kitchen extension - suspended flooring issues?

[lizziecupcakes]

Hi all, this is a thread to explore the experiences and ideas about extending out from a part of a period property that has suspended floors, eg a kitchen extension.

I am deeply considering a kitchen extension. My house is from the Edwardian era and has suspended floors including the kitchen.

If I extend my kitchen into a side return or do a wrap around kitchen extension , what is the typical way builders and architects might build the extension? Would they raise the floor so they are basically suspended too?

I am concerned about disrupting the ventilation to the original house . Having said that, so many of the period properties on my street have has these kind of extensions and don’t seem to have any problems.

Mind you, I will be adding wood fibre boards and lime plaster to the original house (on all external walls) and will do everything possible to the rest of the house to keep it breathing.

I would love to read about your experiences and thoughts. Thank you

 

[larry]

There are different approaches to modern building of floors, including using a suspended floor https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/extensions/building-regulations-flooring

If you use a solid floor, they can set a pipe in the concrete to continue the ventilation to the old suspended floor. Just make sure they do.

Interested to hear others views as in long term considering similar.

 

[a twig]

Our recent extension was done with beam and block suspended floor - we’re pretty happy with it

 

[Lacan07]

The choice is up to you really, as Larry says if they install a solid floor you run pipe through it to maintain ventilation. I'd be interested to learn which method is cheaper - suspended or solid floor.

 

[a twig]

Block and beam was substantially cheaper than a slab in our case but that was mainly driven by soil type, the fact that it interfaces better with the existing house was a bonus

 

[lizziecupcakes]

Thanks all.

I’ve never heard of this but sounds very interesting: a solid floor with a pipe run through it for ventilation. I guess that means that on end the pipe gets fresh air from the outside environment and the other end feeds it to the original suspended floors.

 

[larry]

Thanks all.

I’ve never heard of this but sounds very interesting: a solid floor with a pipe run through it for ventilation. I guess that means that on end the pipe gets fresh air from the outside environment and the other end feeds it to the original suspended floors.

Yup. Connects to a ventilation brick built into the new wall.

 

[Lacan07]

Thanks all.

I’ve never heard of this but sounds very interesting: a solid floor with a pipe run through it for ventilation. I guess that means that on end the pipe gets fresh air from the outside environment and the other end feeds it to the original suspended floors.

don't overthink it, its usually just a bit of drainage pipe connected to a ventilated grill or brick on the external side of your kitchen extension. It'll run all the way along your solid floor to old part of the house. All good builders will do it but always keep an eye on them!

 

[lizziecupcakes]

don't overthink it, its usually just a bit of drainage pipe connected to a ventilated grill or brick on the external side of your kitchen extension. It'll run all the way along your solid floor to old part of the house. All good builders will do it but always keep an eye on them!

Thanks @Lacan07 - it’s now on my list of “must haves” I’m building up