TUDOR COTTAGE

[Anonymous]

I would like to renovate and extend a Tudor Cottage, I have contacted an architect that has adv me he can carry out the extension work. However, before I go ahead with any extension work I need to ensure that the existing building is ok and is structurally sound. As it is so old I am unsure who to contact 1st please can anyone advise.

 

[Anonymous]

Is it really that old? If so it might be listed, in which case you will need Listed Buildings Consent before you do anything. First thing to do is to talk to the Conservation Officer at your Local Council.

 

[Anonymous]

Is this architect a true conservation architect or just a draughtsman? In my experience I would expect an experienced architect to deal with all of this for you.
You could contact SPAB or the RIBA who should be able to advise of conservation architects who could help you.
Alternatively you could try the RICS for a suitable conservation surveyor who also does design work.

The local authority conservation officer could also help with some names.

I would get one person to do the job, I would also hold an initial site meeting between the architect, yourself and the conservation officer to establish what is acceptable.
This could save you a lot of time and expense.

To get in touch with the bodies above just type into google and their web sites are at the top of the listings.

Where abouts are you in the country?

 

[Anonymous]

Surely anything earlier than 1700 should be listed Biff? I wasnt sure of the exact dates of Tudor so I found this page and was quite entertained by especially the doctors cures.


http://ndnd.essortment.com/tudorperiodeng_rebg.htm

 

[Anonymous]

Of course it should be but some got missed. There are quite a few very old houses that are hidden under younger facades.

 

[Anonymous]

Listing isn't so very simple as just age though - it has to be of 'listable quality' as well, although to those of us involved on the wrong end of EH/DCMS's pencil we aren't always sure quite how they decide that. It should have some architectural/historic features of merit and not be too altered.

Many houses and other buildings which should be protected therefore aren't.

 

[Anonymous]

Well my place was grade 2 and the SBPT tried to get it uplisted to 2* and failed.
We found the first painted fireplace and tried and it was uplisted to 2*. Strange though EH said it was not the fireplace which had tipped the balance, so I guess if that statement was true then it depends on the officer involved with each individual case.
I see my friend has not visited unless I missed him since the lime post.

 

[Anonymous]

You have not mentioned if the cottage is listed or not .
If the cottage is listed, and you intend to carry out any alterations,extensions or additions, you have no choise but to contact your local conservation officer, get him(her) on site and explain what you are proposing to do. It's the law

This will cost you nothing, and the officer will appeciate your concern that you demonstrate for the building, and more than likely give you heaps of usefull information to achieve what you want.

If you by pass this first step and go straight to an architect with all sorts of fancy plans and ideas, and the architect is the incorrect one for the job, ( a conservation architect is a better choise), it may end up costing more, with delays etc.. and redrawing of plans.

If you cottage is not listed, I would follow exactly the same procedure, for the sake of the building anyway.

Let us know what happens

MIDDI

 

[Anonymous]

Our house has estimates of between 400 and 600 years old in places. It is not listed. The conservation officer was horrifed when we brought him out to find it wasn't.
EH then said they didn't want to list it as too much had changed, concrete roof tiles, softwood roof timbers, aluminium DG, a 1970's extension.
We then tried to change the windows to something more in keeping with the period of the house and our surveyor suggested timber single glazed windows, copying the style of one original left. The conservation officer thought that was great, the building control guy said stuff that the government want you to save energy.
The conservation officer and the Building Control Guy argued and argued for a few weeks and unfortunately he won, so now we are having timber frames with double glazing and stuck on bars <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/frown.gif" BORDER=0 ALT="">

 

[Anonymous]

The place doesn't sound listable I agree, despite its age. too much alteration and historic fabric gone! But the vagaries of listing these days etc etc.

However at least sympathetic repairs can now be carried out - unlisted dosen't mean unworthy of being treated gently and sensitively.

EH has guidance on windows in unlisted historic buildings, see (I hope) bottom of link below, but so often CO's are very junior and Building Control wins. Personally I reckon the difference to the planet of a bit of single glazing in a historic building or several, given the fact windows are not usually huge, would be negligable.

It may be worth letting SPAB and EH know of your problems...



WINDOWS!

 

[Anonymous]

Nearly the right link!

This is the one I meant! See the Q and A stuff.


Part L and unlisted historic buildings

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your concern. Our CO is quite an experienced chappie. He has had EH on board and discussed it with them, but they are not overly concerned as we are not removing anything old.
In regards to your arguement about the small amount of single glazed window, I used that one, to which I was told, and what if everyone wanted to do it then it woulldn't be just a few windows would it.......

 

[Anonymous]

I agree. This planet saving stuff has just got to be taken seriously and double glazing is part of the solution. Destroying historic fabric is, as you say, not at issue. What you want is a window that looks good in your cottage and keeps you warm and the planet cool. It is a design challenge but I'm not sure that stuck-on glazing bars are a good response to that challenge. Unless of course you are wanting to restore your home to its year 1400 origins, in which case you won't want any glazing, single or double, just some wooden shutters or maybe a piece of oiled goatskin if you want to get one over the neighbours.

 

[Anonymous]

We only have one neighbour within 500m, so no need to worry about keeping up with The Jones'.
It looks to me like stuck on small glazing bars are up against seperate panes with thick glazing bars or single glazed made to copy our oldest window and secondary glazing.

Are there other options we should be considering?

We tried single glazing and shutters, the fact we are fitting a new boiler which will produce lower emmissions, the fitting of heavy curtains for insulation, we are considering using solar panels and or wind energy, none of which helped.

 

[Anonymous]

Placcy windows were raised in the House last Tuesday ... as awas the status of Conservation Officers within local authorities.

<IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT="">


Commons select Committee of the DCMS hearing

 

[Anonymous]

The link to your video problems doesn't work.
If the new boiler is wood pellet or log fuelled it may be eligable for a Clear-Skies grant



Clearskies

 

[Anonymous]

>Are there other options we should be considering?

I'm doing a window soon for a Victorian house in a conseration area. It will have horizolntal sliding Yorkshire sashes, single glazed with 18mm glazing bars but with built in secondary glazing formed by large sheets of toughened glass that also slide horizontally on the indoors side.

Remember that thin glazing bars were only introduced in the 18th century. Queen Anne houses often had thicker bars than is required for dg units.

 

[Anonymous]

Will this meet Part L?

And can a 'small' craftsperson such as yourself do similar secondary glazing for existing sashes which will cut out noise and not be as bleedin' ludicrously expensive as some other firms I could mention???

I ask for a friend... honest!

 

[Anonymous]

>Will this meet Part L?

No. It's a compromise position for a conservation area.

>And can a 'small' craftsperson such as yourself do similar secondary glazing for existing sashes which will cut out noise and not be as bleedin' ludicrously expensive as some other firms I could mention???

What makes you think I don't want to be stinking rich too?

 

[Anonymous]

Well - there must be some saving on overheads if you aren't a huge company!!

In general terms - it's obviously possible for a local joiner to make secondary glazing then, which may work and not look too dreadful. I suppose the isuues are sealing the edges and trying to make the frame look not obtrusive.

I re-iterate this isn't for me! But I have a friend with traffic noise issues and two sash windows in a bedroom. Eight hundred quid per window for secondary glazing sounded a lot to me!

Or possibly there is some DIY alternative?