Do I need a Building Warrant?

Hi Stevie.

My understanding is that, yep, you need a Building Notice Application (in England at least) which should only cost around £95 for a small job like this.

However, you'll almost certainly also require a Structural Engineer to confirm the lintel required over the new opening.

That will cost around £100 too - or more from some.

So, if you are 100% confident that you will do this properly, many (most?) peeps wouldn't bother.

Chust bear in mind that, when you come to sell, if anyone questions the window locations and asks about the work done, you will be somewhat on t'back foot.

So, your call.

If you decide to do this without BCO/SE, then take good photos of the work, and most people will be sensible enough to not be too concerned...

 

If you're fitting the windows yourself the applying for a Buildings Regulations notice is the way to go. Fitted all the windows and doors last year. The onus would be on you to specify that the correct hinges, opening sizes where fire egress is concerned. Also toughened glass if the glazing area falls within certain parameters.

I paid £120 to have the BCO come out (3 occasions, including 1 pre-vist) this was based on replacement windows to keep existing openings and no alterations to layout design, this fee covered for upto 10 windows/doors, (there were 11 in total). This was quite a large job as all the openings require single leaf lintels for all openings to exterior brickwork as the original window were Critall type windows with steel sub frame which acted as lintels. Unless the opening is very large pan, I wouldn't bother with a SE as the BCO advised on this himself. Receive completion Notice at the end of the job.

Another route would be to use a FENSA registered installer, but have had 2 x bad experiences with firms so I decided to do myself.

Can you upload pictures of the current window.

 

Yes definitely a SE then.

These types of houses were built after the war, when there was shortage of skilled labor.

The concrete was poured in using formers/shutters.

My maisonette was a wimpey build, while it was in council hands the houses in their ownership had a single skin of brickwork with cavity for insulation, so look like 'normal' houses. There are a few still left where owners had purchased before the work.

In another house (same construction) had a window replace for french doors, this needed a heavy duty breaker to break down the dwarf wall. Because the opening wasn't affected didn't require structural work.

 

Is it 24" wide? or the other way around

 

Does this mean your house has a single leaf brick wall?

Or using insulated render?

This is a good thread.

 

No fines houses were nothing to do with a shortness of skilled labour,they were a cheap building method for Wimpey.
If I remember correctly the external walls were roughly nine to ten inches thick.Internal load bearing walls were stud 4x2 work and other internal walls were only 2x1.
From what I remember of them it will be a pain cutting out a window and putting in a lintel.

 

Took some plumbers 4-5 hours just to core a 4" hole for the boiler flue.

The best way is not to cut but to break up the stones using a breaker to attack each individual stone, did a core hole in less than half that time using just the breaker.

The core bit will constantly get stuck in the stones and bugger up the drill.

 

I know what they are like,I worked on hundreds of them back in the seventies.

 

Look at something bigger than a 2kg SDS, although it will do the job. When I had to put in some 9x9" air bricks used the Titan 15kg breaker - 1/2 hour, but very hard to hold horizontally, had scaffolding so safe

A chisel point is best, but don't go in to deep at a time as it will get stuck.

Our wall were nearly 450mm thick, that's less a 4" cavity and 4" brick.

 

Did you make the opening?

 

Was thinking of getting a window installed here.

Just for the view would be worth it, dont know why the person who designed the place didn't incorporate one.

The bathroom has a window on the gable.

Would have to get an SE in. A possible future project

 

I've sent a picture and details to a structural engineer for calculations as am planning on putting a window on the gable end. Concrete is about 300mm thick.

 

Had SE engineer come out yesterday to carry out site visit.

He measured the thicknesses of wall etc and calculating the loading so will supply me with all the calculations.

Once I have calculations I can then submit a building regulations notice for alteration to/ making new window openings.

Not sure why the flat didn't have a window on the gable end in the kitchen anyways Bathroom is on gable end and has a window.

Beautiful view, waking up every morning looking out of the window. There are about 11 or so horses in the field. For the cost its going to be worth it.