Extending and Improving Your Home: An Introduction

Written for small builders and tradesmen such as bricklayers and carpenters, as well as householders wanting to provide more space and enhanced living conditions without the substantial cost of moving house. While there are many books that deal with the construction aspects of extending a house, there are few sources that combine the planning, construction and regulatory aspects into one easily accessible source.  Extending and Improving a Home meets that need. By focussing on specific building elements – foundations, walls, roofs, services, finishes etc – the book neatly provides a comprehensive, accessible guide to the areas of home improvement that cause most concern for householders and small builders. Extending and Improving a Home will: Guide you through the maze of legislation that affects most building alterations and extensions; show how to go about getting a project realised in terms of design, choice of contractor and construction, successfully and to budget, and give sound technical solutions for all the elements of a project that also comply with Building Regulations.

Table of Contents:
Preface ix 1 Extending and improving your home – an introduction 1 Why extend or improve your home? 2 Do-it-yourself 4 Extending and improving your home – practices and procedures 6 Practical design tips 9 2 Legal background 14 Introduction 14 Planning permission 14 Listed buildings and conservation areas 25 The Building Act 1984 and the Building Regulations 28 Building Regulations 28 Competent persons schemes 46 The Party Wall Act 48 Energy performance 57 Occupiers’ Liability Act 59 3 Arranging and organising the work 60 Use of professional designers 60 Getting a builder or doing it yourself? 61 Cost implications 64 Contractual arrangements 65 Availability of grants 66 Insurances for contract and after 68 Further information 72 4 Issues affecting the property as a whole 73 Structural stability 73 Weatherproofing and damp-proofing the envelope 79 Maintenance 80 Further information 81 5 Site survey and investigation 82 Site investigation 82 Subsoil investigation 84 Significance and proximity of site boundaries 85 Presence and significance of trees 86 Measured survey 88 Further information 90 6 Foundations 91 Introduction 91 Foundation types 92 Further information 101 7 Ground and upper floors 102 Ground floors 102 Upper floors 112 Building Regulations and Approved Document guidance 117 Further information 119 8 External walls 120 Introduction 120 Solid walls 121 Cavity walls 125 Framed wall construction 128 Building Regulations and Approved Document guidance 132 Further information 145 9 Internal walls 147 Partition walls 147 Building Regulations and Approved Document guidance 151 Further information 153 10 Roofs 154 Roof structure and coverings 154 Roof coverings 160 Other coverings 164 Building Regulations and Approved Document guidance 165 Design for thermal efficiency 165 Further information 173 11 Wall and ceiling finishes 174 Wall finishes 174 Ceiling finishes 179 Further information 180 12 Services 181 Introduction 181 Installing new kitchens and bathrooms 182 Above and below ground drainage 183 Electrical installations 196 Heating and ventilating services 197 Hot and cold water supply 202 Further information 205 13 Improving the thermal efficiency of the home 206 Thermal efficiency 206 The green deal 221 Building Regulations and Approved Document guidance 222 Further information 222 14 Conversions 223 What type of conversion 223 Loft conversions 223 Garage conversions 224 Basement conversions 226 Further information 229 Case Study 1 Thermal Upgrading 231 Elements 231 Heat losses 234 Case Study 2 Loft Conversion 237 Existing property 237 Proposal 237 Specifications 238 Additional notes 242 Glossary 245 Index 247