ETC I think option A looks good. I didn't understand the plan as it shows one single pitched roof all the way along. At the moment, the end reception room has a pitched roof, the roof above the dining area and the small shower room (between kitchen and that reception room) is a shed roof (mono pitch?). That's what's making it complicated - the two different types. As shown here:

I need to check the drainage out properly. There is a 'hole' that has been filled in with rubble - I think some drains are under there, not easy to see what's going on. The hole is just beyond where the extension would be.

I've abandoned the 40K budget. What I'm looking at now is steels to open up the space, side return and flat roof. all done by contractor Once the shell is up and plastered, electrics, plumbing etc, I'll do skirting, painting, install new kitchen (will source a cheap one, salvage existing, or freebie, off the shelf etc). budget 50K hopefully/

This is what I'm considering now.

Thanks for these plans @ETC I did reply, but my messages have gone awol. Greatly appreciated work. RE. Option 1: I think changing the existing roof to pitched all the way along, adding steels and building a side infill as well may be too costly. I'm considering a flat roof now - leaving the pitched on the rear reception room, the rest (incl infil) would be flat. This would mean no gutters etc over boundary. And flat roofs are cheaper to put in no? Is this true? Option 2: It does remove the need for steels, but doesn't gain as much width, so I'm not sure it'd be worth it. Also - the rear reception room is a necessary bedroom for us. Thanks so much all for this advice.

Thanks all - by 'build it yourself' do you mean I actually do all the brickwork etc, or do you mean 'project manage' and work with multiple different trades to get it done? thanks - sorry if that's a stupid question.

I don't think it's that complicated a plan - what's inelegant about it?

More plans here

Many thanks for this advice. Do you think the above can be done on a 40K budget?

Hello All! We have a Victorian terraced property in Oxford, looking to do a side return. The property is strange as it has the main house section, a small narrow kitchen extension, leading onto a narrow bedroom extension, all long and narrow, with a side alley leading back to the sitting room window. We'd like to do a side return, opening up the kitchen/diner, but going no further. The issue is, half of the kitchen has a bathroom above it, so we'd need steels. I attach pics of what we'd like to do. My questions are: 1: Do I need an architect? I've been quoted c. £3000, which is horrifying. 2: I've heard I only need an architect 'technician' - but I can;t find one - google seems to only bring up architects. Is this a thing? 3: How much do you reckon it will cost. We have a budget of about 40k - have been quoted between 40k-90k and am unsure if it's feasible. 4: are there any tips to keeping this very low cost?? (you'll see from pic here and footprint attached that the ground floor bathroom would need it's roof altered too, as they are in one 'shed roof style' block, but the extension cannot go that far due to regs. So the shape is jinked) Many thanks! Sam