LINLEY

Barcelona Triathlon

2012-10-26T01:45:00.003-07:00

Trevor Hyatt (MD) recently completed the Barcelona Triathlon along with some friends to raise money for various charities.

Tips on how to get planning approval

2012-10-19T03:41:00.002-07:00

Balconies, verandas and even decking (if it stands more than 300mm high) do need planning permission.

Planning rules are much tighter if you live in a listed building. You have no permitted development rights and making changes inside, or outside or in the aurrounding area, will routinely need planning permission. This doesn't mean that altering or extend...

ing a property is impossible. English Heritage keeps a register of every listed building in Britain, including the features for which they were listed and attempting to meddle with these attributes is planning suicide - other things may be a little easier. Homes in conveservation areas are also subject to special rules. You can't pebbledash the facade for example.

If you wish to pave over your garden for parking, you will probably not need planning permission, as long as you use porus bricks, gravel or slabs, don't live on an A or B road and don't cover an area of more than 5sqm. But you will need the approval of your local highways authority and have to pay for the kerb to be dropped.

Some further tips on how to get your plans approved

2012-10-12T02:00:00.004-07:00

Make the most of your surprisngly wide "permitted development" rights to maximise red tape. you can build a decent -sized rear extension, conservatory and even a basement extension without planning permission, although you must comply with Building Regulations. Be very sure of your ground before you break ground.

The Government's newly proposed Perm...

itted Development Rights will make it easier for homeowners to install conservatories and ground-floor extensions without planning permission. If, after consultation, the proposals go ahead at the end of this year. It could mean that for a limited period, possibly two to three years, full planning permission will be needed only for extensions that extend more than 6m from the wall of a terraced house (currently it is 3m) or 8m beyond a detached house (it is now 4m). But permission will still be needed in conservation areas for listed homes.

Take a look at some recently completed work

2012-10-05T01:47:00.003-07:00

One of our recently completed building and decorating projects in Mardley Hill

Trevor Hyatt - Virgin London Triathlon

2012-09-28T01:52:00.001-07:00

Trevor Hyatt MD of Linley Developments participating in his latest charity quest the Virgin London Marathon raising money for various fantastic charities as part of Linley's CSR Programme

Tips to get your plans approved

2012-09-21T03:23:00.004-07:00

1. Being too ambitious is the key reason why people have their planning applications knocked back. One obvious tip-off is to check whether any neighbours have completed similar projects. Things also look good if your proposal cannot be seen from the street and will not impace on your neighbours.

2. You can also get preapplication advice from your local council

3. Keeping your neighbours onside is vital. Even if it's just popping your head over the garden fence and saying you are thinking about an extension. If they feel involved from an early stage they are likely to feel more engaged than if you tell them the day before you put your planning application in and they are less likely to object.

More tips to follow next week

Loft Conversions 20 Great Ideas

2012-09-13T23:55:00.000-07:00

Follow our great ideas for loft conversions over the coming weeks

11. Be more conservative

The conservation roof light is a modern reproduction of Victorian cast iron single glazed rooflight.
Designed with a thin, low-profile frame, this conservation rooflight sits flush with the plane of the roof and is visually less obtrusive than a conventional rooflight.
In conservation areas and on listed buildings, the local planning authority is likely to be far more receptive to proposals for additional openings in the roof if conservation rooflights were used. In many instances they are a requirement of planning consent.

They are also favoured by the National Trust, English Heritage and many conservation designers for all period properties.

Conservation rooflights are also identifiable because larger window openings are divided vertically by glazing bars in sections to ensure that each pane is always taller than it is wide. As well as creating more pleasant proportions, this reflects the limitations on the size of glazed panels in the 19th century before the development of float glass.

Loft Conversions 20 great ideas

2012-09-07T01:09:00.001-07:00

Follow our great ideas for loft conversions over the coming weeks

10. Install Feature Rooflights

The standard solutions for bringing light into an attic room are the rooflight and the dormer window, but it's really worj considering feature windows, which can bring in more light and create a sense of space, as well as making the most of any views.

A bank of rooflights arranged together, typicall...

y in a symmetrical pattern, look impressive and can be achieved using both conventional and conservation rooflights.

Other options include ridgelights - a bank of glazing running along one or both sides of the ridge - and glazed roof lanterns.

where the loft has a flat roof there are many options for introducing light, including dormes and pyramids, or roof lanterns with arched, gabled or hip gabled profile.

The frameless flat rooflight, is a good option for a flat roof, especially above a stair landing.

Rooflights can eb fixed or hinged for access to the flat roof. When closed, no part of the frame is visible, except on very large rooflights which are made from two or more units supported by steel mullion, although even this can be replaced by structural glass beam.

Loft Conversions 20 Great Ideas

2012-08-31T01:31:00.000-07:00

9. - Bring in light

If your budget is limited, the least expensive type of loft conversion design is a 'rooflight' conversion, also known as a 'Velux' conversion after the well-known roof window manufacturer.

This type of conversion only works where there is already a large amount of loft space with full headroom, as the roof itself remains unaltered, other than by cutting in rooflights between rafters.

As no volume is added, planning permission is not required in England and Wales providing the work constitutes Permitted Development (flats, listed properties and properties where Permitted Development rights are restricted or removed will still need consent)

What you want from your home

2012-08-17T00:09:00.002-07:00

A recent survey has given an insight into how people are using their homes and what they are looking for when choosing a home.

People are looking for more storage, utility space and larger windows to let in mo...

re light to the property.

The other main area people would like is to have a larger living rooms in their property.

Have a look at our web site www.linleydevelopments.co.uk for all our great ideas of how to achieve your properties maximum potential and make sure you have everything you need from your hhome

Loft Conversions 20 Great Ideas

2012-08-10T01:23:00.003-07:00

Follow our great ideas for loft conversions over the coming weeks

8. Mansards work on terraces - A mansard roof is a roof that has two slopes, with the lower slope being so steeply pitched as to almost be vertical and the upper being verylow pitch, often down to just 5-8 degrees.

Spanning from gable to gable or hip to hip on a four - sided mansard roof, it maximises the volume of interior spac...

e within the attic without requiring masonry. The steeply pitched slope is typically puncuated with dormer windows or glazed doors.

The deisgn works particularly well on terraced houses where the rear section of the roof can be removed and replaced with a mansard structure, creating space with full headroom over a significant proportion of the property, without raising the ridge height.

Usually rooflights are added in the front plane of the roof, but in some siutations it may be possible to alter the roof to a mansard design at the front, too, effectively creating a whole additional storey on the building.

Many local authorities favour mansard roof conversions, as having a slate-clad roof extending from party wall to party wall of a terraced house is considered far less visaully obtrusive than a large box bormer set within party walls.

Loft Conversions 20 Great Ideas

2012-08-03T02:55:00.000-07:00

7. The Ultimate Master Suite - Away from activity in the rest of the house, the attic level can be the perfect place to create a master bedroom ensuite. The brief you give us can be interpreted by creating a space in which you can relax, rest, work and entertain.

A new master ensuite could be created by remodelling the rood space, doubling the floor area and increasing the headroom. As well as the bedroom area, you could have a living space, wrok area, walk-in wardrobes and a beautiful ensuite bathroom.

Features could include underfloor heating beneth wooden flooring, together with air conditioning to give total climate control. You could have the bed designed to look as if it floats by concealing the legs out of view, and underlight it with subtle LED lights.

The bathroom could include a steam room, jacuzzi bath and high tech toilet.

Loft Conversions 20 Great Ideas

2012-07-27T03:27:00.004-07:00

Follow our great ideas for converting loft spaces over the coming weeks.

6. Sound proof it - Accoustic seperation is critical. There is a minimum soundproofing requirement, but this is inaqequate where the use of the attic room is likely to be noisy, such as a playroom. If the floor is to have a hard surface, such as a wooden floor, an acoustic floor is essential. Sound can travel between attic rooms and the floor below by two means; airbourne and impact transfer.

The first can be reduced by making sure the structure is air tight, taping insulation materials together, and using sealant around the floor edges etc. The voids between the floor joists can be filled with high-density acoustic insulation, atthough this cannot be used around recessed spotlights. Using high-density fibre reinforced plasterboard (e.g Fernacell) can also reduce sound transfer.

Impact transfer can be reduced by using caulking to seperate the structural floor joists from the wooden floorboards and ensuring there are no fixings - screws or nails - between the flooring and the joists.

Loft Conversions 20 Great Ideas

2012-07-20T02:42:00.001-07:00

Follow our great ideas for converting loft spaces over the coming weeks.

5. Juliet Balcony - Where it is not possible to add a roof terrace or balcony that you can step out onto, the solution is to add a balustrade just beyond the doors (which are designed to open inwards). On a traditional building this is often in black painted wrought iron, but of a more contemporary building a glass balustrade is discreet and simple.

Loft Conversions 20 Great Ideas

2012-07-13T01:43:00.001-07:00

4. Install a space saving staircase - the ideal position for the staircase in a two storey house is directly about the staircase below, running in the same direction. Where there is insufficient headroom - minimum 1.9m at the centre and 1.8m at the string - a carefully positioned dormer window or rooflight can make all the difference. However, where this is not possible or practical, the most space-efficient staircase configuration should be found.

The maximum pitch under Building Regulations is 42 and although there is no minimum width for a staircase, less than 600mm is unlikely to prove practical. Landings to change direction take up space, but these can be avoided by using winders and kites (triangular treads) so that stairs can turn up at the same time as rising; a spiral staircase is made up entirely of winders. For a single-room loft conversion the Building Regulations will accept a space-saver staircase, which has alternating treads.

Windsor Castle Triathlon

2012-07-06T01:37:00.001-07:00

Trevor Hyatt and friends completing their latest Triathlon for charity as part of Linley Developments CSR programme - the triathlon took place at Windsor castle at the time of the Queen's recent jubilee celebrations

Loft Conversions 20 Great Ideas

2012-06-29T02:37:00.001-07:00

Follow our great ideas for converting loft spaces over the coming weeks.

3. Go hip to gable
Where the roof of a property is hipped, e.g sloping on all four sides (three on a semi detached house), there may not be sufficient roof volume with full headroom to make a conversion viable. However, the roof can be altered from a hip to gable on one or both sides, forming a gable pitched roof with headroom along the full length of the roof.

A hip to gable conversion may not require planning permission providing the design complies with the criteria for Permitted Development (PD). This allows an increase of 50m to the house (40m on a terraced house), providing no part of the roof is higher than the original.

It is always worth checking with the local authority as to whether or not planning permission is required. It may be possible to undertake work using PD rights that would not comply with local planning policy were permission required.

Loft Conversions 20 great ideas

2012-06-22T01:41:00.000-07:00

2. Add Glazing to Gable Walls - the opportunity to introduce windows in gable walls is often overlooked when designing a loft conversion, yet it is a great way to introduce light. As with any window the cill must be 800mm above floor level.

A Gable window can be expanded so that the whole triangular gable wall is glazed, with a structural frame of timber and steel reinforcement where necessary. This can really add the wow factor to a loft room.

Glazing a gable wall is unlikely to be an issue oin forward or rear facing gable and may be classed as Permitted Developement.

New windows in a side elevation will always need planning permission unless they are obscure glazed with any opening part at least 1.7m above floor level.

Loft Conversions 20 great ideas

2012-06-15T04:30:00.002-07:00

Follow our great ideas for converting loft spaces over the coming weeks.

1. Think ahead
Designing a roof with future conversion in mind will allow for the expansion of living space should demand arise. Specifying either a cut roof or attic trusses will add £1,500 - £2,000 to the average build cost but hugely simplify the conversion process. In addition, including a plumbing and heating manifold in the roof space, siting soil vent (SVP) pipes where they might be needed, and allowing space on the consumer unit for power, lighting and other circuits, will bring down the cost of a conversion. Finally, opt for a 'warm roof' design and consider the addition of a full staircase.

Look at our previous work

2012-06-08T01:53:00.001-07:00

Take a look around our web site for all your building and renovation needs.

Our web site has lots of fantastic pictures of previous works undertaken and will give you a comprehensive idea of the care and attention we pay to the work we undertake.

One of our Current Porjects

2012-06-01T00:54:00.001-07:00

One of our current projects is a listed farmhouse in St Albans.

This picture is before the works have been started for our clients.

Extensive works incorporating new roofs, insulations, windows, floors, rewire and the latest technology in heating etc to bring this building back to it's original period features.

Charity Football Match V Arsenal Veterans and All Stars

2012-05-23T03:51:00.002-07:00

As part of Linley Developments ongoing CSR projects Trevor Hyatt (MD) took part in a charity football match recently against Arsenal Vetrans and All Stars.

The match took place in London Colney and was well supported by locals and families of the teams.

One of Our Current Projects

2012-05-01T02:39:00.000-07:00

One of the current projects we are working on in St Albans incudes a full scaffolding shroud over the existing building so as to keep work progressing on schedule during the inclement weather. This is a listed farmhouse. The poject entail...s the reconstruction of the existing roofs, rebuilding feature chimneys, alterations, sympathetic extensions and a major general overhaul bringing this building in line with 21st century technology.

Check your potential building contractor

2012-04-20T01:55:00.002-07:00

1. Check whether the builder's portfolio of work features quality
past projects.

2. Get information about current activities and availability for your
project.

3. Ask for client references and follow these up.

4. Visit completed jobs and drive past current work sites.

Where to find a builder

2012-04-13T02:15:00.000-07:00

1. If you are using an architext or designers, ask the names of several builders they might recommend

2. Drive around your neighbourhood and look for quality building projects similar to what you have in
mind.

3. Check your local newspaper and ask friends or associates for referrals.

4. Use the compare quotes building directory.