If I buy a two-storey stone house which needs the wooden floors, staircase, upstairs floors/joists all removed (so basically left with four external walls, internal stone walls, and a roof), would an architect be required in order to replace all floor joists and wooden floors (upstairs & down), and replace staircase?
Or could you I to the builders I want everything stripped out, but simply rebuilt in the same current layout with new materials? Or would architect plans be required?
An architect farms out the calculations of loading etc to a structural engineer, who will provide drawings of the relevant bits. However, if you're gutting the house, an good architect might well be able to improve on the original layout.
A good structural engineer will often do as good a job as an architect. I used one for my current house. He also supervised the work and approved staged payments. Well worth the modest amount I paid him.
Peter Scott
Yes - if you can find a good structural engineer he should be able to oversee most things. A good architect might be better for improving the layout, though.
If you just want to replace, either D-I-Y or get a general builder with local interest/experience to do the job. You will have a good amount of firewood!
J.B.
If youre lucky you might even be able to get 3 floors in there: reducing ceiling height by say 6" on the bottom 2 floors would give you an extra foot height up top. Sometimes its worth it.
Regards, NT
N. Thornton wrote
If you can reach the upstairs windows, that is.
There are a few ifs and maybes, but on occasions when you can get this extra space, it would seem a real shame to miss the opportunity.
Regards, NT
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