Building Extensions and Additions

Sympathetic extensions and additions, seamlessly combined with period properties, historic buildings and family homes

Walnut Tree Cottage

Client : Mr Brian Philips

Location : Drybrook, Forest of Dean

Key Features

  • built with a Leca block and lime
  • composite slate made by Tapco Europe
  • turn key service

Brief and Response

The job was to build a new extension to create a new kitchen area and wet room. The existing cottage was build in sandstone around 160 years ago and covered in a cement render, creating rising damp and condensation problems.

We removed the cement render, repaired the very poor condition stone and lime rendered the whole property. The new extension was built with a Leca block and lime rendered to match the rest of the dwelling.

As so many lean-to extensions, gaining enough pitch to use traditional slate can prove to be a problem getting under the first floor windows. The roof you see in the photos is pitched at 15.3 degrees, the recommended pitch for natural slate is 20 degrees. So, how did we pass building control using slate? What you see in the photo is a lightweight, rubber/plastic composite slate made by Tapco Europe Ltd. It is so good that no one can tell they are not authentic until I tell them!

We offer a turn key service and have all the necessary skilled trades to complete every aspect of the construction process.

Parker SW - A Recommended Local Builder:

"We hired Alex for an extension to a stone cottage. He was enthusiastic and helpful, suggesting ideas we hadn’t thought of, and always responded promptly and in detail to emails and phone calls.

Workmanship was high quality, with materials used complementing the existing house, and problems were dealt with quickly and without complaint."
Mr Brian Philips