Posts by Craig Paterson
Northwood, London
We had no intention of building a basement and, in fact, I always thought of basements as cold and damp environments with no headroom. Given the nature of the soft clay soil on the site though, we always knew that we’d have to dig deep foundations for a new build and having chosen to build…
Read MoreTwo basements, one project
The client wanted us to build two large basements in Watford. One for himself and his family and one for his parents, both living together on the same plot. The two of them were so designed that the sun would shine into the basement as long as possible so that the rooms would be very…
Read MoreGround Bearing Slab and Basement: Non return valve
Besides flooding, drain overflow is the most common cause of water damage to residential and commercial buildings. Due to limited capacity, public sewers can often have problems effectively discharging flood water during periods of heavy rain. Although the mains sewage system has drainage basins and other redundancy systems, as soon as certain capacities are exceeded,…
Read MoreA beautiful plot only half an hour from West London
To meet all of the client’s requirements, a basement proved to be an ideal solution. It would provide a separate section to the house for the luxury leisure area they wanted to include, without disturbing the actual living space. However, this would cost them no extra ground on their plot, so they would not need…
Read MoreBishop, Hertfordshire
Background The owners of this property in Hertfordshire knew exactly what they wanted to create, and carried out thorough research and meticulous financial planning to achieve their wonderful family home. Having lived just around the corner since childhood, they knew the area well, and in 2013, when the plot of land with an existing bungalow…
Read MoreWhat do I need to know about basement windows?
Historically, a cellar was often only considered useful as a storage place for potatoes, coal or unused furniture. Today however cellars serve a multitude of different purposes. In addition to being invaluable for storage, they are increasingly being used for hobbies and also as full time living areas. Because of this, there is an ever-greater…
Read MoreHow is a ground bearing floor slab constructed?
Virtually every client will sooner or later be confronted with the topic of ground bearing floor slabs. As a transition between the ground and the building, this component is essential in the construction of a basement. A distinction has to be made between non-load-bearing basement floor slabs and so-called ground floor slabs. The latter play…
Read MoreNew Home in Central London
Background Moving closer to Central London, this family had decided to rent a house initially in order to get to know the area a bit. Then a house came up for sale on the same road they were renting on. At a street party they got talking to a neighbour who was the agent for…
Read MoreWine, Cinema or Wellness?
Clever Ideas on how to make the most out of your Basement (Part 1) Have you ever thought about transforming your basement from a boring storage space to a wine bar, cinema or secluded spa? Here’s our first instalment of the best ways to give your basement the ‘wow’ factor. Cheers to a new wine…
Read MoreTanking of prefabricated basements
Detailing the available solutions Every prefabricated basement needs suitable tanking. It serves to protect against soil moisture and ground water and should provide total protection against damage to the building fabric over many decades. The question of which tanking system will suit a basement project is a vital one to answer correctly. While Glatthaar Keller…
Read MoreCreating an Office, Hobby Room or a Whole New Income
Clever Ideas on how to make the most out of your Basement (Part 2) More often than not, basements are stereotyped as cold, dark and dingy storage spaces, but this doesn’t have to be the case. The possibilities basements offer are endless. Part 1 of our blog explored wine bars, home cinemas and spa rooms,…
Read MoreVillage House in Bierton
Ben Arnold, a third-generation family builder, grew up just down the road from where he’s now built his own family home along with his wife, Lucy. The couple met at college and Lucy, from Suffolk, relocated to Buckinghamshire some 17 years ago to be with Ben. Not only have they built their own spacious family…
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