From the research I have done so far, it seems that property
developers/renovators get hold of the property, rip out the existing
fittings and then call in the building inspector to see if anything needs
doing structurally.

Are building inspectors able to assess structures that are still being lived
in (i.e. still carpetted, full of furniture, wallpapered etc.)?

Cheers

Tricky

Tricky Dicky wrote:
From the research I have done so far, it seems that property
developers/renovators get hold of the property, rip out the existing
fittings and then call in the building inspector to see if anything needs
doing structurally.

Are building inspectors able to assess structures that are still being lived
in (i.e. still carpetted, full of furniture, wallpapered etc.)?

What do you mean by a building inspector - a Building Control Officer
(ie, a local council employee) or a structural engineer? I think you
probably mean the latter? They certainly can and do assess inhabited
buildings - much of what they report on can be done just from looking at
the outside. However, they can and will provide more info if (eg) the
odd floorboard can be lifted to look at joists, etc.

Not sure that many developers will routinely get an engineer in to 'see
what needs doing', unless there's good reason to do so (eg, if they
knowingly bought a property cheap because it's falling down??)

David

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
Tricky Dicky wrote:
From the research I have done so far, it seems that property
developers/renovators get hold of the property, rip out the existing
fittings and then call in the building inspector to see if anything needs
doing structurally.

Are building inspectors able to assess structures that are still being
lived in (i.e. still carpetted, full of furniture, wallpapered etc.)?

What do you mean by a building inspector - a Building Control Officer (ie,
a local council employee) or a structural engineer? I think you probably
mean the latter? They certainly can and do assess inhabited buildings -
much of what they report on can be done just from looking at the outside.
However, they can and will provide more info if (eg) the odd floorboard
can be lifted to look at joists, etc.

Not sure that many developers will routinely get an engineer in to 'see
what needs doing', unless there's good reason to do so (eg, if they
knowingly bought a property cheap because it's falling down??)

I should have chosen my wording better

I am unsure of what needs to be done structurally to a house I plan to
renovate. I am going to knock through an outside toilet and coal scuttle to
extend the kitchen, put in French doors in the living room to the garden and
install a downstairs toilet. The house, however, is 1930's and I am sure
there will have been some deterioration by now - particularly as their was
WWII bombing nearby

What person is best to call in so that I don't proceed and find a problem
later on that will cost time & money?

Cheers in advance

Tricky

Tricky Dicky wrote:
I am unsure of what needs to be done structurally to a house I plan to
renovate. I am going to knock through an outside toilet and coal scuttle to
extend the kitchen,

The opening between the kitchen and toilet will need a lintel to support
the wall above. The toilet etc will also have to be brought up to
present requirements for a habitable room, particularly in terms of
insulation.

put in French doors in the living room to the garden

If you are creating or altering a window opening this will need a
lintel. New windows are also subject to certification by Building Control.

and install a downstairs toilet.

New drains need Building Control.

What person is best to call in so that I don't proceed and find a problem
later on that will cost time & money?

Building Control will usually be able to give helpful suggestions on
what standard you need to achieve. For the knocking through and lintels,
a structural engineer is probably the best source of advice and he will
be able to produce plans and calculations to satisfy Building Control -
particularly if there may be existing structural weakness.

You can probably draw the new toilet, washbasin and extractor fan on the
plans yourself before submission to Building Control.

Owain

Owain wrote:
Tricky Dicky wrote:

I am unsure of what needs to be done structurally to a house I plan to
renovate. I am going to knock through an outside toilet and coal
scuttle to extend the kitchen,

I'm doing an almost identical project myself at the moment as it happens.

The opening between the kitchen and toilet will need a lintel to support
the wall above. The toilet etc will also have to be brought up to
present requirements for a habitable room, particularly in terms of
insulation.

I agree with everything Owain said. But do talk to Building Control
first about what exactly they'll want you to do. I agonised for ages
about this before talking to them; reading up about U values, talking to
the Kingspan Insulation technical services helpline etc etc, and when
the Building Control Officer looked at it, he just said, 'oh stick 2" of
Kingspan under the floor slab, against the walls, and above the ceiling'
- I know for a fact that this won't meet current standards, but since it
was refurbishing an old outside building to bring it into living
accomodation, the BCO was happy for me just to do what was 'reasonable'
under the circumstances. The refurbed area will certainly be way better
insulated than the rest of my property, for sure. BCOs are hopefully
pretty reasonable about interpreting the building regs appropriately,
rather than laying down the letter of the law.

What person is best to call in so that I don't proceed and find a
problem later on that will cost time & money?

Building Control will usually be able to give helpful suggestions on
what standard you need to achieve. For the knocking through and lintels,
a structural engineer is probably the best source of advice and he will
be able to produce plans and calculations to satisfy Building Control -
particularly if there may be existing structural weakness.

You can probably draw the new toilet, washbasin and extractor fan on the
plans yourself before submission to Building Control.

If you go to the Building Control offices on spec, you'll usually find a
BCO there able and willing to provide advice on your ideas (helpful to
take plenty of sketches and photos with you. They'll tell you whether
you need to get an engineer in (may not be needed). You'll need to put
the Building Notice in (ie, and pay their fees) before the BCO will come
on site for a pre-work inspection; given that you'll need to do this
anyway you may as well go ahead, get the BCO round to your house and
pump him for all the info you can! Have a part-filled-in Building
Notice in front of you when you go the office; shows you mean business
and are taking it seriously; and he can help you complete any bits you
aren't sure about.

David

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
Owain wrote:
Tricky Dicky wrote:

I am unsure of what needs to be done structurally to a house I plan to
renovate. I am going to knock through an outside toilet and coal scuttle
to extend the kitchen,

I'm doing an almost identical project myself at the moment as it happens.

The opening between the kitchen and toilet will need a lintel to support
the wall above. The toilet etc will also have to be brought up to present
requirements for a habitable room, particularly in terms of insulation.

I agree with everything Owain said. But do talk to Building Control first
about what exactly they'll want you to do. I agonised for ages about this
before talking to them; reading up about U values, talking to the Kingspan
Insulation technical services helpline etc etc, and when the Building
Control Officer looked at it, he just said, 'oh stick 2" of Kingspan under
the floor slab, against the walls, and above the ceiling' - I know for a
fact that this won't meet current standards, but since it was refurbishing
an old outside building to bring it into living accomodation, the BCO was
happy for me just to do what was 'reasonable' under the circumstances.
The refurbed area will certainly be way better insulated than the rest of
my property, for sure. BCOs are hopefully pretty reasonable about
interpreting the building regs appropriately, rather than laying down the
letter of the law.

What person is best to call in so that I don't proceed and find a
problem later on that will cost time & money?

Building Control will usually be able to give helpful suggestions on what
standard you need to achieve. For the knocking through and lintels, a
structural engineer is probably the best source of advice and he will be
able to produce plans and calculations to satisfy Building Control -
particularly if there may be existing structural weakness.

You can probably draw the new toilet, washbasin and extractor fan on the
plans yourself before submission to Building Control.

If you go to the Building Control offices on spec, you'll usually find a
BCO there able and willing to provide advice on your ideas (helpful to
take plenty of sketches and photos with you. They'll tell you whether you
need to get an engineer in (may not be needed). You'll need to put the
Building Notice in (ie, and pay their fees) before the BCO will come on
site for a pre-work inspection; given that you'll need to do this anyway
you may as well go ahead, get the BCO round to your house and pump him for
all the info you can! Have a part-filled-in Building Notice in front of
you when you go the office; shows you mean business and are taking it
seriously; and he can help you complete any bits you aren't sure about.


Many thanks Owain & Lobster

This is just the sort of advice I need - I really know virtually nothing and
your kindness is appreciated

Cheers

Tricky