Many of our projects over the years have involved keeping the front part of an old home and adding a modern addition to the rear of the building. Some of these projects have been in locations across South Australia in Tusmore, St. George’s, Aldgate, Rose Park, Maylands, Toorak Gardens, Port Elliot and our most recent project, currently under construction, is in Kingswood.
When we carefully remove the old part of the building (typically over 100 years old), we find that construction methods from the early 1900’s often were not built to the same standard as that which we practise today in the building industry to comply with the NCC and Australian Standards.
Joining the old to the new
One of the first places in which the new building will join the old is the concrete slab. Now, if, like most old buildings, the existing footings were made from slate or stone, they will not be suitable for dowelling, unlike concrete ones.
Marrying the old roof to the new roof. This is another tricky area to deal with and can take some very carefully thought-out carpentry work to ensure we get the same roof pitches and fascia heights to complement the old with the new.
Adapting the old plumbing to the new. It wasn’t until 1970 that Adelaide was using clay pipes for the sewer drainage system. Depending on the location in South Australia, some homes were converted to PVC in the mid 70’s, with others in the late 70’s. So in most cases we either find that the plumber needs to adapt to the Earthenware pipes or connect onto a brand new PVC connection supplied by SA Water (or there sub contractor BTR excavations). Another area of plumbing is the water supply pipes
Upgrading the electrical supplies. Often, when we do a renovation, the electrical wiring will be renewed. What we often find is the original bare earth, cotton sheathed cables still in use. These older-style cables need to be replaced with new cables and often an upgraded switchboard. Many of our clients are also opting for solar panels and batteries, so having an electrical system that can cope is very important.
Stormwater systems. Many of the older properties we renovate either have no stormwater system in place or the stormwater system that is in place is neglected and no longer performing as it needs to. Depending on the topography of the land today, we will install a storm water pumping chamber in the rear of the property to carefully manage the treatment of storm water back out to the water table on the street.
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle of building materials
During the demolition phase of the building project, we will typically see items like roof tiles, timber flooring and bricks being salvaged for reuse later in the project or taken away to a salvage yard for future use on other projects across SA. The positives of adopting the 3 R’s in a renovation of an older building is costs savings and also saving the environment in many ways. Over the last 20 years, we have seen a growing trend towards recycling hardwood timber floors. The trend has grown so much that on many of our projects, we are having to import it from interstate.
It is an exciting process adapting the old to the new and seeing the finished product where you can feel the transition between the 2 eras. Although each project presents its challenges, the end result is always an amazing build for our clients. Using the right trades always helps the renovation process, and it’s something we are well-known for in Adelaide. If you are considering a renovation, reach out to our team and let us help you get the process started.