If you ask the majority of homeowners what they would like most from their current, or next property, the most likely answer will be; “More space”. The first hurdle to gaining more space is that there’s generally a considerable cost that comes with it. So as a result, most of us are looking to maximise the space we have by removing walls, adding extensions, loft conversions and conservatories. Obviously there’s always a limit to the amount we can add to any property, which means we have to be creative.

Removing walls between reception rooms has been popular for years. But this can often be a compromise when you want more space, yet would still like the usability of separate rooms. The original solution to this home crisis was either French or concertina doors. Both work well but also have their drawbacks. French doors when opened will often protrude too far into one of the rooms, and end up being more of a hindrance than a help. Concertina doors on the other hand, slide and fold away neatly, but are generally thin, rickety and lack class.

Modern sliding doors are becoming extremely popular for dividing rooms, and for opening large aspects of houses to the garden. The sliding doors of today are available twofold. The first of these are similar to aluminium sliding doors that were very popular some years ago, otherwise known as “patio doors”. Although today’s sliding doors are much more elegant and smooth, and are also available in natural wood thanks to great advances in mechanisms. In new build properties it’s even possible to design the building so that the doors slide into the wall cavity, allowing the maximum of open space. However, for most of us this just isn’t a viable option, and we can only open one sliding door or the other, resulting in only half the clear space. Fortunately there is another kind of sliding door available which will allow you to take advantage of the full opening. These are more commonly known as bi fold doors, and basically work on exactly the same principle as concertina doors by sliding and folding to one side. The mechanisms for these have also improved enormously which has allowed for their use on external aspects. These are also available in wood, aluminium and upvc plastic.

The massive advantages of more natural light, ease of use and high security locking systems of modern sliding doors are encouraging people to replace their old French windows and even remove normal windows and brickwork to accommodate them.

Sliding doors are very much a “Lifestyle” product of today.

For more information on sliding and bi fold doors go to http://www.ehjoinery.com/products/doors/timberbi-foldingdoors.phuse or www.bespokebifolddoors.co.uk  

In the last published quarter the building trade was reported to be 6.9% down on growth. Of all our industries, this was one of the largest levels of shrinkage compared to markets such as the food and beverage industry showing a drop of 1.8%. During testing times such as these, the building trade is normally one of the first sectors to show strain. However, how much of this decline has been due to “The Recession” and how much to over-regulation?

The slump in the housing market through over pricing and over lending by the banks was always going to mean an inevitable decline in construction, therefore resulting in a gross reduction of staff for the major construction companies. One of the main routes back into employment for trade’s people is to transfer your skills onto serving private homeowners rather than large developers. It would stand-to-reason then, that homeowners will be far more likely to concentrate on the upkeep and possible development of their current property rather than try to secure a sale during a time of lowered market prices and insecure mortgage lenders, right? Unfortunately, over-regulation in recent years may have put a significant dent in the private market, and be playing a large part in holding many skilled people out of work.

The area highlighted here is “Loft Conversions”. The difference that can be made by converting the roof-space of a conventional 3 bedroom semi-detached property in the United Kingdom is staggering! The property can instantly become a four bedroom dwelling without having to increase the original footprint, it’s often a simple task to include an en-suite bathroom during the renovation and the increased value to the property provides additional financial security to the owners, not to mention enhance the quality and comfort of their lives.

Loft conversions have been one of the growth areas within the building trade over the last ten or so years, and a healthy number of new SME’s have started up to solely undertake this work. A conversion also requires a multitude of different trades that can include: Carpenters, Plumbers, Electricians, Roofers, Plasterers, Brick layers and Labourers. There’s also a varied pool of suppliers that are engaged to supply the materials, including: builders and timber merchants, electrical, bathroom and roof tile wholesalers, right through to window, glass and staircase manufacturers.

From 2002 building control decided to increase the regulations on the loft conversion industry with the following measures: Supporting beams had to be either 2 @ 12 x 4 inch timbers bolted together or steel “I” beams, with the majority of inspectors insisting on the more costly steel. This measure was fine for large spanning area’s, however most average properties do not require that amount of support. Likewise, inspectors were often insisting on much larger joisting and often raised the timber section from an ample 6 x 2inch to 9 x 2 inch. The required thickness for roof insulation was also increased from 50mm to 100mm (As if the loft space is not warm enough, “Heat rises you know”)! Not only did the increase in joist and insulation thickness have a bearing on cost, it also reduced the occupant’s headroom by up to 5 inches. The next regulation was that all joists would need to have chicken wire laid across them prior to floor boarding to create a further barrier. This measure added another material to the project and further labour costs to install. Finally, and by far the most damaging measure was building control insisting on the whole property having all it’s doors and frames replaced as fire doors, a very costly and time consuming exercise.

After speaking with many loft conversion specialists it’s apparent the average conversion has increased in cost by 20-30% (over and above inflation) and many people have subsequently shelved their plans. Obviously we need regulations to protect people, but how many of the measures had any significant impact other than increasing costs and scaring away potential customers? Or, are we creating regulations for the sake of it allowing bureaucracy to once again triumph over common sense???