Over Garage Extension - Brick/Timber?

Personally I would just use face bricks , firstly to blend in with the house and houses around you , second if you were to use blocks you’ve gotta , lay the blocks then render it then probably paint it , not to mention the mess

face work would look neat, and could march in well with the house. However having block work then cladding can look fashionable and modern and provide you with a different style that could suit your taste just as well as facework. It’s long lasting and you wouldn’t have too much mess in the process just the off cuts which could easily be used for another garden job like a flower bed, plant potting area or anything you can think of yourselves

Hi Adam, Obviously face bricks to match existing would be best to make everything look seamless however in direct answer to your questions: I was wondering what is the cheapest method? - Block and render. Also the quickest Brick and block? - This would cost about £20/m2 more than block and render Timber frame with brick/cladding on the outside? - Faster and cheaper than block and brick, not as fast or as cheap as block and render, lowest thermal properties of all the options but due to the light weight it could save you some structural upgrades. Block on the outside and then rendered? Cheapest and quickest Perhaps some other method I've not considered? You've covered it all apart from insulated concrete formwork but that would not be suitable for this project. (I suppose the scaffolding costs will need to be factored in too) - Correct but cost will not change between build specifications. Kind regards, Dan.

The choice isnt just economy. For most planning permissions the new build should match the original house etc. Use similar materials. In terms of cost blocks are cheaper by a fair margin. But they have to be laid so there us still a labour cost. Then 2 coats of render and the cost of those materials. Then theres the future costs. Painting..repairing cracks etc. To me theres not much in it. I also dont think render is the universal answer..so many old houses look bland and ugly after rendering. So brick has a lot going for it. Choose the right ones and they last almost indefinitely. Maybe a repoint after 60 years.. but render probably in far worse condition by then.