Comments0 by in House Extensions
August 29, 2014
Things to Know Before you Start Your Home Extension

At one time or another, every home-owner considers some kind of home extension to their current dwellings. Those DIY experts will also be very enthusiastic about handling the entire job themselves and jump straight in. But there are a number of complexities involved in carrying out any kind of home improvement jobs and so is the case with an extension. It’s best to hire a reliable building contractor to handle the job even if you have the skills and the tools to carry out some home improvement jobs yourself.

Home extension involves aspects of design & construction that can be complicated and time consuming. Any errors can prove to be very costly and though you can plan the design and building concept yourself, when it comes to actually carrying out the task, its best that you hand that over to the contractor.

What to consider:

Either way, if you are considering a home extension there are a few things you should know before starting… They are:

Existing Structure:

This is probably one of the foremost aspects you have to look at. You will have to get an engineer to survey the structure and ascertain if the structure is sturdy enough for a floor addition. Apart from the foundation of the structure, the walls that are in the area you will be building on, will also have to be load-bearing. Apart from the walls, flooring and roof, the structure will also have to be bear the weight of masonry or furniture that gets added to the new floor.

Temporary Supports:

If everything is okay from an architectural perspective the next thing to think about is the temporary supports. These will be required to support the existing structure when the construction of the new floor is taking place. If your home extension involves the addition of some room/s on the ground level, these supports may not be required.

Framing:

The kind of support-structure that is required will be dependent on the framing-style of your home. If wall studs run in an uninterrupted manner right from the roof down to the sill plate of the foundation, it will mean that the structure has balloon framing. On the other hand, platform framing includes a floor-level plate & a ceiling-level top plate which has wall studs attached to it. The framing-style that is used in the structure of your house will impact the complexity of your home extension project.

Layout & Style:

This is one more important consideration and will determine the design of the home addition. You will also have to consider the different systems in your home such as plumbing, wiring and HVAC. The final design will be dependent on whether the addition is to the ground, 1st or 2nd level of your home.

Costs:

I know… We keep harping on about having a budget but this is a major factor. Knowing the cost of your home extension will have to be determined in great detail. You should also put aside some money for contingencies, so that you are not set back by any unforeseen issues.

Getting your extension right!

Just having the shell of a room or rooms does not make a home. There will also be interior designing costs involved and your contractor should be able to keep you in the loop about building codes. Plan the entire layout well and leave some space for scalability, like smaller additions that can be carried out in phases if need be.

Managing your entire home extension in the right manner will ensure that you are saved from unnecessary hassles and escalated costs and you have a home you can completely enjoy- from the construction phase to the finish.

Have a great week.

Cheers,
Shane Caldwell
0414 446 572

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