Kitchen Extension in Ascot — Open-Plan Kitchen & Dining
A detached 1990s property in Ascot SL5 with a small, enclosed rear kitchen. The client wanted to knock through and extend to create an open-plan kitchen and dining room with direct garden access. We built a single storey rear extension with bifold doors, GRP flat roof, and an overhead rooflight — transforming a dark kitchen into a full-width open-plan family space. Thirteen weeks from groundworks to handover.
Project Summary
- Location
- Ascot, SL5
- Property type
- Detached, 1990s
- Service
- Kitchen Extension
- Extension type
- Single storey rear
- Build duration
- 13 weeks on site
- Roof type
- Flat GRP with rooflight
- Glazing
- Bifold doors + overhead rooflight
- Structural steelwork
- RSJ spanning kitchen opening
- Building regulations
- Approved
Build Documentation
From Groundworks to Completion
Stage 1
Foundations
Strip foundations excavated to 750mm in Ascot's mixed clay and gravel subsoil. Concrete strip poured and set. DPC laid before blockwork started.
Stage 2
Brickwork & Structure
Walls built to plate height in cavity construction — buff facing brick outer, dense block inner. RSJ steel installation required temporary Acrow propping while the existing wall was cut back to form the structural opening. Padstones cast into both sides of the opening before the beam was installed.
Stage 3 — Completed
Roof & Glazing
GRP flat roof with 150mm PIR insulation achieving U-value of 0.15 W/m²K. Bifold door frame set and tracked. Rooflight frame fitted to deck before GRP membrane applied. First-fix electrics and underfloor heating pipework laid before screed.
The Brief
The client needed more kitchen space and a dining area that connected to the garden. The existing kitchen was a closed, separate room — functional but cramped for a growing family. The brief: open it up, extend it, and fill it with light. No architectural input required — we worked directly with the client from initial sketch to final spec.
What We Built
Single storey rear extension, approximately 4m × 4.5m footprint, on the rear of a detached property in Ascot SL5. Cavity brick and block construction with buff/sand-faced brick to match existing. Flat GRP roof with a 600mm × 1800mm fixed rooflight over the dining zone. Three-panel bifold doors spanning the full rear elevation onto the garden. RSJ structural steel beam (203×133 UC section) spanning the opening from the existing kitchen into the extension — carried on padstones on either side. Full building regulation submission and approval.
Why Berkshire Bespoke Builders
- ✓Owner-managed — Pindi on site, personally
- ✓32 years experience — time-served builder
- ✓Fixed-price quotes — itemised, written, no extras
- ✓Building regs managed — submissions + inspections
- ✓Based in Berkshire — Binfield, RG42
FAQ
Kitchen Extensions Questions Answered
Did this require planning permission?
No. The extension is within permitted development limits — under 4m rear projection on a detached property and less than half the width of the original house. We confirmed the PD position at the initial site visit.
How was the steel beam specified?
A structural engineer calculated the beam size based on the clear span of 3.8m and the floor load above (first floor bedroom). A 203×133 UC section was specified. We arranged the structural engineer calculations — these are included in our project costs.
Can bifold doors cause heat loss problems?
Modern thermally-broken bifold door systems have U-values of 1.4–1.6 W/m²K, which meets building regulation requirements. Combined with a well-insulated roof and walls, the overall heat loss from the extension is within the approved building regs target.
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