Is there a 2021 extension thread?

[Yellownotblue]

Just that really, I found it very informative (and exhilarating and at times heart breaking!) to read the 2020 extension threads. I couldn’t find a 2021 extension thread. Please can you direct me, or if there isn’t one, let’s start it! All welcome.

As for us - we’re awaiting PP for our extension and our architect said the work might start as early as March (ha! I’ll believe it when I see it). It’s a large extension and we will need to move out for about 9 months so I’m a bit flustered at the thought of moving out in 7 weeks’ time. We’re extending over the garage, in the garden and in the loft, and doing a shedload of other stuff from electrics to roofing and redecorating everything. We’re in SW London.

@LivingOnABuildingSite

So in the photo above the diagonal gap you can see the jagged ends of what should be rectangular planks. They rest on some floor beams that are also rotten. Which rest on floor joists that are also rotten. Or at least one of them is rotten anyway.

Much discussion about possible dry rot and what that might mean.

They think from what they could see by the end of the day that it isn’t as bad as they feared.

But the main nightmare is more what could’ve happened.

That floor had slate tiles, on a screed base, on top of red tiles, on more screed, on what should have been a solid base but was wood instead.

When we had up to 16 acrows holding up the back of the house, they were stood on that floor.

We put a large loft extension, changing the roof and all sorts, while the house rested on wood you can crumble with your hands 😱😱😱

My god. That would be giving me seriously sleepless nights knowing that. Thank god it was all ok whilst all that weight was on it. Also, better to know now than a year or so down the line and then undo all that hard work.

Sewfrickin - definitely. A big relief now knowing everything is held up properly.

This photo shows almost the worst point with props, tower and no steelwork holding the back of the house up. Even more props were added I think after this photo.

Well more floor has come up and the damp seems to have been confined to one area which is a relief. Think there was a historical water source there, like a sink or something that leaked over time.

Lots more hard floor to come up, noisy and slow but progressing.

Also, some actual soffits and fascias went on today - something that’s actually finished. Whoop!

Back to the weekend again when I’m conflicted between frustration that nothing happens and happiness at the peace!

@RebelGeek76 We are also doing a loft conversion with a 4 year old and an 11 week old. Thankfully 4yr old started school so away for the most part of the noisest work as our builder works 8-3.30 Monday to Friday. She really can't stand loud noises that even the music at a recent wedding made her very miserable. However, baby is OK with what's going on. He has only been woken up once in the last week as builder dropped a joist on the ceiling. We wanted to do this work whilst I was on maternity leave so that I had an office space when I got back to work in January.

@Ecthelion I'm sorry about the roof tiles. I heard that they was a shortage of roof tiles but I didn't appreciate which type of tiles were short. Our roofer assures us that our concrete tiles are ok and readily available. Our builder/carpenter has kept all the ones he stripped from the back for the dormer in case roofer wants to re-use them. If so then that will save us a good £2000 in roofing materials.

@Callmejudith I was also going to suggest you looking at getting other quotes for the roof lantern. What a pain.

We had the steel delivery yesterday so the welder will put it all together to be installed on Monday. Then the floor joists installation will begin in ernest. Carpenter has started on the dormer timbers.

We changed our stairs from ones with a quarter landing as they were taking up too much space in the dining room to ones with a couple of winders at the bottom. We saw the latter at another house and we liked them so we are using the same company. This, however, means the stud wall between box room/office and bathroom will also have to move along towards the bathroom which then takes space away for the shower. Being in the loft, the only full height ceiling we have in the bathroom is where the shower cubicle and door are. We are now considering swapping the box room for the bathroom. That means the waste pipes will have to take a longer route out to the manhole. Our plumber confirmed that it is doable. Or we revert back to the original design of 1/4 landing but now knowing how much space we are saving by having the winders, I think I will have to rejig the space in the loft instead. We have to have both a shower and bath as it is going to be our main bathroom.

@Dontrainonmyparade I will say that I didn't enjoy this stage either. Gathering quotes and only half of them ever got back and having to also chase some of them several times before a quote appeared. It took us 6 months.

@LivingOnABuildingSite That photo is terrifying! Especially with what the floor was supporting previously. You have been lucky. I'm with you on the weekends with regards to frustration that no progress but my goodness it is so peaceful and not dusty for a couple of days.

@LivingOnABuildingSite that photo put the fear in me, I'm not going to lie! How is it now for the weekend?

@Notyetthere you have a flexible builder to allow late changes. I can't picture what you mean about the winders at the bottom though. Do you have a pic?

Is anyone facing delivery delays because of petrol supply issues? I've got all of my tiles coming on Monday and I'm stressing that there'll be a last minute delay.

I've just moved my kitchen appliances delivery date forward to Wednesday. We have nowhere to store the stuff at the mo, but feel better if it's somewhere on site.

@PoshWatchShitShoes

Is anyone facing delivery delays because of petrol supply issues? I've got all of my tiles coming on Monday and I'm stressing that there'll be a last minute delay.

I've just moved my kitchen appliances delivery date forward to Wednesday. We have nowhere to store the stuff at the mo, but feel better if it's somewhere on site.

Our kitchen was due to be delivered this week but got a message from DIY kitchens saying that they're short on delivery drivers as they've had 5 drivers had to isolate due to Track & Trace and they can't get any agency drivers. Our delivery is booked for Monday but I messaged them to say we'd be happy to be bumped if it helps as like you we've not got much room for storage and it'll probably be another week before we're ready to start fitting.

We received an email at 8PM on Wednesday to say DIY would be delivering our kitchen within 48hrs. Emailed back to say we weren't ready and they wanted £120 to unload it from the lorry, £12 a day to store it and they couldn't redeliver until 22nd November so we took delivery; 96 items! Total chaos but thankfully our builders moved them the extension and secured the space. It was a good job, it came early as their was a major mistake with the order so 1/3 of it needs to go back - thankfully it's being replaced within 10 days. The customer service was excellent but interesting how the replacement can come in 10 days but if we hadn't taken delivery is was going to be 2 months!

*there!

@MissFritton65 I think someone else on this thread mentioned it would be November if we're to delay delivery, don't fancy paying extra delivery/storage costs either. I emailed them earlier in the week to ask if they could give a rough time frame for delivery this week so we could at least prep what we needed and they said it was provisionally slotted in for Sat/Sun (today) so looks like we're only 1 day late. I've heard a few mention getting wrong items on delivery, but DIY we're quite quick to resolve. Did you have to go through all the boxes to check it was all as expected or was there a list?....I'm dreading having to do the former as probably a similar order size!

NewHouseNewMe - it’s all safe now. Actually it was safe once all the steels were we just didn’t know about the rotten floor.

It seems not to have spread into other timbers so a lucky escape.

Sorry for everyone having delays or delivery issues. Our bifolds and roof lantern are taking a few weeks longer than promised at the beginning. I’m sure we’ll encounters other delays as we go along.

Current problem from yesterday is the skip company couldn’t get to the skip to collect it as someone was parked (legitimately) in front of the house. The problem is because the previous skip guy placed it in such a way they need no one to be parked there. I thought they were coming this am and the builders left traffic cones out but they haven’t been yet. Do I leave the cones there all weekend? Not a busy road at the weekend so it’ll be fine but Monday morning it could annoy some people. I think I’d be better parking my car there then I can move if needed.

@RebelGeek76 you get a packing list with the delivery. We have the wrong colour carcasses on 1/3 of our order so we could see the issue immediately.

My DIY delivery two day window ends in 45 minutes and there’s been no sign of them. They are supposed to make contact at least one hour before so I am hoping they won’t show today. 10pm feels way too late to have a big kitchen delivery and I’m sure our neighbours are already hacked off enough with the building work. Plus since we have had to build a shed in our garden to store it they won’t actually be able to see where they are going if they deliver this late.
I’m a bit surprised they haven’t made any contact with me though to say it’s delayed or that they are running late.

@Terracedtardis did DIY deliver last night?

No! They showed up at about 8.30am this morning. I’d be more annoyed if it was t for the fact it did us a favour. The shed our builders have made to store the units in would have been a nightmare to try and access in the dark.

At least you've got it; We are surrounded by boxes and the kitchen sink!!

I’m just hoping they agree to extend the time period for checking it all. We won’t be in a position to look at it for about a month!

Unfortunately a 1/3 of ours was wrong so having to go back.

Terraced - is there any way you can have a peek in each box?

Pouring down here this morning. The rubber roof guy is here but not sure how much he can do if it’s soaking.

Still more old hard floor to be drilled up, I’m off out to governor meeting twice today so will miss most of it I think.

@Terracedtardis same on the checking. All of our radiators got delivered 2 weeks ago. Haven't checked any. And all the bathroom stuff has been sitting in the garage for 3 weeks, totally unchecked.

My tiles are being delivered today. I just don't know how we could check them all before it's time to start the actual tiling in a few weeks 🙈

Hope everything is good with your units!

My summerhouse delivered in July, only took the plastic coating off the windows last week and discovered one panel is badly scratched.

Have phoned them and they were great on the phone, just asking for photos and they’ll send me a new door but said they would email so I know who to email back, nothing has arrived. So maybe good customer service, maybe not, need to ring again later.

Roofing guy appeared but as suspected can’t work in this weather, may come back later if it dries up.

Tree man is here for a tree we need gone.

Labourers drilling the floor, so stuff happening regardless of the rain.

@LivingInABuildingSite Not without taking it all out of the shed thing they have built and it’s really tightly packed in. My pantry unit wouldn’t fit so is wrapped in plastic under a gazebo 😭

Lots on site this morning. Skirting board going in new kitchen extension, electricians should be there to wire up underfloor heating and put in new consumer unit.

Joiner upstairs constructing a false wall so they can minimise dust as the take down stairs into attic.

@Terracedtardis our DIY delivery may come today or tomorrow, they've updated me to let me know of further delays due to the fuel panic buying situation. At least its bought us a little more time to finish boarding our utility.

It's feels like our main extension space (open plan kitchen/dining/snug) is coming together now we have the boards up, feels so much bigger. Can't wait to start fitting kitchen now. Got to order our UFH and LVT flooring now, didn't want to order too soon due to space issues but not too late that we have to wait.

wow that space looks amazing @RebelGeek76

pray for me - now it's raining, the garden outside has become a mud bath and this house still has carpets down (weep). The dog has become a walking mud monster!

finally our planning for the shed plus the tree cutting is on the planning website thank goodness - we are only expecting a reply in November which means we can't have the final moving delivery (all the stuff that was in the garage beforehand) and the time lag on the shed is 60-70 working days anyway so I'm not expecting anything to be finalised till January

I am having to be extremely patient!

the garden people should be coming this week to dig up the remaining bricks (I just couldn't do the whole garden and dp said his back was going!) and put down a base for the long awaited for shed. At this rate my forecast of me being on these threads for years is going to come true