Making alterations to single skin extension

[anamorphosa]

Dear All,

We have a Victorian semi, with a not-uncommon single skin, single storey extension off the back of it, which is used as the kitchen. We are planning on doing some modification, including resiting of external doors in the single skin.

The extension itself is old - same age as the house as shown in deeds, so must have been used as something like a coal store or pantry.

Clearly new single skin extensions are no longer allowed by building regs; equally, existing single skin extensions are not required to be uprated as such.

My question is "does making modifications - i.e. resiting external doors - in the single skin implicitly force us to thicken all the walls to double skin?"

Thanks in advance for any information.

 

[Moo]

Why on earth should it?

 

[anamorphosa]

Well (and I know it sounds rather lame), we had a builder in to quote who said that since we were doing these modifications, we would require it. I guess that I ought to talk to the council regs people.

Thanks anyway - your question at least implies that we shouldn't need to do it.

 

[Michelle73]

I have exactly the same kind of old wash house type of extention at the back of our house and should be getting a visit from a firm next Thurs to tell me how much it will cost to make it habitable again.
We're using ours to store Washer/Fridge/freezer/tools/general clutter at the moment but its not too safe as the interior walls are always wet not to mention the cold!
I don't think it was originally built onto the house but at some point in the past the gap was bridged between the house and wash house with another extention.
Will let you know what advice and estimate they give us to bring it up to scratch.

 

[NT]

Clearly new single skin extensions are no longer allowed by building regs;

Since when? Insulation to meet required u values can be applied to single skins just as well as double.

My question is "does making modifications - i.e. resiting external doors - in the single skin implicitly force us to thicken all the walls to double skin?"

no.

Well (and I know it sounds rather lame), we had a builder in to quote who said that since we were doing these modifications, we would require it.

He wanted you to pay him to do it, whats new. Asking a builder if x is required will normally get you a yes.

I guess that I ought to talk to the council regs people.

no, talk to someone that wont try and persuade you to do all sorts of things theres no requirement for, such as
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk.d-i-y?hl=en


NT