Overbearing brickwork between floors

[acurachris]

Hi

I was wondering if i could ask opinions!

I have just started the brickwork to go above the ground floor windows although i'm concerned the brick may be overbearing for the front elevation. This pictured window opening has another 12 courses of brick to the first floor window.

This is the existing front elevation... I plan to have the cladding removed and rendered white instead. The house is level, not on a slope... don't know what happened to that picture!

This is the original elevation..

Questions...

Do you think the brickwork between the ground and first floor windows would be overbearing or will it blend better when the windows/roof etc is done?

Do you think it would be better to render between the ground and first floor windows as per front elevation?

Do you think adding a soldier course above the ground floor window and one below the first window would break it up a bit or look daft? (just on the extension)

Would I need to inform planning regarding any of the above, or can I just do it?

Cheers in advance, Chris.

 

[Notch7]

I started reading this post, scratching my head wondering what the term overbearing brickwork meant

 

[JohnD]

sometimes a wall with cladding is thinner, or does not have an insulated cavity.

if this is the case, it may be worth using external wall insulation, which can be rendered over a cement-board outer skin.
However, plain exposed brickwork is more durable and needs practically no maintenance.

 

[Ian H]

I’d brick up the cladding next year.

 

[acurachris]

I started reading this post, scratching my head wondering what the term overbearing brickwork meant

Perhaps overbearing was a bit dramatic!

 

[acurachris]

I’d brick up the cladding next year.

I hate the cladding, it's gotta go but not sure i could have it bricked up. Someone on the street has removed and rendered theirs, looks a lot better.

 

[acurachris]

sometimes a wall with cladding is thinner, or does not have an insulated cavity.

if this is the case, it may be worth using external wall insulation, which can be rendered over a cement-board outer skin.
However, plain exposed brickwork is more durable and needs practically no maintenance.

The existing house has a timber frame where the cladding is, not too sure about the insulation arrangements. Do you reckon carry on with the brickwork, scrap the render idea on the extension?

 

[^woody^]

Yeah it looks bland and crap in terms of the design and appearance.

Reminds me of a really cheap and plain Russian doll, crap, craper and then some.

 

[JohnD]

A stud wall with cladding is often very badly insulated. Have a look at it before you go too far. At the very least the space behind the plasterboard should be insulated, but it might be quite thin. You will also need a waterproof felt or a breathable membrane to prevent damp getting in. Mineral wool quilt is fire proof, but, as we now know, plastic foam insulation slab is not and I would hesitate to use it with a wooden structure.

I have a slate-hung wall on the weather side (coastal location) but the wall behind is blockwork and the slates won't burn.

I prefer the look of good brickwork.

The cladding was probably added by the architect to add whimsical interest to the appearance, or possibly to reduce cost.

 

[acurachris]

Yeah it looks bland and crap in terms of the design and appearance.

Reminds me of a really cheap and plain Russian doll, crap, craper and then some.

Well that was brutally honest! How do you make a 70's box a design masterpiece? The answer is probably... you don't!

 

[JohnD]

stone cladding?

 

[^woody^]

Well that was brutally honest! How do you make a 70's box a design masterpiece? The answer is probably... you don't!

Dunno

 

[Leofric]

Brick on edge cills below windows and brick on end soldier course above ground floor windows wouldn't be quite so plain , but isn't this where design comes in before you start building , or you could try and copy some of the features in the photo above of no 18 after it was 'refurbished '.

 

[acurachris]

Dunno

View attachment 165916

yeah that looks pretty good actually .... words eaten!

 

[acurachris]

Brick on edge cills below windows and brick on end soldier course above ground floor windows wouldn't be quite so plain , but isn't this where design comes in before you start building , or you could try and copy some of the features in the photo above of no 18 after it was 'refurbished '.

I'm considering the soldiers and cill.

I think if there is one thing i've learnt doing this extension, it's that design is very important; bit late now though, so whilst good design is best, correction as you go along has to be better than wrong when finished!