REMOVING LOAD BEARING WALLS

the extra support can halve the spans needed for the joists, making it an easier and cheaper job for your builder.

Glass additions

Conservatories are a great addition to a home, but they can also be a high-risk feature. In fact, a lot of them end up being demolished because they have been so badly built or poorly positioned. A glazed room is a pleasant place for relaxation if you want to cultivate certain plants, such as vines or oranges, or locate it so that it is not facing due south and has some shade. But if it is on a wall exposed to the full blast of the summer sun it could overheat to a level

Just because a wall is holding up something above it, doesn’t mean it can’t be taken down – but removing it won’t be as straightforward as for a non-structural one. The level above will need to be temporarily supported before any works commence, probably with acrow props, otherwise you risk the building collapsing. A brand new permanent support will be needed to spread the load of the absent wall; a steel beam is a common solution, but there are alternatives. You might also need to install additional supports at either end of the new beam. A building inspector will check that the support accords with the calculations before it can be finished with fire board (which is needed for Building Regs), plastered and painted. Besides the time it will take to get the structural engineer in and calculations drawn up, you can expect the job to be completed within a week. Once finished, it will need to be signed off by the building inspector who will issue a building approval certificate – keep hold of this as it will be important if you sell the property in the future.

that is intolerable. If it opens out onto the kitchen there will be problems with condensation and excessive heating bills when the glass gets cold in winter. Check out page 53 for some inspiring glazed extensions that allow for ample daylight whilst also enhancing the property’s aesthetics.

Creating an entrance

One of the most crucial decisions you will make when renovating is whether to alter the hallway and staircase. This is important because these are the spaces that set the tone of a house for visitors when they first enter the building. The entrance to a standard suburban home can

Above left: This orangery by Vale Garden Houses (www.valegarden houses.co.uk) offers a light-filled living space with a great connection to the garden

Laurence and Debbie Osborne chose to keep the main exterior wall of their period property intact. They left the original masonry exposed, highlighting the boundaries between the old and new extension