I want to network my house with intelligent light and sound systems. Will I have to rip out all the current decoration?
Naomi Cleaver (pictured above) replies There are wireless intelligent light and sound systems on the market, but this specific aspect of technology is in its infancy and tends to be avoided by the cognoscenti, mainly due to interference issues. A hard-wired system is the only way to guarantee reliability, which means burying cables in walls and floors. Having said that, you won’t necessarily need to rip out all your current decoration – a good contractor should be able to make good the necessary works.
However, I must sound a note of caution when it comes to so-called intelligent systems. In my experience, the more technology you have, the more technology you have to go wrong, and then there’s the little matter of obsolescence when it comes to the hi-tech. Personally, I think that unless you live in a palace, you really shouldn’t need anything more complicated than a dimmer switch. And the same goes for the equivalent in sound.
We’re considering building our own house near water and the planning conditions include building on stilts. What are the implications of building on stilts over normal foundations?
Stuart Tappin replies A typical house will have walls on a mass concrete foundation that is poured into trenches dug into the ground, so the weight of the building is evenly distributed. Building the house on stilts will mean you concentrate loads from the building onto a smaller area. The difference is the same as flat-soled shoes compared to stiletto heels, which is why the latter are not allowed inside many National Trust properties!
Two important issues to address with foundations are strength and stiffness. Will the foundation be able to support the weight of the structure above and within acceptable levels of settlement? Ensuring the foundations are strong enough to support the weight of the structure is dealt with by spreading the loads so the bearing capacity of the soil is not exceeded. The stiffness issue needs to consider the weight of different areas of the house – for example, is one part heavier, and are there any variations in the ground conditions? This is often overlooked or not fully considered and can lead to problems of differential settlement which causes finishes to crack.
For all buildings, it’s important to understand the properties of the ground that the house will be on. It will be even more crucial with a house on stilts. A site investigation is essential and, depending on the site and the proposed building, this can range from a hole dug into the ground to see the underlying soil to a borehole with tests on the extracted ground.
I recently submitted a planning application to extend my Thirties semi. The plans followed practically the same dimensions and blueprint as our neighbour’s extension, which was completed last year. But our application was refused on the grounds that it is not in keeping with the surrounding area. Why did our plans get refused and could we appeal?
Roger Estop replies We don’t have the space here to compare your proposal with your neighbour’s, but we can assume it is a side extension which will be visible from the street. ‘Practically’ the same can mean the difference between good looking and downright ugly. Your proposal is probably different in terms of the siting, elevation and materials – even subtle differences in design competence can make your neighbour’s extension work well and your extension jar with the street scene – it could be misalignment, wrong materials, clunky eaves detail, unwieldy window proportions, etc. These days, a council won’t stop to talk to you about your application; it gets the decision out quickly. And, unfortunately, reasons for refusal tend to be rather curt – but in this case it can be translated as ‘get some decent design advice and resubmit the application’.
The idea of precedent – something similar has been done before – carries no weight in planning permission. Each scheme is assessed on whether it works on its own site. Every site is subtly different – previous alterations, the relationship to adjoining properties, orientation to the sun, visibility of the house in the street scene. So there is no such thing as an off-the-peg planning permission and never exactly the same circumstances – even for next-door neighbours.
This edition of Kevin's Column is taken from the January issue of Grand Designs magazine. If you would like to subscribe for as little as £9 then head here to find out more.
Need inspiration on interior design for the rooms in your house, well check out these useful guides!
Top tips from George Clarke and Naomi Cleaver!
Your Comments
Post your comment
Please note: In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in to Channel 4:
Sign In Here or Register Here
Comments closed
Comments are closed at the present time
Comments
Thank you for your comment!
Your message will be reviewed and the best ones will be published below.
If you intended to make an official comment to Channel 4 please contact us.
Comments