I expect to get the approval for my planning application (well, building
warrant) from the council any day now, and would like to go ahead with the
work ASAP.

This involves knocking down a wall to allow me to connect two recesses and
create one new room (to become my kitchen), and open a doorway in another
wall to allow for access into this room.

I am in the top floor of a Victorian tenement building, and the wall to be
knocked down IS NOT a supporting wall (all the plans were drawn by my
architect and structural engineer), and the wall in which the doorway is to
be made is, again, not a supporting wall.

My mate, who is a joiner with 15+ years experience, and who will help me
with all the major joinery work has suggested that we will tackle the
demolition work + installing the new doorway ourselves.

My mate is very sensible and would not have suggested this had he not
thought that we were able to do this. It is just that I don't want any major
problems/expenses resulting from this.

Is that a good idea in general? Anything to be concerned about? I forgot
to mention that my structural engineer has specified exactly how he expects
the building work to be carried out (which order, and which supports to have
in place prior to starting, etc), and we intend to follow them.

Thanks in advance.

PS: all the walls + ceilings in and around the areas affected by the work
are going to be plastered as soon as the work is complete.

NotMe wrote:

Is that a good idea in general? Anything to be concerned about? I forgot
to mention that my structural engineer has specified exactly how he expects
the building work to be carried out (which order, and which supports to have
in place prior to starting, etc), and we intend to follow them.

If it were me, I would get stuck right in ;-)

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"John Rumm" wrote in message


NotMe wrote:

my structural engineer has specified exactly how he expects
the building work to be carried out (which order, and which supports to have
in place prior to starting, etc), and we intend to follow them.

If it were me, I would get stuck right in ;-)

The engineer has already done half the work by the sound of it. It
should be a piece of cake.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

"NotMe" wrote
| I expect to get the approval for my planning application (well,
| building warrant)

It's important you get the right one.

| I am in the top floor of a Victorian tenement building, and the
| wall to be knocked down IS NOT a supporting wall (all the plans
| were drawn by my architect and structural engineer), and the wall
| in which the doorway is to be made is, again, not a supporting wall. ...
| Is that a good idea in general? Anything to be concerned about? I
| forgot to mention that my structural engineer has specified exactly
| how he expects the building work to be carried out (which order,
| and which supports to have in place prior to starting, etc), and
| we intend to follow them.

That all sounds much more sensible that what most builders would do (which
is to suck their teeth, quote an extortionate rate, and reach for the
hammer).

Run a pipe/cable detector across the walls before starting. A property of
that age may well have pipes for gas lighting in the walls, and there's a
chance they could still be live.

| PS: all the walls + ceilings in and around the areas affected by
| the work are going to be plastered as soon as the work is complete.

It might be a good idea to check with your StructE and building control
whether they want sight of the completed works *before* plastering over.

Especially if it's brick wall that is being demolished, how are you getting
the rubble out? You can hire linked 'bottomless buckets' to make a tube from
upstairs window down to a skip on the ground, easier than carrying waste
down the stairs.

Owain

Michael Mcneil wrote:
"John Rumm" wrote in message


NotMe wrote:

my structural engineer has specified exactly how he expects
the building work to be carried out (which order, and which supports to have
in place prior to starting, etc), and we intend to follow them.

If it were me, I would get stuck right in ;-)

The engineer has already done half the work by the sound of it. It
should be a piece of cake.

It should indeed, but I'd still say it does depend on you having the -
how can I put this?! - nous? - to do it properly and safely; only you
can make that judgement. I know plenty of people who, were they to ask
me, I'd have to say "don't touch it with a bargepole!"

David

"Owain" wrote in message
...
"NotMe" wrote
| I expect to get the approval for my planning application (well,
| building warrant)

It's important you get the right one.

Good point - I already checked with them both, and it is building warrant
that I need (and expect to get).


| I am in the top floor of a Victorian tenement building, and the
| wall to be knocked down IS NOT a supporting wall (all the plans
| were drawn by my architect and structural engineer), and the wall
| in which the doorway is to be made is, again, not a supporting wall. ...
| Is that a good idea in general? Anything to be concerned about? I
| forgot to mention that my structural engineer has specified exactly
| how he expects the building work to be carried out (which order,
| and which supports to have in place prior to starting, etc), and
| we intend to follow them.

That all sounds much more sensible that what most builders would do (which
is to suck their teeth, quote an extortionate rate, and reach for the
hammer).

Run a pipe/cable detector across the walls before starting. A property of
that age may well have pipes for gas lighting in the walls, and there's a
chance they could still be live.

Will do - thanks again.

| PS: all the walls + ceilings in and around the areas affected by
| the work are going to be plastered as soon as the work is complete.

It might be a good idea to check with your StructE and building control
whether they want sight of the completed works *before* plastering over.

Especially if it's brick wall that is being demolished, how are you
getting
the rubble out? You can hire linked 'bottomless buckets' to make a tube
from
upstairs window down to a skip on the ground, easier than carrying waste
down the stairs.

Again, checked with them already. Apparently with my council you only need
to inform them when you start the work, and if they choose to turn up to
inspect then fine, but they cannot refuse you the final approval if they
don't bother to do so.

Looks like a bit of fun coming my way...

Owain wrote:
"NotMe" wrote
| I expect to get the approval for my planning application (well,
| building warrant)

It's important you get the right one.

What's the difference? (Alternatively - what's a building warrant?!)

David

"NotMe" wrote in message
...
I expect to get the approval for my planning application (well, building
warrant) from the council any day now, and would like to go ahead with the
work ASAP.

This involves knocking down a wall to allow me to connect two recesses and
create one new room (to become my kitchen), and open a doorway in another
wall to allow for access into this room.

I am in the top floor of a Victorian tenement building, and the wall to be
knocked down IS NOT a supporting wall (all the plans were drawn by my
architect and structural engineer), and the wall in which the doorway is
to
be made is, again, not a supporting wall.

My mate, who is a joiner with 15+ years experience, and who will help me
with all the major joinery work has suggested that we will tackle the
demolition work + installing the new doorway ourselves.

My mate is very sensible and would not have suggested this had he not
thought that we were able to do this. It is just that I don't want any
major
problems/expenses resulting from this.

Is that a good idea in general? Anything to be concerned about? I forgot
to mention that my structural engineer has specified exactly how he
expects
the building work to be carried out (which order, and which supports to
have
in place prior to starting, etc), and we intend to follow them.

Sounds fine - provided you follow his advice unlike the jerk on the Beany
show who got an engineer in, was told to use more supports but decided not
to. That the house survived is more down to luck than judgement.

"Lobster" wrote
| | I expect to get the approval for my planning application (well,
| | building warrant)
| It's important you get the right one.
| What's the difference? (Alternatively - what's a building warrant?!)

Planning permission is concerned with what is built where. It covers
appearance and use of the building, density of population, impact on
neighbours, effect on transport and infrastructure.

Building warrant (building control) is concerned with how something is
built, ie construction, structural integrity, spread of fire and means of
escape, ventilation etc etc., IE compliance with the Building Regulations.

The two departments of the council are sometimes in the same building but
that's about it.

Owain

On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 10:19:38 -0000, "NotMe" wrote:

I expect to get the approval for my planning application (well, building
warrant) from the council any day now, and would like to go ahead with the
work ASAP.

This involves knocking down a wall to allow me to connect two recesses and
create one new room (to become my kitchen), and open a doorway in another
wall to allow for access into this room.

I am in the top floor of a Victorian tenement building, and the wall to be
knocked down IS NOT a supporting wall (all the plans were drawn by my
architect and structural engineer), and the wall in which the doorway is to
be made is, again, not a supporting wall.

My mate, who is a joiner with 15+ years experience, and who will help me
with all the major joinery work has suggested that we will tackle the
demolition work + installing the new doorway ourselves.

My mate is very sensible and would not have suggested this had he not
thought that we were able to do this. It is just that I don't want any major
problems/expenses resulting from this.

Is that a good idea in general? Anything to be concerned about? I forgot
to mention that my structural engineer has specified exactly how he expects
the building work to be carried out (which order, and which supports to have
in place prior to starting, etc), and we intend to follow them.

Thanks in advance.

PS: all the walls + ceilings in and around the areas affected by the work
are going to be plastered as soon as the work is complete.



I would DIY, on the other hand I have DIYed a couple of things that
gave me sleepless nights untill they were finished, so if you are a
bit worried, avoid. You could rely on your mate, and labor for him,
and bung him a few quid at the end - which sounds the best way to me.

"Owain" wrote in message


Planning permission is concerned with what is built where. It covers
appearance and use of the building, density of population, impact on
neighbours, effect on transport and infrastructure.

Once permited, permission to have a building in situe in one form or
another is not a matter of your lifetime nor the building's lifetime but
the national government's legal statute's lifetime.

In other words, once granted, planning permission means that unless
there is a civil revolution and radical change of government there will
be planning permission for there to be a building there forever.

It is an immense charter.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Owain wrote:
"Lobster" wrote
| | I expect to get the approval for my planning application (well,
| | building warrant)
| It's important you get the right one.
| What's the difference? (Alternatively - what's a building warrant?!)

Planning permission is concerned with what is built where. It covers
appearance and use of the building, density of population, impact on
neighbours, effect on transport and infrastructure.

Building warrant (building control) is concerned with how something is
built, ie construction, structural integrity, spread of fire and means of
escape, ventilation etc etc., IE compliance with the Building Regulations.

Ah, sorry - yes I know all about building control, just never heard of a
"building warrant"!

David

"Michael Mcneil" wrote in message
news:d5127d1292848d5e93266c08407d5a61.45219@mygate .mailgate.org...
"Owain" wrote in message


Planning permission is concerned with what is built where. It covers
appearance and use of the building, density of population, impact on
neighbours, effect on transport and infrastructure.

Once permited, permission to have a building in situe in one form or
another is not a matter of your lifetime nor the building's lifetime but
the national government's legal statute's lifetime.

In other words, once granted, planning permission means that unless
there is a civil revolution and radical change of government there will
be planning permission for there to be a building there forever.

Only if you start work on building that building within the time stated on
the planning permission.

In article , davidlobsterpot601
@hotmail.com says...

Ah, sorry - yes I know all about building control, just never heard of a
"building warrant"!

Probably called something different in England - we're talking in
Scottish here...

David

"Mike" wrote in message


"Michael Mcneil" wrote in message
news:d5127d1292848d5e93266c08407d5a61.45219@mygate .mailgate.org...

In other words, once granted, planning permission means that unless
there is a civil revolution and radical change of government there will
be planning permission for there to be a building there forever.

Only if you start work on building that building within the time stated on
the planning permission.

Quite.

I was just musing on something that struck me some time ago about
our responsibilies to our grandchildren's grandchildren.

Too often we have to look for the short, quick fix. And sometimes we
just make unecessary problems for others.

The OP was talking about some cosmetic surgery but I was thinking of a
nation's landscape.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

"David McNeish" wrote in message
. ..
In article , davidlobsterpot601
@hotmail.com says...

Ah, sorry - yes I know all about building control, just never heard of a
"building warrant"!

Probably called something different in England - we're talking in
Scottish here...

Sorry, it is in Scotland of course.

Should have mentioned it in the original message.

"Michael Mcneil" wrote in message
news:e4207b33ef7ddf3c69baa59b0e456bb4.45219@mygate .mailgate.org...
"Mike" wrote in message


"Michael Mcneil" wrote in message
news:d5127d1292848d5e93266c08407d5a61.45219@mygate .mailgate.org...

In other words, once granted, planning permission means that unless
there is a civil revolution and radical change of government there
will
be planning permission for there to be a building there forever.

Only if you start work on building that building within the time stated
on
the planning permission.

Quite.

I was just musing on something that struck me some time ago about
our responsibilies to our grandchildren's grandchildren.

Too often we have to look for the short, quick fix. And sometimes we
just make unecessary problems for others.

Nothing new in that. The person who in early 18xx thought it would be a
good idea to extend the local abatoir into a full house without putting in
proper foundations was obviously NOT thinking of my wellbeing at the time
:-)