Gallery.

Below are a selection of pictures and a brief description of the work carried out from a few projects that I have completed . Please scroll through the images to view the various stages of each project.

Conservatory build in Selston.

This project included the demolition of an existing outhouse and coal store which was replaced with brickwork for a dwarf wall conservatory. The conservatory was supplied and fitted by me which also included the internal finishes up to decoration. There was also the creation of a doorway to link the new conservatory with the kitchen.

Indian sandstone patio in Ripley.

The project involved the removal of the old paving as well as the installation of channel drainage. The patio was then re-laid using Indian sandstone and pointed using sand and cement mortar.

Bathroom Tilling in Forest Town.

My role in this bathroom refurbishment project was to replaster the walls of this bathroom after the removal of the old adhesive. After replastering I tiled the floor and walls with the same large format tiles.

Kitchen Refurbishment in Selston.

This project was to modernise and refurbish a kitchen / dinning area. The work involved included the removal of the old units, Removal of loose plaster to 2 walls back to the brickwork and dot & dab the wall ready for reskiming. Reskiming of the ceiling and 1 other wall and the removal of the floor tiles. Once the preparation was complete a new kitchen was installed. This was later completed with granite worktops.

Garden Wall Rebuild in Underwood.

The design brief for this project was to remove the existing wall which was suffering from degrading brickwork and replace the wall using a brick to match the house and garage. The customer also wanted a slight change to the line of the wall and also the incorporation of some larger steps.

Ceiling Renovation in Mansfield.

The customer for this project wanted the existing stain removing from the ceiling beams to expose the bare wood below. This was in an attempt to increase the brightness inside the rooms. The stain was removed via sanding leaving the wood ready for the customer to apply there chosen finish later on.

Factory refurbishment in Huthwaite.

For this project the customer wanted to modernise the existing canteen kitchen area by installing new units and retiling. There was also a private toilet and washroom which required modernization. This was achieved by retiling, the installation of new cupboards, a new tap and sink as well as a new vertical radiator. The refurbishment also included the installation of a suspended ceiling throughout the factory, With the inclusion of grid mounted LED light panels.

House refurbishment in Huthwaite.

To date this is the largest project I have undertaken whilst trading as Royal Oak Construction. The project involved A 99% complete strip out of the house with only the built in wardrobes and windows remaining. Several structural alterations where made including the enlarging of a 4.5m opening upto 6m which involved the removal and rebuild of the entire gable end of the house. New walls where built to create both a master ensuite downstairs and a small office upstairs. Areas where previous roof leaks had been repaired and failed where repaired both externally and internally. A former workshop / store was suffering from a rotten skylight and several broken tiles so was reroofed and a new larger Velux window was installed, this room was then divided to create a master ensuite. All existing plumbing was removed and replaced whilst rerouting to the new utility room /plant room.

Both the utility room and upstairs bathroom were extended forward to create approximately 1m of extra length in each room. This involved rerouting of the incoming mains water and the foul drains. Once all works that required the floor boards to be lifted was complete the entire upstairs floor was counter battened. A layer of insulation and a layer of 18mm T&G chipboard flooring was laid to ensure all the floors where level throughout. This was carried out to allow a retrofit hot water underfloor heating system to be laid throughout the house which was then covered with  laminate flooring.

All together a lot of work was put into this project and hopefully this can be seen in the photos, although it was difficult to photograph everything that was carried out.

Conservatory Build In Selston.

This project involved the removal of existing decking and raised flower beds to allow for the construction of a conservatory. The decking and flower beds were removed then foundations excavated for the conservatory and retaining wall. This lead to the removal of approximately 24M3 of earth. Excavation was carried out by a mini digger and removed by wheel barrow into skips as it was the most suitable disposal method.

The conservatory walls are of brick and block construction with bricks being sourced to match the existing house. The retaining walls also use the same bricks to complement both the house and conservatory. Externally the conservatory measures almost 4m x 4m with a small extension of almost 1.2m x 1.2m. This small extension has a single door which leads to additional space at the side of the house.

Due to time and weather constraints this projects was undertaken in two phases. The first was the construction of the conservatory and main retaining wall. The extension to the retaining wall and steps where built and the patio laid the following spring.

The patio is a Indian sandstone in silver grey colour, pointed with sand and cement mortar. With the exception of the steps to the lawn the patio was laid to one level around the house. Replacing the existing layout which encompassed steps and gradients. This involved the removal of over 20M3 of earth, again disposed of in skips. Channel drainage was a incorporated to the outer perimeter to collect the surface run off and a large step built to serve both the back door and patio doors on the conservatory.

House Refurbishment In Riddings.

The aim of this project was to modernise and reconfigure this end terrace house. This was achieved by the creation of a 3rd bedroom and a open plan kitchen / dinning area.

This house now benefits from a new central heating system which includes a new boiler as well as new pipe work and radiators throughout. The house was then fitted with a lining system to the walls. This allowed for a increase in the insulation levels within and alleviate any potential damp issues as suffered by houses from this era.

Whilst work was being carried out the electrical system was updated and extended to suit modern living. A damp elimination device was also fitted to help reduce any future damp issues.

To create the 3rd bedroom a corridor created within the old back bedroom to the former bathroom. The room was then divided creating an extra bedroom and new bathroom.
Downstairs the kitchen-dining room wall was removed with a steel beam inserted to carry the wall above. Throughout the downstairs the ceilings were lowered to enable the new heating pipes to be routed. This also allowed the new beam to be hidden within the ceiling. A new kitchen was fitted to complete the change in layout downstairs.

Black Limestone Patio  In Riddings.

This projects goal was for the client to reduce the grassed area and gain a larger, more modern and decorative paved area. Replacing the original small patio and paths laid by the house builder during construction.

During the design stage various ideas were put forward and material choices considered. Ultimately the client chose black limestone paving accented by a silver grey sandstone sett border. Once complete the paving and setts were jointed using a subtle contrasting resin based jointing compound.

Flat Roof Extension In Newark.

The aim of this project was to create a relaxing seating area or extra entertaining space off of a fairly large existing kitchen / dinning area in a wonderful Victorian house.

To achieve this a small extension was built on the side elevation of the house and the existing window removed. With the window removed the opening was enlarged and steel beams inserted to create a flowing space.

In keeping with the rest of the house the decorative cant bricks from the existing window opening were used in a new window opening on the extension. Combining this with the use of the existing cill and lintel helped to maintain a consistent façade from the street.

Waterproofing of the roof was achieved by a GRP roofing system to provide a long lasting and maintenance free covering. The roof area was also utilized by the incorporation of a skylight to increase the internal light without reducing wall space.

Internally the extension is kept simple to allow for maximum versatility and provide a comfortable space anytime of the year.

Garden Clearance, Boundary Wall & Patio In Selston.

A nice project for one of my original customers. This involved the clearance of the old garden buildings as well as a general scrape of the garden. Including the disposal of material where needed.

Once the garden had been cleared a trench was dug for the foundations of a new boundary wall. This was built to approximately 1.5m high to add a little privacy. The brick used is the current production version of the brick used in the conservatory I built in 2013 (see first album).

After the wall had been completed a patio was laid in front with a projection into the garden of around 6m. For the patio a grey Indian sandstone was used which was pointed using sand and cement mortar.

The rest of the garden was landscaped in the spring once the better growing weather arrived. Once that was completed it provided a large area for relaxing or entertaining during the summer.

Flat Roof Extension in Sutton-in-Ashfield.

For this project my client had two objectives. One was to remove the dinning area from the kitchen creating more room in the kitchen and more room for visiting family. The second objective was to create a second toilet and small utility area.

Both were met by building a small extension from the kitchen. This involved the client demolishing a existing brick shed to make room for the extension. There was also a car port which was to be kept but required modification to the roof.

The extension was to be light and airy but without the loss of wall space and heat loss associated with large glass expanses. To achieve this I used a roof light to provide a majority of the natural light with large French doors and side window to provide views to the garden. Knocking through into the kitchen where the existing window was allowed a more open feel between the kitchen and dining area. This also allowed more natural light into the kitchen area.

To create the toilet/ utility area a stud wall was built using a pocket door system to reduce the space taken by the door when opened. This provides a handy extra toilet for guests when visiting and a useful utility area saving kitchen space.

Pitched Roof Extension and Alterations in Belper.

My clients goal on this project was to extend and update the kitchen and living area of a 1930’s house. Before work could get underway considerable groundworks needed to be carried out to access to the site. This would also create space for a motorhome which would be the clients living accommodation for the next few months.

The house sits on a prominent hillside which gives great views but does not allow easy access or parking. The latter being low priority when the house was originally constructed. To begin with hundreds of tonnes of earth were excavated to create space. Following the excavation a retaining wall was constructed using interlocking stone faced concrete blocks. A temporary drive of MOT Type 1 road stone was then laid to create a parking area and access.

Once the access issue was resolved work could begin on the extension itself. Due to the location of the extension the first project was to alter the existing drain runs to the house. After the drains had been moved the foundations were excavated and poured ready to start construction. The goal was to match the existing house as closely as possible so blue engineering bricks were used upto floor level. This was followed by as close a match as possible with the bricks above floor level. In keeping with the rest of the house brick soldiers were laid above all window and door openings. Reclaimed cill bricks were also used on the window cills to match the existing.

The roof structure of the extension combined a pitched tiled hip roof and a flat GRP roof. This was to match the appearance of the house while not making the roof height any higher than needed. The roof structure was supported on a steel frame to enable a vaulted area to the ceiling inside. The roof was then covered with clay plain tiles sourced from a local reclamation yard to match the existing roof, this included the hip, valley and ridge tiles.

To maximise the views a 4.7m 2 pane aluminium patio door was installed to the west elevation. The opening for this was created using two steel columns and a steel beam.

Internally the existing wall between the former kitchen and utility / downstairs toilet was removed. The biggest structural change internally was the removal of the existing west facing house wall to the ground floor. The removal of this wall enabled the former kitchen, front living room and new extension to become one room. This required the excavation and pouring of a pad foundation to support a steel column. Once the column was installed the wall above was supported by the installation of four steel beams.

A window seat was also created in the dividing wall between the former kitchen and living room. This gives a connection between the two rooms and also allow light in the former kitchen area. One wall in both the former kitchen and living room were stripped of plaster and sandblasted to create feature walls. Within the walls a King George V silver jubilee memorial brick was added. This created an extra feature and kept some of the house history as they’d been found during demolition.

Heating to the former kitchen / utility area, living room and extension was provided by a underfloor heating system. This involved the excavation of the existing kitchen floor and the infilling of the existing living room floor to bring them to the same level. A concrete oversite slab was then cast followed by 100mm of PIR insulation to both insulate and retain the pipes for the heating. These were then covered by a layer of liquid screed ready to be tiled.

Internally a stud wall was built to create a utility area which included a WC and a separate wet room. Externally the house was refreshed with new windows throughout. Painting to the soffit and facia, painting to the external decorative wood work and new guttering allround. New steps were built from the road to the front door of the house to give easier access and create extra garden space. A composite deck was also added to the area outside the patio doors to give an outdoor living area and aid access to the rear of the property.

As the existing drive had been effectively taken out of use the garage was converted into living space. This was done by forming an opening from the rear living room into the garage. The garage was then divided internally by building a wall to create some storage space behind the new room. Following this garage door opening was partially bricked up to create a window opening. This was done by using bricks taken from the external wall that was demolished to enable a perfect match. The garage floor was raised using 120mm PIR insulation creating a floating floor. Existing garage walls were also lined to increase the insulation value and stop damp issues from arising.

Overall this was a very enjoyable project with lots of interesting challenges and features. I think the result is a very nice home that will be enjoyed by its owners for many years.

Garage Conversion in Selston.

My clients aim on this project was to convert the unused garage into a home office space.

To accomplish this the front of the garage are was extended out to gain additional internal space. Extending the front elevation out to match the existing ground floor elevation also created a more pleasing appearance to the conversion.

The extension was constructed in the traditional manner using a brick and block cavity wall. This bought a issue of trying to match the existing bricks with new production versions. It was discovered that the bricks used in the original house had ceased production not long after the house was built. As such the closest match needed to be found. Luckily the roof tiles could be sourced and a very good match was found to tie into the existing roof.

Internally the existing garage was not accessible from within the house. A door way was created to join the new space to the hallway of the house and a matching door fitted. The former garage space was then made into a living space. This involved tapped and jointed plasterboarded walls and a insulated floating floor. New lighting and sockets were installed along with a new consumer unit.

A simple but satisfying project that will provide the client with a usable space.

Rear Extension in Nuthall.

The brief from the clients on this project was for a larger dinning and kitchen area with a more open plan feel. Whilst the house was being modified the clients also took advantage to upgrade the electrical and plumbing systems, saving future disruption. To achieve the main goal of the client a single storey rear extension would be built along with the removal of the existing rear elevation wall. The house would also receive a full rewire, a new water main and the installation of underfloor heating

Before construction could begin an existing conservatory needed to be removed along with hard landscaping at the rear of the property. This enabled the foundations for the new extension to be excavated followed by the construction of the exterior walls. As the clients were still living in the house during the works security and weather tightness needed to be maintained as much as possible.

Because the house was occupied throughout the build it meant the build phases didn’t follow the normal path with partial demolition of areas being carried out to allow work to progress.

Upon completion of the extension shell the house had to be opened to the elements, fortunately this was planned to fall with the warmer weather. This began by the removal of the former kitchen extension and was followed by the removal of the rear elevation wall. A pillar was then built and three fabricated steel beams were installed to support the remaining masonry. Removing the wall achieved the open-plan feel the clients requested by merging the existing with the new.

As part of the works the existing ground floor timber floor was removed and the resulting void filled in preparation for a concrete sub floor. After this floor was poured the stud walls for the new layout could be built and prepared for the next layer of flooring. To accommodate the underfloor heating a layer of insulation was laid, followed by the underfloor heating pipes and a layer of liquid screed.

After the screed had dried the stud walls were insulated and all walls plasterboarded and skimmed. This was followed by the 2nd fix joinery work in preparation for the rooms to be painted and the installation of a kitchen and WC.

With the large bifold door and Velux windows the new extension will provide the clients with fantastic area to dine and relax with family and friends. The existing house will also benefit from a revised layout and upgraded heating and electrical systems. All of which will combine to provide the clients with a fantastic home for years to come. 

Bungalow Refurbishment in Underwood.