Wednesday, July 9, 2014

How to Prepare for a Barn Conversion

As with all building projects preparation is paramount, especially when working with on older, more fragile building. With a conversion, all the essentials are already in place and it is very tempting to dive right in and start building, but you will need to do some investigating first. Measured surveys on the property will need to be conducted to establish detailed dimensions, ready for when you add to the structure and to support any planning application.

3D laser scanning is a great form of survey for this type of project; an extremely fast and cost effective way to gather all the data you require. It is a highly detailed measured survey and all the data can be collected remotely, which eliminates the risk of further damaging any fragile structure on site.

One of the things to look out for when starting your barn conversion is the extent to which the timber frame is crooked and out-of-line. A laser scan of the building, as it stands, depicts aspects to millimetre accuracy and so things like irregular spacing of timbers across a ceiling will be captured. Conducting this type of survey more than once over the space of a couple of months can also detect any movement of the building, highlighting any possible subsidence.

3D laser scanning is also a great way of making sure any brickwork or ornate detail can be kept, so you can restore the property in keeping with how it was before. This will allow you to remove walls or timbers, and then rebuild them to the same specification that they were previously.

To further your knowledge of your property and the surrounding area, it is also advisable for you to conduct a topographical survey alongside the 3D laser scan. A topographical survey will highlight both natural objects and buildings in and around your property. A professional surveying company should be able to help you prepare plans and decide which types of survey are appropriate for you to undertake, in order to save you time, money and trouble in the long-run.

As of April 2014 there are new rules and regulations regarding barn conversions and planning permission. Believe it or not, you may no longer need planning permission to transform an agricultural barn into dwellings as part of a government scheme to build more housing. There are a couple of exceptions, for example, if your barn is a listed building, if it stands in an area of outstanding natural beauty or if it isn't an agricultural unit you will not comply with this new regulation and you will require planning permission.

No comments:

Post a Comment