aAsk a Tradesman

who do we need to draw up the plans for the builders? architect or structural engineer or both? the reason for doing this is because the lounge at the minute is on the front of the bungalow and we want to add a conservatory with bi folding doors leading into it,and of course we couldnt put it on the front,
thanks guys
nikki.

its very urgent!

We have bought a house which has got a downstairs,bath and seperate toilet,which are sepaerated by a Non bearing wall(confirmed by the builder,after taking away the upstairs floor boards etc),we want to remove that wall,to make a larger all in one proper bathroom,is there any planning permission required or any building regulation?

Second,In upstairs bathroom,we plan to make it a jack and jill ensuite,so means,cutting through 2 walls and putting in 2 doors in there,and stud walling the exsisting door,any council issues,planning permission or building regulations involved?

Its urgent please

Thanks

Why some builders listed have insurance and some don't, if they don't have insurance, does that means that the building under construction is not insured ?.

I would like to replace the garage door with the wall and the window and convert the garage into a room. Several years ago I submitted the plans and was refused - council cited it would alter the face of the street etc. However, now almost 65% of my neighbours have done just that and everyone has different face - some have used brick, some PVC panelling and windows are different. I would like to do it above board so once I am selling the house I have no problems with it. I understand I need a certificate.

My questions are; do I need to apply for the planning permission (council says yes although I did not speak to the planning officer) and does it need to be to scale with all the work I intend to do?

Can they refuse me given the fact people have done that in the same terraced property as mine and this has been standing for over 2 years?

What happens if I go ahead and do it without the certificate and I am then selling the house? Does the council certificate mean it will then be registered at the land registry and/or on the deeds as a two bedroom house rather than one?

Any help would be greatly appreciated :)

Thanks in advance

Martina

regards to toilet issue, obviously would have a door on, and have its own basin and extractor fan, have looked at building regs and more confused!, toilet would be against back wall of house and pipe would go through wall and straight onto existing soil pipe

We are looking to convert our garage & would like to knock a doorway into the hall. However, in the garage, there is a supporting pillar right in the middle of the hallway wall. This doesn't leave enough space on either side of the pillar to put the opening. Someone has suggested extending the bottom stair, thereby creating a quarter landing that is big enough to then place a doorway off. The door would obviously open into the new room, not onto the stair. The flooring on the other side would then have a step down into the new room at some point. Is this a possible solution for our door dilemma?? Thanks

I would like some advice on whether I can safely remove an airing cupboard wall in my bungalow without causing problems to the ceiling joists / roof. The ceiling joists run from front to back with various perpendicular internal walls supporting any joins of joists along the centre(ish) line of the bungalow.

The airing cupboard wall that I want to remove T's off from the bathroom wall which is one of my central load bearing walls. The cupboard wall runs parallel to and directly under a joist join which is supported by the central bathroom wall ( like the other joins either side of it) but this join is centered so it's span includes the airing cupboard wall underneath it as well.

Do you think the fact the join is centered over the airing cupboard as well as the bathroom central wall means the airing cupboard is unremovable. It can be no accident that the join is centered as it is, as the joins around it are centered over just the bathroom central wall.

Any advice would be warmly received.

Thanks in advance for your time.
Rich.

Thanks for all the answers that were relevant to my question. I have done a bit more poking around in the loft and I noticed that the bathroom wall I thought (hoped) was taking all the load is exposed brick with the joists clearly resting on top of it. The airing cupboard wall has plasterboard between the top of the wall and the joists which is enough to convince me there is no load on it from the joists / roof. Indeed it looks as if the cupboard was built after the walls and ceiling were constructed and plastered.

Hi,

I live in a 2 story block of flats, outside my living room patio window is the a single story downstairs flats living room roof. I can walk on the roof of the this room, i am considering using it as an area to hand washing/ garden table with chairs. The floor in my flat is concrete, and room to the downstairs flat is level with my living room, how can i find out if the roof which has felt laid on at the moment will support, the load of up to 5 people as well as the furniture. I am not sure if its concrete or wood.

thanks
M

We're planning to convert a two storey garage into a kitchen with mezanine level; split bedroom 4 so bedroom 3 can have an ensuite; put an ensuite into a large bedroom 1; strip and re-fit several existing bathrooms; strip out what is the existing kitchen and make it into two rooms whilst using some of the units there to fit out a utility room.

I have a room under my garden that is accessed via the basement of my house. This room contains a floor level well, approximately 20 foot deep. I would like to have a conservatory on my house but it would go over the room roof and so I am concerned about the weight causing the roof to fail or the walls to fall inwards. Should I get this well and room filled in first? I have heard of people filling them with sand.
thanks