Loading...

Please wait ...

BriX Construction logo logo
B

BriX Construction

Harrow, Greater London, United Kingdom

(13)
This professional is currently unavailable.
You can request reply and they will reach out as soon as they can.
‘19 Certificate of Excellence, 2019

About

Our motto is that no job is too big or small, we will cater to all of your needs to make sure that you get the best service on the market. We will always offer any customer a free no obligation quote to make sure that you completely understand every aspect of the job and are completely happy before any of our technicians go ahead with the work.

Show more

1 hire on Bark

Reviews (13)

Leave a review
5/5

13 customer reviews

Loading...
28 October 2019

Great guy to work with. Did my full house rewiring to the high standard. Attentive to detail and always willing to do extra things if needed without fuss. Raj made sure all my house electrical rewiring is done to very high standard. Also he is very upfront and transparent about the work and cost which you will not find with lot of tradesman. When it comes to completing the work on time he made sure he completed well within the deadline so that I could move to my new house without any delay. I will recommend Raj for all your House electrical work and rewiring without any hesitation. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

17 October 2018

We used Raj and his team for the full renovation of two bathrooms and partial renovation of a third. I sought quotes from 6 companies and from the outset, Raj was the most diligent and thoughtful of those who responded. After receiving the initial quotes, I refined the scope and sent out an amended request for quotation. Again, Raj was prompt and thorough in his response. From the first day on site, his team were well-organised, professional, and pleasant. They worked long hours, respected our privacy, and were a pleasure to deal with. Their work was of a very high standard and they demonstrated great flexibility and willingness to work together to find solutions that would meet our needs. We had selected to install custom cabinetry and use large floor tiles, both of which required the use of subcontractors who were skillful and flexible. Rajs subcontractors delivered as promised, he provided very close management throughout the process, and kept us up to date throughout the build. I have no hesitation in recommending Raj's services. He was a highly principled and professional builder and an absolute pleasure to deal with. More...

17 October 2018

We used Raj and his team for the full renovation of two bathrooms and partial renovation of a third. I sought quotes from 6 companies and from the outset, Raj was the most diligent and thoughtful of those who responded. After receiving the initial quotes, I refined the scope and sent out an amended request for quotation. Again, Raj was prompt and thorough in his response. From the first day on site, his team were well-organised, professional, and pleasant. They worked long hours, respected our privacy, and were a pleasure to deal with. Their work was of a very high standard and they demonstrated great flexibility and willingness to work together to find solutions that would meet our needs. We had selected to install custom cabinetry and use large floor tiles, both of which required the use of subcontractors who were skillful and flexible. Rajs subcontractors delivered as promised, he provided very close management throughout the process, and kept us up to date throughout the build. I have no hesitation in recommending Raj's services. He was a highly principled and professional builder and an absolute pleasure to deal with. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

15 June 2018

i have used this company twice and both times they did an excellent job raj got things done straight away and the men who did the jobs were great they tidied everything up even washed all the dust off my husbands car would definately recommend and would use again if necessary thanks for doing a great job

Reviewed on Google Maps

15 June 2018

Did an excellent work in our flat. Complete kitchen and bathroom. Very tidy honest and completed the work on time and budget.

Reviewed on Google Maps

9 June 2018

My grass had comepletely been ruined over the years and needed to be re done, I wasn’t sure on all the options I had but the team helped me look at different options and what was in my budget and I now have lovely artificial grass that was fitted so perfectly. I can see no faults! I would definetly reccomend them! More...

9 June 2018

I decided that my house was in need of a modern renovation, from new paint to new units and worktops in my kitchen. BriX Construction was able to help me from start to finish and on such short notice as well. I couldn’t be happier with the results and the whole process was so professional and stress free! More...

8 June 2018

It's always a worry when you get people in to try and improve your home. be it small or large. These worries are not needed with BriX Construction' . Professional, personable and very skilled. Highly recommended and at a cost lower that other quotes we had gathered. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

8 June 2018

Brix construction have been an absolute pleasure to work with. There care and attention has made the process relaxed, comfortable and even enjoyable. They have catered to our every need, and I would strongly recommend them to anyone. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

8 June 2018

We were very impressed with quality of service provided by the team, and especially with the end result - the kitchen extension looks fantastic, the living space has been transformed, and we're very happy that we chose Brix. The work was carried out efficiently and professionally with close attention to detail. We were also pleased with the after sales service provided. We have no hesitation in recommending them! More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

8 June 2018

Brix Construction have provided a fantastic service from beginning to end. I was recommended to Simply through a family member and was not disappointed. The builders have done a fantastic job with our extension and full renovation. The quality of work from all of the tradesmen has been exceptional. All of the workers have been polite, punctual and tidy throughout the project. The customer service has also been of high standard. I have always been encouraged to provide feedback on the work and the company have always responded positively. I will be using Simply again! More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

3 June 2018

Brix construction have been an absolute pleasure to work with. There care and attention has made the process relaxed, comfortable and even enjoyable. They have catered to our every need, and I would strongly recommend them to anyone. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

3 June 2018

Fantastic job, good communication, efficient workers, worked hard, and took almost no break making sure the job was doe within time! Raj and his team were very polite and punctual. We had our old kitchen taken out, all walls re plastered with new skirting, floor tiled and a whole new kitchen fitted. Will be asking them to do further work and would definitely recommend them. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

Q&As

Before you go ahead with your garage conversion, you need to know all the legal issues involved. There are three main things that you need to check first - if you go ahead without permission you could be forced to return everything to its original condition, at your own cost.

Restrictive clauses in your lease - You need to check your property deeds for any restrictive covenants. Some developers place a restriction on any building work that will affect the external appearance of the house. If there is such a clause, contact them, as it can often be circumvented for a fee. Your other option is to convert the inside of the garage without changing its external appearance. This is often achieved by keeping a front portion of the garage for storage space and converting the rest. Of course, the suitability of this option depends on your intentions for the garage.
Planning permission - You usually only need to apply for planning permission to convert a garage when you intend to extend the actual size of the garage. However, check with your local authority as the precise rules do differ.
Building Regulations - If you plan to convert any part of your house into a room to be used as habitable space, you will need to comply with government building regulations. A building control officer will probably need to check your conversion a number of times during construction. More information can be found on the relevant section of the government's website. Again, rules differ so you need to check with your local council. There are some instances where permission to convert your garage may be denied such as:
You live in a listed building or neighbourhood - It is very likely in this case that the external appearance of the house must be maintained as it is.
Your garage conversion would affect drainage - If you plan on concreting over your garden or anything similar, thus putting extra pressure on the existing drainage in place, you may need to invest in a solution to allay the potential for flooding or blocked drains.
Additional insulation is needed - Some councils will allow you to simply add the extra fill to the existing construction, others demand that you dig up the floor and insulate it as if building from scratch. This will affect your budget, so always check first.
Parking restrictions - In some cities where there is a particular shortage of parking spaces such as London, councils can refuse permission to convert your garage from a place where a car is kept.
What kind of garage do you own and is it suitable for conversion?
Single garage - A single garage will add around 150 square feet of floor space to your home.
Double garage - You may either convert the whole area, or just the nearest side to your house. If you convert it all, you can expect to add around 300 square feet of floor space to your home.
Tandem garage - As before, converting only the back will leave you with the best of both worlds.
Standalone garage - Careful, as you may need to make an application for permission to change its use.

If you intend to convert your garage, we would recommend contacting a specialist garage conversion company to ensure that the job is done professionally. A bad garage conversion can reduce the value of your home and, if it does not comply with building regulations or the specifics of your leasehold, you may be forced to return it to its original condition.

In this section, we will take a step-by-step look in-depth at the various stages involved in converting a garage, and roughly what must be done in each to satisfy the Building Regulations stipends.

In-fill Garage Door
A traditional garage door designed for the easy access of automobiles is unlikely to be suitable for your garage conversion. It is neither practical in terms of insulation and light, nor aesthetically pleasing. To this end the old garage door will have to be filled in with a new wall to house a new door and possibly a window. The original foundation of the garage will most likely be a shallow slab and thus insufficient to support the new wall, in which case a deeper foundation needs to be dug. Soil type, adjacent buildings, nearby trees and the resulting drainage conditions need to be assessed in order to estimate what depth and type of foundations are necessary, especially if your house was built on a landfill site.

Walls below Ground Level
Depending on what foundations are deemed necessary for your particular conversion, a greater or lesser amount of wall construction needs to be undertaken. Walls underneath the ground (substructure) must support the construction above (superstructure) and, to be effective, these sub-walls must be made from brick that is resistant to ground frost and sulphates present in the soil.

New External Walls
It is likely that at least one completely new external wall will be needed for your garage conversion, such as in the case of the in-fill garage door. External walls constructed of timber and/ or masonry come in two types:

Solid wall - Just a single wall. Due to present day thermal insulation requirements, it is unlikely that such a wall will be suitable.
Cavity Wall - Two walls separated by an internal space, usually filled with thermal insulation.
Any external wall must be constructed in such a way as to repel and divert moisture coming from the ground (damp proofing) and stand up to the outside elements (weather resistance). Thermal resistance is the term given to how much heat the wall will retain and this is naturally affected by your construction materials. Fire resistance is crucial to stop the spread of fire in any eventuality, this is ascertained via minimum standards and affected by the proximity of any neighbouring structures. Lastly, the wall will have to bear its own weight, that of the other walls, the roof and any openings (doorways) as required.

Existing Garage Walls
It is most likely that your existing garage walls are of the solid wall (single) variety as detailed above. As such, they will probably fall short of Building Regulation minimums across a variety of categories such as Fire Resistance, Insulation, Weather Resistance and Damp Proofing. Furthermore, they may not be able to safely support any new roof you have planned. Therefore, they will need to be upgraded with a new internal skin and carefully assessed in terms of Damp-Proofing.

Flooring
The existing garage floor is unlikely to be suitable for regular domestic use. The solid concrete floor can either be upgraded in terms of strength, damp-proofing and thermal insulation or, alternatively, a new suspended timber floor can be built on top of the existing concrete one. The process of making your garage fit for habitation differs according to which floor you wish to install:

Solid Floor - This will need to be upgraded with a Damp Proof Membrane (DPM), which comes in solid and liquid form. Liquid DPM is often best suited for garage conversions. If required, thermal insulation should be placed on top of the membrane and a separation layer may be needed in between to see that the two layers do not react with each other. Finally, the floor is finished with what is known as a floating floor, a layer of wood or screed - depending on the insulation below. If screed is used, it should be around 75mm thick and safeguarded against cracking with a wire mesh.
Suspended Timber Floor - Unlike your garage, the floor of your house may be constructed fairly high above the ground and, if you wish, you can install a suspended timber floor in your garage conversion to match this. Timber joists are laid from wall to wall with a minimum gap of 150mm maintained between the original concrete floor and the new timber one. A Damp Proof Course (DPC) should be laid underneath the timber floor and an intermediate wall may be necessary for further ventilation.
Garage Roof
Unless there is a room above it already, the existing garage roof - originally designed to keep the rain off your car - is most likely going to need to be upgraded in any garage conversion. Which type corresponds to your garage roof?

Flat Roof - This will need to be ventilated with a 50mm gap between the underside of the roof and any insulation as standard.
Pitch Roofs - Extra insulation can be placed between the ceiling and the roof, just as in a normal loft.
Ventilation
Any room in a house must have adequate ventilation and the level of ventilation required depends on the room type - bathrooms and kitchens obviously require more than bedrooms or studies. An opening window must be installed which equals one-twentieth the rooms total floor-area. Additional ventilation comes in the form of trickle ventilators and alternative means of ventilation may be discussed on a case-by-case basis with the Building Control Body. New kitchens, toilets, bathrooms, shower rooms and utility rooms must be fitted with a mechanical extractor fan with performance levels measured in litres per second.

Electrics
Any electrical work needs to be carried out in accordance with the British Safety Standards 7671, you can find out more at the website of the British Standards Institution (BSI).