Home Extension Thread 2019 - The Extension

[TheFatberg]

Only a few posts left on the first thread of 2019, so here's a new one to get us started.

Hah well done to @WhereDoesThisToiletGo’s epic soil!! Fantastic that the visit went well. Our poor builders are still here because the cement truck turned up at 4pm. But we have a roof and a floor (you can kinda see the cement through the hole for the velux).

I admit, I had so little faith in the company who built the house that I was half expecting to find the foundations were only 18 inches deep.
I'm impressed with Beardy Boss Builder - he runs a tight ship.
Every sentence ends with "sort it out". I suspect he thinks I am pandering to his crew setting up my parasol to give them shade. He thinks if they want shade, they should SORT IT OUT themselves.

A bit outing but never mind ha ha. Trusses have arrived

Roof will be off on Friday.
This is my kitchen... double the size. You can see where the old wall was...

I'm loving all the progress pictures! @Noroof, your kitchen will be massive!! Love the light in there. :D

We've heard no peep at all from building control. New Dad Builder says this is normal. I hope he's right!

I am liking the sound of Beardy Builder @WhereDoesThisToiletGo. Can he come and tell my windows guy to "SORT IT OUT" please? We are now a good 2/3 weeks behind!! It's been a bit tense but got word glass is being delivered tomorrow am and fitted asap. I am still a bit dubious but believe that is what New Dad Builder believes/has been told. I was going to send him a photo of some cobwebs I have spotted in the new light fitting cables to show how long it's been since significant work has been done!!!

@Noroof lovely room - do you mind if I ask how big your extension is?

I don't know exact dimensions. We have a bungalow and we are raising the roof. Upstairs I will have 2 rooms...ones 4.5M x 4M and the other is around 3.85M x 4m.
Theres also a long shower room with room for a 1200x900 cubicle.
Downstairs the kitchen is now 15ft x 15ft or so. It was 2 rooms the same size knocked together.

I'm too embarrassed to show the size of my extension - it's about the size of a very large sofa.

@wheredoesthistoiletgo I've always thought our living room is too narrow and that if it had an extra 2 ft it would be perfect. Its 21ft long but only 10ft wide so it feels really narrow to me. So its not silly to do a small extension if it makes the room work I think!

That's still a large sofa you wouldn't have had room for WhereDoes.

We have windows and doors!! So happy!

@soakedat3 At last! The mere thought of a SORT IT OUT! from Beardy Boss Builder (henceforth known as BBB) was enough to get your windows to turn up!

Near disaster this morning...
Came down at 6.30 to see a small puddle on kitchen floor and discovered that the freezer door wasn't quite shut.
Yes, the freezer which I have spend the last few weeks filling with home cooked meals to see use through the kitchenless wilderness...
Thankfully most of the meals were in the bottom 2 drawers and so tightly packed that they were still solid. As cold air sinks and warm air rises, the ice trays at the top were defrosting, and the stuff in the door was soft- but the door seems to be mostly half a bag of oven chips, a pint of milk and for some reason 8 picnic ice packs.
So only 2 meals which were at the very top had defrosted so that's dinner for tonight and tomorrow.
Mr WhereDoes is not best pleased at the prospect of Chicken Curry on the hottest evening of the year but since investigation has pointed the finger at him for not pushing bottom drawer in properly yesterday when he got the lasagne out, he's wisely not complainng too loudly.

And at least I now have an up to date freezer inventory and have thrown out melted unidentified "brown stuff" and "red stuff"

The power of BBB!!

I almost (but only just almost!!) wish that they hadn't and I would have been free to sit in the garden today as it's just the kind of weather I love.

Hope everyone's builders are staying productive and hydrated - mine are glad it's mostly inside work now and I am pleased to note that the new windows haven't turned the room into a greenhouse. Phew!

So the doors and windows are not only here, they're now in?

My lot finished pouring the concrete footings this morning so have left for the day, hopefully home and not on to dig someone else's foundations!
Blocks and bricks delivered ready for next week....

They are in but not... the glass for one window is not inside the frame yet and are at the side. I've no idea why. They also need to fix the level of one of the french doors as not locking. It's only a 80% finished job. Trying to stay positive.

I've already had to say to New Dad Builder that I am now not sure I like how the bay looks... not the best end of the day but I couldn't have known until it was all built!!! OH might like it though. The walls just seem to block the side windows a bit. :(

Do you want to post a photo for our opinion?
We can either convince you that it's perfect or give you support to get it changed.
Just tell us what you need!

Oh yay for real life glass @soakedat3!! Glad things are moving.

I have no idea how the builders have kept moving on this absolute furnace of a day. I can only assume that the chief kitchen builder has some sort of major control over them and will leak bad stories to the press if they don’t work fast 😂. Either way it’s to our benefit - they’ve started building the frame for the red cedar overhang. It all looks a tad Titanic-ish.. and I’d welcome an iceberg about now.

Pics attached.

Looking straight on you can't really tell it's a bay window. And that's without the plasterboard that's to cover that wood and insulation.

The thing is OH and I looked at the plans and can see New Dad Builder has the right of it. The window does need to sit on the cavity and that is where the cavity is... this is probably lack of foresight from myself and designer. I think I'll ask builder what can be done. The cavity is where it is and can't be moved. I feel so rubbish about it but at least there is a technical reason so might live with it if it has to stay. Sigh.

It looks so good from the outside too!

Outside pic.

It is lovely from the outside but you’re right, it’s almost as if the window is too big for the space? Will you still be able to do the window seat that’s in the plan?

I think i see what you mean - you feel like the side section is "tucked round the corner" out of sight?
I see it's going to be a window seat - is there going to be a sill internally?

It does look a bit odd but it's not wrong. I think it's just because it's not complete. I've attached a picture of a finished square bay with a sill and it looks fine.

It's because of its overall size.
If it was a wide square bay with deep sides, you'd see more of the sides.
But it's the right size for your space

Yes I think it is built correctly too now. Thanks guys! We will not have a sill as the whole area will become one big seating area.

OH and I had a sit down in it after the kids were down and it felt good again. We can both sit comfortably next to each other with no elbow bashing.

New Dad will be relieved! I am relieved!

Diy kitchens delivery tomorrow PM and Saturday?? Weird it's coming in two deliveries. Apparnelty we will get a call an hour before. I hope so!!

Could it be a weight limit WBWIFE?
Good luck for the delivery! We’re still trying to fully get our heads round perfecting our corner cupboard.