An extension build

Soldato
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We did something similar in 2018 at our old house and it cost ~£40k including the new kitchen and flooring. Have building costs really gone up that much?!

PS. Isn't that first course on foundations supposed to be engineering bricks?

Yep. Building costs have risen significantly since then - This was actually one of the cheapest quotes we were offered, and costs have gone up since the quote was prepared, but the builder is honouring the original labour quote from last year.

As for the bricks question, you can use engineering bricks or higher density breeze blocks which are DPC certified (which these are) - each brick weighs about 25kg :eek:
 
Soldato
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Hope it all goes smoothly for you.

We started taking down existing conservatory today, rest should go down tomorrow then knock down current kitchen extension by end of the week. Plan is to rebuilt in pretty much the same footprint and make it open plan rather than the silly U-shape it is now, expected timeframe around 16 weeks, originally was 12weeks but they said to add 4 weeks for underfloor heating as they need to rebuilt most of the downstairs floor. Might start a thread once there's bit more to post.
 
Soldato
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Hope it all goes smoothly for you.

We started taking down existing conservatory today, rest should go down tomorrow then knock down current kitchen extension by end of the week. Plan is to rebuilt in pretty much the same footprint and make it open plan rather than the silly U-shape it is now, expected timeframe around 16 weeks, originally was 12weeks but they said to add 4 weeks for underfloor heating as they need to rebuilt most of the downstairs floor. Might start a thread once there's bit more to post.
Are they taking out the existing slab and then pouring a new one before fitting an UFH system? Considering something similar myself. What sort of SQM have they quoted?
 
Soldato
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Are they taking out the existing slab and then pouring a new one before fitting an UFH system? Considering something similar myself. What sort of SQM have they quoted?

Not got SQM cost as such, we were going back and forth between normal heating, electric UFH, half electric half wet system. At the end the final quote for full wet system is £6k more than the first quote which was normal central heating with 3 radiators and £4k more than fully electric UFH. Overall around 42m2.
 
Soldato
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Bumper photo post today.

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Here you can see that the props have been put in to place a specified distance apart to hold up that side of the house. A few more props were put on the left side, though a lot of it was held up by that enormous concrete lintel. Once this was done, the builders started chipping away at the brickwork underneath these props, until the props signified the base of the house's load-bearing structure.

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From here, the house was ready for the steels to go in.

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Me for scale, and just because :D

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The lifts arrived the day before.

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Steels delivered. The longest one to form the crossbar of the goalpost shape is 250x250mm in width / depth, and is 500kg. :eek:

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Four of us + these cool massive skateboard thing managed to get the biggest one down my driveway and very slowly, but surely, moved on to the two lifts.

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Had to swap out a few props to slowly shift the steel in to place.

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The winches on the lifts were then cranked at the same time (with a spirit level on the middle of the steel) to slowly lift it up to its position.

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From here, the two uprights were put in to position each side (much lighter!) and bolted in to position, whilst the lift held the central steel. Ground anchors went in to place on the uprights, and blocks, slate and adhesive were used to fix the steel in to place with the brickwork, to ensure the house's brickwork had no room to move in the future.

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From here, next week will be building up the shell of the extension, hence all the blocks being delivered. Hopefully by the end of next week I'll have something cool to post. :cool:
 
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Good progress.

I'm no structural engineer but I can't help but look at that main horizontal cross beam and think it should be on top of the two vertical steels, rather than just bolted to them. A lot of weight (including the beam itself) relying on the shear strength of those bolts.

It must be fine though or building control wouldn't have signed it off.
 
Soldato
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Good progress.

I'm no structural engineer but I can't help but look at that main horizontal cross beam and think it should be on top of the two vertical steels, rather than just bolted to them. A lot of weight (including the beam itself) relying on the shear strength of those bolts.

It must be fine though or building control wouldn't have signed it off.

Structural report excerpt:
FSpUL2Z.jpg

Building inspector visit on Monday / Tuesday next week, so I'll let you know if anything shocking is decided :D
 
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Like I said I'm not a structural engineer :D. I'd think there would be some clamping forces to take in to consideration but I'm not a mathematician either!
 
Soldato
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Like I said I'm not a structural engineer :D. I'd think there would be some clamping forces to take in to consideration but I'm not a mathematician either!
Perfectly valid comment!

I'm only a few weeks in, and so far I've had:

- Wrong bricks
- RSJs don't look sturdy

I reckon next week I might get "wrong colour mortar" or "your insulation doesn't look like it tastes very nice"

:D
 
Soldato
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Engineers are odd folk. Sure there will be a reason (if if it appears to defy common sense)

You should have seen the cranked steel that went into my last extension :eek:

Even more shocking was the builders hand balling it in :D :eek: :cry:
 
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