Full Reform Project
Full Property Reform in Tocon, Granada
Starting in October 2007, our most recent full property reform project took place in the village of Tocon. The Project was finally completed in August 2008, with many challenges to overcome along the way. The end result however is a beautiful property that our client will enjoy for many years to come.
The property required total reformation as highlighted below.
Removal of existing roof and replacement with new roof.
Having removed the original "chapa" roof and timber beams, it became clear that the construction of the property below would not take the weight of a concrete beam and pod roof construction, as is commonly used.
As with any project, potential changes to plans need to be made along the way, this proving to be the case with the type of roof construction we would need to employ. The solution in this project was to use a lighter timber roof construction.
As the rear of the property was considerably lower than the front, we also needed to raise the height of the central and rear supporting walls to provide an even pitch to the roof front and back. The gable end also needed to be re-built, as the existing brickwork was neither structurally sound or sufficient for the new roof.
As the new roof construction began to take shape, a waterproof membrane was applied over the main timbers, prior to fixing the battening and laying the new roof tiles. Breather tiles allowed for airflow throughout the roof cavity.
Rear extension, outer buildings and outside patio.
As with the rear yards of many village properties, the existing construction consisted of animal pens and storage, along with plenty of wild undergrowth and weeds. All of which needed to be cleared and tidied prior to laying new drainage and new surfaces.
Once done, we could then lay the base for the new extention to link the two linked outbuildings. The original animal pen was reformed to provide a covered patio area, whilst the two linked outbuildings would provide a utility room and a downstairs shower room.
Although the linked outbuildings had roofs of a similar construction method to the main roof, the roof over the new extension was constructed using clear polycarbon, in order to allow acces for natural light downstairs. This in effect created a light and bright new room, without taking natural light away from the other rooms at the rear of the property.
Interoir reform works, full rewire and new plumbing
As with the structure and exterior of the property, the interior required a great deal of attention and unearthed quite a few problem areas along the way. Most notably that the majority of the upper floors required reinforcing, a chimney needed removing and another building in an alternate location, internal walls removed and rebuilt.
The stairwell walls and construction provided the biggest surprise, once it was discovered that the existing stairwell walls and steps were made from mud and straw "bricks", it was clear that this area would need alot of attention. The thin brick walls above also needed to be removed and rebuilt as they were too weak and unstable to remain.
Prior to installing windows and doors, new lintels were required, as there were none featured in the previous construction. This ensured that all the window and door openings would be structurally secure. At the front of the property, the clients chose solid Iroko hardwood windows and front door in traditional styles, whilst at the rear, white aluminium double glazing was installed.
Given that the existing plumbing and electrics were next to none existant, this also had to be full catered for. The existing power supply was insufficient and needed to be upgraded to supply modern appliances and services. Martin McNally, an English electrician who is fully registered and qualified in Spain, was able to take care of all the electrical requirements, including the application with the powere company for the supply upgrade, along with all the work required.
The plumbing was a relatively clean installation as is was done with completely new materials, including a new mains supply at the front of the property, water meter, new alcathene pipework and copper internally.
Walls were treated for any damp and finished with "Capa Gruesa" and "Capa Fina" white mortar throughout to provide a traditional yet hard wearing finish, prior to painting and decorating.
Finished & Furnished
Final finishing touches, such as furniture and lighting have now been completed and we'll shortly add some more images of the "furnished" property interior. As part of our service, we took the client shopping at various local furniture companies to get everything they needed.
Budget
The overall spend on the project was in the region of €70,000, which included all labour and materials. The timescale at ten months reflected the quantity of work that was required, both expected and unexpected. In effect, the property was virtually rebuilt, given the attention required to remedy the structural and construction problems encountered.
Both the client and ourselves are very pleased with the final outcome, although with the problems that this particular property regularly presented throughout the project, will clearly highlight that one should always expect the unexpected with rural and rustic Spanish properties.
Follow Up Work
Since the completion of this project, our client asked us to perform additional work, which they had always planned to do at a later stage.
This included the installation of new french windows to the front upstairs bedrooms, along with rejas (security bars) to the front downstairs windows.
Our Affiliates
The company we use to fabricate & install rejas, or any other metalwork we require is ATR Welders.
We are happy to recommend Alan Rudkin and ATR Welders to all our clients as their work is of a consistently high standard, prices are fair and work is completed on-time, every time.
Their services cover:
- Onsite welding
- Repairs
- Balustrades
- Gates
- Rejas
- Staircases
- Any other metal fabrication made to your specification
To see examples of their work or to contact ATR Welders click their banner above.
Ceferino Cervera e Hijos S.L. are, to put it simply, a superb company to deal with. They have everything we need to execute large or small construction projects. Nothing is ever a problem for them and they will deliver throughout the province for us, at no extra cost. Materials always arrive when we need them, without any fuss or delays.
Over the years, we've built a great working relationship with Ceferino's, to the extent that we enjoy superb discounts across their full product range. They also keep us informed about all the latest advances in technologies used for all different types of construction materials and products.
Previous Projects
These are a few examples of some of our other projects.
Castillo de Tajarja, Granada
Interior Reform - Before (left) & After (right)
New rendering & decorating, new flooring.
Newly rendered walls and decorating. Newly installed laminate floor.
"Facelift" of a bathroom, re-using existing sanitaryware, but including new tiled areas, new wall rendering & decorating.
Overview
In this particular project, as is common in alot of older properties, much of the old plaster needed to be taken off, right down to the cob walls beneath. The walls were then cement rendered prior to plastering, using locally produced "yeso" in this example. Many finishing products are available, allowing for a variety of finishes and textures.
The old terrazzo style floor, a common feature in many older properties in this locality, were covered with a good quality cushioned laminate floor.
The bathroom shown was updated a little with plaster boards applied walls, texture skimmed and decorated. New wall tiling was applied around the bath and mirror above the sink. The toilet, bidet & bath were in perfect condition and remained, whilst the basin and pedestal were cracked and had to be replaced.
A careful selection of paint colours provided the finishing touches in all the rooms you can see. This project aimed to be sympathetic to the age property, whilst incorporating modern materials and a slight lean towards the contemporary.
Illora, Granada
Remove and replace roof with new roof terrace.
Our clients asked us to replace a leaky old chapa (corrugated asbestos) roof, with a spacious roof terrace, enjoying views of the village of Illora, surrounding countryside and Sierra Nevada mountains.
The images show a poorly sealed and jointed roof, including poorly finished work along a newer roof, which had been fitted a year earlier by another "builder".
A few weeks earlier, we re-routed pipework from an upstairs bathroom, this so-called builder had decided to feed into a redundant and blocked sewer pipe, which had eventually clogged up and caused a terrible mess.
Our client had always liked the idea of a roof terrace, so they could enjoy views from their property, unavailable within their walled terrace areas.
As with any older property, there's always unique problems to overcome. In this case, the rear supporting beam was thick old oak, roughly 40cm x 40cm square. Consultation with the local town architect confirmed this would be more than sufficient to support the back of the terrace with some additional support work, whilst the front wall was insubstantial and required steel reinforced support columns.
The final rendering, finishing, tiling and grouting has now been completed.
All that remains, is for ATR Welders to construct the ironwork staircase, from the lower terrace, to the upper terrace.
We repaired the faults with the neighbouring roof, that the rogue builder left behind, along with inserting breather tiles to help prevent condensation in the roof space, allowing better air flow.
Monda, Near Marbella, Malaga
Façade repairs and rendering.
As with many older Spanish properties, constructed with field stone and earth mortar, the lime mortar and painted façade can decay over time. It's important to treat problems quickly and correctly, to prevent damp penetration and make the property look much neater.
The above images visibly show firstly the areas affected by damp, secondly, where areas of mortar, paint and tiles are coming away from the structure beneath, along with initiation of work to correct the problem. All loose materials and paint need to be removed, in some areas with this façade, down to the original stone structure beneath.
The worst affected areas are cleaned of any loose materials, then treated with a sealing and bonding agent, which will help keep everything in place prior to the next stage of repairs.
These worst affected areas are then repaired with a fast setting mortar, specially designed for use with older properties. Any spaces and voids are filled completely and the surfaces finished level with the rest of the façade. Once set, the whole of the façade is treated with an anti-humidity agent and prior to rendering, further coverage of a bonding agent over the whole surface area.
We begin rendering the façade using Morcemsec Capa Gruesa Impermeable. This product is a thick coat (up to 20mm) white, waterproof mortar. Within around an hour, the rendered surface is ready to hand sponge, giving it a textured finish.
With the first half of the façade covered and textured, we begin finishing the second half.
With both halves fully covered, we complete the final hand sponged finish texture, ensuring that both halves are feathered in seamlessly.
The end result, a much cleaner façade, which not only looks better, but will provide a barrier against the elements for many years to come.
Padul, Granada
Garage Conversion
Our client wanted to make use of all the unused space in the under-build/garage area of their new property.
The idea was that the main living/sleeping space could be used by their children and visitors. Also required, was a shower/utility room and sufficient remaining garage space for a small car.
Initial work required, including a low wall and chasing out channels in the floor for drainage pipes. The reason we constructed a low wall on which to mount the stud-work, was to allow additional protection in case of any flooding.
The stud-work spaces were filled with Rockwool, for both sound and heat insulation. We also used WA (water and humidity resistant) plaster boards, for additional moisture protection. Note that in Spanish properties, we always use galvanised steel channel and mounting sections.
We often see fellow expatriate tradesmen use timber stud-work. Timber is fine in more even temperature climates and is often used in the UK. However, in southern Spain, temperatures can vary greatly in the space of a few hours, causing considerable expansion and contraction with soft woods. As such, we don't recommend the use of timber stud-work, due to eventual problems of joints cracking between plaster boards, or even surfaces warping out of shape. All in all though, galvanised stud-work usually costs less, performs better and is clean and easy to work with.
Shower and utility room, with space for a washing machine, vanity unit and mirror, shower cabinet and WC.
Entry to garage area, with glass block window, in a random pattern, as requested by our client.
Sleeping area, with plenty of space for a bed, or in this case, a bed-settee. Our client is currently thinking about their preferred usage, or furniture, for the alcove above the bed-settee.
The main living area, with plenty of space for seating and tables.
The space was fully rewired, including provision for satellite television and internet connection points.