The Drawbacks Of Traditional Brick Builds
Homeowners are spoiled for choice when it comes to extensions nowadays. There are so many styles and design options out there that it can sometimes be difficult to decide what to go for. Would your home benefit most from a contemporary extension or a more conventional brick one? What is the best way to build?
We’ll happily admit that traditional extensions have a certain charm and can understand why they’re still popular. However, we’d argue that a prefabricated system hup! is a better choice. You can get all the benefits of a classic brick build with none of the drawbacks, especially when it comes to the production process. Allow us to explain.
Slow Construction
One of the biggest advantages of choosing a hup! extension is that they’re much faster to build. According to a recent article by Base Architecture, the average single storey extension takes about eight to ten weeks to build and that’s without factoring in the design stage, or any potential delays caused by navigating Building Regulations or bad weather. The average delay for a traditional build is over 10 weeks.
In contrast, hup! is significantly quicker. In fact, it’s an astonishing five times faster to build than a traditional extension. That’s potentially weeks or even months saved from the construction time, which means you’ll not only get a pristine new home extension, but your daily life can go back to normal sooner. It can also be built in any weather, and the whole kit arrives at once. There will be no weather delays or long pauses while you wait for windows and doors to be manufactured.
Higher Costs
Aside from delays, there’s also the budget to consider. Building a brick conservatory, orangery, or other traditional extension will put a significant strain on your bank account, and hidden costs can exacerbate this. They are more labour intensive and require more materials than a prefabricated system, and the extended timeframe means higher labour costs.
One key advantage of hup! is that if you’re replacing an old extension or a conservatory, hup! can use the existing foundations because it is so lightweight and there’s no need to dig new ones. The average price for new foundations in the UK is £7000, and that’s without considering any unforeseen circumstances. Sometimes the team will have to dig deeper than planned and increase the timeframe and cost alike. With hup! though, that’s not a significant problem. Our extensions utilise a ground screw solution, and if we encounter any issues, it’s just a case of using a bigger one.
Let’s also not overlook the weather; the British climate is notoriously unpredictable and it can be enormously frustrating to have the work and budget extended by constant downpours. With hup! that’s not a problem. Our extensions can be built in any weather, so there won’t be any downed tools when the heavens open and the work can continue at the same pace.
Disruption And Mess
We also can’t ignore how disruptive building a brick extension can be. Those eight to ten weeks of construction time involve a lot of noise and mess, which in turn means more stress. Imagine having to put up with constant banging and drilling for over two months, not to mention cleaning up dust on a regular basis. It doesn’t sound like much fun, does it?
Now think of a pristine new extension where the majority of the work is done offsite, there is very little brick dust, and the build takes days, not months. The wall panels are constructed in a factory, and there’s no cutting to size on your property. Picture a system designed to clip together quickly and efficiently, where most of the waste has been disposed of before the components even arrived onsite and where you don’t have any headaches caused by hammering, drilling or sawing. That’s hup!
Potential Structural Issues
Lastly, let’s consider one of the main causes of problems with brick and glass conservatories and other traditional extensions; human error. There are fewer cowboys nowadays, and most builders are a credit to their trade, but they are still human beings and like all of us, are prone to mistakes. Minor errors in the construction process can cause significant trouble further down the road, including cracks, leaks, draughts and other unnecessary issues that are a pain to fix.
With hup! though, the risks are significantly lower. Our systems are made to a consistently high standard, structural calculations are within the design software and the kit is cut to exact size and designed for straightforward installation. There’s less room for bad workmanship or mistakes, and you’ll get a structurally sound new extension and complete peace of mind.
The Better Way To Build
Take all this into account and you can see why we think hup! has the edge over older building methods. However, you may remember that we mentioned the inherent charm of brick buildings back in the introduction; what if all the advantages can’t outweigh the appeal of that traditional look?
Well, with hup! you can replicate that classic style without losing any of the other benefits. We have a range of brick and render finishes available that can be applied to the wall panels, so if you’re looking for a brick extension, brick built orangery or even a half brick conservatory, hup! is an excellent choice. It’s a faster, cost effective alternative to the old methods and the better way to build. Get in touch with us today to find out more or search for your nearest hup! builders online.
