How to add temporary stud partition wall?

AliceBanned

Hi

I recently got a quote from a builder for inserting a wall with door in my living room. It has two windows so effectively this would divide it into two rooms, so that I could get a lodger.

The problem is I only want the wall to be temporary. He has quoted me £730 for a plastered, finished wall etc. This seems a reasonable price for 15ft across by 7ft high, but I want it to be easy to remove after say a year, without leaving loads of mess. He said he would use filler to tidy it up at the end but that doesn't sound very professional! Also he has only been self-employed for a month, after working the trades for companies (he is a carpenter).

I only got the one quote from one of those "find a tradesman" type websites. I had a boyfriend in the past who did this in my other flat, and it looked ok, it was just bare plasterboard and was temporary so I didn't mind.

Doozergirl

AliceBanned wrote: »

Hi

I recently got a quote from a builder for inserting a wall with door in my living room. It has two windows so effectively this would divide it into two rooms, so that I could get a lodger.

The problem is I only want the wall to be temporary. He has quoted me £730 for a plastered, finished wall etc. This seems a reasonable price for 15ft across by 7ft high, but I want it to be easy to remove after say a year, without leaving loads of mess. He said he would use filler to tidy it up at the end but that doesn't sound very professional! Also he has only been self-employed for a month, after working the trades for companies (he is a carpenter).

I only got the one quote from one of those "find a tradesman" type websites. I had a boyfriend in the past who did this in my other flat, and it looked ok, it was just bare plasterboard and was temporary so I didn't mind.

It needs to attach to something, so filling would be necessary to some degree afterwards as the original wall will have screw holes in it. If you're not plastering it at all then OSB would be better than plasterboard - it will look a little neater, you could paper it, perhaps and it will be more water resistant than plasterboard and won't crumble at the cuts.

Tell the guy you don't want it plastered.

StumpyPumpy

Looking back at your posts, it would appear that you are in a shared ownership house. Before doing anything I would strongly suggest you lookup the terms of your agreement to see whether you are allowed to do this. I appreciate that you think you are talking about a "temporary" wall but constructing a stud wall, whilst it may be removable with a sledge hammer is not normally considered temporary by Housing Associations.

Most schemes require written consent from your HA before anything beyond painting a wall or putting up a shelf happens. If this is the case they will need to be provided with copies of the plans and confirmation that the work will be carried out by a reputable builder and will meet all necessary building regulations and planning requirements, including fire safety regulations. After all that is done a solicitor will need to draw up a Licence for Alterations for both parties to sign (it is, after all more their flat than yours)

If you need to create an extra "room" have you considered using ceiling to floor book cases or shelving units to partition a part of it off? They would definitely not need permission and would be easier and cheaper to do.

I'm sure someone will be along that knows more about this sort of thing than me, but if I were in your position I would speak informally with my HA and get their view on it, if only as an act of courtesy.

SP

AliceBanned

Hi

Thanks yes I will do this. I spoke to them in the past about some changes to the kitchen and they said the place was mine and I could do anything other than structural changes.

Unless I divided it off as you suggest with shelving etc I suppose it isn't possible to avoid structural changes, so maybe I will just forget it. I am a bit worried about the possible damage which was why I was trying to find out how far it could be done without affecting the walls etc. Thanks.

Doozergirl

Stumpy, my understanding of this wall is that it didn't have a door in it and is a glorified room divider. If it is genuinely temporary then I don't see it really needing sign off from a freeholder as if it were permanent or it had a door in it, making it a room in it's own right - temporary or not.

Like you can drill holes in the walls for pictures, you can attach wood to it also. The key is a genuine doorway, in which case it would be subject to building control approval for window fire escapes, routes out etc.

You'd remove it with screwdrivers, not sledgehammers. The answer lies in how the thing is constructed.

JimmyTheWig

StumpyPumpy wrote: »

I appreciate that you think you are talking about a "temporary" wall but constructing a stud wall, whilst it may be removable with a sledge hammer is not normally considered temporary by Housing Associations.

I would have thought that this was temporary.
It's temporary in as much as if the HA don't like it then the OP can just remove it.
But I don't know the rules.

AliceBanned

Hmmm. It is slightly worrying - the builder who quoted said fire doors were needed on bedrooms..all starts to get a lot more worrying in terms of the HA. I am sure they would object.

Maybe I can do Air BnB instead but not sure..

StumpyPumpy

Doozergirl wrote: »

Stumpy, my understanding of this wall is that it didn't have a door in it and is a glorified room divider. If it is genuinely temporary then I don't see it really needing sign off from a freeholder as if it were permanent or it had a door in it, making it a room in it's own right - temporary or not.

Like you can drill holes in the walls for pictures, you can attach wood to it also. The key is a genuine doorway, in which case it would be subject to building control approval for window fire escapes, routes out etc.

You'd remove it with screwdrivers, not sledgehammers. The answer lies in how the thing is constructed.

You are probably right, but if it were me I'd be leaving nothing to chance and check with the HA for anything: walls, lodgers, pets even.

A person with a shared ownership property is often on very dodgy ground when it comes to rights, the HA has all the power. As has been proven in the courts, the owner/tenant doesn't even have the rights afforded to a standard leaseholder.

Though not connected with making improvements but rather rent non-payment Richardson v Midland Heart showed that not only could an HA evict someone for only 2 months rent arrears, but that the person wasn't even entitled to the money they had spent buying "their" half of the home either!

I know this is a different situation, but I wouldn't like to be the person putting it to the test in court should the HA disapprove and decide to play hardball. It simply wouldn't be worth the risk to me to try and do something on the quiet hoping a) the HA would never notice & b) they wouldn't care if they did. I'd prefer to pay the price of a stamp and find out once and for all.

Doozergirl

Thanks Stumpy. I think the OP has clarified now that it wasn't all that temporary or door-less and you were absolutely right.