Our Extension So Far

I wasn’t planning on writing a post about the extension during the work – it was going to be quite a straightforward process, taking ten weeks and being done ready for Christmas. But, we’ve had a bit of a hiccup and work has stopped for three weeks over Christmas. Because of this I thought it would be a good time to update on the progress so far.

The work has gone so smoothly, and quickly, up until this point. The builders dug the foundations, poured concrete and built the external walls of the extension before adding the roof. They had to change the pitch of an existing section of roof and said it was the hardest roof they’ve ever had to do! But, once it was on the extension started to feel so real.

The velux windows were installed and we finally got to see how much light there would be in the new space. We knew five velux windows would be a lot but we wanted to maximise light as much as possible – and we’re so glad we didn’t cut back on the windows.

The bifolds and backdoor were then installed and we were finally water tight! Both doors are so much bigger than I’d imagined but you can now get a real feel for the space.

The builders then got to work pulling out the original doors and windows and getting rid of the original ceiling to expose the existing beams. This is where the hiccup came from as the existing beams need to be replaced as they don’t meet current building regulations – plus, the new full length joist is too big to physically get it into the house so the structural engineer’s plans needed to be redone with a workable solution.

At this point work stopped and we have been left surrounded by dust for Christmas but at least it’s water tight – just incredibly cold in there at the moment. We’re basically only going in the kitchen to cook or make tea and keeping the door closed the rest of the time!

We are so pleased with how the extension has gone so far and the set back can’t really be helped. The builders will be back on 3rd January and the work will carry on – and hopefully it will be nearly finished by the end of January.