Getting the detail right…
One stipulation of Dan-Wood builds is that, in order to access the company’s 20- year guarantee, no landscaping elements are allowed to abut the main house superstructure. The reason for this is to preclude the risk of anything bridging above the tanking levels and thus creating a damp hazard. For the Kirkmans, this posed something of a challenge when it came to complying with the Building Regs requirement for an accessible entrance on the ground floor. After talking it through with the groundworker, they struck on a solution: a gently rising pathway that remains floating where it meets the house. “The paving at the entrance threshold is cantilevered offblockwork,” says Simon. “This leaves a ventilated space in between, so there’s no risk of moisture becoming trapped and travelling up the damp proofing. We think it’s a neat little solution!”