New Reno Problems - Cant get a builder for a small job.....No one wants to work

[Mattles]

I rang Sophie the builder - she is busy until Easter - but she said she wouldn't mind a smaller job in May/June - so she may be interested - but she won't consider anything until the plans are submitted.

Looking at your aerial view of the roof, my initial suggestion of a flat roof over the connecting room still seems the least complicated.

I think you need to very clearly work out what sort of roof line will work and be cost effective and look good as well. Unless you know this, there is little point getting builders around just yet.

I take photos and draw over them with a simple paint programme.

If you can take some pics of the front including house and garage I could maybe do some mock ups .

Thanks Doogie,

I will be sure to get some mroe accurate photos tomorrow some more further more detailed measurements and will post them tomorrow.
And thanks for the heads up with your builder buddy......

May June May just work....who knows.....

Mattles

A good builder and a good architect can save you money. A poor design will cost you dearly in the long term as it will devalue your assett.

The cost of an architect is a tiny fraction of the cost of the construction. I am not going to enter into a debate as to which is better, an architect or a designer (there was a long thread on this recently) but I come from a family of architects, was initially trained as a quantity surveyor , and I look for a professional who understands building construction as well as one sympathetic to the aesthetics of the total structure. Anyone can design a building. Only a few do this well.

Perth houses now rank second in Oz, very closely behind Sydney. They are still going up ...

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek,

You raise some vaild points, but having some form of design does surely help the designer/architect with the end product. How long does it usually take for plans to be made up and ready for submission? Any ideas. I Do like the idea (thanks to doogie) of the flat roof.Sounds like a smart option....

[Mattles]

Funnily enough our finance guy does some work with a private certifier, so this may just help the process a little......

Anyway I have attached some more pics of the area between the garage and house, focusing on the roof line. So some help and suggestions would be appreciated......wouldnt mind seeing what you were thing of with the flat roof design doogie.

Im considering a few small design alterations to the interior of the granny flat.....after yesterdays discussions here, I think the biggest probelm to tackle at this second is this inbetween room and its roof line......

OH I should note on the layout I did, the measurment between the laundry and the garage is incorrect, instead of been 1.8 it should be 2.2.......

Thanks in advance look forward to your responses.

[derekcohen]

Matties

Please - NO flat roof! Yes it is cheaper, but it will degrade your home.

I would span the roofs with a pitched roof - one that travels towards, rather than parallels, the existing roofs. This means that the existing roofs largely remain intact, except where the new roof joins. More importantly, the profile of the house is not disturbed unsympathetically.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Dirty Doogie]

Derek - I want to know how you'd join up 2 gable fronts with a pitched roof without substantial rebuilding. Sure it can be done - but the whole truss section on the garage will need to come off as will half the house.

Even with a flat roof I'm finding it hard to get some nice lines happening in my mock up - unless Mattles wants to get an ultra contemporary look happening.

[Mattles]

Looks????? I just want a roof geee this is tricky......
The problem with a pitched roof would also be where the gap narrows towards the rear I would think???? Correct me if I am wrong ofcourse........

[Dirty Doogie]

Lol Mattles. I think I've discovered something while trying to do a mock up - your garage walls are a little higher than the house walls. ie the top plate of your house wall frame is lower than the top plate of the garage.

I just cant get any aesthetically pleasing roofline happening.

Your house is brick veneer - but your garage is double brick ?? is this right?

[Dirty Doogie]

A few problems are becoming apparent.

[Dirty Doogie]

"The problem with a pitched roof would also be where the gap narrows towards the rear I would think????"


It Is also a problem for a flat roof.

[Mattles]

OK, While I was there today I did measure this because It looked a little odd to me to they are the same, 20mm out at most due to slightly un even dirt on each side of the gap, but I counted the bricks and they are the same height on each side and I also used a tape measure to double check.....
the height difference changes depending on where you stand it is very deceiving........if you stand right in front of it on the embankment, you can take one step right and the house is higher one step left and the garage looks higher.......but no the do measure the same and the brick count is the same, I also scrapped dirt away to foundations and yes definately the same

[Mattles]

Lol Mattles. I think I've discovered something while trying to do a mock up - your garage walls are a little higher than the house walls. ie the top plate of your house wall frame is lower than the top plate of the garage.

I just cant get any aesthetically pleasing roofline happening.

Your house is brick veneer - but your garage is double brick ?? is this right?

Um brick veneer.....double brick? ok now Im confused...... um Its brick its against some framing that has plaster board on the other side?

[Dirty Doogie]

The brick and timber framing is Brick veneer. Is there any timber wall framing in your garage?

In Brick veneer construction the timber frame holds the roof up - the bricks are just for show - well not really - they have soundproofing and insulation properties.

Do you have rafters or big triangle shaped trusses in your roof? You can just stick your hand up through the access hole and take a flash pic if you dont know.

[Mattles]

Oh cool, I will go grab a pic.....dinner is about to be served but....so might take a little while (Sorry and thanks again for all your help so far)
......From memory it is something like this but I am not 100% and will post the pics from inside the roof cavity ASAP...........

[Mattles]

And here they are.............pics inside what is currently the garage roof, Hope this helps........

Derek I do to some degree agree with what you say, about a flat roof however, a small section of flat roof in my opinion would be less of a concern and outweighed by the benifits of a granny flat and 4th bedroom/office area?

I mean Most people have many more years experience around here than me, I know that for sure, but I can say I have never heard anyone say, I will take the 3 bedrooms over the 4 bedrooms plus granny flat with a little itty bit of flat roof? It just doesnt make sense to me.......

[Dirty Doogie]

Yep - the garage roof is pretty much a standard truss roof. Dare I assume the house roof is also trussed.?

I've been thinking about the flat roof on and off all night - there are some technical problems with that solution also - the flat roof will have to fall toward the front of the house. And I'm thinking it might have to extend out so it is in line with the front of the garage roof.

I've played about with the aerial shot trying to figure out how a pitched roof would work - but I still can't see any way around a complete rebuild of 60% of the existing roofs. A very big job.

I'll try and post some drawings tomorrow night .

[Mattles]

Great Thanks heaps,
Looking forward to seeing your thoughts and yes the roof in the house is the same, was running a new antenna lead and those blody metal bracings are sharp