Building a house extension in Acton, West London
This two story side extension and return one story kitchen extension was build in East Acton, West London.
Because the property already had an old kitchen extension, we had to obtain Planning Permission from Ealing Council before we started the works.
The Architect did an outline Plan/Drawing to submit to the Planning Department before working on the Full Plans. The Planning Permission department can advice sometimes what type of house extensions are most probable to approve. When they said that the extension needs to be pushed back with one meter from the main street, the architect submitted a new drawing and got the green light for the building works to start.
We were recommended to the customer by the Architect as London Builders have been working in the past with him on previous jobs and our Quote was accepted by the client.
Because the owner has a family and moving out of the property while the builders are carrying out the building works, we decided to build the house extension without breaking up the walls to make the new openings or disrupt they daily life too much unless necessary.
Right in front of the Proposed House Extension, an exotic tree was planted years ago and the owner insisted to keep the tree the way it is.
Having trees close to a new building, affects the foundation, so we had to find out how deep the roots for this type of tree can go. Together with the Building Inspector, we decided that a foundation of 2.5 meters deep is what is needed, compared to a standard 1.2 meters depth.
After demolishing the existing brick wall fence, the ground workers started to mark the foundation and measurements.
The gas meter was eventually moved to the front of the building.
Easy access to the building site, allowed for a small mechanical digger to be used, making the job easier, faster and cheaper.
The builders digging the trench for the foundations were making good progress, the ground workers decided the use plywood to cover the drive way to protect the surface and used to deposit the soil from the foundation onto the driveway. Grab lorries were used instead of skips, cheaper and faster labour time frame.
After a small delay due to an old Victorian sewer clay pipe, the ground workers finished the foundation, and with the approval of the Building Inspector, the footings for the new extension was completed.
Clearing out the soil from the foundation
The bricklayers could now start building the side extension walls. They started by building the under DPC walls, the blockwork is considered to be part of the foundation if it is under the DPC level. ( damp-proof course )
Parking in Acton is not easy, but a nearby pub parking were kind enough to let the bricklayers park their van from 8 in the morning till 5, so we would like to Thank them.
Trying to match the bricks to the old building was done as close as possible.
The brickies used the same type of bricks, but because new bricks look different to the weather down original bricks, making the new brick wall looking brighter. There was the option to use reclaimed second hand bricks but customer decided to have new ones, hoping that in time they will look the same.
The size of the extension was quite narrow and long. In West London, space to build a house extension is at a premium.
Two types of bricks were used, the side walls were built using plain London Bricks.
The walls are cavity walls, bricks on the outside and block/breeze thermal thermalite blocks on the inside.
The joiners started the joist work for the first floor, so that the floor space can be used by the bricklayers to deposit bricks, cement mix mortar , blocks and other materials.
The extensions walls 90% completed
When most of the house extension wall were completed, the RSJ metal beam for structural openings could be installed.
The metal beam allowed for the external corner walls of the original house to be removed and in this way, an open plan kitchen and dining room to be created.
The RSJ beams are sitting on concrete pad-stones, painted in intumescent paint and encased in fire proof casing.
When this was done, the plumbers, electricians, plasterers and carpenters could start working on the plumbing, roofing, electrics and plastering.
For the plumbing, the owner asked the plumbers to install a megaflo/megaflow plumbing system.
In the kitchen, a Velux windows was installed on the roof, for extra natural light.
The roof window from the outside view
House Extension Builders in Acton, Electricians, Acton Roofers and Plumbers in Acton, West London