Two single doors to create a french door (internal)

Doozergirl

Wow, that is one if the strangest floor plans I've ever seen for a house that wasn't built before kitchens and bathrooms existed. 

 

Your challenge is the fact that world's biggest hallway runs all the way from your front door to the master bedroom.  Is this an original floor-plan because I can't see a professional designing this.   There was probably a more logical flow originally.  

I hear you extolling the virtues of open plan - double aspect windows, sunlight and referring to the 'possibility' of closing the doors.    What's the lifestyle improving benefit of closing the doors? 

You have two corridors presently, that you want to reduce to one.  You've chosen the dining room as that new corridor, whilst the double doors still impinge on the same lost space in the lounge.   If they're open, they're very close to smashing into the main door from the hallway.  

If this were my house, I'd want solve the main issue because it wastes so much space and devalues the house, to be honest.  

I would move the front door to the middle opening. This house is crying out to be double fronted.  

I've left your new double doors in (!) but you could keep the existing dining room door from what is currently the back hall and only move the lounge wall and turn the middle window into a doorway.  

I'm not sure what the porch situation is so I've left it there right now, but that area would want some nice glazing.  

The result is retaining a similar sized lounge, the hallway is still
massive but there would be further options for the central hall for you to make further benefit of that space - partitioning for a utility, visitor loo, longer dining area or even a future staircase.

You've got opportunity here to make yourself a bigger house without extending...  

ThisIsWeird

On the living room side, there would appear to be plenty room for a sliding door, and furniture could still be placed there if enough of a gap were left. If a visible sliding door suits you.

It should be very simple for an SE to determine how structural that part of the wall could be, and write up a solution - that shouldn't be much more than a couple of £undred (ask for local recommendations).

Build Control would want to oversee this if structural, but again a 'minor works' or whatever they call it. Then you'll likely need a 'builder', assuming the wall is block - is it?

Only one entrance door? 

Doozergirl

Confession, this is the floorplan of our house before we built it. It's a bungalow with an upstairs and it works like an absolute dream for us.   Our floorplan would be equally confusing if we tried to enter from one side of the house

_Sam_

Doozergirl said:

Wow, that is one if the strangest floor plans I've ever seen for a house that wasn't built before kitchens and bathrooms existed.  

It has that world's biggest hallway that goes nowhere. 

The world's biggest hallway is entirely my fault lol. Originally it was - still is - a garage which we don't need, but we do need utility space and a more welcoming main entrance. Currently there is no front door and the main entrance is a side door with a dingy little hallway with no space to put shoes coats etc. 

I played with the idea of replacing the garage up and over door with a window, but the bungalow was built in 1950s and it doesn't look it would be easy if at all possible to find matching bricks. Also it would mean we would be left with the same dingy hallway due to a large side window in the garage, it doesn't allow much space to push the wall a bit into the garage to enlarge the hallway. (Edit: actually no space at all - the bit of the wall between the window and internal garage door is where the main electricity box is attached and the gas meter.) 

So then I thought of replacing the garage up and over door with the same size main entrance front door (with sidelights), leaving the original brickwork intact. Then allow space for the porch area, with the rest being hallway/utility area incorporating the current hallway. A floor to ceiling cupboards on the side where the window is, to hide shoes/coats, some storage, washing machine, dryer and additional freezer. The cupboards would run under the window to create a seating area (dogs will most likely be hogging it in the afternoon sun, the window facing west).

Maybe I should rethink the idea. The problem is ideally I'd like to make as little structural alterations as possible, due to very little funds. (Even thinking I would leave the current side main entrance door in place, just block it and insulate from inside.)


This is the original floor plan:


These are the bricks:

_Sam_

Just seen your plan and suggestions @Doozergirl - that is amazing thank you! It does definitely look much more efficient and larger. The only problem for us is lack of funds at the moment, all went towards buying the bungalow. Things may change a bit depending on what future holds, and maybe if I make the changes to the garage that I was thinking about, converting it to the hallway etc, we would then be able to make the "next step" and follow your plan with larger structural alterations once finances allow? Or would it be a too much of a waste of money doing up the garage only to demolish half of it later...

_Sam_

In terms of structural walls, the roof (the purlins on either side) is resting on the walls separating garage/sitting, kitchen/diner, main bed/sitting, and small bed/bathroom. Nothing appears to the resting on the central wall but perhaps it is also providing structure as a sort of central support for the structural side walls...

diystarter7

Hi

Check its safe. Re doors, get them to overlap for a 100% fininsh IE have both edges rebated so one door closes over the other a neater finnish and lets in less noise, smells etc

Good luck

_Sam_

ThisIsWeird said:

On the living room side, there would appear to be plenty room for a sliding door, and furniture could still be placed there if enough of a gap were left. If a visible sliding door suits you.

It should be very simple for an SE to determine how structural that part of the wall could be, and write up a solution - that shouldn't be much more than a couple of £undred (ask for local recommendations).

Build Control would want to oversee this if structural, but again a 'minor works' or whatever they call it. Then you'll likely need a 'builder', assuming the wall is block - is it?

Only one entrance door? 

Sorry the plan didn't make it clear, what looks like a window in the dining room is actually a sliding patio door to the back garden. So two entrances, the main door and back patio door. Will definitely consult with the building control.

I had at look a barn sliding doors, look attractive just may not suit the design of the current doors, but parliament hinges sound great! Maybe a pocket door system later, when we have a chance to replace all doors for more modern ones.

Doozergirl said:

I hear you extolling the virtues of open plan - double aspect windows, sunlight and referring to the 'possibility' of closing the doors.    What's the lifestyle improving benefit of closing the doors? 

You have two corridors presently, that you want to reduce to one.  You've chosen the dining room as that new corridor, whilst the double doors still impinge on the same lost space in the lounge.   If they're open, they're very close to smashing into the main door from the hallway.  

To be honest the double doors would be left fully open most of the time. On the plan it's not very clear, what looks like a dining room window is a sliding patio door to the garden. So creating an opening would allow view and easy access to the garden from the sitting room both for us and the dogs! (We use garden a lot. Your design where you can see all the way through the house and into the garden from the front door is ideal.)

The only time I can see myself closing the doors would be in winter if we are trying to conserve the energy and are hunkering in the sitting room by the fire.  

ThisIsWeird

_Sam_ said:

In terms of structural walls, the roof (the purlins on either side) is resting on the walls separating garage/sitting, kitchen diner, main bed/sitting, and small bed/bathroom. Nothing appears to the resting on the central wall but perhaps it is also providing structure as a sort of central support for the structural side walls...

There are two other doorways already in that stretch of wall. It certainly isn't for me to say - you should obviously get an SE in - but I'd be happy to bet (and happy to lose) on that wall not being a structural concern. This could be a very straight-forward job for a joined/general builder.

But, you need to know for sure.

When sil had an internal wall taken down a good 10 years ago, we informed BC - paid just over £100 for a 'small works warrant' or something - and their BCO popped in to have a look. He correctly deemed it 'structural' and told us to get an SE to calc the required beams. I asked if he could recommend any SEs, but he told me he wasn't allowed to do this. But then added that he 'happened to know of a couple in the locality'. I asked both for quotes - one was over £400, and the other said he'd pop in to or from other jobs, and '£95 should cover it'. He turned up, was in no hurry, checked it all, had a nice chat about building, and sent us plans and calcs showing timber and steel beam alternatives - he recommended timber, as it needed less fireproofing! BCO returned when wall taken down and still-exposed beam in place, and was happy.

It could be that when the BCO comes out, they deem it not structural at all? (Tho' not sure if they are permitted to make that judgement?)

ThisIsWeird

If you post some photos of the whole house front, I'm sure folk could suggest ideas for the 'garage' entrance. That nicely-coloured buffy-orange brick would go quite tastily with charcoal, I think...