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• #6752
Cheers. I've since realised that the room between the kitchen and bathroom is floorboards, so that may offer a way to get at the pipes and make junctions into the hallway without disturbing kitchen or bathroom floors. How did they route the pipework between floors?
Incidentally, I'm also planning to have a new pediment which wasn't retained whenever the roof was replaced. Remember you saying in the past that it wasn't a particularly useful space, but I noticed that the ones on Allison aren't the full height of the roof as they are on other streets.
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• #6753
That's been brought up and I'm already resigned to a macerator being necessary. Are they really that bad?
Alternative would be to move the ensuite location to the rear, but that compromises useful loft space more significantly. Maybe I could just get a urinal and continue to shit downstairs?
Also remember Aggi describing how he had some sort of 'step' which avoided a macerator but never got my head around that. I'm using the same people so might have a word in case that's a possibility.
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• #6754
They used plastic piping so were able to pull it through and attach it to the underside of the stairs.
Yes, we just had a chair in there (although I think that you're right that they are bigger on your road). Wasn't that useful a space compared to having loads of storage space there but made it look better and brighter. Would probably do the same again unless I was really short of storage.
Yep, where the toilet was we had a little boxing in in the bedroom at the other side to allow the waste pipe to exit and get a drop so it could flow all the way under the floor and join the waste pipe for the downstairs toilet. It wasn't really usable space so was a good solution.
They'd originally said we needed a macerator and even fitted the electrics for it before coming up with that.
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• #6755
If you can avoid one then do. They become the item most likely to fail and cost you money over time. Also the item most likely to fail and flood your house with foul water. This is just based on the number of repairs I've been asked to make (I don't service or repair them anymore, it's too foul) and the number of hallway ceilings I've stain sealed and repainted. They're also noisy.
A lot of people who have had them in the past would never have them again.
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• #6756
A simple rule should be. Don't install a macerator. IMO you're better off not having a toilet than having one with a macerator.
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• #6757
My folks have had two over 30 something years. Only one broke.
I mean I wouldn't put one in for the fun of it, but a bit like Googling "broken tea cup", you're not going to come across many people who've been called out not to fix one that isn't broken.
Controversial I know, but if it's the choice between having a macerator and not having a bathroom, I think it's best to have a macerator.
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• #6758
When I looked into doing something similar it was the waste that was the issue above the hot water feed in.
Slightly different as I wasn't doing a new loft conversion but rather looking at the possibility of an en-suite to the existing top floor of a 3 storey house.
The only real viable solution was to drop the ceiling on part of the middle (or ground - I don't remember) floor with the waste going firstly downwards and then out and along in a false ceiling gap to the existing drain at the back of the house.
I ended up sacking it off as was part of a much larger project but maybe worth considering if you have the ceiling height to accommodate?
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• #6759
This bottom photo is basically our house so seeing this staircase there fills me with hope.
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• #6760
We moved our en-suite, some serious head scratching as I didn’t want messy external pipe work, ditches the macerator, moved the loo and boxed in the wate internally (yeah yeah I know) which will be hidden by a desk.
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• #6761
Desk in the shitter? Like it.
‘Spose you need somewhere to fill in the log book
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• #6762
Who needs legs? Just need a food pipe in too.
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• #6763
Is it a sit stand desk?
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• #6764
This is the plan…
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• #6765
Fuck's sake.
Having considerately - I thought - given my downstairs neighbour a heads-up that I'd applied for planning permission for this loft conversion, just had a reply that he 'won't be able to support it' because of his long covid and the effect that the construction will have on his health.
It's clear he'll make an objection to my planning application but I've no idea how that might influence the decision. He doesn't actually even own the place, it belongs to his step mum who's somewhere in Leicestershire.
Despite sympathising with his condition, I'm also fucking raging right now.
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• #6766
Anyone can object to a planning application but for an objection to be given any weight it needs to be policy-based and not general nimbyism, long covid etc. Are there other dormer extensions to similar property types in your immediate vicinity? Assuming yes then you should be grand and at least now you know where you stand forhe party wall and general construction phase of works.
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• #6767
I doubt it will - remember some loft conversions can be done under permitted development which means you don't even actually need to tell the planning dept at all.
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• #6768
I'm no doctor but I'm not sure how some building work 2 storeys up will affect anyone's long covid. Planners can normally see through those crappy arguments.
Are you shred freeholders with the step-mum?
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• #6769
Loft PD doesn't apply to flats
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• #6770
Next door renovated an entire house including the addition of a loft conversion in late 2020/early 21 which he claims severely impacted his recovery.
Even if planning decided in my favour, trying to do something like this without a cooperative neighbour feels like it'll be a right pain in terms of access etc, even if he's legally obliged to permit it. Things like putting scaffolding at the rear, and stop-cock for the property being in his basement.
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• #6771
Freeholder is independent.
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• #6772
That's a positive.
I'd keeping going for planning at least. If (when) you get it, you have time to decide further.
You certainly have rights to access the stopcock to you property.
Is the rear space in their demise? -
• #6773
Planning: Next door is about as good a precedent you can have for planning assuming your design doesn't look to reinvent the wheel too much!
Leaseholder Consent: You mention an independent freehold owner. Have you looked into whether you need to apply for leaseholder consent for your works and what this includes?
Party Wall: It is worth noting that your neighbour(s) can't stop the works from happening but they can be difficult, and at least you know where you are likely to stand with your downstairs neighbour and to factor additional moneys for this process. The party wall process does include rights for access which will include scaffolding etc.
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• #6774
Yeah, realise planning permission (generally at least) lasts for three years. He's clearly not gonna be happy with me trying to gain it tho'.
The back garden is demised to the ground floor flat, but am pretty certain the lease specifically allows access for maintainance and that would presumbly extend to scaffolding.
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• #6775
Leaseholder Consent: You mention an independent freehold owner. Have you looked into whether you need to apply for leaseholder consent for your works and what this includes?
It'll definitely need a licence to alter. Emailed the plans to them yesterday while transferring £240 for their surveyor to simply look at them.
Only thing I would add to this is the waste is a much bigger issue than the water supply. If having an en-suite means using a macerator for waste I would have second thoughts about the design.