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.

@RebelGeek76 I am pondering something and I think you might know the answer. The part of the room where our kitchen is going is currently plasterboard only. Does it have to be plastered before we can hang wall units on it? Or can you hang wall units onto plasterboard?

[quote Callmejudith]@RebelGeek76 I am pondering something and I think you might know the answer. The part of the room where our kitchen is going is currently plasterboard only. Does it have to be plastered before we can hang wall units on it? Or can you hang wall units onto plasterboard?[/quote]
I would say you'd ideally plaster before fixing units, though technically you can fit them before but would mean having to plaster/paint around units if any of the wall is to be exposed or tiled over. I'd imagine it will be a lot easier for plasterer to skim the whole wall in one go and get a nice smooth finish than have to skim around units plus would also consider future-proofing if you or future owners of your house decide to move things around. We want to get all our plastering and painting sorted before fitting ours so we don't have to worry about paint splatters on the units/floors.

Thank you! I think we might need to jig around where the plasterer priority is

Any ideas how long to leave between plastering and putting up units?

Yes we're having to do the same, get ceilings and walls where units are going done first, the rest can wait.

They say to wait until plaster changes colour to lighter pink before painting so assume it'll be the same for fixing. It's normally around 3-4 days maybe a little longer in colder weather.

I'm very jealous of the progress you are all making. We started in late February and hoped to be done by Christmas but I fear that's looking unlikely at the moment as there seems so much to be done. They haven't knocked through yet and certainly no where near plastering! The decorator was booked for all of November after consultation with the project manager - not sure what he's going to be able to do as sliding doors not coming until early November!!

I’ll have a chat with the plasterer tomorrow I think and see what he says. Hopefully we can make it work

@MissFritton65 remind me what you’re having done please. February to now is a long time.

I had a dream last night that one of the builders destroyed the toilet and was laughing about it and I threw him over a fence. This build is giving me issues

@Callmejudith we have having a 2 storey side extension and a single storey rear extension plus new garage and two new driveways so it is a huge job. It is doubling the house! We were originally a single fronted Victorian detached and will be double fronted. It is looking great and I know will be amazing when finished but.....
I'm just fed up of living in a really cramped space, dust etc!

Oh wow that sounds incredible! Great that you have a project manager though that must help.

@Callmejudith

Oh wow that sounds incredible! Great that you have a project manager though that must help.

I know you have been having issues with your builders - ours have been great and the issues we have had have been out of their control - bricklayer got Covid so they all had to isolate for 10 days plus supply issues that we are all facing also we had access issues with the council which took ages to resolve! We are very lucky that we can do it all at once (- we downsided to here last year!! ) but both trying to work from home too is adding to the stress. However there is just the 2 of us as our children have both long flown the nest so things could be much harder. I feel for those of you with small children trying to juggle it all. This thread has been amazing and so useful plus supportive in it's own way so many thanks to all contributors and good luck!

@RebelGeek76 I owe you

Spoke to builder and and they’re going to plaster the kitchen unit bit tomorrow. He has also got the velux so that should go in today or tomorrow. I really need to draw on the wall where the cooker hood will be to make sure that’s right.

I also need to get some paint samples!

Oooh paint bit is the exciting bit (though I do love the feel of a newly plastered wall!).

Concrete base for shed goes in today (thankfully not raining). Trying to figure out how we level the ground once all the bricks are out. 2 of the trees are probably 2 foot above the soil with roots so will be hard for turf.

I also badgered architects firm and they have put someone new on who is coming out at 4pm to get a feel for the house before she draws up plans. I'm much happier about this as I felt the first bloke wasn't that interested and I'm hoping to duck out of work to discuss some ideas with her (particularly with reference to bathrooms in wrong places/soil pipes) all of which are causing problems with the layout!

I really hope all of you who want to be done are done by Christmas! It's such a heart sinking feeling that you want to get there but might not!

My builders have worked a couple of hours this morning finishing the steels and have buggered off. One of them told my husband they would start the roof Monday!! We called the head guy and he said they will try to start Friday and to “worry less” as it’s not a delay 🤦‍♀️

We have had the staircase opening being created by our builder at the moment so that's the dining room out of action today but not too messy at the moment. Any structural type surprises are now sort of out of the way as the stripping and preparation of the loft has been completed. Even the electrician has done his inspection of electrics so all the dodgy electrics have been sorted. The plumber has been working on the house for a year now so he knows what systems we have. Any extra costs will come from us adding to the project like changing the spec like upgrading the plug sockets or we are currently considering a long thin window over hallway roof to throw light into the area as no walls to the outside.

I am now getting rather excited and looking into ordering some of the finishes. Where are you all getting your internal doors from? Our carpenter gets his from Howdens however they don't have the 1930s type doors that I want.

MrsFritton - sounds like a mega project you’ve got going on there!

callmejudith- I’m probably going to be ultra boring and have off white everywhere as paint colour feels like a decision too many right now!

Terraced - 😡 for you!!

Notyetthere- looking good! I think out guys got the doors when we did the loft from Magnet. I chose some that were v similar to the original ones, will try and find the link.

Concrete going down in half of rear extension floor (where the rotten wood was before!). Side extension roof joists all in, with hole for one skylight.
Spoke to skylight people yesterday - all good with cancelling one. Saved us some £ and both £ and time with the builders.
And they said they might be able to get the skylight and back door before Christmas, here’s hoping 🤞

Made a very tiny start on sorting kitchen cupboards out. At some point we will have to empty the kitchen - hopefully into the temporary kitchen at the back if possible.

@Notyetthere

We have had the staircase opening being created by our builder at the moment so that's the dining room out of action today but not too messy at the moment. Any structural type surprises are now sort of out of the way as the stripping and preparation of the loft has been completed. Even the electrician has done his inspection of electrics so all the dodgy electrics have been sorted. The plumber has been working on the house for a year now so he knows what systems we have. Any extra costs will come from us adding to the project like changing the spec like upgrading the plug sockets or we are currently considering a long thin window over hallway roof to throw light into the area as no walls to the outside.

I am now getting rather excited and looking into ordering some of the finishes. Where are you all getting your internal doors from? Our carpenter gets his from Howdens however they don't have the 1930s type doors that I want.

www.magnettrade.co.uk/view-all-doors/view-all-doors/30488895/dx-30s-style-internal-door/?variant-10639=686%20x%201981%20x%2035. These are the ones we went for and will get a couple more as we need them.

We've used these for doors.
www.directdoors.com/collections/panel-internal-doors/oak-internal-panel-doors

I need to get an internal door at some point so these links are super helpful.

DH back from 3 nights away with work and the stupid questions have started again. So unhelpful.

Builder is aiming for screed next Wednesday and we are due to move back in next Thursday. I'm not too worried about it as the "spare" room is done so over the weekend I'm on a huge clear up mission and we can use that as storage for a few weeks. We'll have to put a temp kitchen in the front room or utility room for a bit but will be able to have a sofa and the TV so at least there's somewhere to chill in the evenings rather than our bedroom.

In more exciting news I saw a super cool smart home system yesterday called Node UK. It does all the lighting plans and heating stuff from an app I loved it. The electrician hasn't installed one before but he sounded quite up for it so need to have a think about whether I can actually afford it.

All go here today; we have a plumber, joiner and roofers. The knock through is happening tomorrow and the bathrooms being started next week so need to order everything! We are going on holiday on Tuesday for a week and I can't decide whether that's great planning or a disaster!

Exciting stuff! Hopefully you'll see a big difference after a week away.

My new toilet is delayed...joy

Node sounds cool.

My DH is the same, asks the builders completely random questions that they can’t answer!

Boo to toilet delay!!

Currently have a plumber in the kitchen taking down one cupboard and drilling holes through the wall to put temp pipes for the shower and bath as they currently come out where the new side roof will go.

Now need to find homes for everything that was in that cupboard - dishwasher stuff and cleaning stuff mostly. Not doing a lot of that right now anyway 😂

@Callmejudith our last home we made totally smart. We saved so much on heating being able to turn it on and off remotely! Same with the lighting! (Now we're in a house where the windows don't close! I've told dp the heating is not going on till we have figured out a way to seal the house!). Will be interested to hear how you get on with it! We've saved the smart thermostats for the radiators and we're probably 2 years off that!