Building Services in Ashington

Not every building job needs a main contractor. Rebuilding a crumbling garden wall, laying a small patio, putting up a stud wall to split a bedroom or patching plaster after a leak are all jobs that a skilled, versatile team can handle directly. These are the projects that often fall between a quick handyman job and a full building firm, and they can be hard to get anyone to quote for.

Handyman Ashington is a family-run team working across Ashington and the surrounding towns and villages since 2018. We carry out small building works ourselves and can help you think through larger projects, such as garage conversions, loft rooms or extensions, before you commit. For those, we can quote for the parts we can do, help you plan the order of work and explain where you are likely to need planning permission, building regulations approval or specialist trades. Related trades are covered on our carpentry and decorating pages.

Building work we carry out

Our building work focuses on smaller projects around the home and garden:

• Walls: building and repairing low brick or block garden walls, rebuilding damaged sections and repointing tired mortar.
• Patios and paths: laying small slab patios, paths and bases for sheds or garden rooms.
• Internal alterations: stud partition walls, boxing in, new door openings in non-load-bearing walls and fitting doors and frames.
• Plaster and making good: patching plaster, repairing ceilings after leaks and making good after other trades.
• Soundproofing: adding insulation and acoustic board to stud walls and ceilings to reduce noise between rooms.
• Conversion fit-outs: first fix and second fix carpentry, insulation and boarding on garage or loft conversions that have the right approvals in place.

Where a job needs structural work, such as removing a load-bearing wall, we will advise you to get a structural engineer involved first.

Planning a larger project

Bigger projects such as extensions, loft conversions, garage conversions and conservatories usually involve more than one trade and some paperwork. We are happy to talk them through with you, quote for the work we can do and help you plan the rest.

A few things to be aware of from the start:

• Planning permission: many small extensions and loft conversions fall under permitted development, but not all. Rules differ for listed buildings and conservation areas. Northumberland County Council's planning team can confirm what applies to your home.
• Building regulations: conversions and extensions almost always need building regulations approval, covering structure, fire safety, insulation and ventilation.
• Specialists: structural engineers, registered electricians and, for wood-burning stoves, a HETAS registered installer may be needed.
• Party walls: work on or near a shared wall may need notice given to your neighbours.

We will always be clear about what we will do ourselves and where another professional is needed.

How we work on building jobs

Every building job starts with a visit. We look at the site, talk about what you want to achieve and check practical details such as access, drainage, existing foundations and what is behind the wall. For garden walls, we look at why the old one failed, as tree roots, poor foundations or water running down from a higher garden are common causes.

We then put together a written quote setting out the work, materials and any items that depend on what we find once work starts. If approvals are needed, we will explain what to sort before we begin.

During the job we keep the site tidy, protect floors and paths, and keep you updated on progress. Mortar and plaster need time to cure and dry, so some jobs are done in stages. At the end we clear away waste materials and talk you through any aftercare, such as when new plaster will be ready for paint.

Typical building services jobs

• Building low garden walls
• Repairing and rebuilding damaged walls
• Repointing brickwork
• Laying small patios and paths
• Laying shed and garden room bases
• Building stud partition walls
• Forming openings in non-load-bearing walls
• Patch plastering and making good
• Repairing ceilings after leaks
• Soundproofing walls and ceilings
• First and second fix carpentry for conversions
• Quoting and planning for extensions and conversions