Timber frame renovation in Suffolk

[RomyD]

Hi everyone,

We are about to embark on a major remodel and renovation of a 1990s timber framed bungalow and hope to make it as energy efficient as possible. It's a bit run down at the moment and looks a bit sad but it has a lot of potential. Hopefully we can fix it. It's not a fix it and flog it project but somewhere we intend to stay. Glad to have found this place and please bear with us if we ask lots of stupid questions!

[Gone West]

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your project. Everything is fixable, just might cost a bit. Show us pictures of what you're doing to the bungalow, we like that.

[RomyD]

This is a view from the south west (garden) side. As you can see the bungalow and the garden need a lot of work .... There is a lot of garden.

In a nutshell we hope to rework the interior layout and fit gshp, underfloor heating, pv solar and improve insulation where we can where it is cost effective to do. Expect we will need mvhr too. It has 50mm floor insulation and 100mm loft insulation, but not sure of wall insulation thickness. It is a Swedish kit house so presume wall insulation is superior to UK standards of the day. It has 30yr old tmber triple glazed windows which will be upgraded also although they are still in a basically sound condition, but many are in the wrong place for the layout we want.

 We'd like to better understand options for better wall insulation.

[Russell griffiths]

This will be really interesting to see what the frame looks like after that length of time, depending on how the sole plate was fitted to the foundations. 

 

Lots of pictures please when you start gutting it. 

[ProDave]

Also interesting to see how much insulation is in the frame.  A lot of early timber frames had none, just an empty 4" timber frame.

[RomyD]

Yes, both of these things will be interesting to note and will to a large extent determine how much it will cost! We are prepared for the worst however but hoping for the best! The initial survey was quite positive.

 

Also it would be an odd thing to do to fit triple glazing and floor insulation but leave the frames empty, but we will soon see.

[Russell griffiths]

I did a Reno on a 1980s built timberframe, I found the easiest thing to do was just rip out every piece of plasterboard, all ceilings all walls, no messing about, it’s easier to move around internal walls and easier to run all new electrical and plumbing. 

Just pull the lot out, no point in trying to join on to old stuff or patching walls. 

[RomyD]

I think this will be the best approach. We can more easily address any issues, be sure of the state of the frame and improve internal insulation and so on. It does sound "brutal" though. 

[SteamyTea]

One advantage of gutting a place is that you can deal, relatively easily, with airtightness issues.

Just make up your own blower and start sealing all the leaks.

[RomyD]

So we finally exchanged contracts on this place and I now feel a bit more able to post more about it. I am hoping to do a "Just Doing It in Suffolk" thread on here to document our progress and also to ask for HELP along the way!!

Anyway, here is a bigger picture of the plot and the bungalow which is actually an older Scandia Hus import from 1990......I think the bungalow is only going to be half the work!
 

 

 

[LSB]

looks like a lovely plot, be interested to see your plans

 

[RomyD]

We have several plans! haha. But we are slimming it down. The inside L of the bungalow faces a perfect south and behind those evergreens lies a wonderful old willow with a small pond to one side...and its a total internal layout revision + insulation updates and new plumbing and wiring and heating and and and, you get the picture I am sure. The basic structure is sound and both the surveyor and architect have commented on its build quality which is comforting.