Building Solutions (Midlands) Blog » Domestic

Affordable residential property hits 15 year high

Richard — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:43:17 +0000

The levels of affordable homes available in England have reached the highest levels for 15 years. The Department for Communities and Local Government has released date showing that over 60,000 affordable homes have been supplied to market in the 2010/2011 period. This has risen by 5% from 2009/2010 which in turn was the highest supply year since the mid nineties. There are a few different reasons for this increase, one of the main reasons is the development of sites for social housing up 18 percent.

Cracked or sunken concrete floors and driveways

Richard — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:28:46 +0000

Cracked concrete floors and drives can be repaired using various methods including resins and stitching bars. The repairs can vary in costs and complexity but they can often be the symptoms of other issues like cracked and damaged drains or poor subfloor infill material. So how can you tell if you have a more serious issue? There are several checks than can be done usually the excavation of trial holes or the drilling of bore hole concrete samples. These give indications of the areas that have been drilled or excavated but they cannot guarantee that the entire area of a floor or concrete is in a stable condition. There are various repair methods including slab jacking using polymers to force up the damaged floor and stabilise the sub floor. The only way to be completing sure you have resolved the issue is to remove the concrete excavate and reinstate the floor or concrete. The other consideration is the cause of the original issue very often damaged or leaking drains or poor original construction technique are the cause. Damaged underground water pipes can also be an issue, even water wells, Washery tanks, old dumps or tips can be are another cause. So what is the best thing to do if you face one of these issues? Find a good structural engineer or a building contractor who can put you in touch with a structural engineer.

Demand out strips ability of first time house buyers

Richard — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 06:56:37 +0000

A recent government backed opinion poll has reviled that the demand from first time buyers is still very high. With nine out of ten young people still aspiring to own their own homes their main obstacle is still a severe drought in the mortgage markets. Over half of those polled sighted a lack of available finance as the reason they were unable to buy their own home. Three quarters of those polled also believed that it is now harder to buy a house than it was five years ago. The number of first time buyers has been decimated down to around 200,000 last year half the pre recession numbers. This has lead to nearly five million people now on local authority waiting lists for housing. With over eighty percent believing that home ownership still represents a good long term investment there is still signs of clear pent up demand. This is at a time when the number of new homes being built still languishes at the lowest levels since 1923. This gives further strength to the government’s case for improvements to the UK planning policies.

Challenging home extension site access and uneven sites?

Richard — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 16:41:33 +0000

Many home owners worry that because they have difficulty accessing there rear gardens or the ground levels differ from the floor level of the house their home extension will be too expensive. There is no doubt that it will affect the costs, but the extra cost is only really down to the ground works. One thing to consider is how much waste soil or spoil as it is called you need to remove from site? Tipping costs even for top soil soon add up, could you add some raised beds or level out another part of the site? Modern technology has helped with costs you can hire a large range of labour saving devices that can help out on more challenging sites. Small mini diggers and power barrows mean that you can get plant on to the vast majority of sites.

How to tell if your drains are damaged?

Richard — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 06:57:41 +0000

Drains can often be a cause of structural problems particularly with older properties. Many of midlands houses and businesses have drains that are as old as the properties they serve. This means many of the drains to period properties can be over one hundred years old. Drains are out of sight and out of the minds of many home owners and as long as the toilet is flushing OK and there are no signs of sinking ground most people assume that they are fine. Experience tells us that this is often not the case two areas of concern are displaced drain joints or connections and tree roots. With settlement over a period of time the drain joints can often become displaced, this is simply when the two sections of the drain move slightly and causes them to leak. The other many issue is tree roots, these can easily penetrate the existing drainage installation and also cause leaks. Once these leaks appear they start to undermine the sub soil and this can lead to more serious problems such as subsidence and cracked brick work. The best course of action is to have your drains CCTV’ed, this is when a special camera is sent down the drain and a DVD is produced that shows the condition of the drainage installation. These can be carried out from as little as £125.00 plus VAT and give the home owner peace of mind and can save you from thousands of pounds of structural repairs.

House extension planning and building regulations drawings Derbyshire

Richard — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:02:24 +0000

When you are planning to extend your home you will need to have drawings completed to make sure that your home extension conforms to current UK building regulations. It may also require planning permission so what do you do next? Well the first thing is costs and costs can vary for planning and building regulation drawings. Architects will charge from a few hundred pounds through to a few thousand dependant on their reputation and your project. You could save money by employing a design and build company, they will complete your home extension planning drawings. Then move onto your home extension building regulation full plans submission drawings or construction drawings as they are known. Once the design stage is complete then the build or construction phase is next using a design and build company gives you not only cost savings but also continuity throughout the project.

Structural repairs and alterations in Derbyshire

Richard — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 06:20:05 +0000

Being faced with structural repairs and alterations can seem daunting for many home owners particularly if they have never carried out this type of work before. This can be made more of a challenge when looking for professional advice where do you go first, a civil engineer, structural engineer, project manager, surveyor or building contractor? The other issue is when a home owner starts to get various quotations they can often vary by several thousand pounds. The best approach is to find a competent and specialist building contractor who will assist not just with the work to your property but also all the necessary permits and reports. When carrying out most structural repairs and alterations you will be required by law to inform your local authorities building control department. The local authority building control department will inspect the work and the supporting documentation to make sure that the building works you propose to carry out is safe. Dependant on the size and scale of the project you will need to apply for either a “full plans submission building regulations application” or for smaller works a “building notice”. If you are installing any bespoke steel beams or RSJ’s or carrying out more technical building work you will require the input of a qualified structural engineer who will prove the design. This essentially means that they will show the building control office structural calculations usually in the form a structural engineers report that show the proposed works are up to standard.

Home extensions Derbyshire

Richard — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 06:37:06 +0000

When you are considering a home extension there are various things that need to be considered. If it is the first time you have undertaken this type of work it is can seem a daunting prospect. The key is to break your home extension into the various parts so that each part can be easily managed. There are two main sections to the project the design stage and the build or construction phase. The first stage is the design stage, again this contains various parts the main ones to consider are the specification, planning, and building regulations. The specification is basically the actual design and choices that will make your home extension fit your property, lifestyle, budget and the final material finishes. Even items like floor finish can affect the overall design of your house extension. For instance floor tiles may require under floor heating and that in turn will affect the structural floor height and insulation choices. So it is always best to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve as early on in the project as possible. The next stage is a planning application and planning drawings. In recent years the planning laws associated with domestic or home extensions have been changed so not all projects require a full planning application. Some will require no planning application but it is always sensible to apply for a certificate of lawfulness. The next stage is the building regulations, all house extensions require either a full plans submission or at the very least a building notice. The majority will require a full plans submission of building regulations drawings. Many home owners are now favouring a full design and build package, this is when a building company carries out the design work as well as the actual build. The advantages of this are that there are often cost savings on the design work and you have continuity throughout the project.

I want to extend my home where do I start?

Richard — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:18:14 +0000

Well most home extension projects will require building regulations approval and planning permission. Recent changes in the planning law has meant that many home extensions that would have needed planning permission a few years ago will now only need building regulation approval. So what is the difference between planning permission and building regulation approval? Well planning permission means that your local authority gives the permission to build what’s on your planning application and planning drawing. Building regulation simply means that your local authorities building control department has agreed that your building regulation design drawing is safe. Confused? Well for even the experienced D.I.Y ‘er a home extension project can be daunting, most sensible people employ a builder or main contractor. So what is the perfect combination for a home extension? The best and simplest way is to get your home extension project built by a design and build company. Design and build specialist differ from Architects and builders because they take a far more holistic approach to the project. They will walk you through the entire project help you get your ideas down on paper and ultimately go onto complete the build or construction phase of your project. So why chose them over an Architect and builder? One is cost because they are combining both the design and build stage of the project you will benefit from a cost saving. This is because they understand your project from day one in the design stage so the project management is far easier and there for far cheaper. There is only one set of paper work and they can book a build date far in advance as they take the project through the design stage. The other advantage to a customer is that they know that the guys on site have the backing of an experienced design team. There is nothing worse than getting into a project and finding that the builders have built it wrong. In this situation they will often blame the architect or the structural engineer. With a design and build team they will make sure at the design stage that they have ironed out any challenges before their builders get to site.

Contemporary home extensions in Derbyshire

Richard — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:16:46 +0000

Are you looking for a home extension that is a little bit special, have you got your dream extension planned out? Designing and building contemporary home extensions requires not only skill and experience but also careful planning with a flair for design. To get a beautiful contemporary home extension it is always best to choose a contractor and designer that can take your home extension project from the initial planning drawings through to the completion of the build phase of your home extension project. To make sure that your home extension project has the care and continuity to make it a truly beautiful contemporary home extension, make sure your design team will be there to help with the build phase. If your architect specifies a particular material choice make sure that the builders know how to install it correctly. With a design and build team on board you have one responsible party to make sure your house extension is a success.