Wooden lean-to extension/utility room. Complete Novice!

[Chinamonkey]

Hello all,

Looking for a bit of guidance. I am not technically minded in the slightest so please explain things to me like a 5yr old!

We have seen a lean to wooden extension (http://www.hortons-portablebuilding...abin_id=4453-5x3m-lean-to-non-square-sun-room ) and have had quotes etc.

This is my current understanding...please correct me on anything that is wrong! I dont want to make any costly mistakes!

This will go at the side of our house at the top of our drive/back garden. This drive way is currently slab paving and is uneven after having cars parked on it for a few years.
as it goes right up the the boundary between our house and the neighbours drive we are sticking with single story and no more than 2.4m at the eaves.
We are opting for 35mm wood thickness. we are looking to get a good handyman/builder to sort out the drive and erect the structure.
We will have a door knocked through from our kitchen wall to be able to enter it from the house, am i right in thinking this needs to be an external door to class as a temp structure? and avoid planning?

We have different options for the base but not sure on which is best.
1 either level the slabs and put down the wooden base it comes with
2 get a concrete base down and use the wooden base it sits on...

Once we have the slab/concrete base down we need to put some DPC down? yes?

Once it is erected, we want to insulate it so its not completely freezing in there! do i need to leave a gap between the wooden wall and the insulation?
My brother in law suggested using the celotex with plasterboard attached to make it easier for us to insulate and plasterboard.
My plan was to attach batons to the wall and use this to secure the insulation, if i need to leave a gap, how much gap?
and do i need some kind of damp proofing lining stuff between the insualtion and the wood?

Roofing:
Would we use the same technique as the walls for the roof only using thicker insulation?


Thank you for any help you can give! we desperatley need the space with the new baby coming as the tumble dryer is currently in her room! and its a box room at that!

Any other things i need to think of? be aware of?
We would dearly love to go down the route of a full extension with bricks, planning etc but finances do not allow that for another good few years!
Thanks

 

[Chinamonkey]

anyone any thoughts?

 

[geraldthehamster]

Hopefully someone with more experience than me will answer you.

As I understand it, regardless of construction you are building a side extension. Whether it is permitted development or needs planning permission you can find out at the link below. It will depend, among other things, on whether it is more than 50% of the width of the original house:

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/17/extensions/10

Building regulations are another matter. To be exempt from building regulations, it would have to be considered an exempt conservatory:

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/10/conservatories/3

Many, if not most local authorities consider a conservatory to be a structure with substantially glazed walls, and a translucent roof. If your council takes that view, you might struggle to convince them that it didn't need building regulations approval. And your structure and proposed foundations wouldn't meet building regulations. I also think you wouldn't be allowed to use combustible material within a metre of the boundary.

You could maybe consider an actual conservatory.

Sorry to be negative Part of the problem would be that, at the side of the house, your works would be visible to any passing busybody minded to report you to the council. If you want to throw up a non-compliant lean-to, do it at the rear

Cheers
Richard

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Have you looked at prefab sectional buildings, something like was used on 'DIY SOS'? It will need a proper foundation, (but anything you intend to use on a temp to perm basis will, or it'll be damp to point of being unusable.) I suspect any attempt to insulate a wooden building may lead to a major condensation issue, which in turn will bring it's own issues.

 

[Footsoldier888]

Perhaps a shed could do for now???