Want to split a bedroom...

[HeX]

We're currently in a 2 bed house, and with the kids growing up we could do with an extra room.

Our main bedroom is pretty large (haven't measured it yet), but it's essentially the entire width of the house, windows along one wall, with the stairs bulkhead in one corner. I've put some tape down to mark out where I'd want the walls/doors to go and it looks like we have enough space to make two workable rooms.

What we want to do is:

• Split it down the middle (stud wall), with 2 new doorways
• Hang 2 new doors
• Split the window (new frames but use the glass that's already in there ideally as it was only changed a couple of years ago)
• Replace the long radiator with two smaller ones (one in each room), pipework already in roughly the right area
• Move the central light into one room
• Add a new light and switch in the other room

Both rooms would already have sockets in the right places.

Now I don't mind doing a bit of DIY, but I wouldn't want to tackle something like this myself!

So my question is, what kind of person would I need to get to come give me a quote for the work?

Would I need to organise getting a separate builder/joiner/plumber/electrician for each part that needs doing?

If so what's the best order to get stuff done?

What kind of price should I be looking at (rough guesstimates!)?

Would I need permission to do this?

 

[LOAM]

will both new rooms lead directly onto the landing or do you access one room through the other?

Amendments to the elevation (new window) may need planning permission if you are in a conservation area but if you aren't making new openings its unlikely to be an issue. I doubt you will be able to re-use the glass though unless the new windows are the same size.

A sketch would go a long way to help though.

 

[pitchfork]

Depends on the finish you want, any reasonably competent builder could take on that work but it wouldn't be highly finished.

If I was into hiring people to do work I can do myself, I'd get a spark in to do the electrics then a plumber to do the rads. Then the window (they won't reuse the glass) will want looking at by a decent fitter. (All 3 could be done at the same time)

Then get the joiner in to sort your stud wall and doors followed by a plasterer to skim and make good where the alterations have been carried out.

Then it's up to you whether you decorate or hire a professional.

Price? How long is a piece of string. Remember this though - pay peanuts, get monkeys.

Most good tradesmen won't get out of bed for anything under £100-120 a day

 

[HeX]

will both new rooms lead directly onto the landing or do you access one room through the other?

I'd planned on using a square of the room to 'extend' the landing so there would be separate doors into each room.

Amendments to the elevation (new window) may need planning permission if you are in a conservation area but if you aren't making new openings its unlikely to be an issue. I doubt you will be able to re-use the glass though unless the new windows are the same size.

A sketch would go a long way to help though.

Hoping no new openings would be needed, the split would be essentially directly down the middle of the current window, so the plan in my head was to just split that opening and put a new frame in each side. If we can't reuse the glass I'll just use it in the rear bedrooms frames as those weren't replaced and are exactly the same size, so not a big deal.

Depends on the finish you want, any reasonably competent builder could take on that work but it wouldn't be highly finished.

I'd get a spark in to do the electrics then a plumber to do the rads. Then the window (they won't reuse the glass) will want looking at by a decent fitter. (All 3 could be done at the same time)

Then get the joiner in to sort your stud wall and doors followed by a plasterer to skim and make good where the alterations have been carried out.

Cheers. Might have to start having a ring around. I just wanted a rough guess on price to see if it's going to be worth the outlay, or if I should just look at getting moved instead (also a big faff and expensive! ugh).

 

[tom_e]

There's one big problem I can see, a stud wall will provide sod all in terms of sound insulation between the 2 rooms.

 

[pitchfork]

There's one big problem I can see, a stud wall will provide sod all in terms of sound insulation between the 2 rooms.

Depends if you do it properly or not.

 

[HeX]

There's one big problem I can see, a stud wall will provide sod all in terms of sound insulation between the 2 rooms.

I was planning on stuffing it full with the thickest rockwool slabs possible!

Also read something about staggered studs so that each side of the wall is totally separated.

 

[LOAM]

I was planning on stuffing it full with the thickest rockwool slabs possible!

Also read something about staggered studs so that each side of the wall is totally separated.

You can build an independent stud walls if you want although they are normally for dividing walls between properties in apartments (see page 39 of the doc link below). Normal stud walls are fine for sound, so long as you build them correctly. Just make sure the plasterboard is min 10kg/m2 and the insulation is min 25mm and min 10kg/m3. See page 65 here Wall type B.

 

[Derek W]

There's one big problem I can see, a stud wall will provide sod all in terms of sound insulation between the 2 rooms.

Not really an issue though. Just tell your kids to shut the **** up instead of making a racket!

In the last regulation change where the insulation in between stud partitions came into effect I shook my head in disbelief at it. Actually having to increase sound insulation between floors and walls to negate the ability to tell someone to be a bit quieter!

 

[Pug]

hey bud

we're having work done at the moment, most of the upstairs being rejigged. For what you describe, i think you'd get change from £2k, maybe around £1700.

A part of the job was to have a stud wall put up, sockets extended, en suite ripped out, and replaced with floor to ceiling sliderobes, with an overboard & plaster skim on the ceiling (dividing one room, making another bigger)

Total cost was £2300 including supplying the bespoke wardrobe. As you have more work to do, but less materials, i think £1700 isn't unrealistic.

As we were having a bathroom done also, our plumber put us in contact with a bloke he uses for jobs outside his area, and vice versa. You want a carpenter/builder; they will subcontract any plumbing etc you need doing.

 

[a1ex2001]

Ring a local builder, he will be able to do the lot and save you the hastle of getting different people in for piddling little jobs. Ignore the comment about a didgy finish if thats the end result your using the wrong builder!

Cost I'd say your looking at 2-3k depending on the location etc

 

[HeX]

Cheers folks, info much appreciated. Got the car insurance, tax, MOT to do this month, so get that out the way and I'll start getting some quotes in and some pennies saved up. Around £2k is what I was hoping for.

Bit of luck we can get it all sorted before the end of the year.