MysterG
Member
- Messages
- 1,106
- Location
- Wiltshire, UK
Back in the dim distant before Covid we got planning permission for extending the first floor of our cottage. Basically it is two story only at the back, with the roof slope coming right down to the ground floor at the front.
PP is for 2 large dormers (approx 8ft square) to provide 2 rooms. At the time we sought builders quotes, but only managed to succeed in getting one lot out to actually take a look (out of a dozen or so contacted only 6 even replied) and they never came up with a price.
So first off I have no idea how much it would have cost, but even so have pretty much decided to go ahead and DIY it. It will surely be cheaper, and will be done how I want. I already have a building inspector on board from the wall removal/oak install shenanigans of last year.
Of course though I'm not a builder so will have to try and find out how to do stuff that a builder would just 'know'.
First job was to open up a hole in the landing wall to get to the first space to be converted, this is where the door into this room (bathroom) will likely end up. The bottom of this opening is roughly where the floor level will be as the front downstairs rooms have higher ceilings than the rear ones. I may have to drop it a bit, but I'm trying to avoid that as it's the kitchen below here and we have to continue to live and work here.
Which is another reason for the hole. Current access to it is via a hatch in the kitchen ceiling, that is small and right in a door way, that is the main thoroughfare in the house!
Inside this is what we have. The old cottage wall on the left (will be rear of dormer room).
And where the front of the dormer will go, with an assortment of timber in between.
Plans are for joists running front to back. Ledger bolted to brick wall with joist hangers, front resting on outside wall, wall plate. Span is around 2.6m.
Was hoping to get these in before opening up the roof, so as to keep it waterproof as long as possible. What I was not counting on was the big lump of timber running from side to side (into wall at either end) with a post up to the purlin being the only thing resting on it. The purlin has a lap joint in it just above the post. Also all the current ceiling joists are nailed into it.
I was thinking of bolting some timbers either side of the purlin as a temporary measure, spanning the joint in order to strengthen it? It will be all but gone once the roof comes off.
That would allow me to remove that beam so I can run the new joists across.
I was also planning to put in a pair of larger joists at that end (would end up under/within the dormer wall/cheek) to support the 18" or so of purlin that's left.
Progress is likely to be slow, but by the end I hope to have learnt a lot, and saved enough money to buy some toys.
PP is for 2 large dormers (approx 8ft square) to provide 2 rooms. At the time we sought builders quotes, but only managed to succeed in getting one lot out to actually take a look (out of a dozen or so contacted only 6 even replied) and they never came up with a price.
So first off I have no idea how much it would have cost, but even so have pretty much decided to go ahead and DIY it. It will surely be cheaper, and will be done how I want. I already have a building inspector on board from the wall removal/oak install shenanigans of last year.
Of course though I'm not a builder so will have to try and find out how to do stuff that a builder would just 'know'.
First job was to open up a hole in the landing wall to get to the first space to be converted, this is where the door into this room (bathroom) will likely end up. The bottom of this opening is roughly where the floor level will be as the front downstairs rooms have higher ceilings than the rear ones. I may have to drop it a bit, but I'm trying to avoid that as it's the kitchen below here and we have to continue to live and work here.
Which is another reason for the hole. Current access to it is via a hatch in the kitchen ceiling, that is small and right in a door way, that is the main thoroughfare in the house!
Inside this is what we have. The old cottage wall on the left (will be rear of dormer room).
And where the front of the dormer will go, with an assortment of timber in between.
Plans are for joists running front to back. Ledger bolted to brick wall with joist hangers, front resting on outside wall, wall plate. Span is around 2.6m.
Was hoping to get these in before opening up the roof, so as to keep it waterproof as long as possible. What I was not counting on was the big lump of timber running from side to side (into wall at either end) with a post up to the purlin being the only thing resting on it. The purlin has a lap joint in it just above the post. Also all the current ceiling joists are nailed into it.
I was thinking of bolting some timbers either side of the purlin as a temporary measure, spanning the joint in order to strengthen it? It will be all but gone once the roof comes off.
That would allow me to remove that beam so I can run the new joists across.
I was also planning to put in a pair of larger joists at that end (would end up under/within the dormer wall/cheek) to support the 18" or so of purlin that's left.
Progress is likely to be slow, but by the end I hope to have learnt a lot, and saved enough money to buy some toys.