I have no experience in the building industry. We're about to start a single story extension and whenever my wife or I wonder how does this or that work with the build process your videos have given the exact answers on multiple occasions. Thank you very much for sharing your experience and info 👏👌🙏.
I was once at an international building site, and the English bricklayers were not permitted to lay bricks that would stay in sight. I now understand why… It’s just not their cup of tea… Time and time again I come across so many bad and just ugly built brickwork it’s incredible. But then again I also came across well built brickwork, so I guess there is some expertise.
Hi Jeremy, befor i start never wirked on construction site on laying floors fir modules. Recently bought small derelict cottage , walls all good its approx9.5 m x 4.5 m going to out extension on rear for kitchen and bathroom, i thought of doing goal post steel beam idea but think that would be overkill reason being the roof is asbestos corrugated once the specialist comes to remove it will use shingle sheets as if i use tiles rhe whole roof will need re engineering for extra strength, so as the walls are almost 2' thick i can put the onto the walls but will need 4"x2" wall head plate on top of beam so joists and rafters have some where to go . So the opening of the wall approx 4.5m then wall then mtr fir door to bathroom from existing building , then block and render , so after reading comments from others about having no bump in celing from steel beam , its impossible in my case as being single storey . I have yet to get in there and have a more accurate measure . Will be a flat roof , width of ext approx 3 mtrs . Thanks for videos Jeremy.
Hi, thank you for excellent video. Could I ask if it would be beneficial to have a full steel structure by adding 2 beams (and extending the window goalposts to the corners)? That would make the inner timber leaf non-load-bearing. Are there any downsides other than extra cost of steel?
Cost of steel isn’t that much relatively. Extending to the corners and making it a more complete steel frame is a fine idea and gives you more options on glazing.
There are some span calculators online for steel, but you need to know a load of things like your loadings in kilo newtons, deflection limits etc. I always just use an engineer for steel.
How did you get the top of the two columns to be exactly level, were the footings level or different? Any more videos on getting the columns in and levelling them?
I try to do my site sizing and fabrication after my footings are in place and your openings are done . Getting everything level is about designing in tolerances and things like using shims and dry packing. It’s only where I’m doing new build that I’ll be able to expect to get foundations dead level. For these refurbs, everything will be a little out, hence our need for incorporating tolerance in our designs.
I came looking for how the horizontal beam is installed because my neighbour is building his extension and there are no needles. His acros are simply below the upstairs load bearing wall itself. I'm wondering (somewhat worriedly, I might add, as he has a habit of cutting corners) how they're going to get the girder in place while the wall's still propped up exactly where the girder needs to go. 😮
You might say there’s some margin for error introduced by the potential for poor workmanship with all the additional fixings, but in terms of performance if it’s done properly it’s all engineered as if it were a single beam
Hi Jeremy. Did you anchor the vertical beams directly in to the foundation concrete, or after the pour did you use padstones? My engineer has said all steel to be on padstones, have you come across this before thanks
You only use pad stones for where the steel is onto masonry, so above the ground when it’s sitting on walls. For the columns (you called them vertical beams) you place your reinforcement, then you pour your concrete over, then after set, you bolt your columns directly into the reinforced concrete pad foundation. You would not use a pad stone there. You would use resin anchored bolts
@@build-better-things @build-better-things thank you. I'm not doing it myself but just interested in what they do , and your videos r really useful for learning. So they will install the vertical beam (column) directly in to the 300mm gen 3 pour once set. My engineer didn't specify reinforcemementbin my foundations. Thank you
Hi. It’s the engineer’s calculations that determine the design of such junctions, and I will build it to that. The only time I question engineers design is if I think there’s an easier way of doing it, some time is the most important aspect of a build for me. However, to your comment, if you understand how the physics of mechanical steel joints work, you’ll know the load is not on the bolts, even in a horizontal position, once they’re tight.
Hi mate, I’ve done a similar job at ours but with masonary pillars rather than goal posts. One question I’ve got is what happens to any water that may get into the cavity above the beam? Reason I ask is I’ve seen people use 2 x beams bolted side by side whereas mine and yours is 1 x solid beam with steel plate to support to inner and outer leafs.
Cavity trays are tough to do on refurbs. You need to do it brick by brick since you can’t pull out an entire course of bricks horizontally for obvious reasons. When you do it is not so important, but I would usually prefer to do it once the extension is in and the roof is built since you can work off it.
I think we put some temporary support to keep the bricks in place below the needles, and then jacked them up before the steel went in, then with shims, dry packing and appropriate mortar at the crack line. This outer leaf is non load bearing so I’m just concerned about it holding its own weight, ties to main timber frame existing structure, and there being no new opportunities for movement. For a block cavity wall, I may have had a different approach.
To get the levels in the concrete, there’s a few ways, but I prefer to use an old school way which is pretty much fool proof, doesn’t need fancy tools, and super easy. I made a video about it here. How to set out FOUNDATIONS FOR HOUSE EXTENSION to save THOUSANDS..architect shows you how ua-cam.com/video/CpMPwhV_BE4/v-deo.html Thank you for your comment.
If you mean, the structural engineer drawings, it depends on what else is structural. The drawings I show from the engineer at the end of the video (the 3d drawings are my own) included the foundations and superstructure for the walls and roof. If it’s just the steel beam, I imagine several hundred pounds. I paid over a grand for just their drawings. I don’t remember the exact amount.
Our extension cost 3.4k plus vat. Used 11 pieces of steel including a ridge beam. Other quotes went up to £5k plus vat. Depends on your project and steel design obviously. If it’s a straightforward one length of steel beam to span over a sliding door then you’re looking at about 500-700 pounds I’d reckon.
How do you define low? And how would you put it level with the kitchen ceiling? Due to the depth of the beam you would need to knock out a fair bit of the wall structure of the rooms above, as well as the floor joists, as the needles would need to be placed much higher.
@@build-better-things I would like to see kitchen ceiling without beam hump as well. But I understand that it is much more work to achieve it. Could you draw wall/beam profile section for both solutions and elaborate about them? Thank you for your videos. It is very good.
Without being critical I'd agree, if you're spending that kind of money and putting the effort in to get a frame that size in place then the finished result would be much more open, more daylight and generally classier without the bulkhead below ceiling height. I don't know if this is for a client or the video author's own property but to me the extra aggro and cost of putting needles through bedroom walls is worth it down the line, for a clean transition to the extension from the house, and I'd try and 'sell' this everytime. In this case its not too bad, I may have dropped the existing ceiling in the kitchen to just run flush but without dimensions I'm not sure you'd get away with it here. Surprised the out of square brickwork wasn't picked up at the measuring for steels or surveying stages. I know how quick these boxes are thrown up so it's the first thing I check. My own place built in '62 has 14 courses that are 25mm out of level between downstairs and upstairs windows and had a 10mm belly where snots falling on the old felt cavity trays pushed fresh brickwork out above patio and kitchen openings. The irony is the builder/developer was proud enough to have his company name cast into all the manhole covers. Probably never visited the site... Thanks for detailing your processes and taking the time out to video the progress.
@@baldyslapnut. I don’t mind critical at all. The problem with your suggestion is that the inner leaf was timber frame, as it was a kit house made from prefabricated wall panels and cassettes. The position of the beam was set by the bottom of the timber panel. Raising the beam would have entailed having to somehow rebuild the wall panel bit by bit whilst it being in situ as it’s the frame that’s the loading bearing bit, not the brick. And then there is the flooring cassettes for the first floor. Everything is possible if you pay, but it’s not just the cost, it’s the time I had available to get this done. Hope that’s clear. Thanks for the comment.
@@build-better-things I can see how that changes the complexity a bit. Bathrooms are often a sticking point too because of the different level of making good needed. Cheers for the info.
I have no experience in the building industry. We're about to start a single story extension and whenever my wife or I wonder how does this or that work with the build process your videos have given the exact answers on multiple occasions. Thank you very much for sharing your experience and info 👏👌🙏.
Thanks a lot and best of luck with your project.
Thank you for your great expertise and videos. Got great insights in planning and execution.❤ from India
Thanks and best of luck to you
I was once at an international building site, and the English bricklayers were not permitted to lay bricks that would stay in sight. I now understand why… It’s just not their cup of tea… Time and time again I come across so many bad and just ugly built brickwork it’s incredible. But then again I also came across well built brickwork, so I guess there is some expertise.
Nice work.
Hi Jeremy, befor i start never wirked on construction site on laying floors fir modules.
Recently bought small derelict cottage , walls all good its approx9.5 m x 4.5 m going to out extension on rear for kitchen and bathroom, i thought of doing goal post steel beam idea but think that would be overkill reason being the roof is asbestos corrugated once the specialist comes to remove it will use shingle sheets as if i use tiles rhe whole roof will need re engineering for extra strength, so as the walls are almost 2' thick i can put the onto the walls but will need 4"x2" wall head plate on top of beam so joists and rafters have some where to go . So the opening of the wall approx 4.5m then wall then mtr fir door to bathroom from existing building , then block and render , so after reading comments from others about having no bump in celing from steel beam , its impossible in my case as being single storey . I have yet to get in there and have a more accurate measure . Will be a flat roof , width of ext approx 3 mtrs . Thanks for videos Jeremy.
Thanks and best of luck with what sounds like a great project.
Hi, thank you for excellent video. Could I ask if it would be beneficial to have a full steel structure by adding 2 beams (and extending the window goalposts to the corners)? That would make the inner timber leaf non-load-bearing. Are there any downsides other than extra cost of steel?
Cost of steel isn’t that much relatively. Extending to the corners and making it a more complete steel frame is a fine idea and gives you more options on glazing.
Excellent job
Another excellent video
Is there a table for beam size and span length
For example if span length is 6m then would be beam size ?
There are some span calculators online for steel, but you need to know a load of things like your loadings in kilo newtons, deflection limits etc. I always just use an engineer for steel.
@@build-better-things
Thanks for a normal ground plus 1 property is there tables or something
How did you get the top of the two columns to be exactly level, were the footings level or different? Any more videos on getting the columns in and levelling them?
I try to do my site sizing and fabrication after my footings are in place and your openings are done . Getting everything level is about designing in tolerances and things like using shims and dry packing. It’s only where I’m doing new build that I’ll be able to expect to get foundations dead level. For these refurbs, everything will be a little out, hence our need for incorporating tolerance in our designs.
Can we use anchor bolts instead of setting threaded rods in resin to secure the post plates onto footing? Thanks.
That’s one for your structural engineer to answer. I have always used resin.
I came looking for how the horizontal beam is installed because my neighbour is building his extension and there are no needles.
His acros are simply below the upstairs load bearing wall itself. I'm wondering (somewhat worriedly, I might add, as he has a habit of cutting corners) how they're going to get the girder in place while the wall's still propped up exactly where the girder needs to go. 😮
Hi did you have to use HSFG bolts to join the beams?
Are there any negatives in using sectional steel beams bolted together to make 1 big beam?
You might say there’s some margin for error introduced by the potential for poor workmanship with all the additional fixings, but in terms of performance if it’s done properly it’s all engineered as if it were a single beam
@build-better-things great, thank you!!!
Costs more
Hi Jeremy. Did you anchor the vertical beams directly in to the foundation concrete, or after the pour did you use padstones? My engineer has said all steel to be on padstones, have you come across this before thanks
You only use pad stones for where the steel is onto masonry, so above the ground when it’s sitting on walls. For the columns (you called them vertical beams) you place your reinforcement, then you pour your concrete over, then after set, you bolt your columns directly into the reinforced concrete pad foundation. You would not use a pad stone there. You would use resin anchored bolts
@@build-better-things @build-better-things thank you. I'm not doing it myself but just interested in what they do , and your videos r really useful for learning. So they will install the vertical beam (column) directly in to the 300mm gen 3 pour once set. My engineer didn't specify reinforcemementbin my foundations. Thank you
Hi , Would it not have been stronger to sit the Beam on The posts rather than Putting all the Load on 8 bolts?
Hi. It’s the engineer’s calculations that determine the design of such junctions, and I will build it to that. The only time I question engineers design is if I think there’s an easier way of doing it, some time is the most important aspect of a build for me. However, to your comment, if you understand how the physics of mechanical steel joints work, you’ll know the load is not on the bolts, even in a horizontal position, once they’re tight.
Hi mate, I’ve done a similar job at ours but with masonary pillars rather than goal posts. One question I’ve got is what happens to any water that may get into the cavity above the beam? Reason I ask is I’ve seen people use 2 x beams bolted side by side whereas mine and yours is 1 x solid beam with steel plate to support to inner and outer leafs.
You have to put a cavity tray above the beam.
Do you have the steel company details or link and if they work in the Bracknell area?
Good job… what is the total weight of the beam ?
Can a house be build using only steel beam and bricks on concrete foundation meaning no concrete steel pillars? Thank you
Sure, but I have the steel columns here because the beam did not have enough wall to sit on without compromising its slenderness. So we need columns
Would like to have seen the steels being lifted into positions
If you watch my other videos, you’ll see that happening.
When did you fit your cavity tray
Cavity trays are tough to do on refurbs. You need to do it brick by brick since you can’t pull out an entire course of bricks horizontally for obvious reasons. When you do it is not so important, but I would usually prefer to do it once the extension is in and the roof is built since you can work off it.
Did 5 courses of brickwork drop away from the needles?
I think we put some temporary support to keep the bricks in place below the needles, and then jacked them up before the steel went in, then with shims, dry packing and appropriate mortar at the crack line. This outer leaf is non load bearing so I’m just concerned about it holding its own weight, ties to main timber frame existing structure, and there being no new opportunities for movement. For a block cavity wall, I may have had a different approach.
Great work - and music! One question - how did you get the concrete footings / pad to the exact height for the steel posts to screw into? Thanks
To get the levels in the concrete, there’s a few ways, but I prefer to use an old school way which is pretty much fool proof, doesn’t need fancy tools, and super easy. I made a video about it here.
How to set out FOUNDATIONS FOR HOUSE EXTENSION to save THOUSANDS..architect shows you how
ua-cam.com/video/CpMPwhV_BE4/v-deo.html
Thank you for your comment.
Out of curiosity how much does that steel secification drawing typically cost?
If you mean, the structural engineer drawings, it depends on what else is structural. The drawings I show from the engineer at the end of the video (the 3d drawings are my own) included the foundations and superstructure for the walls and roof. If it’s just the steel beam, I imagine several hundred pounds. I paid over a grand for just their drawings. I don’t remember the exact amount.
Our extension cost 3.4k plus vat. Used 11 pieces of steel including a ridge beam. Other quotes went up to £5k plus vat. Depends on your project and steel design obviously. If it’s a straightforward one length of steel beam to span over a sliding door then you’re looking at about 500-700 pounds I’d reckon.
how long is the anchor bolt you use
If you mean the ones into the concrete foundation, they would be resin anchored, and I think they were m12 250mm but that’s just from memory.
thx sir
Those three joined beams are making me whince 😬
Why that beam is that low? Should be on the same level with kitchen ceiling.
How do you define low? And how would you put it level with the kitchen ceiling? Due to the depth of the beam you would need to knock out a fair bit of the wall structure of the rooms above, as well as the floor joists, as the needles would need to be placed much higher.
@@build-better-things I would like to see kitchen ceiling without beam hump as well. But I understand that it is much more work to achieve it.
Could you draw wall/beam profile section for both solutions and elaborate about them?
Thank you for your videos. It is very good.
Without being critical I'd agree, if you're spending that kind of money and putting the effort in to get a frame that size in place then the finished result would be much more open, more daylight and generally classier without the bulkhead below ceiling height.
I don't know if this is for a client or the video author's own property but to me the extra aggro and cost of putting needles through bedroom walls is worth it down the line, for a clean transition to the extension from the house, and I'd try and 'sell' this everytime. In this case its not too bad, I may have dropped the existing ceiling in the kitchen to just run flush but without dimensions I'm not sure you'd get away with it here.
Surprised the out of square brickwork wasn't picked up at the measuring for steels or surveying stages. I know how quick these boxes are thrown up so it's the first thing I check.
My own place built in '62 has 14 courses that are 25mm out of level between downstairs and upstairs windows and had a 10mm belly where snots falling on the old felt cavity trays pushed fresh brickwork out above patio and kitchen openings. The irony is the builder/developer was proud enough to have his company name cast into all the manhole covers. Probably never visited the site...
Thanks for detailing your processes and taking the time out to video the progress.
@@baldyslapnut. I don’t mind critical at all. The problem with your suggestion is that the inner leaf was timber frame, as it was a kit house made from prefabricated wall panels and cassettes. The position of the beam was set by the bottom of the timber panel. Raising the beam would have entailed having to somehow rebuild the wall panel bit by bit whilst it being in situ as it’s the frame that’s the loading bearing bit, not the brick. And then there is the flooring cassettes for the first floor. Everything is possible if you pay, but it’s not just the cost, it’s the time I had available to get this done. Hope that’s clear. Thanks for the comment.
@@build-better-things I can see how that changes the complexity a bit.
Bathrooms are often a sticking point too because of the different level of making good needed.
Cheers for the info.