Making side door flush with house?

Solus

Solus

Solus

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892
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Cardiff
Hi guys, basically I have a utility room on the side of my mid terraced house, I am looking for somewhere to work separately from the family without having to build a log cabin. The utility room seems ideal for what I need, though the tumble dryer and washing machine will have to stay (which isn't a problem as I mostly need worktop space). I have a nook, then the door is placed further inside an opening, see here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_z35VdqXuY2TmtEQkJ0VmctM1U/view?usp=sharing

I want to move the door flush with the house and lay a concrete floor flush with inside. This would then provide me with more usable worktop space. I assume there is already a lintel in place and the main part of the works is digging and laying the concrete floor.

Anyone with any knowledge if I would need building regulations approval to do this? I assume so as it would require a DPC? Also, how much roughly would I expect to pay to have this done? It may sway me more towards getting an insulated log cabin if expensive.

Thanks everyone in advance.
 
Should be relatively cheap and you would probably get away with ignoring building regs for such a little job. Get a local builder round to quote.
 
Solus said:
Hi guys, basically I have a utility room on the side of my mid terraced house, I am looking for somewhere to work separately from the family without having to build a log cabin. The utility room seems ideal for what I need, though the tumble dryer and washing machine will have to stay (which isn't a problem as I mostly need worktop space). I have a nook, then the door is placed further inside an opening, see here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_z35VdqXuY2TmtEQkJ0VmctM1U/view?usp=sharing

I want to move the door flush with the house and lay a concrete floor flush with inside. This would then provide me with more usable worktop space. I assume there is already a lintel in place and the main part of the works is digging and laying the concrete floor.

Anyone with any knowledge if I would need building regulations approval to do this? I assume so as it would require a DPC? Also, how much roughly would I expect to pay to have this done? It may sway me more towards getting an insulated log cabin if expensive.

Thanks everyone in advance.
Click to expand...

I built my porch myself as long as i kept the middle door there and did not go over 3 SQ meters i did not have to get anyone involved, all in all it come out very well and i am not a builder by trade.

Getting an insulating cabin will end up being more than moving the door :)

I would move the door inline like you need i would guess there is a lintel worse case if not then there door will help support the bricks above :) , put some dcm on the floor that is already there, make a small wooden frame with battens on top and then floor insulation inside the frame, then board it then carpet or put what ever you need on top its not hard job at all.

Good luck
 
Is it really acceptable to use a timber frame for the floor on some dpm over my block paving?

Another question also, the wall to the left (in front of the side door) would also need to be knocked through. It's running the same direction as the floor joists and is single skin. I know my next door neighbour has knocked this out and there is no steel support. I assume therefore it's safe to knock out?
 
Solus said:
Is it really acceptable to use a timber frame for the floor on some dpm over my block paving?
Click to expand...

Damn it i thought that was a imprinted concrete floor when i first looked at it, probably not the best thing to do then in that case.
 
To be fair it is stinking in the photo as we've just had a rear extension completed and that was their main pathway to the rear.

I have builder coming tomorrow to quote up for the job, I shall let you know what he says.
 
Had a couple of builders out, all seems great when they view it. They never get back to me with a price and ignore any follow up.
 
Got someone out today, £580 + materials. I had an uneducated estimate in my head and this is way above. Does this sound a fair price for:

Moving the door flush with property.

Disc cutting the block paving, digging foundation and pouring concrete with dpc.

Knocking down small coal house wall

Thanks in advance
 
Solus said:
Got someone out today, £580 + materials. I had an uneducated estimate in my head and this is way above. Does this sound a fair price for:

Moving the door flush with property.

Disc cutting the block paving, digging foundation and pouring concrete with dpc.

Knocking down small coal house wall

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
That doesn't seem bad at all to me, how much was the figure I your head?
 
Digging out and pouring concrete - 1 days labour

Moving door and knocking down wall - 2nd days labour

Skip cost ?

Materials ?

Not sure how much it costs in your area but this would be how i work it out, also is the quote including vat ?
 
The quote is indeed including vat. I say knocking down wall, but the amount of wall there I could take down myself in an hour and stick it in the car boot.

It's more the floor work that I'm not comfortable doing myself.
 
Looking on job sites £150 to £200 per day for a buider and hes gonna be there 2 days, also if he employs a labourer thats more which he shouldn't need for such a small job.
 
So, it is a bit pricey? Even top rate that's £400 + vat which is £480, not 580. Fair price if materials are included though I guess.

I may ask him to throw in the materials within the cost, that way it doesn't seem like I'm being "too" tight.
 
Tbh the price isn't bad, if you ask them to "throw in" materials, I reckon you'll be looking for a new builder.
There's a fair bit of work and material to get rid of in doing the floor and wall...
It's not excessive and given no one else wants the job, do you think it's worth losing the tradesman for a couple of hundred quid?
 
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Got another guy out today, he advised just bricking up straight from the block paving and putting then sticking some floor slab in there. I asked about DPC and he said just some polythene would do?

Seems a bit wrong to me.
 
I'm about to do something very similar with my front door.

I was thinking of digging it out myself, getting a builder in to do the brickwork (I could probably do it myself but I have a few other brick based jobs to do so I can get them all done at once). Then I was going to follow the details in this link for the layers to fill it? It might be a bit overkill but at least I'll know it's right then.

http://www.lets-do-diy.com/Projects-and-advice/Concrete-work/Laying-a-concrete-floor.aspx
 
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