Living room Extension (single story)

[kai]

We are just finalising the contract for an extension to our living room with the builder. Just looking to get some thoughts and ideas as the design can still be tweaked etc.

We are going to have a pitched roof, with the interior fully vaulted ceiling for more open plan. The extension will be 2.5 m x 4.0m. The builder has put us off-putting in velux as it’s the main living room. If there is rain, it could be fairly loud while watching tv.

On the design, I have taken the original patio doors and put them to the left side of the wall. I am then looking to have 2x bi-fold PVC doors opening up the right-hand side of the garden.

Tomorrow, we have someone coming to conduct scale drawings made up for building regs but also a certificate to submit for lawful development (as we do not need planning permission).

I am just looking for feedback on the design, thoughts, suggestions etc.

As is:

Bottom end (the extension will out to the patio then go across (towards gate)

Top End:

Proposed Layout (just me messing about with planner)

Top end (looking down)

Bottom end

Interior View

 

[paintguy]

The builder has put us off-putting in velux as it’s the main living room. If there is rain, it could be fairly loud while watching tv.

We had a rooflight put into our new extension and I have to agree with your builder, it makes an awful racket when it rains! So much so that I'm planning to soundproof it a bit by adding a secondary glazing panel lower down, with a decent air gap, and line the space with acoustic tiles.

You look to be including a ton of glazing to your extension so may not find it necessary anyway.

 

[eviled]

seems good.

With bifold doors folding outwards toward a fence a) it will be pretty narrow when they are open b) not the best walk out view of the garden

also the fully glazed corner is looking out on the narrowest part of what looks to be a nice garden.

have you thought about putting the glazing in the other corner and the patio doors opposite ?

 

[planty]

seems good.

With bifold doors folding outwards toward a fence a) it will be pretty narrow when they are open b) not the best walk out view of the garden

also the fully glazed corner is looking out on the narrowest part of what looks to be a nice garden.

have you thought about putting the glazing in the other corner and the patio doors opposite ?

I agree, having the bi-fold doors opening out into the fence and the smallest corner of your garden seems kind of pointless to me. The opposite side seems to have more space and would suit them better?

 

[GinG]

As the others have said the bifolds towards the fence seems a little waste...these things arent cheap and wont be adding anything there. Maybe just do floor to roof windows instead if you want to let the light in?

 

[kai]

have you thought about putting the glazing in the other corner and the patio doors opposite ?

I agree, having the bi-fold doors opening out into the fence and the smallest corner of your garden seems kind of pointless to me. The opposite side seems to have more space and would suit them better?

As the others have said the bifolds towards the fence seems a little waste...these things arent cheap and wont be adding anything there. Maybe just do floor to roof windows instead if you want to let the light in?

I see what you mean, there is a decent gap between the fence and doors opening (2Meters). I am also going to move the fence back 1m from the post you can see in the picture. The fence has not been put on our boundary line for some reason. This is reflective in our house deeds and all the drawings i have showing the boundary line for that corner as next to the tree. This should put us back to a 3Meter gap.

 

[GinG]

Usually bi-folds are there to extend the inside out or the outside in, whichever you want to look at it. The way you are putting them puts them straight onto grass and one of the doors right Infront of a fence.

Is there anyway you could move them to the other side so they open out onto your patio?

Also wouldn't recommend going straight from grass into the living room. Used to have a living room which went out straight into the garden with a tiny amount of patio...carpet got ruined!

 

[kai]

Usually bi-folds are there to extend the inside out or the outside in, whichever you want to look at it. The way you are putting them puts them straight onto grass and one of the doors right Infront of a fence.

Is there anyway you could move them to the other side so they open out onto your patio?
Also wouldn't recommend going straight from grass into the living room. Used to have a living room which went out straight into the garden with a tiny amount of patio...carpet got ruined!

Fair comment, i will speak to the architectect today and get the feedback. However the grass is artificial

 

[Peerzy]

Out of pure interest roughly what has the builder quoted (and where in the country are you)? I'm interested to know the costs of an extension this size for our next property.

 

[kai]

Out of pure interest roughly what has the builder quoted (and where in the country are you)? I'm interested to know the costs of an extension this size for our next property.

Yeah sure. It's a local builder who has done some work for us in the past. I live in South Wales, and the final quote is

£21,000.

This includes everything (2x Bi'folds, moving rads, electrics, matching the existing wood flooring, skirting, coving even painting/glossing. Basically making both interior and exterior match existing with me or my wife not needing to do anything apart from buy extra furniture

We know he is expensive, but we have someone who finishes to a high standard, very clean and most important - he is extremely reliable.

I only have around 1.5 years left on my mortgage, so i am going to borrow the extra amount, and have it completed within 2 years, as this will likely become a house we rent out.

 

[Syla5]

£2.1k per m2 for a ready to move in completely finished except furniture room to me doesn't sound crazy. Yes expensive but you know what you are getting. This assumes your builder is vat registered, otherwise it is very expensive.

 

[a1ex2001]

£2.1k per m2 for a ready to move in completely finished except furniture room to me doesn't sound crazy. Yes expensive but you know what you are getting. This assumes your builder is vat registered, otherwise it is very expensive.

Agree, I've happily paid slightly over the odds for my preferred builder.

 

[jellybeard999]

I agree with the above re bifolds. Would it not be better to have wider bifolds on the side looking out into the larger part of the garden and forget about (or glaze) the other side? Unless I'm looking at it wrong?

Sliding doors give a greater proportion of glass-frame, if you've not considered them. Food for thought.

 

[kai]

I agree with the above re bifolds. Would it not be better to have wider bifolds on the side looking out into the larger part of the garden and forget about (or glaze) the other side? Unless I'm looking at it wrong?

Sliding doors give a greater proportion of glass-frame, if you've not considered them. Food for thought.

Agree, my builder has suggested the same. I go for the sliding door open. I am waiting to hear back from the architect. He was going to draw up some different designs for me so ultimately we could choose.

 

[jellybeard999]

Agree, my builder has suggested the same. I go for the sliding door open.

I've got sliding doors (80s/90s pvc ones!) currently and was set on bifolds when we get our rear extension done, but modern sliding doors look great! - example

I also really like the idea of corner windows, but without the corner post - example - no idea of cost, but i suspect they are expensive and not worth the extra over a normal frame on the corner.

 

[kai]

Oh wow, yeah i am having an RSJ put as a corner post, so it will look like this example

 

[kai]

Things are finally starting to progress. Had a bit of a shock yesterday, when i seen the cost of the calculations for the structure.

Scope of Works
Carry out a linear survey of the existing ground floor and prepare existing and proposed scaled plans as per your brief. This includes elevational views and specifications as required for Building Regulation application.
Undertake structural calculations for proposed steel beams to provide opening into extension and for steel frame to enable bi-fold and full floor to ceiling glazed area to be constructed.

Professional Fees Existing plans and elevations

£350.00

Structural calculations:

Steel Beams £150.00
Steel Frame £250.00

 

[SimonR]

Those prices are in-line with my structural calcs.

 

[Hedge]

The living area in the last picture looks nice but the corner with all the doors seems to just make that end of the room awkward.

You just seem to have a big empty space and I don't see how you'd take advantage of it.

 

[SimonR]

That is a lot of glass going in. What provision are you making for heating the space? Underfloor? as you dont have much space left for wall mounted rads. Also how much insulation are you putting in? You are opening up your main living space to a heat sink. I installed Saint Gobain Securit C-lite glass to provide the best thermal efficiency but it was over £800 to glaze my bifolds but it has - Excellent U-value of 1.0W/m2K