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And I'd love too see a new sister show of GD, it would be called Shit Designs and be a fly on the wall doc of a large volume house builder and show just how rubbish most new built stock is.

Imagine living with MVHR in one of those countries where they burn confiscated drug crops...or even in the UK if your neighbours are partial to a puff...

Go on @JSHarris , sort it for them.

Fill the the 95mm stud cavity with 100mm mineral wool (or similar porous insulation) min density 24 kg/m3 (loft is usually around about 12 kg/m3). DO NOT USE PIR! You are going to want to de-couple the wall linings from the stud work, with a resilient bar or equivalent. Next you want to provide some mass to the construction, so on the resilient bars fix two layers of 15mm dense plasterboard (e.g. SoundBloc) on the bedrooms side, on the bathroom side, you can use a cement based board such as 12mm hardie backer. If you are going to tile the whole wall you can just have one layer this board, as the tiles will give the additional mass needed. if you could make it 145mm thickness, you could go for a staggered stud wall construction. Also if you can don't put any electrical sockets or penetrations in the wall linings. If you do end up using resilient bars make sure you use two different lengths of screws, a potential on site issue if too long a screw gets used on the inner layer of plasterboard, they go right through the resilient bar and potentially into the stud, making the bar pointless.

I e mailed our case officer stating that the choice of materials won’t make any difference to my foundation work starting and that we would provide samples ASAP, but wished to start work, he agreed in writing so we started we are just up to wall plate height and still haven’t discharged that condition. He didn’t think it was a problem as long as we don’t fit anything without sign off.

None of us knew all this “once upon a time”, personally I have thoroughly enjoyed the learning curve ? and this forum is a brilliant way for knowledge to be shared, all hail the forum ?

I haven't been very vocal about the positive experience I had with my bat ecologist who did a great job and ensured the EPSL licence was granted with minimal hassle to the project. I value the work ecologists do to protect our dwindling wildlife. Welcome to the forum.

Excellent Much better than the original GDs Showing all the newbies that you will end with a lovely home A few downs along the way and problaby over budget Ordinary people with a tight budget Great to see

As the title says, starting at 9PM tonight on Channel 4, Grand Designs is following 10 self builders at Graven Hill. Should be interesting. Sweepstake: How many will run out of money? How many will have a baby?

Think I'd fit a smoke detector in the intake if I ever did it. The scare story I love is about the burst pipe in the passive house. It was so well sealed the owners couldn't open the inward opening doors from the outside and could only look through the windows at their possessions floating about! ?

I have recirculating bora hob. I put the grease filter in the dishwasher after cooking something that is ‘greasy’....its very easy with bora system, I also wipe out the housing and I get a fair way into the duct too. Again very easy and tbf the grease filter gets most of it. I have mvhr extract vent in ceiling nearby and also have grease filter in that, I usually wash that monthly. Keeps the whole system squeaky clean

Yep its a problem with mvhr.

Not stupid at all. There is a neighbour beside me who I swear must burn tyres in his house as the smoke is black. When the wind is blowing it my way I have to turn the mhrv of as the smell gets into the house. The filters will take out the bad particles but can't stop the smell. Luckily it only happens 3-4 times a year.

Not a silly question at all and it's come up on here before with bonfire smoke bring sucked in.

@Tony99 I looked around on the internet at various lighting designers and in the end I went for one that was relatively local to me which made it easy to have meetings at their offices. Seeing how some of the ideas they had worked ‘in the flesh’ so to speak was really helpful in visualising how it would look. They had sample installations of all sorts of different lighting. BTW I have timers on my towel rails too I didnt want them on the UFH circuit. I went for thermostatic electric towel rails and used screwfix timers.....cheap and do the job, the fancy ones electrician was suggesting were v expensive and more sophisticated than we needed.

I would.... split it the plot into its constituent parts and register them separately apply for PP with reserved matters for both to identify if planning is viable convert the PP on the plot you want to keep to what you want, apply for CIL exemption and lock in by starting run the utility connections for both plots sell the 2nd plot as a serviced plot with outline PP and an approval clause so you don't end up living next to something you hate CGT will be limited to the value on plot 2, plot 1 will be absorbed when you sell the main house as primary residence.

Wow-what a great discussion-thanks @lizzie! We are looking at MBC and it is really reassuring that so many here have used them and are happy! We are getting loads of great advice here? A couple of questions @joe90-are the towel rads electric or part of the wet ground floor UFH system or totally separate? @jack-what is the advantage of screed upstairs-is it sound/heat insulation?? is there a cost implication?? and @lizzie-we have also wondered about lighting in our new build...how did you go about finding your designer? many thanks!

He was refering to @MarkyP post above about a fictitious alternative program.

Our clump of bamboo has grown from a single shoot that sprung up out of nowhere about 4 years ago. It's being very well behaved, and just seems to be forming a solid clump, that's getting bigger but shows no sign at all of spreading outwards. I've absolutely no idea what variety it is, but it's not ideal for screening as it doesn't seem to grow very high. it's in the centre of this photo, taken last summer, if anyone's interested, or wants to identify the variety.

I am afraid that probably depends. They are certainly LESS invasive, but I suspect that they can return to part of their savage nature like dogs presented with a flock of geese. I would probably put in a suitable barrier anyway if a small bamboo empire was a concern. It will not be instant, though it will be quick for a hedge. I love the concept of Voyeur Trees overlooking your site ... very Tolkien ?. A complaint to the Council would be interesting on that one. F

It can be complicated and there are more elephant traps waiting for you than in Dumbo. Potentially you could be exempt by doing them in sequence x years apart, but you would need to be bulletproof, and there are probably bigger savings to be made from Taxes and stuff rather than merely avoiding CIL and VAT on the build cost. A couple here have done it iirc, and may be able to advise. You also have to think about Tax on the other one, depending what you choose to do with it, and with the one you are living in, what vehicle eg company etc to use for the build, and how to manage the different aspects. You also need to manage the value uplift when you get PP, and whether to split the development one off before or afterwards. My feeling would be to keep the self-build as separate as possible, and consider the other one separately. Then you need to think what kind of vehicle is suitable if any, and how you will get the money out. EG if you injected the site into a Ltd you could potentially get the value of whatever you put in as a withdrawal, 320k out tax free for pensions (4 years back allowances for 2 people into a SiP if you have put nothing in for some time), and the rest at 10% tax under entrepreneur’s allowance, for example. My suggestions 1 - Work out your objectives .. the what not the how. 2 - Take seriously good advice on the how. 3 - KISS as far as possible. There are now rules in place that will catch lots of contrived ideas - playing smoke and mirrors will bite you in the bum. 4 - The cardinal sin you MUST avoid is to start before you have a complete roadmap. 5 - But once you start execute your roadmap quickly, as tax systems change with the seasons. Just my opinion... Ferdinand

I so want one but guess it means learning a new CAD package. Set in my ways on AutoCAD.

1 1/2 storey

like that

John, one day we'll meet. And then you'll know. You'll politely shake your head, and go away muttering dark scottish things under your breath.

I am not a sparky but on my sparks instructions I put noggins/dwangs (whatever) between verticals for metal back boxes to be screwed too , bit of 3x2 on edge so the box is deep enough to just be flush with plaster finish (15mm proud of studding).

And that fella worked so hard his diabetes went into remission!

@pocster, I've just got a 15% off £500 code for Screwfix if you want it.

These are 10 steps if your Electricity Bills are out of control in a house which has not yet been renovated. They are the "low hanging fruit". The aim is to get you started and seeing good results in a short period without too much long-term work. If your house is currently not insulated, and you have not optimised your electricity bill, savings of 40-50% or more may be achievable. Here with go with the first 10 steps, which can be done then left alone for some time - ignoring major investments like new windows and doors, and major or very detailed projects. 1 - Set some realistic targets and monitoring - I suggest, over 3 years: Year 1: Minus 20% on current bill. Year 2: Minus 33% on current bill. Year 3: Minus 40% on current bill. Record and monitor usage at some regularity ,whether weekly, monthly or quarterly. Perhaps a thread on BH or a blog post. For performance and encouragement. If you want to monitor your whole house supply, there are also meters where a sensor clamps around the main supply cable and transmits to a meter inside your house. These have been around for a long time, and the best known is by a brand called OWL. Suggest in addition to your meter and a couple of plug meters, one of those Owls or similar that clamps on the supply - use it to check which of your four buildings uses most. If nobody else can, I can lend you one - I think. Remember to keep looking for the big targets. 2 - Check the balance vs payment numbers. Is there a big credit on the account if you are on monthly payments. Can you get 10% off the monthly charge with a phone call just by challenging it? This will need a repeat check as your usage falls fsater than they notice. 3 - Change tariff. Savings on the first switch seem to be 20-30% for most I have seen try it. I use MSE Cheap Energy Club, and have it set to warn me when I can save >£150 per year. That prompts action, but does not annoy me every month. Consider a longer term fixed tariff from a decent big supplier of energy, rather than a bust-every-3-months minnow. 4 - Get the stuff other people will do for free. Call someone like the Energy Saving Trust, and see what is available in your area. For example: a - 250mm insulation in loft. I can still get this. b - Cavity wall insulation? I know someone who had this last year. 5 - Replace all your lightbulbs with LEDs. Payback time may be around a year. Especially any of those 300W or 500W outside floods. 6- Are there any visible holes? For example, light through gaps round outside doors, catflaps etc. Block 'em up with traditional draught remedies, and keep the cat in the shed, with a catflap there. 7 - i s your roof space well sealed from the main area of the house. For example, is your loft hatch sealed and insulated? New insulated ones are cheap. You will need this in place for a Positive Input Ventilation fan to work successfully. 8 - Do your extract fans have backdraft shutters? If not, switch them over. From about £30. 9 - If you have trickle vents, then replace them (foam them up) with proper controlled ventilation. Use a PIV in the house, and trickle /boost extract fans to keep it flowing. That is what I usually do in rentals and have now done at home. Works and gives some control for £400-£750. 10 - Use spot heaters that heat People not Rooms Can you tweak the heating in your garage or shed, by using spot radiant heaters rather than heating the whole thing? eg For our childrens play area at the gym we have one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eterna-Quartz-Radiant-Mounted-600watt/dp/B00F2H1WF8 . Costs <£30. Bonus 11 - Over time work on the strategic stuff as you are able - underfloor insulation, 2G, dry lining, thermal survey etc. And also the tactical stuff - replacing appliances, finding small but constant loads. Turn it all the way to 12, and beat Spinal Tap - Plan a big treat with some of the savings. This may help convince the rest of your household that it is worth persevering. Wrapping Up I hope that this brief guide will get you started on some of the more straightforward and easier things you can do to cut your bills, without having too much hard slog to achieve noticeable results quickly. If you have any questions, join Buildhub and start a thread on the main forum, or comment below.

that single lass has got some bottle. Its a lot to take on when you're on your own - I often come home at the end of an evenings graft / whole days graft and its good that the missus is here - cheers me up, who did she rely on for some emotional help? Hats off to her.

I think a few can associate with the bloke saying everything hurts at the end of the day ..!

Mine is timber frame. If we were doing it all again and the OH had heard of ICF I think he may have wanted to go down that route as he wanted to be really hands on but couldn't do as much of the main construction with TF. I would change the layout slightly, upgrade the bathrooms, most definitely put more insulation in the slab (a biggy!), get someone who knew how to install the bloody heating system from the get go (and probably choose a different system), lose the central vac (never use it), add solar PV, and probably go for triple glazed windows. I would also build a much smaller house as it's way too big for me. If I was building again (unlikely) I would probably choose a different style of house. I've seen lots of plans on here and have a vision of what my perfect house could be.

I don't actually own a tile cutter, I just got booted off Tinder and ended up here...…..

The only thing I would have done different is change the site layout slightly. This is where it is a shame planning and building control are separate processes. The site layout was dictated by the need to provide space for a filter mound drainage system as at that stage SEPA would not allow anything else. But then building control refused it. After several iterations SEPA gave consent to discharge to the burn, which removed the filter mound. If I had known that at the start, I would have moved the house to the right a couple of metres, but by this stage that would have required an amended planning application and a delay to starting.

There's a lot we would all do for forever home I think by the time I've got my golden list together I will be to old and going into a home!

I'll add a pumped hot return loop for the DHW with IR sensors to activate on walking into bathrooms as another recommendation.

My blinds, are made by Roma but came pre-fitted to the Gaulhofer windows which made them trivial to fix, really no additional effort other than feeding the 4 core power cable through into the house. We were able to design a recess into the frame at the top of each window, so they sit flush and the render runs over them - so when fully retracted are invisible from the outside. Great for privacy and excellent for reducing solar gain, we have rocker switches in each room (same console as the room lighting) and it's a small adjustment during the day to adjust as the sun moves. Bedroom ones are close as soon as kids are up to keep their rooms cool. Also quite robust and fairly secure, would definitely deter a casual trouble maker. Were not that expensive really - I got a quote for some internal ones on the windows we omitted to spec them for and they were pretty expensive also. Maintenance wise, they can be easily replaced - ours were actually wrong colour, we only realised in first fix when we had the power to lower them. New blinds ordered and it took 20 mins per window to replace them. Blinds also save on curtains, which are always surprisingly expensive. For the roof Velux (Integra) , we got their external blinds - they have a box that they retract into but not that noticeable on a roof. Has a funky wireless controller that can run multiple windows.

We have a rooms-in-the-roof house. Roof stick built using 200mm deep rafters filled with PIR. It's not enough insulation. Too hot in summer as well. Fitting PIR between rafters was a nightmare job that was too easy to do badly. If building again I would either build a conventional two story house with insulation at joist level or, if it has to be room in the roof, a warm roof with the insulation above and between the rafters.

Get some LayFlat JG or Hepworth and it’s nowhere near as a pita as the generic push fit stuff is. I’ve just put about 400m of 15mm through a 2-storey TF and it was a doddle ( with a pair of helping hands ). The flow rate with 10mm is very low, and you’ll notice a house piped with a mix of 10 & 15 will show just how different they are. If you’re going 22mm backbone to 10mm legs throughout then you’ll be fine, but you should choose one discipline and stick to it. Hepworth ( aka Hep2O ) also uses wafer thin stainless inserts so the internal bore isn’t compromised. The JG ones are terrible by comparison and choke the pipe at every joint / junction ?

Did the fixings for the battens only screw to the Panelvent? I made sure that all our battens were carefully lined up so that they were ring shank nailed through the Panelvent into the underlying studs in the frame. This was made easier as MBC had marked the centreline of the studs with a white chalk line on the breather membrane. IIRC, we used 75mm ring shanks to nail the 50 x 25 battens in place, so allowing 12mm for the Panelvent there should be around 38mm of each nail that went into the underlying stud.

Would go for either increasing the roof truss thickness or went for a warm roof type build up. At that stage every pound was a prisoner so just didn't have the money. Would still go block build as I done it myself. If money was no option I think I would go down the icf route. Has plenty of plus points and is easier to lift than normal blocks. I think for my heating I am not sure I would go for a pellet boiler. It is working fine 4 years in but just think now by reading about various builds here I would choose an ashp. Just at the time the knowledge base in NI was very poor so I didn't want to take the risk. I would definitely not pick my high gloss porcelain tiles in my kitchen and Sunroom. Absolutely beautiful when they are cleaned up and shining but if a fly lands on them and takes a few steps you can see it a mile away.

I have an 18m run along a wall with EPS EWI and Baumit star contact white (cement/lime hybrid) base coat finished with silicate mineralic thin coat (nanopor fine, 1mm grit). No movement joints and no cracks and this is with multiple thin sections of render over window reveals which are often where cracks will appear. Choose carefully the finish, acrylic and some silicone thin coat looks cheap in my view, has a plastic sheen nature to it. Silicate thin coat is mineralic and looks far better in my opinion, also could be mineral painted later in life to refresh or change colour while retaining the flat, mineral finish. I was very impressed with Baumit products and technical support. I asked Baumit about expansion gaps and were told none were required. You'd need to follow the recommendations of whoever manufactures your render but the logic Baumit gave me was that they only place expansion gaps where there is a underlying structural movement joint or expansion gap. They said that joint beads placed in elevations where the underlying structural base is continuous are pointless. Your render boards would be staggered jointed, and the basecoat will have a mesh embedded, and the render base coats are polymer modified to allow far more movement than sand/cement. So I think if you needed an expansion gap, you would need to incorporate it through the render board as well to ensure the movement was focused there, right through the build up.

Belt and braces I charge £8 per mtr to supply and install exspansion joints Like weeps on brickwork They are just in case

I’m about to purchase the render board for my TF. I’m going for the 12.5mm to aid rigidity. I’m fixing these to 50 x 50mm battens which should also help stiffen everything up.

I’m planning to put mine in the corners. Should I also be leaving expansion gaps in the battens at these locations?

Hi @K78 I have selected Isotex because it creates a much flatter final finish for my external wood cladding. Also it creates a much better continuous line of concrete and insulation because of the inner web design. I will try to arrange a timelapse camera so you can see progress once we start. We are starting construction drawings this week. Any questions let me know. I am no expert but learning fast.

Oh b!lls ! Ordered it from Amazon The wine lowered my resistance threshold . Anyway I’ll rent it to @Onoff for £30 a week . Get my money back and then some if I wait long enough . OH GOODY ! A new toy ! ?

I'm fresh from mist coating using the Lidl machine. You need to get the nozzle a lot closer for ceilings as gravity has a noticeable effect on the ability to spray directly upwards. I needed to use a step ladder to get close enough to get a decent coat on the ceiling, but I'm only 5'4", so you may have a longer reach and be okay with a hop up. Even on the vertical walls, I found that you need to be relatively close. You need to get the hang of making sure you hold the machine at 90 degrees to the surface you are spraying - it becomes very inefficient if you're even marginally off this, so learn to be flexible with your wrists. I found it to be hard work on my wrists, but it's perfectly doable. Don't worry about the nozzle getting blocked - it's quick and easy to clean out. 30 seconds will do it, with the brush and pokey thing that it comes supplied with. You will need to dilute your paint down, as per the instructions, to be sure that it runs freely through the cup that indicates viscosity. I chucked my contract white into a standard bucket, diluted as much as necessary and poured it into the machine reservoir direct from the bucket. If the paint is freshly opened and the bucket is clean, I found that there was no splatting or blocking. If you leave the paint overnight and it forms a bit of a skin, these bits will splat. However, they were easy enough to sand once dried and I figured that was much quicker than straining endless litres of paint. Finally, get yourself a respirator. Not one of the nasty little chuck away masks, but a respirator with a filter. And wear it. You will get a nasty headache if you breathe paint fumes for a day.

We have an accidental clump of bamboo. It just appeared in the bank at the front of the house as a single shoot growing from the bare earth. It's now established itself as a nice looking clump about 1.5m high and maybe a metre in diameter at the top, but only around 300mm diameter at the base, where all the new shoots come from. I've no idea what variety it is, but we like it, so it will stay (as long as it continues to behave itself!).

I fancied bamboo but found it very expensive, I did plant poplars but am dissapointed with them being deciduous, I don’t want Leylandii so going to plant laurel which is the fastest non Leylandii .