Bungalow Renovation - Halfway Through and Hitting Some Challenges.

[Matthias]

Hi all, 

 

I've flicked through the forum pulling out useful information over the past couple of months as I've come across one issue or another with our build but I think it's time to seek more direct advice.

 

For background my brother has bought an old bungalow in south Wales that we're converting in to a four bedroom, two bathroom, open plan, modern house. In time there will be an extension that goes where the single garage is now but that's a ways off. 

 

So far the demo work has been done, tearing out most of the ground floors internal walls. We've had the roof rebuilt with a full width back dormer to accommodate the upstairs bedrooms and bathroom. (All to structural engineering plans specifications and okayed by building control. We're not cowboying this.) These's are insulated, plaster-boarded, first fixed and currently being plastered. We're waiting on windows to be delivered to hopefully install those before winter hits. We've just finished underfloor heating downstairs and self-levelled over the top ready to take an engineered timber floor.

 

As we've been living in the property everything has been done a bit piecemeal so a lot of jobs are half complete, which is a pain but the only way in some areas. Our experience with contractors has not been great, they haven't built to the quality that we'd expect to be standard and don't seem to think of future issues they're causing taking shortcuts. Not saying all contractors are like this, just our experience, but it has lead to us taking on most of the work ourselves.

 

Anyway, I'm coming across some niggling questions; like the correct way to cap a disused soil vent and the correct material to put on a wall behind a wooden stove. But I'll find the relevant subs and post the questions there.

 

Kind Regards, 

 

Matt

[Jeremy Harris]

Welcome, sound like you're well underway.  I look forward to seeing your more detailed questions.