As summer arrives, we have been working on several wall removals. Wall removals are a great way to update your home! Removing a wall provides more open space, brings in more natural light and improves air flow. Here are a few things you should consider when undertaking your wall removal project:

Using the space

The end goal for your home will determine which wall you remove. You will also need to consider additional furniture and decorating costs for your new space. Alternatively, you could consider simply knocking through your existing wall to create a pass-through servery or additional seating space if that suits your needs.

Load bearing walls

Next you will need to find out if the wall being removed is load bearing. If the wall is load bearing, it is likely that a structural engineer will need to assess how it can be removed and the process that must be followed. This means an additional cost and a longer process to ensure that your home is safe.

Is your home single or double storey?

If you’re looking to remove a wall from your double storey home, it will create additional complications. The weight of the extra storey means that a structural engineer will be required and the project is likely to cost more due to additional materials and labour.

Floor and ceiling

Removing a wall leaves a hole in the floor and ceiling. When patching the floorm, it can be difficult to create a seamless look, especially if you have hardwood flooring. Carpet or a hybrid plank is often easier if it’s relatively new. Wall removals are a great time to consider replacing your flooring and making changes to your ceiling.

Inside the wall

Considering what’s inside the wall is vital. If there are electrical wires, plumbing pipes, or even gas lines, it will be an added expense to reroute these necessities. If the builder opens the wall and finds something unexpected, this will be an additional consideration and expense.

Pictured below is the result of a wall removal the DBG team did in Hallett Cove. 

We had to install an additional steel support beam in the roof so the client could have all this open space. The space gets lots of light and airflow from the sliding glass doors. The client loves their open plan home!

If you have any questions about wall removals or would like a quote to create extra space in your home, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Welcome to September's blog!

Spring is here and we are ramping up projects in preparation for summer. Another one of our exciting projects has been this deck and pool located in local Adelaide Hills. The project extended to the cladding on the home and an additional deck that extended through the beautiful gardens in the backyard.

This lovely pool is enclosed with a glass fence that adds to the magic feeling of being in an open area. What a perfect place for friends and family to enjoy summer this year!

In other news, as the company grows and takes on new challenges, we have recently welcomed some administrative assistance to our team. We are thrilled to welcome Sarah to the Dornford Building Group family! Sarah starts her promising career with us as an Administrative Assistant, helping with invoicing, cost management and creative content for our online platforms. We pride ourselves in the quality of both our building work and the office work that makes everything possible. We are confident that Sarah will help us grow and continue to improve our service to all our clients.

Dornford Building Group has been busy this month with developing our new home builds, working on several extensions, and preparing for summer with our deck and pergola projects.

We're so excited to go through these journeys with you. To see all the photos from this deck and pool project, check out our Instagram or Facebook page. You can always check out our gallery for some more photos.

If you have any questions or would like a quote on your project, reach out to us with the contact details below!

Welcome to August’s blog!

We have been busy this month with some extension projects, bathroom renovations, laundry redesign and builds, and working on our new home builds. Today, I thought we could talk about bathrooms and some details that people don’t regularly think about. 

The most important thing to keep in mind when renovating your bathroom is “What do I want?” While this seems like an obvious question, what, who, and how you are going to use the bathroom affects what you need to include. For example, something as simple as choosing a mirror becomes much more important if you’ve got small children or a tall adult as the main user. In this instance, you will need to make sure it is big enough to include all the various heights in the household. In another scenario, if you enjoy wearing makeup, you may want to splurge for a skylight (or maybe a few extra down-lights). Below is a list of items we try and get our clients to think about when designing their new bathroom:

• General considerations

  Some common considerations include considering if your bathroom needs to be child friendly or cater for elderly use. This will affect hand rail placement, size of bath and height of the vanity. Thinking about main purpose is a good place to start when planning your new bathroom.
  

• Spacing, placement and storage

  You first need to consider how much space you have as this will determine what you can include. Would you like a bath or is a shower sufficient and what does the space allow? You want to be able to move around freely. This means considering which way doors swing, where the ideal place would be to place the towel rail and where you would like the vanity. Naturally, the size of all items will depend on how much space is available.
  

• Ventilation and lighting

  Once you have an idea of what you want to include in your bathroom, you will need to ensure that there is ample ventilation and lighting. An extractor fan is a great way to remove steam from the bathroom and can be combined with a heat lamp combo for additional lighting. You should also consider a skylight, if the budget allows, as this a great way to introduce natural light and can also assist with ventilating the space.
  

• Fixtures and fittings

  Choosing the right fixtures and fittings will help compliment the overall look of your bathroom. Having a look through some pictures online is a great way to get some inspiration and to get an idea of what you like. This will help in choosing the right fixtures and fittings that will tie in nicely with the rest of the bathroom design.
  

• Budget

  Knowing your budget is a great place to start as bathroom renovations can be quite expensive and the extra ‘nice to have’ items add up quickly. This is where working closely with a builder that you trust is essential to ensure that you get value for money and the bathroom that you want. Items such as underfloor heating, heated towel rails and automatic skylights are great to have but don’t always fit in most people’s budget.
  

• Planning and execution

  Once you have everything in place, it is crucial to discuss your plans with your builder. It is a good idea to draw up a plan of where everything is to go, including the plumbing and electrical. Being clear about where everything should be, helps to reduce any variations, increases in cost and schedule all the trades to ensure that the project runs well from start to finish.

While this list may look long, you should work with your builder when considering your budget, space, and all the other details above. This is a bathroom we’ve just finished as part of an extension project:

We love the new bathroom and so do our clients! It’s perfectly suited to the client’s individual needs. If you have any questions about bathroom renovations, feel free to email us at [email protected] or give us a call on 0466 454 110!