Removing internal walls is a popular way of increasing the flow of natural light in your home and creating a layout that suits your way of life. But there are vital considerations to be made before you start work. Here’s what you need to know. It can become necessary to remove internal walls during the renovation of an older…
We are being asked to undertake a wide range of building inspections and surveys across Cumbria and Southern Scotland, and the requests range from minor defects to full surveys. However there seems to be confusion regarding the types of surveys being required and the requirements for mortgage lenders or property owners. In general terms, there are various types of survey…
Over the last 12 months, we are seeing an increase in the use of different construction techniques. Lack of materials and rising costs of labour have resulted in homeowners, developers and builders adopting different projects and techniques to save money. The first in the series, presents ICF, or to give them their full name Insulated Concrete Formwork. ICF building systems comprise…
We were recently asked by a client to negotiate a fee for some refurbishment work on a domestic property and when we stood our ground, we ran the risk of losing the project work to a cheaper consultancy. We were not worried by this, in fact, it felt good standing our ground and repeating to the client the amount of…
Over the last 25 years we have been involved in the preservation and restoration of many historic buildings across Cumbria and the Midlands including supervising industrial archaeology surveys. This includes old factories, shops and buildings which have undergone transformation or alterations over the years. One such project was preservation of a property in Gas Street, Birmingham. The site of one of the first gas producing…
There are 5 things to consider when doing an attic conversion to create the additional space you need in your home. You may be an expanding family, or just want additional space. When converting lofts there are five main things to consider in the practicalities of converting the space. Do you have enough space in the loft ? Can you create a suitable access…
Netherby Hall Coach House Restoration Over the last few months, Kingmoor Consulting have been supporting the new owners of Netherby Hall in some of their restoration work on the hall. It is one of the most stunning halls in Cumbria and it is good to see the care and respect going into its restoration. Working alongside the owners team and the Architects,…
Cold Bridging (also known as Thermal Bridging or Heat Bridging) occurs in a building where there is a gap in the insulation such as a join or corner or where a structural element spans across thermal insulation (for example in timber frame panels). The effects of this are not immediately visible, but over time and in the dampness of the…
We have been exploring savings on a house build for a client on the use of trench or foundation blocks for the buried part of the masonry walls for the property. For those who don’t know their trench blocks from their normal blocks, a trench block is a lightweight interlocking block brought on the construction market recently. They come in…
I was recently assisting a local builder, Croft View Construction, on a historic structure near Longtown, Cumbria. The project involved the removal and replacement of a roof from the Grade 2 listed Coach House, at Netherby Hall. The building had been over-roofed in the 1950’s, covering a large internal gutter and series of valleys. Once removed, the underlying roof revealed the long term effects of moisture…