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Back on the self-build waggon...

A blog by MikeGrahamT21 in General

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Entries in this blog

External Blinds

After this years extreme heat...

I decided I had to do something to combat the eventual indoor overheating which didn't involve installing air conditioning, this may be needed at some point if temperatures keep rising but i'd rather keep it as a last resort.   I've been using all of the usual tricks in the book, opening everything up when its cooler outside than in, and shutting everything up during the day, which worked as well as it could, the bungalow is pretty well insulated so this strategy worked in the most par
Final Touches

Snug and Dining room

More or less done these two rooms now, which after finishing the bathroom were basically just flooring and decorating, making a bit of furniture and then moving some other furniture I already had which was always destined for the dining room.   I’ve got planned some bench seating for the wall side of the dining table to make it more space efficient, but not any time soon.   I think this will be the first time, certainly in the last 10 years, where I have no outstanding ‘fille
Bathroom

Bathroom finally completed

Just been reading through my last post from end of May, and thinking how on earth did it take me so long to get to this one 🤣   A lot of blood, sweat, tears and swearing later, and i've finally finished the bathroom, which has exceeded what I imagined i might be able to create, I still keep walking in and thinking, naaa this can't be my bathroom. So another room brought to a close 🙂   Those panels on the wall were actually meant for the living room, sound absorbing pane
Bathroom

Bathroom refit into new extension

Thanks to the relatively mild weather this winter i decided to start chipping away at the bathroom project, which is being extended into part of the extension which was finished over a year ago. This gave me the opportunity to install the bath, sink and toilet in the new bit, at which time I’d totally disconnected the old bathroom allowing me to strip it out and that’s worked really well for my as I struggle to do more than 4hours in a single day so I could keep doing a bit and stopping when I’d
Battery Storage

Battery Storage Update - 2 years in

Where on earth has that 2 years vanished?   So coming up on the 2 year installation of the inverter and single module battery, and as with most things these days, the gradual improvements to firmware over time have made a huge difference.   So at the last update I'd managed to get the power leakage down through an offset, and the whole system was a lot more accurate, but nonetheless still had a small amount of leakage throughout the day which was averaging around 0.5-0.6kWh,
External Wall Insulation

That'll do for 2023...

Properly chuffed with myself how far i've progressed this year, but its a good time to take a break i feel, before the last huge job of doing the new bathroom, hopefully next year.   Finished the external wall insulation off in the courtyard area, and got my new set of water butts all connected, should provide enough for the front garden and car washing (when i have the energy!) during a prolonged dry period. Just got the silicone to do on the corner and the join.  
External Wall Insulation

Another few jobs off the list

I'm kind of glad July hasn't been too warm, as its enabled me to get more done than i would have otherwise, but the rain has been the main issue, and surprisingly, hedgehogs which have been running all over the front garden, until they mysteriously all died, why i've no idea, felt very privileged having them here.         First bit done whilst the hedgehogs were still around, the bit i've been wanting to do the most, around the boiler and gas box, where the worst d
External Wall Insulation

More jobs getting completed now the weather is warming and drying up

After the worst of the cold weather was out of the way, i decided to start chipping away at my huge jobs list this year, some is finishing off, and others additional bits.   Started getting the block paving back down again, as i was fed up of bringing sand in on my feet all the time, was very time consuming as each block needed individually inspecting for chips, and cleaning of its old sand and sealer around the edges, but kept doing a bit every other day.    
Side Extension

Side Extension moving along, slowly but surely

Just a few progress photos of the inside and how its been moving along since the builders left after completing their work:   First job was the warm roof, literally just to get some of the 100mm boards used up as i had no where else to put them         I was also trying to get as much of the dusty bits out of the way before opening this room up to the rest of the bungalow, so removed the outer bricks from under the bathroom window (the blocks will b
Battery Storage

Battery Storage - 7 month update

As promised another update, following many tweaks and a firmware upgrade from Solis.   So the existing problems were:   Whenever the battery isn't at 100% SOC, it pulls an amount of power from the grid, somewhere between 60W and 100W Even when the battery is actively charging, it still pulls the same 60-100W from the grid, regardless if there is enough PV power to charge the battery and cover loads at the same time. Once the battery is 100% SOC and im generating PV
External Wall Insulation

Another section of External Wall Insulation Completed

Forgot i'd done this for some reason 😂   Been a long time coming, but finally decided to get on with it, heres a few before and after and during pics, I did use wall anchors too but for some reason didn't bother taking a photo at that point.             Pleased with how it came out, not only looks better than before with the conduit for the wire which is now buried, but should also save some £££.   The plinth in
Side Extension

Extension completed on the outside

What a journey that was, lying builder and a few no show days caused the finish date to slip, and following a 2month delayed start, but I got there in the end!! Good things come to those who wait eh.   So the outside shell of the building is now completed, and yesterday I started work on the inside.     The lean-to roof was extremely close, but just squeezed it in with a slight pitch modification. This leaves me with essentially 3 sections of wall to clad: Near sid
Side Extension

Finally got started on the extension!

So after 2 years since the planning permission was granted, and a 2month delay from the builders I'm finally underway on what will be the last major building work on this bungalow.                   Having real trouble finding a joiner who's available to do the roof, so I may end up having to do that myself. The one bit i'm unsure on having never done a lean-to roof before, the wood plate which goes
Battery Storage

Battery Storage - Nearly 2 months in

As promised a little update on the Battery Storage. Firstly i'm very glad I bought when I did, as everything battery storage wise has skyrocketed in price since, even the prospect of adding a US2000C seems unlikely for now, though to be honest, going on my usage I don't think it would add a great deal of benefit.   So I'm running the Solis 5th Generation AC Coupled Inverter, which does have a couple of niggles, which at present are reducing its savings potential. Those issues are:

Battery Storage installed

After pondering battery storage for many years, and then the energy prices rocketing this last year, i finally decided to give energy storage a shot, working out how it would sit financially was extremely difficult, and a little bit of a finger in the wind, but as the batteries have a designed lifetime of 15years now, and energy prices rarely go down, I figured it would pay for itself with some profit over the long term, whilst also reducing my carbon emissions and reliance on the grid.  

Living Room DONE...

Wow that took me a long time, what a difference a year makes!   I did always know that it was going to be a difficult room to do, and also the largest in the bungalow, but I have reached completion, apart from the carpet which is on order.   So firstly there was the repair to the area under the window, which needed the brickwork rebuilding and then replastering...     Next I started work on the acoustic wall, comprising of a metal framing system fil

Another year...another room

Having not had the best of years health wise this year, which has unfortunately made the decision for me that someone else will have to build the side extension, i thought i'd get a bit more work done, but rather than the norm of a room taking me 3 days tops, i've spent weeks on this one, slowly picking it apart and now putting it back together (admittedly it is the biggest area of the bungalow). This is the last room which needed everything out, so I can finally say goodbye to woodwormed timber

Building Control Plans Submitted for Extension

As promised, here are my completed (I hope) drawings for building control, which I've just submitted to the local council. I'll post back on here with what they come back with, any changes required, and also any restrictions imposed.   I know some were asking what was required for BC plans, so hopefully this will give a good guide for a masonry cavity wall build.   Side Extension Drawing BC.pdf

Master Bedroom renovation

Wasn't going to post this one, as in the grand scheme of things its fairly regular and a bit boring, but there is a few interesting points which may be of use to others...   The photos are panoramic, don't worry the floor isn't bent! ? This was a before photo once all the fitted furniture was removed   Everything stripped out, and underfloor fully cleaned and hoovered   New timber put in which has been post-delivery treated (bloody builders merch

Final part of loft insulation

Bit back to front this, will take some photos of first half when I’ve done this bit, at minute it’s chockablock with kingspan boards.   ive turfed all of the insulation out, binned the very old collapsed stuff, shook all the crap off the remainder, hoovered everything.   at the minute I’m just working on uncovering the rather dangerous looking electrics, but putting kingspan boards in where I can just to get them done and out the way.   this is one for the electrici

On to the dining room (Part 1)

So now the new kitchen is in, it was time to renovate the room which was the old kitchen in to the first part of the dining room (I say first part, as the second part is going to be in an extension which i'm hoping to build next year).       And then the real messy work begins       This is the house that keeps on giving! Found two redundant (but live) gas pipes buried in the plaster on the wall I knew nothing about, to go wit

Kitchen almost complete!

So this one has been 10 years in the making, which is when I originally built this extension, and not long after i'd built it, the outdoor bunny became an indoor bunny! So the glorified rabbit hutch has now become the kitchen it was intended to be. Worktops just been installed. Will crack on with tap, dishwasher, hob, and oven later this week. Really pleased with it all, just need to choose some paint, but will sort that in the autumn, as I've got the old kitchen to rip out and the room to bare

MVHR!!

Sad I know, but really excited for my bargain MVHR unit to turn up today. Given it a quick test, and all is OK, will be a while before I get everything else sorted out, but hoping to have it all installed before the winter comes this year.     Don't think it was too bad for £420, and I had £25 in vouchers to use from Nectar points!   Its getting installed in a cupboard in the new dining room, and then all the pipe work and manifolds will be in the loft space of the

Plans completed and submitted

So, as promised, here are the plans I drew up for submission to the local council, which these days are subject to strict criteria which last time I managed to 'wing'. So the plans all have to be drawn to an approved scale, here is 1:50 at A0. Also required is a Location Plan at 1:1250 and a Block Plan at 1:500, which last time I submitted plans I used the land registry document, but you aren't allowed to do that and have to buy them in, so that added about £25 to the cost. £206 for planning per

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