Johnson James Ltd
Heswall, Wirral
(2)
Heswall, Wirral
(2)
Johnson James offer architectural design services to the residential sector.
We can provide a complete service, from initial concepts and feasibility studies, through planning and building control, to project management.
2 customer reviews
Richmond Hill
I have worked extensively with Tom (Johnson James) on projects ranging from small extensions, to large multi-story buildings.
Tasks have included visualisations, construction drawings, feasibility studies, tender packages and much more.
I've always found the work to be thorough, and of high standard.
They have the capacity to pick up a project at any stage and complete it with good communication and within deadlines.
Highly recommended.
Thank you
More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Felicity Stewart
We were extremely happy with the work from Johnson James. Tom was extremely helpful and efficient and made sure our project went smoothly.
Reviewed on Google Maps
How can someone tell if their Garage is suitable for conversion?
To assess whether your garage is suitable for conversion you should first work out how it is positioned relative to the house. If it's a separate building, or is set significantly forward or backward of the house, it will be more complex to convert it to use as a habitable space. However, if your garage is a coherent part of the house and/or shares a party wall with the house, it's likely that conversion will be quite straightforward.
Secondly, does the garage have single-skin brickwork/blockwork walls? If this is the case, the walls will need to be brought up to habitable standards, either by building a second internal skin with a cavity, or by installing thick insulation. On very narrow garages, this can mean the final habitable space is less useful due to restricted width.
Finally, it's worth finding out about your local authority's policy on garage conversions. In more urban areas, with high demand for street parking, garage conversions may be frowned-upon, due to the increased pressure for on-street parking they create.
Run us through the different stages of the Garage conversion process - what's involved?
Once the relevant consents have been granted, and a contractor appointed, the first step is usually to clear the garage of existing doors, fittings etc.
Then the builder should excavate the floor of the garage sufficient to install insulation and a new screed and damp membranes that bring the garage floor up to the same level as that of the house. In some cases it might be desirable to dig the garage floor slab out completely, right down to the underlying soil.
The garage doorway will be filled in, including a new footing, and in most cases, a window will be installed.
Remedial work will be carried out to the walls including new wiring and plasterboard, where applicable, and the garage ceiling (often containing a thick fire-resistant layer) may be brought down and replaced.
If the garage has a lean-to roof, or is otherwise uninsulated. new roof insulation will be added to bring the garage up to habitable room standards.
Where applicable, any utility meters or boilers located in the garage may be moved, and new pipework and radiators will be installed.
Once the new space is sealed from the elements, new doorways/knock-throughs can be created for access to the main house.
Finally, flooring, plasterwork and painting will go in.
How can someone tell if their loft is suitable for conversion?
There are three critical points that dictate suitability for loft conversions.
The first is the available headroom in your loft. If the house has a low-pitched roof, with less than 2m from the loft floor to the underside of the ridge, it's unlikely that any loft conversion will yeild a usable room. Ideally, this dimension should be at least 2.5m to allow for insulation and finishing to the floor and ceiling.
The second point is the shape of your roof. If you have a pyramid-shaped roof, hipped on all sides, with a narrow ridge, it's unlikely that headroom will be sufficient, and dormer windows will not be practical. The ideal roof shape would have a long ridge with gable ends, as this allows reasonable space with only Velux-style windows, and usually a great deal of space with dormers.
The final important factor is access, i.e. how will you get a staircase up to the new loft space? The relates to the two previous factors in that staircases (in addition to requiring space for the stairs themselves) require headroom as they rise, so roof design dictates stair positioning.
All three of these factors can be managed to some degree, with varying levels of extra complexity (expense). The most critical of them is available height within the existing roof space.
It is also important to consider the type of construction of your roof. Truss-framed roofs are significantly more complex to turn into usable space, as a lot of structural redesign and re-work is required.
Run us through the different stages in the loft conversion process - what’s involved?
Surveying of the existing space and feasibility concerns will be addressed first. The design of loft conversions can take some time, due to the complexity of roof structures, when compared to single-storey extensions or garage extensions.
Once the preferred design has been agreed and any necessary consents granted, a contractor will be appointed. Scaffolding will then be erected to allow better access to the roof. Depending on the size of the project, this scaffolding may be up to the eaves, or may cover the entire roof.
Access to the roof space is usually achieved by removing a series of tiles and battens, this access can then be covered with a waterproof sheet if full-cover scaffolding is not erected.
The contractor will usually start by installing a temporary floor.
Once a floor is in place, contractors will begin modifying/installing any timberwork required, new windows, and carrying out any remedial work to the roof covering.
Electrical and plumbing work can then be carried out.
Once the space is mainly sealed from the elements the new access stairs can be opened up, and a new floor fixed in place, with insulation beneath. Then any new insulation will be added between the rafters and internal stud walling and fittings will go in.
Finally, the finishing touches, like plastering, finishes and flooring can be installed.
What do you love most about your job?
Helping clients maximise the usage and potential of their properties is highly motivating, and I get to deal with a huge variety of interesting people and an equal variety of buildings and projects, so no day is the same.
It's also very satisfying to see a client enjoying the new spaces/buildings we've created together.
What inspired you to start your own business?
Having worked in a variety of different areas of construction and design, I felt the best way to utilise all my experience was to start a business where all my skills could be put to maximum use at the same time, rather than just concentrating on specific areas.
Working with larger companies rarely permits the same level of access across the design and delivery process, and usually limits your interaction with the client.
Why should our clients choose you?
Bark clients should choose us because we offer the perfect blend of technical expertise, flexibility and cutting-edge presentation techniques.
