I'm looking for ideas / comments / criticisms regarding enclosing an open porch. I will start with a couple of photos:
The porch is currently open on two sides and situated at the "front" of the bungalow but actually never gets used as the driveway leads up to the rear of our property. The "front" door is never used other than to bring firewood into the house and we'd like to convert the open porch area into something more useful, such as a boot room or small utility room. We are quite happy to keep the existing front door which if I recall correctly makes things easier regarding planning / building regulations.
A few years ago I had an estimate from one of the UPVC places but didn't like the design or what it would have given us. The rep wanted to box it in with glazed UPVC panels and the absolute minimum of building work. Sure enough it would have provided some weather protection, but it would not have made a room. If I understood correctly, his plan was to butt the panels up to the walls and pillar, and there was no vertical DPC; I will have more questions about that later.
I would like to do the work myself, apart from any electrics. My thoughts and ideas include:
-- Dig inspection pit to check whether the house foundation extends around the porch area (I assume it must, otherwise the house and pillar would be on different foundations)
-- Remove slabs and whatever lies beneath
-- Lay new insulated base
-- Build dwarf wall
-- Stud framework + insulation + vapour barriers + etc.
-- Composite cladding
-- Small window
-- External door (keeping existing door in place)
I need to research whether any of this work would be subject to planning or building control. Although it is the front elevation, it is not visible from the road and we have no immediate overlooking neighbours -- the nearest ones are on the other side of the road.
One of the technical details that bothers me at present is whether a vertical DPC needs to be installed in the existing brickwork, to stop any damp in brick migrating into the new internal space. Although I can see how a vertical slot could be cut into the existing walls (not something I want to do) I do not see how this would be possible with respect to the pillar. And, as I alluded to earlier, my impression is that some porch conversions are simply butted up with no DPC (or is this just doomed to failure?)
I will probably post more questions in due course. Thanks for your interest!
The porch is currently open on two sides and situated at the "front" of the bungalow but actually never gets used as the driveway leads up to the rear of our property. The "front" door is never used other than to bring firewood into the house and we'd like to convert the open porch area into something more useful, such as a boot room or small utility room. We are quite happy to keep the existing front door which if I recall correctly makes things easier regarding planning / building regulations.
A few years ago I had an estimate from one of the UPVC places but didn't like the design or what it would have given us. The rep wanted to box it in with glazed UPVC panels and the absolute minimum of building work. Sure enough it would have provided some weather protection, but it would not have made a room. If I understood correctly, his plan was to butt the panels up to the walls and pillar, and there was no vertical DPC; I will have more questions about that later.
I would like to do the work myself, apart from any electrics. My thoughts and ideas include:
-- Dig inspection pit to check whether the house foundation extends around the porch area (I assume it must, otherwise the house and pillar would be on different foundations)
-- Remove slabs and whatever lies beneath
-- Lay new insulated base
-- Build dwarf wall
-- Stud framework + insulation + vapour barriers + etc.
-- Composite cladding
-- Small window
-- External door (keeping existing door in place)
I need to research whether any of this work would be subject to planning or building control. Although it is the front elevation, it is not visible from the road and we have no immediate overlooking neighbours -- the nearest ones are on the other side of the road.
One of the technical details that bothers me at present is whether a vertical DPC needs to be installed in the existing brickwork, to stop any damp in brick migrating into the new internal space. Although I can see how a vertical slot could be cut into the existing walls (not something I want to do) I do not see how this would be possible with respect to the pillar. And, as I alluded to earlier, my impression is that some porch conversions are simply butted up with no DPC (or is this just doomed to failure?)
I will probably post more questions in due course. Thanks for your interest!