From garden to roof, this property in Tremaine Close saw a major transformation, taking it to a new level.
Following a competitive tendering exercise, we were chosen to renovate this 1950s property while adding a rear extension and loft conversation. Recently purchased by the client, the house was overdue a major remodelling, but the project had to be pushed back by four months, due to the Covid-19 lockdown, to July 2020.
An asbestos survey cleared the way for a strip-out of all the ‘soft fabric’ of the house. We removed ceilings, the kitchen, bathroom, windows, and central chimney breast and conservatory, leaving the existing plasterwork, which was in reasonable condition.
REAR EXTENSION
As the garden was significantly higher (1.2m) than the property level, the area required for the extension had to be reduced by 6m. Some 40m3 of soil was removed in parallel with the deep strip and pad foundations excavation work. It was possible to store the spoil on the property’s large driveway, to be machined-grabbed later as this was the most economical method for the earthworks.
A goal post steel structure formed the opening to the rear extension. Structural steel was also installed to support the ground floor central ceiling to create an open-plan layout. Walls and joists had to be cut out and propped while these installations took place. Similarly, for the loft, structural steel at ceiling level formed the floor structure due the lack of ridge head height.
The rear extension was built with red facework brickwork and a detailed concrete profile around the opening to the garden, matching the architectural features at the front of the property. On seeing this space, the client changed the plans for French doors and window to a full-width UPVC sliding door.
The roof was a warm deck construction with insulation under the structure rather than between the ceiling joists. This structure was covered with a Firestone single-ply membrane before installing a green roof with planted trays and pebble edging along the perimeter. The main pitched roof tiles around the loft conversion were replaced with an anthracite profiled tile to match existing property, with the added benefit of a 10-year guarantee.
We installed a new WC under the stairs along with drainage, ventilation and a new waste pipe layout in the bathroom. The property was rewired throughout and re-plumbed with new pipework in copper and plastic.
As the client wanted the loft space to be open plan as well, to comply with fire regulations we installed a sprinkler system with inconspicuous nozzle heads in each room. The sprinkler tanks were positioned on one side of the eave in the loft space.
Underfloor heating was installed throughout the ground floor, with heating pipes for the rear extension embedded within the screed and a retrofit mat system for the existing substrate, while radiators heat the first floor and loft.
Walls were boarded with sound-reducing plasterboard and the hallway with fire- and moisture-resistant board in the wet areas . All rooms received a finish coat of plaster, after gritting existing walls to improve adhesion. Within seven days of plastering, all walls in the property were mist-coated, providing a blank canvas for the funky vintage/retro look desired by the owner, who chose a colour scheme by online paint company Lick.
VINTAGE STYLE
In the bathoom a deep green vinyl floor was replaced with a pink, orange and mauve 1960s retro patterned vinyl. The sanitary and brass ware comprises a Hans Grohe shower unit over a double-ended Bette bath, with a Corian basin and vanity unit.
The master and second bedrooms received vibrant floral-patterned wallpapers to complement the vintage furniture, and the master was also painted with a burnt orange paint .
A woven bamboo solid floor by Woodpecker Flooring, suitable for under-floor heating, was fitted on the ground floor. The client has since enhanced this space with new colours and accessories – also the WC, where a 1960s psychedelic wallpaper alongside the wall-hung toilet and basin creates a cool contrast with orange 100x 100mm vintage wall tiles over the basin.
In the garden, Indian sandstone paving slabs were added to the steps, with hit-and-miss limestone blanks embedded in a resin-bonded stone surface, leaving planters areas around the edge of the upper level of the garden. Again the client added their vintage style to enhance their space further
