Barn conversion - questions about foundations

[Simon Hawthorne]

Hi all I posted a couple of weeks ago about suitability of my existing boiler to power extra rads in a barn I am converting. Wonder if anyone could help with my next question.... I am told my a neighbour that the guy who owned the house before me tried to get planning permission to convert the barn into a 'care home' - but there was a problem with the foundations? I cannot verify this by speaking with the old owner but can anyone point me in the right direction. I don't want to waste time planning the conversion only to find there IS a problem with the foundations... Thanks in advance (again)...!

Regards, Simon

[Peter Parry]

The usual problem with barn foundations is simply that in many cases there are none. They were simply agricultural outbuildings thrown up on flatish) bits of ground. It was a barn after all and not built to last for decades.

[The Natural Philosopher]

That mens you need to ujnderpin, or demolish, put in good, and re-rerect.

Neither is impossible, neither is cheap...

[Peter Taylor]

Peter Parry wrote

Yes, but this wouldn't in itself cause a problem in obtaining Planning Permission. The only reason I can think of why the foundations (or lack of) might be a factor regarding Planning Permission is if it's an archeologically sensitive site. Otherwise, possibly the OP means Building Regulations approval, not Planning Permission.

Either way, a trip to the local Planning Office to ask them all about it is probably the best advice.

Peter

[The Natural Philosopher]

Quite right. This is a building control issue.

However the original builder may have decide to apply for 'demoilish and re-erect om the bronds that it was too expensive to underpin, and been rejected.

Under these circumstances a long chat with the planners and BCO's is well worth while.

Although they like you to go the route of you propose. we reject' with a bit of outrght brown-nosing they can be persuaded into 'well what

*would* you allow then?'

Seconded outright. They LIKE to be apprecaietd and grovelled to, and judging by the excresence up the road, bribed...

[Nick Finnigan]

Local council. If plan were really submitted, they will let you have a look (and I'd have expected it to be mentioned when you were buying the house). Although PP may not be bothered about foundations

Or, dig down a foot or two and see what you find.

barn with weak walls, tie-bars etc. I don't think anyone would bother just underpinning those walls - although the gable end above the 'workshop' looked OK.

[Simon Hawthorne]

Ok, thanks again guys. I have asked a structural engineer to come round and have a look at it - he gave the house & barn the once over before I bought it. He is also checking out with the local planning office tomorrow so should get some answers....

Regards, Simon

[The Natural Philosopher]

Excellent. keep us posted. I am intensely interested...

[Rick Dipper]

My old house has no foundations, they simply scraped off the loos soil and started building. The house has been there 200 years, so it must work.

However the attached barn has no roof, so along comes building regs takes one look at the foundations and tells me the walls won't hold up a feather not alone a roof.

Options Underpin plant in steel pillars to hold roof rebuild

I am choosing rebuild, in block clad with orignal stone. This also resolves issues with insulation values, and water from the soil that in places is 6 foot up the walls.

I spent AGES finding an architect that had many similar projects under his belt, and was not an arty-farty spend 4 times more money than I had type. Once I found this guy he made the whole problem seem much simpler .........

Rick