Adding a Sunroom to a Fusion Built Home.

CorkHarbour

Hello Everyone,

I have a number of questions that maybe you might be able to help me answer.

My house is a three story mid-terrace steel framed fusion built home, constructed by flemings. It has a large ground floor wiht a n=big kitchen and huge utiliy room, I want to make the kitchen bigger and downsize the utility to give more floor space. There is a wall in between that I cannot determine if it is load bearing or not. The companies involved cant/wont tell me or release the plans. I also want to create an opening in the outside back wall to built a sunroom.

1. Has anyone here added an extension or sunroom to a steel framed Funsion built house?

2. Has anyone here inserted a lintel or RSJ into a load bearing wall of a steel framed house?

3. Why will the arcitects, builders or fusion not release the construction drawings or bule prints to myself the home owner?

4. Also slightly of topic has anyone used the Homebond manual? Is it worth purchasing?

muffler

CorkHarbour wrote: »

4. Also slightly of topic has anyone used the Homebond manual? Is it worth purchasing?

We refer to it as the bible.

Worth its weight in gold

archtech

Its highly unlikely that the architect's would have the fabrication drawings prepared by Funsion. Its the fabrication drawings that you will require to determine what's loadbearing.

As the architect's contract was between the developer and themselves and not you, they are not obliged to give you a set of drawings. They maybe willing to provide you with a set of drawings, if you are willing to pay for the costs associated with printing them etc. However the architect's drawings will be of little benefit really.

Funsion were part of the Fleming Group both of whom are in liquidation as far as I know, so getting information from either of those parties would be difficult.

You will need to engage the services of a structural engineer for any structural alterations.

CorkHarbour

thanks for the replies guys,

Muffler: I rang Easons, it so popular that Homebond have none left to supply them, so I'll have to wait awhile to get it.

Archtech: Your dead right, I've tried them all but little joy, the arch. firm was fairly good though he supplied me with what drawings he had left, i was amazed that he didnt have full plans available in his databases, I would have thought that it was standard practice in industry for legal repercussions.

So now I have floor plans on CAD but still none the wiser as to load bearing strutures, I investigated the construction process of these steel framed homes and it seem that to speed up production all interior walls are the same spec and size just some are load bearing and some are not so i may have to get the engineer to treat all walls as bearing walls.

If it was not a load bearing wall that i want to move, it would be happy days for me, as the build quality of the houses are so light weight that once you get under the skin of any part of the house a claw hammer and hacksaw will remove just about anything.

They were just thrown up, corners cut left and right so I'm really worried what I'll find as I progress with my work. The drawings would help but would still be only a guide.

Any thoughts on what structural engineers charge? per hour or per job visit?

muffler

CorkHarbour wrote: »

Muffler: I rang Easons, it so popular that Homebond have none left to supply them, so I'll have to wait awhile to get it.

In fairness Im not sure if the book would of any immense value with regards to your project. It is a fantastic book though for anyone setting out on a self build method for a new house.

It is indeed very popular and it does go out of print every so often and Homebond are reluctant to reprint at times especially if there have been a good few changes to the building regs.

You could try a couple of other book stores or other branches of Easons perhaps. Its for sale online (Easons) here. Doesn't say if its in stock or not but this is worth noting

Please Note. The stock on this site does not necessarily reflect the stock in our stores.

CorkHarbour

Thanks for the advice muffler, i checked all round cork today, no joy they are out of the 2008 edt and waiting on the new one.

I'm in no great rush as I wont be starting anything till the new year, but i like to look up everything and get myself well informed before i go talking to engineers and builders etc.

I'm having problems finding how to construct a corner window without a course of bricks over a cavity wall corner lintel for my new sunroom, do you have any ideas, web links are the like?

I might need to construct a steel frame over the corner and as I've only ever fitted normal windows and basic cavity walls etc, I've no idea as to the correct method just yet.

wengerbhoys

Hi

I was just reading your post regarding an alteration to a Fusion house. As Fusion are gone (for now) you will find it very hard to get the engineering dwgs. However, you can make alterations to the frame but you need to assume the wall in question is a loadbearing wall. <SNIP> Good luck with it.



Mod edit: Please read the forum charter before posting again.

CorkHarbour

Thanks for the info wengerbhoy, I'll pop them an email.

While I'm at it and to stop starting lots of different threads, some more questions.

Does anyone here have any good info on the construction of a sunroom with a steelframe and block outer leaf? CAD dwgs or links would be great if ou had them.

I will prob build the frame with 100mm galvanised box steel and am debating as to welding or to bolting the sections together.

Also does anyone here know what are the rules regarding gutters and boundary lines.

I am in a mid terrace and my neighbours are really nice guys so I will be informing them about the work as soon as I have a good drawing to show them, I am trying to design the boundary wall one side, to comly with planing one wall of my sunroom will be solid as i cant have a facing window within 1 metre of the neighbour prop. I take it that my gutter is the very outer edge of my prop and it cannot extend beyond the centre of the jointly owned fence, is that correct?

If it is correct, what is the minimum size of gutter and soffit projection I would get away this way?

I'm thinking 100mm gutter and a 200mm projection of fascia and soffit so my wall will start 300mm approx from the centre of the fence, this is to maximise the width of my sunroom.

This will leave me with a 300mm gap between the fence and my external wall but with the gutter overhang it shouldnt be the hardest in the world to keep clean and clear of crap.

I will have to get his permission to take down the fence when building but they are the slotted concrete fence post and timber jobs so no prob there.

I still can't get a hold of the homebond manual for this year they have it reprinting.