Kitchen Extensions — Maidenhead SL6
Side-Return Extension in Maidenhead — Edwardian Semi, Full Kitchen Transformation
Location
Maidenhead, SL6
Project Type
Kitchen Extensions
Duration
12 weeks on site
Scope
Side-return extension, structural steel frame, glazed roof, kitchen first fix
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The Brief
An Edwardian semi-detached in Maidenhead, SL6 — built around 1908, two-storey with the characteristic narrow side return running alongside the rear ground floor. The side return was approximately 1.8m wide and 6m long — wasted as a damp pathway to the bins. The clients wanted to fill the side return with a glazed extension, connecting it to the kitchen, and install a new kitchen that would run the full length of the extended space. Side return extensions like this suit the Edwardian and Victorian terraces found throughout Maidenhead, Windsor and the wider commuter belt into London — reclaiming wasted architecture without touching the garden. If you're weighing up costs for your own property, get in touch and we'll talk through what these constraints mean for your home.
Our Approach
The side-return extension fell within permitted development on the rear elevation. The glazed roof required careful consideration — a glazed or polycarbonate roof over the full return would have breached building regulation requirements for thermal performance unless compensated elsewhere in the dwelling's SAP calculation. We used a thermally-broken aluminium glazed roof system (Luminate 5-degree pitch) with low-E glass, which met the required U-value of 1.8 W/m²K for rooflights. No planning application was required.
The Build
The side return was excavated to 900mm, strip foundations poured and inspected. The external wall of the side return extension was a single-skin 102mm facing brick with 75mm Kingspan K8 rigid insulation boards internally and a moisture-resistant plasterboard finish — a high-performance build-up calculated by our structural engineer to meet Part L U-value requirements without a cavity, and signed off by building control. The glazed roof was carried on a steel frame — a 152x89 RHS along the ridge and two 152x89 RHS posts at the far corners. The existing ground floor rear wall of the Edwardian house was opened up with a wide structural opening — a 254x146 UC section RSJ on padstones carried the opening. A new thermally-broken steel window (Crittal-style, W20 system) was fitted to the garden-facing end wall, with a matching door unit. First-fix electrics: pendant positions above the island, under-cabinet lighting circuits, and double sockets to the kitchen run.
Materials & Specification
Facing brick: Ibstock Hereward Light to complement Edwardian yellow stock. Roof: Luminate 5-degree thermally-broken aluminium with Pilkington Activ Blue low-E glass. Window and door: Clement W20 steel system in RAL 9005. RSJ: 254x146 UC section. Internal insulation: Kingspan K8 75mm.
The Result
The side-return extension added 10.8 square metres of floor area, transforming what was a damp side passage into a light-filled galley extension running alongside the kitchen. The glazed roof floods the space with natural light throughout the day. The Crittal-style steel windows and door give the extension a period-appropriate aesthetic that suits the Edwardian property. The kitchen supplier fitted the new units along the full 8m run following handover.
Project Photos
Side return excavated and foundations poured — Maidenhead
Glazed aluminium roof installation — side return extension Maidenhead
Completed side-return kitchen extension with Crittal glazing — Maidenhead SL6
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Project FAQs
Are side-return extensions permitted development?
In most cases, yes. A side-return extension sits to the rear of the principal elevation and is typically within permitted development limits on a semi-detached property. We confirmed this at the initial site visit for this project.
Do glazed roofs meet building regulations?
They can. The key is achieving the required U-value — typically 1.8 W/m²K for rooflights. We specified a thermally-broken aluminium system with low-E glass, which met the thermal requirement and was confirmed by the SAP calculation.
How long did the project take?
12 weeks on site. The pre-build phase including structural engineering, building regs, and material lead times (the Crittal-style steel windows had a 6-week lead time) added 10 weeks before we broke ground.
Why Choose Berkshire Bespoke Builders
- ✓Owner-managed — Pindi Sahota is on site and managing your job personally
- ✓32 years on the tools — time-served builder, 25 years fitting bespoke kitchens
- ✓Fully insured — public liability and employer's liability on every project
- ✓Fixed-price written quotes — itemised by material and labour
- ✓Building regs managed — we submit applications and attend all inspection stages
- ✓Based in Bracknell — covering all of Berkshire. No travel surcharges or delays
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