Timber extension

naf123

Hi

I would like front porch extended all across the front of the house .

The area would be approx 10sqm

It's really, in theory a pretty simple extension with minimal electrical or plumbing works .

There are two ways to do it - standard brick construction or timber .

Timber seems attractive as it's pretty quick building times (less labour ) and the foundations will be shallow (compared to bricks which will require bigger and deeper footings )

I would render the timber and tile it - e.g. it would be virtually impossible to tell if brick or timber from the outside .

However I'm worried about the consequence of doing this timber extension and the impact it has on insurance - is it non standard ? Even for a pretty small extension compared to the rest of the brick house?

Many thanks!

FreeBear

You are making a material change to the front aspect of the property - Check with the local council to see if you need planning permission first.

naf123

FreeBear wrote: »

You are making a material change to the front aspect of the property - Check with the local council to see if you need planning permission first.

Yes planning is required .

stuart45

Is the rest of the house face brickwork?

Doozergirl

Yes it needs planning permission - there's no Permitted development rights for that.

But also, there's zero reason why timber needs smaller foundations than masonry. The purpose of foundations is to hit solid ground, because all ground moves. When you're talking about something on the scale of a residential dwelling, it's about ground movement more than the weight pressing down; the minimum is 1 metre and the rest is up to building control. If you're doing it properly, a structural engineer would specify the depth based on the ground make-up and nearby trees/buildings.

naf123

stuart45 wrote: »

Is the rest of the house face brickwork?

Yes rest of house is solid brick .

naf123

Doozergirl wrote: »

Yes it needs planning permission - there's no Permitted development rights for that.

But also, there's zero reason why timber needs smaller foundations than masonry. The purpose of foundations is to hit solid ground, because all ground moves. When you're talking about something on the scale of a residential dwelling, it's about ground movement more than the weight pressing down; the minimum is 1 metre and the rest is up to building control. If you're doing it properly, a structural engineer would specify the depth based on the ground make-up and nearby trees/buildings.

Thanks. I think a structural engineer/ good architect will know what to specify - I thought because the porch is literally 5+ meters long across the front of the house and 2 meters deep - so much of the structure is anchored to the house....I think I was kinda hoping to get away with shallow foundations!

stuart45

naf123 wrote: »

Yes rest of house is solid brick .

In that case I would probably be thinking about face brickwork for the extension, normally using the original type of brick bonding.

Tucker

Dear me... The question was would a timber extension affect the insurance.

I don't know the answer, but then I don't understand why people are papping on about planning permission and how it might get built?

Can anyone answer his question?

Doozergirl

Tucker wrote: »

Dear me... The question was would a timber extension affect the insurance.

I don't know the answer, but then I don't understand why people are papping on about planning permission and how it might get built?

Can anyone answer his question?

Right, so they have no idea about the foundations the thing is supposed to sit on, but you want us to ignore that and talk about insurance?

The insurance company won't cover if it sinks, no. It won't cover poor workmanship, which at the moment It will have.

We don't even know what type of timber framing they're planning on and whether that element conforms to the required Building Regulations, because that would be an issue for insurers too.

I'd suggest starting at the beginning and elaborating a bit, because at the moment it sounds like something the second little pig would have built.

naf123

Ooh doozer - harsh...harsh... but justifiable . Please note I'm in such an early stage - only thought of doing it at the time of writing eg I haven't yet got around to hiring an architect - I do get your point about having good foundations - I am just a layperson not a builder .

But I would appreciate knowing if a high quality timber extension affects insurance . I suppose I need to speak to a insurance broker to find out ...