Remodelling Postwar Homes: Design Solutions

Key Elements

Building Form

The most significant factor in deciding the style of any external makeover scheme is the building’s current form. This can be significantly altered through extension, demolition and altering the roof shape. Even the orientation can effectively be altered by, for instance, designing a side extension to form a new principal elevation, or remodelling the back to become the front.

To keep down costs, the starting point is to explore options that utilise the building’s current form as far as is practical, and this will typically steer the project.

For instance, properties with a very lowpitched roof tend to lend themselves well to contemporary design schemes rather than traditional, although it may be worth exploring the classical Georgian villa with a low-pitched slate roof, largely hidden behind a parapet wall. Buildings with steeply sloping roofs tend to lend themselves better to period-style schemes, especially if there are forward-facing gables, which may lend themselves well to a Victorian or Arts & Crafts-style makeover. This is where the experience of a designer with an understanding of different architectural styles will prove invaluable.

Siting

The way the building sits on its plot is another major consideration. It will inform where any new space can and should be added to make the most of the site’s characteristics, its orientation, the best views, screening from the elements and privacy from neighbours, vehicular access, and topography.

Architectural Details

Once the essential form of the building has been defined, making the best use of the site, details like wall and roof cladding, chimneys, windows and doors, window and door surrounds, porches and other architectural details can be honed to complete the design scheme. The key here is to come up with a coherent theme, and then to apply it to the whole building. Some designers like to mix different period styles to create the impression that a building has evolved over time, and this can be very successful, providing it is done well to avoid bad pastiche.

Roof Coverings

Planning permission is not normally required to strip and recover the roof, including changing the roofing material, providing the roof depth is not raised by more than 10cm — which allows for over-the-rafter insulation.

Contemporary Styles

For a contemporary-style makeover, blue/black slate is the most favoured roof covering. A budget solution is to go for black, or dark grey, large-format concrete tiles.

Other roofing options include timber shingles, and metal roofing, such as powder-coated steel, zinc, lead or copper.

For flat roofs the most cost-effective option is fibre glass or traditional bitumen felt, but increasingly favoured are single-ply membranes, which are heat-welded and have a long lifespan.

Period Styles

For a period-style makeover, large-format concrete tiles will need to be changed for something more sympathetic, typically slate, plain clay tiles, profiled clay tiles, stone slates or possibly even thatch. Natural materials such as clay and natural slate or stone tend to look best but where budget is limited, the better-quality reconstituted stone/slate or concrete alternatives will still be a big improvement.

Selection should be based on the overall design scheme, and for a period-style project it is best to draw from the palette of materials used on original local houses of the same style. The roof pitch also needs to be taken into account, particularly on low-pitched roofs, as not all roofing options are suitable. Interlocking slates work at 20°; overlapping slate cannot be laid below 25°; plain clay tiles not below 35° — although some regular machine-made tiles can go down to 30°; double Romans can go down to 17.5°; thatch cannot be laid at below 45°.

A Costly Exercise

Changing the roof covering is not cheap – costing anywhere from £60-180/m² – so is best avoided on a budget scheme. However, where the roof is being stripped for other building works, this will go some way to mitigating the cost. If the existing covering is worth salvaging, it should be saved and either reused on a single plane of the roof, or sold. An alternative way to conceal an unattractive low-pitched roof is to form a parapet at the eaves and verge that screens off the slope from eye level.

Windows & Doors

Before considering the style of the frames, rethink the size and shape of the window and door openings and how this relates to the style of the overall design scheme. In most cases, door and window openings can be altered under Permitted Development rights.

Period Styles

For a period-style property, select a window style that is sympathetic to the overall design scheme and invest in timber windows, or the highest quality PVCu, with authentic detailing. For a low-maintenance option, go for timber windows clad externally in powder-coated aluminium or PVCu. Doors will almost certainly need to be timber to achieve the correct proportions and detailing, especially if they contain glazing.

Contemporary Styles

For more modern designs, larger windows with minimal or concealed frames are an important design feature. Frames may be powder-coated metal, or timber clad externally in powder-coated aluminium or PVCu. Doors are frequently timber and real interest can be added by using unconventional proportions, such as a wide or tall front door.

Chimneys

Many modern houses have no chimney, especially energy-efficient houses which have only a balanced flue stove or no flue at all. In contrast, period houses often have heavy chimneys as a defining characteristic and so getting the chimneys right on a traditional design makeover is critical. These structures will almost certainly require planning permission because they project above the ridge line. Although false chimneys in fibre glass or metal are available and can be clad in brick slips, it is always best to create the real thing if possible, even if there is no flue.

Wall Cladding

Altering the outer cladding of the external walls is a relatively straightforward way of transforming a building’s appearance. The added advantage is the opportunity to cover up different mismatching materials where a property has been extended, altered or repaired, plus the chance to add external insulation.

Render

Render is a cost-effective option that is relatively thin and, therefore, requires little if any alteration to door and window openings or roof eaves/verges. It is suitable for a traditional-style design scheme, or for a contemporary look.

Render can also be applied on mesh over a layer of external insulation, either mechanically fixed or laid within a new insulated timber frame outer layer — helping to improve energy efficiency without sacrificing internal volume.

Sand and cement render is the lowest cost option, and if white cement is used together with local sand, it can be self-coloured. However, sand and cement render is prone to cracking and, once painted, will require ongoing maintenance.

Sand and cement render can be mixed with aggregate to form various textured finishes with greater weather resistance, ranging from roughcast to pebbledash, but these finishes are not particularly in favour at present.

Traditional lime render is a good option for solid-walled buildings, as it is breathable and can tolerate some movement without cracking; however, it is relatively expensive. It can be selfcoloured by mixing with local sand, or finished with limewash. Lime render can also be mixed with aggregates to form roughcast.

Tile Hanging

Vertical tile hanging, using either plain clay tiles or slate fixed over timber battens, is a common traditional cladding option suitable primarily for upper storeys, including gable ends. Hung tiles or slates can be laid over a new externally insulated timber frame structure.

Stone

If it is to look convincing, stone is a difficult material to add as a thin external cladding layer, and has a bad reputation due to overuse in the 1970s. Cladding using smooth ashlar-type stone can be more successful and is used on some contemporary projects. Random walling is impossible to create on less than a 125-150mm bed, so is unlikely to be used for re-cladding.

Brick

Facing brick is too deep – on a 100mm bed – to easily apply to an existing building unless the existing outer wall is replaced with a new brick wall and cavity. However, thin-sawn brick slips are a cladding option and there are several systems available, including systems to fix over external insulation. This is a low-maintenance option, but labour intensive and therefore relatively expensive.

Timber

Vertical and horizontal boarding are both popular replacement cladding materials, either for the entire building, or for upper floors only, combined with render for the ground floor. They can be applied directly onto battens, or over a new insulated timber frame outer structure.

For traditional buildings, painted horizontal boarding is common in many regions, typically overlapping shiplap or weatherboarding. Painted softwood is the lowest cost option, but requires regular maintenance. For those who do not want to paint the exterior, or for harsh weather areas such as near the coast, there are self-coloured manmade cladding boards available made from cement fibreboard or plastics. These can look convincing and come in a wide choice of colours.

For contemporary design schemes, horizontal boarding is currently very popular, typically timbers such as oak, sweet chestnut, cedar, or European larch. Left to weather naturally, this is a low-maintenance option. Boards are usually butt-edged rather than overlapping.

Porches

Adding a porch can be a cost-effective way to transform the front of a building that has a very flat, characterless façade. Period houses often feature closed or open porches, or at least a canopy, whilst grander classical-style houses often have a portico. Once again, this needs to be planned as part of an overall design scheme and the style of any porch or door surrounds selected as appropriate for the architectural style and standing of the building — be it a rustic cottage or farmhouse, or a finer country house or villa.

Contemporary-style porches and canopies tend to be more minimal in style, frequently with a simple rectangular format with a flat roof and lots of glazing in the walls and roof, perhaps combined with timber cladding or render.

Details

Window and door surrounds, cills, rainwater goods, external joinery such as barge boards and finials, and other architectural details all need to be considered as part of the overall design scheme. For a traditional-style design, these elements can be fundamental in creating an authentic feel and so should be researched thoroughly by studying original buildings of the same period style, and particularly those in the local vicinity which reflect regional vernacular building traditions.

Landscaping

The driveway, boundaries, gates, landscaping and planting should all be considered as part of the overall design scheme, and can go a long way to transforming the appearance of a house. Where budget is limited, climbing plants can be used to help disguise unattractive walls or features, and to screen out less attractive aspects, or to create privacy.

Garages

For a period-style property, try and avoid having any attached garages, or at best having the front elevation of the garage at a different angle – for instance, perpendicular – to the main house. An existing integral garage can be converted into living accommodation and in most instances this will not require planning permission as it constitutes Permitted Development.

Traditional garage doors should be side-hung cart-shed-style doors, or emulate this style, or perhaps have raised and fielded panels or simple boarded doors. Detached garages can be designed to appear as traditional outbuildings, such as barns, cart sheds, stores etc.

For a contemporary style, an attached garage is more acceptable, and the garage doors can be more modern in style, too, either sectional garage doors, or simple boarded doors. Raised and fielded panelled doors will not be appropriate.

View a selection of remodelled postwar homes...

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Further reading:

• Planning Permission: Permitted Development
• A Guide to External Appearance
• From Bland to Grand: Postwar Renovations