How To Connect An Extension To The House?

This is an important issue to take into account when building its extension. If you want to add an extra room directly connected to your house, you will have to be very careful. This is why building an extension is not to be taken lightly, and a professional should help you.

Old with new: watch out for movement

When building a new construction as an extension and connecting it to the original construction, two problems can arise: the new part can move downwards, about 1cm every 10 years, or it can also tip over outwards and therefore create a new larger opening in the upper part. This new construction movement problem is well known to professionals and can be anticipated.

The first step is to carry out a soil study, then a structured study. When the desired extension is not too large in area or weight, these studies can be put aside only if you are accompanied by an architect who can advise professionals.

Connecting an extension to the house: the two classic solutions

The first is the so-called 4-wall extension. It is the most stable solution for carrying out an extension. It is about creating the extension next to the existing one but independently. Thus, this new room has its own foundations and its own walls. To prevent changes in materials and the floor from damaging the old or new construction, expansion joints are made between the two extensions. They play the role of buffer and come to absorb the movements of the ground.

A solution that is the most expensive and which also loses floor space. It is generally used for the creation of extensions of a large area.

The second possibility is the so-called 3-wall extension. It is the more economical choice, more practical also, but more dangerous because the risks of cracks exist. The extension, in this case, will be combined with the existing frame with lag bolts. This constructive solution should be reserved for small extensions of a small surface area.

Connect a remote extension or an old building to another?

Sometimes it is necessary to create an extension to connect two old buildings. This is particularly the case when you want to renovate an old farmhouse. The idea is then to link two old volumes with a new one without affecting the character of the old one. The best way to achieve this feat is the veranda, which with its bay windows plays the transition by bringing more clarity to the whole.

Here again, the site is not an easy task and requires skills and experience. It will also be necessary to play with the expansion joints to prevent the veranda from suffering after a few years of life. Do not forget that by choosing the services of a professional to carry out your extension, you will benefit from a ten-year guarantee on the construction.