Removing old lean to

DRP

Motherofcelticdragons said:

Sorry, to add: both sides of us have extensions. I would think that might help future buyers see opportunity rather than try and look past the gross lean to! 

Just to check - Neither of your neighbouring extensions are attached or in any way using the sides of your lean to as part of their structure? Eg. The brick wall or triangular bit above it?

ThisIsWeird

It looks to me as tho' these are the neighbouring walls? So 'party'. But not an issue - fait accompli...

Provided that dwarf wall is solid enough, I would personally look at just discarding the timberwork, roof and glass, and building from that.

Google for ideas of how you'd like it to look. Then plan the nicest frontage for it as you look from the garden, and try and make it more 'garden room' rather than connie - ie have some full-height wall sections between windows and doors, and then a solid insulated roof with a couple of DG panel skylights (no need to open).

Line the inside of the dwarf with 2" or 3" insulated p'board, and clad the outside with a material and colour of your choice, from composite to real wood. Fit windows and French doors. I'd probably line the end walls too - just use adhesive to attach 1" insulated p'board.

The floor should also have a layer of insulation, but 1" should be fine. DPM first. The floor will need a removable section over the drain cover.

What's the style of the house? What will fit in?

You can do this work remarkably cheaply if you are a DIYer. I squared-off a corner of the house a while back, using materials left-over from our extension, and then sourced Cedral cladding for next-to-now't from two local projects to finish it. Total cost was less than £100. 

Look on Fb Marketplace, and you'll find tons of PIR insulation and other materials from completed projects being given away for a fraction of the new cost. Folk just want rid to tidy up after their project. And I've done the same - half jumbo bag of building sand, £5, ditto aggregate. Saves the hassle of having to dispose of it.

Since you have exterior doors between your house and this room, you won't need Building Regs. But it should end up a nicely insulated room in its own right, so feel free to leave them doors open for most of the year.

If you do this, it will make your house more desirable. And more so than a conservatory would.

FreeBear

ThisIsWeird said: Since you have exterior doors between your house and this room, you won't need Building Regs. But it should end up a nicely insulated room in its own right, so feel free to leave them doors open for most of the year.

And as long as a radiator in that space is not plumbed in to the central heating system (an electric heater will be fine though).

The door & window look like single glazed - Well worth replacing them with modern double (or even triple) glazed ones. You might need a lintel fitted depending on what is currently supporting the brickwork above.

As far as saving the existing structure - It is of no architectural value or interest, and might even improve the value of the property by removing it.

Motherofcelticdragons

Thanks everyone for the comments. No radiator or anything... I really do think it might have been a 1950s diy job! And the house itself has been pretty unloved by precious owner too. So trying to use smallest of budgets to update in best way (like updating those doors to be double glazed). Not a confident diy-er but OH more so. This is the outside view. Next door on the left as you look did extension before we moved in. Other side did there's last year with no party wall agreement (potentially quite an issue as did lots of internal stuff too like remove chimney breasts etc which is a different thread!).

Section62

Motherofcelticdragons said:

Our intention is to fit patio doors...

Is that a definite plan you are ready to go ahead with now, or something you'd like to do in the future?

Although not the most attractive of buildings, the existing structure is giving you a reasonable degree of weather protection (acting like a porch) over the single glazed windows (including a louvre!) which aren't in the best of conditions either.

Although it may be tempting to crack on with the demolition part of the job, beware of doing that before Winter if you won't be able to get the patio doors done until some time next year or later.  The amount of thermal insulation provided by the lean-to is modest, but the weather protection it may be giving could be substantial... it doesn't need much to make a difference to draughts etc.

ThisIsWeird

Can't see photos, MoCD?

ThisIsWeird

Motherofcelticdragons said:

Thanks everyone for the comments. No radiator or anything... I really do think it might have been a 1950s diy job! And the house itself has been pretty unloved by precious owner too. So trying to use smallest of budgets to update in best way (like updating those doors to be double glazed). Not a confident diy-er but OH more so. This is the outside view. Next door on the left as you look did extension before we moved in. Other side did there's last year with no party wall agreement (potentially quite an issue as did lots of internal stuff too like remove chimney breasts etc which is a different thread!).

If their extension is completed, and with no resulting issues - I presume your wall on that side is fine? - then I'd personally leave it.
But, it sounds naughty of them, so treat them with caution from now on, and make sure you are covered... :-)

Motherofcelticdragons

Weird! Trying again! 

Motherofcelticdragons

Close up of next door, on the left... 

Motherofcelticdragons

Thanks @Section62, we definitely will fit the doors before removing the lean to! And replace that bloody awful window!