Porch (Interal) options ?

[Nogsx3]

1950s solid brick build house with a front porch that has a UPVC door install 20 years ago but old internal door is in place still. Its very cold, no insulation on the porch part, air bricks circulate air into the porch so looking at options to insulate. Converting to part of the hallway seems the best option and remove the 2nd front door. The old internal door and windows (single panel) with some wood are ineffective....

What permissions do I need to make this small internal porch part of the hallway ?

The air bricks work but only into the porch so limited use. I checked under the floor boards in that corner and all very dry and drafty! Can I close them off or should I redirect to the true front of the house ?

 

[Tigercubrider]

I do not know if you are ok to remove the original front door but suspect that it is fine . However, you probably need to refit the porch door to meet insulation standards . Plus raise the floor to match the rest of the house.
Personally I wouldn't bother as a porch is very useful and acts as both insulation and a wet store for brolly's and bolts etc

 

[^woody^]

Building regulation approval is required.

 

[Nogsx3]

Thanks. The porch is only 50cm wide, its pretty useless for storing anything in, annoying to get thru the two offset doors and with the airbricks into the porch its not insulating much. As it it has the same insulation as the hallway i.e. none as solid brick.

I'm not sure what else to do with it to make it useful and warm other than make it part of the hallway.

 

[tony1851]

I do not know if you are ok to remove the original front door but suspect that it is fine . However, you probably need to refit the porch door to meet insulation standards . Plus raise the floor to match the rest of the house.
Personally I wouldn't bother as a porch is very useful and acts as both insulation and a wet store for brolly's and bolts etc

......and boots as well.............

 

[Nakajo]

A handy bolt-hole

 

[John D v2.0]

insulation as the hallway i.e. none as solid brick.

Solid one brick insulates reasonably well, certainly relative to a tent. Two solid brick walls would actually be a lot better than one.
However that's indeed no reason to keep a porch that doesn't work.
Apart from building regs you'll also note that security is often better with two locked doors than one.
Plenty of people don't bother with building regs for this kind of thing (, usually opening up conservatories rather than porches) but it's usually picked up at sale time even if the first owner is prepared to put up with it.

 

[Nakajo]

Solid brick is rubbish.

 

[JohnD]

security is often better with two locked doors than one.

Only the outer door offers security. Once inside the porch, your burglar is out of sight and noise will be muffled while he forces the inner door at his leisure.

 

[John D v2.0]

Only the outer door offers security. Once inside the porch, your burglar is out of sight and noise will be muffled while he forces the inner door at his leisure.

If you say so.
I'm pretty sure any passers by can easily see through the plain glass door and window.
The real question is whether anyone would actually do anything regardless of whether the intruder is visible or not.
Either way I stand by my original statement, same reason I always used 2 locks on my bike, both were cheap locks but I'm the only person I knew who didn't get their bike taken at uni. Unless the thief really wants yours they'll walk to the next one.

 

[Notch7]

Officially, it needs regs as it becomes a compliant structure as not thermally separated.

Unofficially, its hardly the crime of the century!

Be careful the single walls dont suffer condensation -try removing the door for a few days in winter and see how it is.