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Emma Heaver - Architecttect hitect

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Listed Farmhouse Extension And Alterations.

The Project:

This Grade 11 listed Farmhouse has concrete rendered cob and stone walls, a slate roof and timber windows.

The three chimney stacks are an imposing feature of the house. There is a cob walled outhouse and a series of "unattractive" extensions to the rear of the property.

The loft space will be converted into a 5th bedroom with en suite and a new staircase constructed to provide access.

Underfloor heating will be installed throughout the ground floor and into the new oak extension.

The proposed single storey Green Oak Framed Extension will not be seen at road level. The light and airy contemporary structure will complement the robust features of the Farmhouse.

The existing cob outhouse will be incorporated into the design and the reorganisation of the lean-to into a study and utility area makes a more cohesive group to the rear.

The cement render will be hacked off and replaced with a traditional hydraulic lime render, the chimney stacks will be topped with stone slabs. The roof will be natural slate, all new hip and ridge tiles are to be clay to match existing.

The First floor WC block will be demolished and a new 1st floor family bathroom created in place of the smallest bedroom. The current bathroom will become an en-suite. Two further en-suite bathrooms will be created and the outside toilet will be incorporated into the new utility area.

Planning Conditions required that a bat survey be carried out and an ecological consultant was employed. Evidence was found that the roof space may have been used as a maternity roost for pippistrelle bats. Although there was no signs of recent bat activity a report outlining a full programme of mitigation recommendations was drawn up. An area of loft space specifically for use by the bats was to be put aside and bat slates for access incorporated into the roof these measures to be completed by April 2009 when the bats might return to breed.

Work Commenced on site on Monday 6th October and was scheduled to end on 28th February 2009.

The stone flags in the living room hall and kitchen were taken up and set aside, the sub-floor was excavated to prepare for the concrete slab, insulation,screed and underfloor heating.

The mains water supply was discontinued, with the exception of a temporary feed to a toilet (for the workmen) and tap. The maze of old pipes, the boiler and central heating system were removed ready to be replaced by a new more efficient system.

Outside the lean-to utility area was demolished and the garden excavated to prepare for the foundations for the oak-framed extension.

Carpenter Oak of Totnes were asked to design a traditional Oak framework for the extension to the rear of the farmhouse.

The design was approved by both the structural engineers I.W.Payne & Partners and the Approved Building Inspector from JHA Innovations with regard to the Building Regulations.

The Green Oak Frame was built during November in Carpenter Oak’s yard by craftsmen using traditional jointing and in early December erected on site in just 2 days.

Inside the farmhouse, the flagstones throughout the entire ground floor were lifted and put aside. The floors were excavated to a depth of about 18inches ready for the new floors.

The sub floors were laid and left to dry. The floors were then insulated and approximately a mile of pipes laid for the underfloor heating.

A layer of screed was poured to cover the pipes and although the floor was expected to take a minimum of 2-3 months to completely dry out it could be walked on within 48hrs.

After Christmas the wet floors and cold weather created an issue with damp and mould. A dehumidifier was hired to help dry out the ground floor, especially as all of the internal elm beams were to be cleaned to bring back the original look of the wood.

Mobile sandblasting company Birmablast (recommended by Carpenter Oak) were employed to sandblast the beams of the new oak extension. The whole process took less than 2 days, after which the timber needed to be protected from the elements to prevent staining until the roof, walls and windows finished.

Local company, Quay Scaffolding was employed to erect the scaffold to three sides of the house and lifts to all three chimneys. A licence was obtained from the Local Authority as it encroached onto a public highway. Barriers and warning signs were erected and the scaffold netted to protect from the possibility of falling debris.

Two of the Three chimneys proved a challenge, the scaffold spanned the new oak room to get to the middle chimney and the back chimney needing the platform being counterbalanced - it was a sublime feat of engineering.

Tri-Iso Super10 was nailed to the exposed rafters and purlins as insulation for what will be the new loft room.

The felt and batons were nailed into place ready for the tilers to arrive.

As soon as the scaffold was completed the chimneys were repaired and re-pointed. They were then lime rendered and topped with stone copings.

S D Roofing were then able to begin stripping off the old tiles and batons in preparation for the new roof.

Conservation rooflights were inserted into the rear of the roof space this introduced welcome natural light into what would become a beautiful new loft room.

The schedule had slipped over the winter months and it was becoming obvious at the current rate of progress the work would take significantly longer than anticipated to complete. A revised completion date of 30th April was agreed with the main contractor.

Birmablast returned to clean the Oak rafters and purlins in the loft space - It was lovely to see the ancient beams restored.

The steels arrived at the end of February. 11 lengths, each the full width of the house, were hoisted up the scaffolding, assisted by the roofing contractors and the scaffolder, under the eaves into the roof space ready for fixing into place on oak padstones.

Each length of steel was installed to either side of the existing Oak rafters and new floor joists slotted between.

The roofing, guttering and fascia boards to the front and side of the house were started at the same time as the steelworks and the render to the chimneys finished.

The 30th April deadline for completion arrived and passed with no significant progress having been made. There was now only the foreman and a labourer on site. Materials needed to continue the works failed to appear. Areas of work were started but left unfinished for want of supplies and manpower. Meetings were therefore arranged between the main contractor and the client to try to rectify these problems but the situation failed to improve. On 11th June 2009 a Notice was given under Clause 10 of the conditions of the contract that the Contractor was in default - citing lack of progress and inability to proceed regularly and diligently with the work. Due to continued lack of progress it was then decided with the client to terminate the contract. This meant that the site had to be shut down in order to assess the exact extent of the work that had been completed by the contractor, before negotiations could begin with a new builder. This was obviously a very stressful time for the client, as well as the architect!

A comprehensive schedule of outstanding work was drawn up, the necessary materials ordered and subcontractors engaged to keep the project moving forward.

The rooflights over the new Oak Room, the downstairs cloakroom and the Study were installed enabling the roofing contractor to return to complete the lead work and finish tiling the roof. Finally the house was watertight!

The chimneys and the rear wall of the house had been re-rendered in lime render and these areas were now finished with 4 coats of cream coloured lime wash.

Upstairs all of the walls and ceilings had to be repaired and replastered.

The external cobb walls were carefully rennovated before being lime plastered.

The existing internal lath and plaster walls were strenghtened and tied to the new ceiling joists.

The bedroom and landing ceilings were then ready to be plastered and made ready for the electrician to install the lighting.

The Green Oak Extension ceiling was insulated with 115mm of Celotex Insulation Board.

An approved Building Control inspector from JHA.Innovation came in to certify that the work had been carried out in accordance with the current regulations before the ceiling could be plastered and prepared for painting.

The original rear stone wall was raked out and re-pointed with a mixture containing the local, iron rich, red Devonian soil.

The other walls were plastered with a slightly textured mixture to be sympathetic with the age of the farmhouse.

MG Electrical Contractors returned to install new light fittings throughout the house. Simple Halogen downlights were fitted in the stairwells, hall, landing, bedrooms and bathrooms. These lights provide clear bright illumination without the need for obtrusive fittings.	6 directional halogen spotlights with simple white glass shades were installed between the huge beams. These lights are directed upwards to illuminate the ceiling and accentuate the beautiful oak rafters.
Low Energy Lighting was used throughout the utility areas; Fluorescent tube lighting in both the boiler room and the storeroom and bulkhead lights in the downstairs cloakroom and entrance lobby.

Emma Heaver RIBA

BA(Hons),Dip Arch(Dist),Pg Dip(Dist) Architecture Conservation.