New Skin of brickwork around existing building?

[Craig W]

Hello

We are in the process of turning an agricultural building into dwelling. It is of 225m solid wall construction in LBC Tudor reds. They aren't the nicest looking brick and we want to replace with something which looks much more traditional. I don't want to render it as it will look too modern for the look we are going for.

This leaves me with two options, new skin of brickwork around the entire perimeter, or clad with an external brick slip cladding system.

I've not yet priced up the cladding system but I assume it wont be cheap, and am a little concerned at only the 25 year guarantee / lifespan which these companies give (Eurobrick and the like.)

Does anyone have any advice / details on what is required with a new skin to an existing footing? I was thinking of building it say 25mm in front of the existing brickwork to allow a bit of room for margin. I have dug down and exposed the original footings and there is space to allow for this, however this will of course reduce the "toe" of the footing by approx 125mm.

As for tieing it into the existing, I'm sure there will be companies out there that specialise in ties for this method. - Perhaps not to dissimilar to Timber framed brickwork ties plugged and screwed.

Hoping someone may have done something similar before who maybe able to assist?

Thanks

Craig

 

[Craig W]

Picture FYI.

 

[Ian H]

I think you will need to dig down in front of the footing to see how thick it is.

 

[geraldthehamster]

A friend built a new skin round an old cottage while renovating it, with a proper cavity, and insulated the cavity

 

[tomfe]

Yorkshire boarding?

 

[noseall]

We have done it a few times, whether that be on the internal side of say, a garage or externally.
In all occasions we have had to dig down and expose the footing. BC or an engineer for that matter will advise but will be looking for a minimum of say 100mm of decent foundation beyond the new masonry, (not some chamfered back overhanging stuff) at a decent thickness, to support the new wall.

Where the foundations have been inadequate, we have dug along side the existing and down to good ground, then poured a 'wrap-around' foundation.

The masonry can be tied to the existing with S.S. fish-tail screw in ties. I have found a great method of screwing these in because it is flippin' hard work by hand. Insert one of the fish-tail ties thread first into a chuck type cordless drill and use this to twist the ties in.

 

[geraldthehamster]

Where the foundations have been inadequate, we have dug along side the existing and down to good ground, then poured a 'wrap-around' foundation.

The friend I mentioned above must have annoyed his BCO in some way, because the latter insisted on a metre-deep trench for the wraparound wall.

Imagine the BCO's horror to come back and see the entire, empty trench dug for his inspection, directly alongside 30 feet of early 19th century front wall resting on a row of stepped bricks.

 

[noseall]

30 feet of early 19th century front wall resting on a row of stepped bricks.

That's exactly what I was confronted with on our current job but not quite as drastic, but no less alarming. I exposed about 8m of foundation brick teetering on clay.

 

[Craig W]

We have done it a few times, whether that be on the internal side of say, a garage or externally.
In all occasions we have had to dig down and expose the footing. BC or an engineer for that matter will advise but will be looking for a minimum of say 100mm of decent foundation beyond the new masonry, (not some chamfered back overhanging stuff) at a decent thickness, to support the new wall.

Where the foundations have been inadequate, we have dug along side the existing and down to good ground, then poured a 'wrap-around' foundation.

The masonry can be tied to the existing with S.S. fish-tail screw in ties. I have found a great method of screwing these in because it is flippin' hard work by hand. Insert one of the fish-tail ties thread first into a chuck type cordless drill and use this to twist the ties in.

Thanks for that. There is about 6" of projection beyond the original facing brick at the moment, but of course this would reduce to nearly nothing if I put a skin around the existing facings.

From your experience have you ever had to tie in your "wrap around" footing to the existing? Or is it just a case of butting one up to the other? I assume the bottoms of both footings just but up to one another also? (As in one doesn't have to undermine the other or vice versa?

I presume these are the ties you mean:

https://bsfixings.uk/stainless-steel-fixings-the-screw-tie


Thanks a lot for your help

 

[noseall]

From your experience have you ever had to tie in your "wrap around" footing to the existing? Or is it just a case of butting one up to the other? I assume the bottoms of both footings just but up to one another also? (As in one doesn't have to undermine the other or vice versa?

The new concrete just butts against the existing. Any attempt at undermining the existing could be disastrous.

I presume these are the ties you mean:

https://bsfixings.uk/stainless-steel-fixings-the-screw-tie

Correct.​

 

[lostinthelight]

The last stone barn conversion my son did had a red brick extension on the side.
He errected substantial studwork outside which was insulated and timber clad, it was a lot speedier that building around it .