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Tonight's episode I found inspiring. A young couple who have both been through their own medical problems, converting a barn on a small budget. Achieved by doing a lot of work themself, a true self build, with a fantastic result.

So finally got round to finishing all the decorating over the Christmas break! The front window will be getting swapped for triple glazing at some point, but other than that and a tiny bit of skirting board its complete.

Yep - materials not installed or fixed have no value, see this regularly with surveys.

If that was your bare ass on the radiator I don't reckon it is 55C. You really need to measure them Zoot - it could really help pinpoint where the problem lies.

Yes all been considered. I'm a carpenter by trade so all these bits did concern me as soon as Wunda offered that option. My structural engineer has done all the calculations and its all good.

They will want to check that you've actually finished the work listed on your application plus they will want copies of the electrical completion certificate and gas safety cert (if you've done work on the gas & electric). In my experience during the various Covid lockdowns some Inspectors will accept a set of photos or a video of the completed building instead of a visit to site.

From an architect's point of view that initial 'feasibility' or 'outline design' stage can be the most difficult to price because the amount of work involved can be very variable. It might be that you pretty much know what you want, and it's just a matter of drawing up some basic plans to check it all works in principle, and it does, and the job is pretty much done. On the other hand, you might think you know what you want, but would also like to have some other options suggested to you. Or, what you think you want turns out not to work. And you might be very decisive or you might be quite indecisive and the process ends up going through quite a lot of options and sub-options, or you change your mind about something once one design has already been pursued in a fair bit of detail. Then there might be unexpected complications that make the project more difficult than it appears at the outset, or various unknowns that arise. Some of these kinds of things mean that it turns out you can't actually complete the 'feasibility' stage without doing some things that might normally come at a later stage. For example, perhaps you need to get a structural engineer involved to know whether something's going to work. Or, you might decide it makes sense to make a planning application or initial enquiry, before going down too far down the line with something that turns out to be a no-no from a planning point of view. And then there's quite a variation in what can be presented as far as drawings are concerned. Some basic floorplan layouts, or detailed 3d visualisations? There's a judgement about what's necessary to help someone make a well informed decision, and what's overkill. I guess my advice would be to pay most attention to the quotes which are accompanied with a bit of detail about what they actually propose to do for that "feasibility" stage. Where they simply state "feasibility" and then a price, then you don't really know what they are assuming or what you're getting. And it will give you a clue about whether their expectations broadly match with yours. Have they given an estimate, say, of how many face-to-face meetings they expect to have with you? If an architect has come to see you, and look at the property, or at least had a bit of a chat with you on the phone, then that's probably a good sign that they've put some thought into what's actually likely to be involved - including getting an idea of what sort of client you might be, and what you actually want.

We have a small part of our barn which has concrete fibre roof sheets, which includes some asbestos, not high grade. We are planning on having this professionally removed and taken to a proper facility. One of the quotes is much lower than expected, we have asked them about being registered and they have said yes. I've now asked them to send me a copy of this as well of details of where they take it as I'm concerned it might be the layby in one of the country roads. I've said to HID that I'm not going with the cheapest quote unless I am 100% sure that it is safe and legal. What registration should I be looking for, I know where the nearest facility is which takes it. I have other quotes which are considerably higher hence my suspicions, but we also have a tight budget and this wasn't included so is additional to our expected costs. I'm well aware of the statement, "if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is", but on the other hand the optimistic side of me thinks that they might just be a local company that isn't expensive, as long as it's not the local travelling community. I'm also concerned about security, will they use this as an opportunity to see what we have on site. As you can tell I'm not happy, but HID want to use them.

I give my New Year resolution of updating this blog a bit more frequently until the first really cold snap in February. Simply because I need content, and I can only get this by being on site in the cold when I could of course be sat in a comfortable warm office writing Matlab simulations, sorting through endless sets of test data (I enjoy it. Each to their own...) and drinking coffee. So the big progress for this entry is actually the paperwork. The structural warranty people have sent me an update and they have finished looking at the design documents I submitted (SE stuff for foundations, SIPS structure, drainage etc) and have accepted it is all adequate for the job. This is quite a relief because I was proceeding at risk by this not being complete before I started significant building work. There was little else I could do thanks to Covid slowing everything down and I always believed the risk to be very small, but even so it is good to not have it there in the background any more. There's still some paperwork to go, but it is for parts of the build that are yet to happen. Maybe I will feel inclined to do it when it's cold at the weekend - I wasn't keen on roofing when the slates were frozen together. Now for something visual. I've begun to get the fire breaks around the windows installed as agreed with the BCO. I needed to be at work this week, so passed the job to Jeff and he's done a very accurate job. It is beginning to look a bit more house like now - sometimes small things make a big difference. It now shows the windows to be vast. Much bigger than the plans and elevation drawings would suggest. Might have been able to save some money here, but I've lived in a house with windows that are too small for much too long. It will average out as correct over my lifetime if I'm lucky! I spent Saturday getting the last few solar panels on the roof. I haven't yet bolted the bottom four panels down permanantly because the DC cables are not yet finished. It got cold and dark in a most unreasonable way so I couldn't see to drill the holes for the cables by the time I had done a few other jobs on site that were demanding attention. The house certainly looks the part for a "low energy" building now. Looks like I have lead work on the list tomorrow. The window frame tops each need a lead cover fixed back to the SIPs.

Hi, Thanks for letting me join the forum. My wife and I are working on a refurbishment of a unique property in a pretty South Cambridgeshire village first build in 1980. We are trying to do this whilst living in with a three year old toddler in tow!. I'm a very practical guy, an electronics engineer, musician and can tackle most things proficiently. The property has three stories; one being a habitable basement below ground level, a standard ground floor and a first floor almost dormer-style including 8 large Velux openings. It also has a large attic and super enclosed rear walled garden. So far, we have replaced downstairs doors and windows, refurbished the rear conservatory and improved the central heating system. The garden is also improving (thanks to Covid and a nice summer) This year, we are going to tackle a roof refurbishment with new Velux and vertical windows (11 bits of glass) using a building firm but will also start on the basement by ourselves. This requires internal wall insulation, extension to the central heating, MVHR for ventilation and a complete make-over. Once all that's done, much needs re-plastering, full house decoration, floor coverings and whatever else pops up. It's a huge and challenging project and on top of that, I was diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2020 so that is also getting in the way of best laid plans! Best to all Andrew

Hello gc86. This can be frustrating to say the least. If you look at it from the Surveyors point of view. The kit is on site but who knows if it is the right size and so on. Believe it or not it happens! If you default on payment of your loan then the lender will try and recover and the surveyor is on the hook in terms of any extra value they attach to the unerected kit. During the recovery process (if default occurs) the kit could be exposed to the weather, the ancilliary parts.. brackets steel are easily thieved. That said, if you are say constructing a large industrial steel building a payment is often made when the steel frame is delivered to site or fabricated and in the fabricators yard. To enable this sometimes requires the SE or the person who has prepared the fabrication drawings to go to the yard and measure everything up to make sure that what has been fabricated matches the fabrication drawings... and that comes at a cost. On a small timber frame this is less practicable. If you can, the best way as you probably already know is to push on, get the kit up with a semi watertight membrane on the roof, board up the windows if need be. Now you are at the common milestone (valuation point) of wind and watertight.

It could easily be moved to another site so I can understand his position. Do you need a valuation?

You are correct - it should say average flow temperature (now corrected..!) I was more engrossed in hunting through my standard variation tables ..!

Well I can only say 'to what Ive set them to go to' 55*. So actually 5* above usual for this system I believe.

You could have a totally separate laundry doing this but it gives you a long corridor and the laundry is only 1.25m wide. It would allow aside door if you wanted. I didn't perfectly scale the rooms but you get the idea.

Hi Temp Correct. I'm with Addenbrookes Oncology and I only have good things to say about them. They have all been fantastic this year! Good luck with your associations with the department! Andrew

But the rooms aren’t heating up so how can you be “happy enough with the balance”..??! Balancing will sort some of these issues.

Have you spoken to an engineer about this ..?? You will be adding significant static load to the joists - potentially causing bending or cracking of the ceilings below if they are overloaded. Adding a 20-30mm pug mix will add up to 2 1/2 tonnes static load to the floor structure. You will also have to notch the joists to accommodate the pipes and this will further weaken the structure. Has all this been considered ..??

Hi Sally. As Jilly etc allude to it's well worth getting an SE in as early as you can. What you descibe is often called a corbelled brick foundation. You'll often find these. For example up in Glasgow area these can be found in houses / some farm buildings etc predating circa 1930's say. Although the founds may seem shallow (yes they are not deep enough to comply with the modern general guidance for frost cover) they may well be fine. There are a lot of different types of clay, some rock solid that can easily take a bit of extra load, some less so. Also with clays you can sometimes get a "crust". This is where the top layer is stiffer than the underlying clay. Sometimes on new build we can take advantage of this and sit the founds in the crust, the load spreads out as you go deeper thus when you get to say a softer layer of clay the stress on this softer deeper layer is reduced. What this means in practice is that sometimes you are best to leave the soil under the founds undisturbed.. no underpinning etc. As SE will look at the existing structure, see if it has moved about.. or not and may conclude that it is best "left alone". To avoid adding extra load to the outside existing walls you can sometimes transfer some of the extra load arising from the new floor down inside the building to keep it away from the existing walls. This can be easier to control cost wise compared with underpinning etc. Taking a pragmatic approach early can pay dividends. At some point you may well need to pay an SE, so a bit extra spent early on (SE fee) can really be worth while.

Ok they will get warmer on the circuit but to be honest you’ll need to switch it all on when the rads are cold and then start walking round and see which rad gets warm first just by feeling the joint where the pipe valve joins the rad. From this you start to balance the rads by turning all the lockshields off. Closest gets a half then open, next gets one turn and so on. You can also frig the balancing to give the more “needy” rooms more heat by opening them more than the ones needing less heat but it takes time and patience.

I bet you this is the case !! Ask for his calculations and I think you’ll find your answer ...

There's not but they do an IP65 box. I think some models the sensor is on a cable, and other units can't sync to have multiple control points. Found the website a tad over complicated.

You won’t need one prior to starting your self build Though once you start you will need to put plenty of signs up Hard hats & Boots etc Its also worth having a signing in book and first aid kit Just in case you get a visit

You go girl! Beauty is in the eye of the randomiser anyway. (The Randomiser was a device that would ensure a TARDIS would land at unpredictable times and places).

When you get your original bat report, it may be possible to negotiate a modest update fee if you go beyond the 2 years which I think is normal for the validity.

Just remove the actuator head, the pin should push out under spring pressure and that zone should be open for full flow. No need to swap the heads about. About all you can do is turn off ALL other zones and see if the defective one is still running cold.

Sounds obvious but it's the last thing you complete We had a final physical inspection with a to-do list of outstanding items - most were paper based, MVHR commissioning cert (DIY), electric & gas sign-offs etc. We had some outstanding glass to install (Juliette balcony) so just sent pics of that with a tape to show it was the correct height.

Well done, you've done one of the most difficult parts. It sounds very similar to my project (stable conversion) without some of the constraints I had (bats and conservation area) (apart from not enough money). Don't rush, research everything well, as there are loads of unexpected things you can find out too late, it's a really steep confusing learning curve, as conversions have problems which need solving. Building regs are submitted with structural drawings, so are done working together. I would advise staying with the same architect for these drawings and ask them for structural engineer recommendations. You'll have to think about build method but the existing building, plus planning conditions may give constraints. However, if you haven't already, you need a structural engineer to do a survey to ascertain how to make the building structurally sound for residential use, there might be more than one way to achieve this. You even might decide to apply for demolition and rebuild.

The innerleaf is a good idea, there are systems which rely in on wibbly plastic lining which create a small cavity for any penetrating water to go through - but with the floor above to be supported, it's a decent solution*. I assume you are also tanking the outside of the concrete, but it is essential to have 2 waterproofing system and the internal lining is the most robust (especially for smaller builders/contractors). There are a few structural reasons why the SE may wish the floor to be supported off the concrete: - to keep a waterproof lining, there are no wall ties back to the concrete so that the blockwork alone is too slender to support the floor (a normal beam and block support on blockwork is only 2 courses high, not ~7 or 8 courses) - the blockwork specified is not strong enough - floor is providing restraint to the top of the concrete wall - doesn't want a line load on the retaining wall foundation as it will require increasing the size of the wall If those are not problems for the SE then I cannot see a reason for it not be supported on the blockwork as per the architect. I would suggest offering more fee for them to adapt the design but avoid steelwork, as this may need to be galvanised. *If you end up not using the blockwork, you get rid of it and look for a cheaper lining system Edit - you cannot disregard the SE opinion, by the way. You must use the SE option at the moment!

Thats a good shout. I think it will need damp proofing but i guess thats just a DPM layer then. I will have a look - thanks.

By a cheap sprinkler and set it up to get most of the dust but not soak anyone (unless your neighbour starts to really annoy you).

Yep, I had some wide variation in quotes. Essentially you're looking for a firm that has the plant and the contacts to arrange the concrete works. Maybe drive around a bit and see what's going on in the local area to get some more firms on your radar - look for works at schools or new builds vs domestic jobs. One of my shortlisted contractors did some site prep for me and only in conversation did he say they could quote for basements etc so you never know.

If so then can't you remove the joists and increase the height with EPS/PIR to match whatever the extension is going to be. Then run the UFH over the whole area.

Just be prepared as this will be the start of it. They will have something to say about every single event, whether a delivery, noisy works etc. You need to be reasonable but firm from the outset. Let them articulate the concern (e.g. dust) but don't let them dictate the solution - just say you'll do your best to address it.

can you remove suspended timber floor and renew the whole slab for both rooms? adding the UFH into the new Slab?

They need to withstand temperatures of 55°C and 100% RH for prolonged periods of time. Similar numbers are used when 'rapid aging' paints and adhesives. And you will need some sort of extraction in the bath room, but not in the actual cabinet.

Hi and welcome. I am only up the road from you in Bovingdon. I lived in Croxley Green for 25 years . I have permission to knock and build just outside the village of Bovingdon.

Just give them notice when you plan to get 'messy', so they can close their windows. Sounds like worry-arsing about what might happen without much foundation. In my experience from renovation work, any 'dust cloud events' are infrequent and short-lived.

Sorry to hear thing's haven't worked out. At times like this, I like to think that 'fate' might actually be a thing, and stuff happens for a reason. The best is yet to come!

I will be perfectly honest and say I think you just dodged a bullet, lucky escape theres better out there,

Depends what you are looking for and how much you are prepared to pay. Is this a new build ..?? search for M&E Consultant or M&E contractor and you should be able to find one.

Ok so you can get round this. What sort of tiles have you got @Jilly..? Prior to ridge venting the simplest way was to use tile vents - you’ll need to replace a tile every 3m or so in the top 3 rows of tiles. It’s easy done - they push up the tile above to allow access to any fixing and then swap the tile for a vent. They are made to match the tiles. Alternative if you have a planning issue or non standard tile is to use lead vents - lovely looking but eye watering expensive if they are non standard sizes. These are the vents - about 3 times the price of plastic but lovely to look at ..!! https://www.justlead.co.uk/product/roof-void-vent/

Quite normal for older timber, I would not bother doing anything, but if it makes you feel better use d4 foaming glue in there.

18mm plywood either side of the existing timber and structural screws and ‘sister’ them together. or coach bolts

They are just shakes and quite normal and expected. Cascamite is far too rigid and hard for a job like that - fantastic adhesive inside a close fitting joint. Expanding glue could be used but wouldn't make much difference as it would really act as a filler. If you would feel better with something being done then i would go with screws.

Ours wanted to see us pressure test the drains and checked every bit of glass in the house was to spec. Eg standard marks on internal pages and coatings on windows.

cold water has to leave the return to let the manifold loops sup the hot stuff tho?

Just to point you in good direction - I went quite far with Fleming homes, down in the borders, very competitive and good outfit, repsonsive etc. I would have chosen them if they did SIPS. But if you are TF I would contact them for a price. If you look up @Redoctober's blog he used them and reported well.

Hi, Me and my Fiance will be beginning our new build project in the new year, obviously before that we need to know what we are going to be building. We have received the first draft of the proposed house yesterday and would like to know what you think. I understand a house is subjective and has to work for your lifestyle but i am interested in peoples thoughts and opinions, would you change anything? The plot is long and narrow, about 10.5m wide by 50m long. It is an infill development with a house on each side . I know integral garages compromise air tightness but space is limited. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thanks, Robert 003 - Proposed Elevations - crop.pdf 004 - Proposed Plans - crop.pdf

Speaking on design. (Deliberately not talking about aspects of the plans, rather thinking around the box.) I think that one risk of your narrowish (and not *that* deep) plot is that the house will look (and feel) like a big shoebox for storing people in. Having said that 10.5m width (or 8m for the house, or 7m for inside the house) is more than most people have, but is not generous. Oversized-shoebox is a classic shape for a pushed-slightly-too-far selfbuild. The house is half of the length of the plot. The front is 10m deep, so you risk the backgarden feeling very short. The surroundings are ribbon development both sides of the road, detached houses of varying age and the rear facing North East. In Lancashire (Q: are you windswept?). One neighbour is close, the other is a drive width away on their plot. OTOH, you have open fields to the back. I think that is actually quite a challenging context, and there are a lot of limits on what you can do. The design needs to be creative in getting light into the middle of the structure, and making it feel like a house-nearly-in-the-country rather than something that could be in a former factory in inner-fringe London where it all has to look inwards. So IMO crucial aspects to do carefully are: 1 - Connections inside to outside - for light, views, and movement. 2 - Face to the street. 3 - Using the countryside outside your garden at the back as part of the garden. How you view the countryside from the inside. That all on top of the basic functional requirements. What would I be thinking? Different from the neighbours not fit-in, maybe non conventional roof shape - possibly with routes to get light in, big roof terrace at back (might even consider a roof-garden over the whole thing or smaller footprint and basement), look for my own aesthetic not try to be polite, try and make the ends articulated not flat - to minimise garage at front and make garden longer at the back by entering through set-back part. Small court / light well half way down one side. Articulate the front so sunlight reaches farther back? Inspiration? Whilst thinking about this I thought of the roof terrace of the Grand Designs "Ice Cube" house in Brixton, and the roof shape of the Wiltshire Grand Design barn conversion near Marlborough. Just thinking aloud Ferdinand