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Since getting a couple of Daikin A2As installed in our grown-ups play rooms, looking back at our highest energy use, 12 December was our coldest day at an average of -2oC. On that day our two 'as advertised' 3.5kW heating units gobbled around 10kWh hours of leccy between them keeping 60m2 of space heated to between 17oC and 19oC (night/day). That's therefore, in very broad terms, replacing the calculated fabric loss of roughly 2kW (48kWh/day) with a COP of 4.8 Incidentally, this space has a not insignificant (25m2) of glazing to contend with. @SteamyTea would probably say that £3.40 is a bargain for enough energy to keep these rooms usable. All the same, I'm just thankful such cold days are a rarity here. However, getting a COP of nearly 5 does make it a practical proposition compared with the previous year when we just didn't use the space in the winter.

I would leave it all alone, and buy myself an access chamber, big enough to lower over the whole lot (notches cut to sit over, or undo and reconnect through the duct connection points on the chamber. That is also how that would be done commercially if it was already installed like that. We did this at my friends farm and it has made life so much easier for him over the years. That gives you no more pipework or cost, and leaves you with good future access to the whole lot. I cannot tell from that image the sizes involved but you can get all sizes, 600x600 - 1200 x 600 600 * 800 etc. chambers. Also far cheaper than Atlas chambers. Keep life simple, too short to mess with things like that when an easy option exists. https://www.plastics-express.co.uk/600mm-x-600mm-x-335mm-deep-access-box-p-pm445

Yes I believe the way forward is to halt the job, meet with your BC inspector yourself without the builder present to intimidate you, go round all the points this thread has highlighted with him and get him to evaluate them, and then provide you with a list of things that need correcting before the job progresses. Your builder won't be able to argue with that.

Yes automatic changeover 2 cylinder setup. If the property still has a gas hob then make sure the vendor includes the gas bottles or you will be going and hiring a new pair. If no longer any gas appliences (e.g all electric now) and you don't intend having a gas hob it can be removed.

I think it depends on where you are choosing to site your heat pump. In my case, as I am choosing to ground-mount my heat pump so the insulated double pipe emerges about 1500mm away from the external wall of my dwelling adjacent the chosen ground-mounting location. However, if I had chosen to mount it on the external wall, I would have arranged for the insulated pipe to emerge in a location suitable for that. I am just this week doing the planning for constructing the heat-pump's base, which is a surprisingly complicated exercise, requiring precise locations for that insulated pipe, but also a small soak away drain underneath the heat pump, plus two concrete piers for the anti-vibration feet to be mounted, and the runs for the duct for the electrical supply and control cable. The insulated pipe and the two ducts are all in place under the raft but I may dig them up again where they emerge from the raft and finely adjust their routes a bit so that they emerge exactly where I need them under the heat pump base.

Yes, definitely set up for a couple of gas bottles. Maybe a gas hob, past or present.

Yep we have a few going in around the property. Washing cars, washing very dirty hands, filling paddling pools, etc etc.... Its a simple but great addition.

Under the raft in a twin pipe, pre-insulated duct.

We originally planned to build our house 3 years ago. Covid happened plus we had another kid so we put the house on the back burner. We got planning about 5 years ago, I delayed because I’m indecisive and now the build cost has gone from 350k to 600k for a turn key solution. 350k was already tight so I’m a bit confused as when I look around our area people are still pressing ahead with their builds. My only options now appear to be build it myself, doing say 50% of the work or buy a house in the village. Would love to know what the future brings for self build in the uk and how people are going to fund their projects. I reckon with the interest rate rise the monthly payment would be treble what I would have paid in 2019. This doesn’t seem sustainable. The only way forward I can see would be too build smaller houses with very simple detailing, in hindsight this is what I should have done. Anyone else finding the price rises overwhelming and unaffordable. What is your plan?

It's on my list of things to fit. Quite a few ways to go about it. I'm going for an internal thermostatic mixer valve, so single warm tap on outside wall.

Thank you Jack! Certainly, my activities keep me busy, that's for sure! 😀 Yes, I was made aware of the forum's rules about non-commercial posting, and I'll be careful about what I'm saying. My intention certainly won't be sell anything (in fact as this forum is mostly made of self builders and renovators, and the NSBRC is a free resource, I haven't got anything to sell!), but I hope that I will be able to contribute! Need to just fins some time to explore this forum! Many thanks!

I'd guess at wired incorrectly or a loose connection, whip the switches off (turn the circuit off first) and take some pics of what you find

Loss of functionality in 2 way or 3 way circuits is usually down to a loose connection (rare a conductor just breaks) on one of the link wires. Carefully pull the switch fronts away and there is a good chance the offending wire will pull out of the loose connection

Looks like a Propane gas regulator.

The plastic webbing in the Nudura had no issues.

Same here.

Here is, an example of our ply window boards. I cant remember the name of the white coating but its tough stuff.

I have an L-shaped bungalow and have 26x screwpiles because of tree roots. And then a concrete raft foundation atop. I can provide the benefit of my experience if desired.

100% worth the risk. I was just commenting that it was brave of the manufacturers to put that sort of product onto the market. The sooner we move away from f-gas the better. I might even buy one to make a DIY heat pump water heater out of.

If you buy from appliances direct. You need to tell them who you are using. They give you a list in your area to select from. Just select one. And when it arrives call them to install 😉

We had one installed when we built. To date its main use has been to pre-heat the hose pipe to give flexibility before unravelling, and subsequently before winding up. And to heat the Air intake pipe on the Insignia in minus 3 so I could change the MAF Sensor.

It's on a par with the toilet cisterns refilling with 4C water and just sitting there being warmed up by heat from the house.

Agreed with Carrerahill. We got these chambers cheapest from a local drainage specialist. They are easy to put together. You will need a base of some sort...probably gravel is easiest. Then to cut holes for the pipes use a rotary hole saw. No need to seal. With such a chamber you can inspect easily, and can operate by hand instead of a tool. To seal the drain pipe duct, to keep out vermin and muck, stuff the end with a polythene bag then finish with mortar.

The difference in ‘strength’ isn’t as easy as double etc. you need to look at the loads being imposed. Strength And Properties Classifications C16 C24 Tension parallel to grain (N/mm2) 3.2 4.5 Bending parallel to grain (N/mm2) 5.3 7.5 Compression parallel to grain (N/mm2) 1.8 7.9 Compression perpendicular to the grain (N/mm2) 2.2-1.7 2.4-1.9 Shear parallel to grain (N/mm2) 0.67 0.71 Modulus of elasticity mean (N/mm2) 8,800 10,800 Modulus of elasticity minimum (N/mm2) 5,800 7,200 Characteristic density (kg/m5) 310 350 Average density (kg/m5) 370 420

For what it's worth at Ubakus.com anyone can make a free account and play around with it. I actually quite enjoy it, but then I'm a bit sad!

Modern stoves have a limit on how far you can shut down the intake to meet modern limits. Some have a little crafty footnote that you can remove the stop if you really really want to close it down further.

My wife asked me to install a hot outside tap the other day. Added it to the other jobs on the list - another hole to put in to my wall

I just arrived at site this morning to a pleasant surprise. Open reach have installed a new joint box exactly where I would have wanted it. I only enquired regarding cost of installation to the site. There is a God !

I found this: https://armstrongsupplies.co.uk/blogs/faqs/c16-c24-timber#:~:text=C24 timber is roughly 50,as a C24 timber joist. which says that C16 is 50% of the strength (technical term) than C24 so if you want to do it in C16 all you need to do is double them up and bolt them together.

With a lot of the self builds on here, by the time you have finished, most of the stuff you fitted at the start is out of warranty.

make a simple mitre box out of scrap timber with a slot in it to guide the saw, dead straight cuts every time.

Why was your SAP done to such a high level? Ours was done to be within the regs I then improved it from there. For example the windows were 1.2 for planning submission but as fitted the average will be 0.78. Improving the windows added 15% to the cost.

UK alternative will be less than half what you have been quoted by rational. R7 Flush Casement triple glazed (very nice window) whole frame u value of 0.84

One of the most common posts from new members focuses on peoples opinion : what do others think of what we want to build? The answer is derived almost exclusively from the opinions a series of people all of whom - one way or another - visit the site of your proposed build. They either have a statutory duty to attend your site, or are interested locals, some deliver stuff, yet others simply stop and chew the fat. Not all are sympathetic - and decide one way or another to let you know how they feel. In person, or by anonymous comment in the Planning Process. So I thought I'd give an overview of our experience. Reading many of the other posts, it seems that our experience is remarkably similar to most. The Councillors We've been 'at it' now for about 8 years now. There's nowt like a house-build it seems for turning otherwise normal folk into Nosey Parkers. We live on a one lane road - it's also an official cycle track, so loads of folk drive, walk shuffle or ride by most days. I wrote a few years ago about passers-by: the white van driver, forearm on the steering wheel, driving as slowly as he could - chin straining to get low enough to see as much of the site and house as possible; the little boy wondering aloud to his mum whether it was Darth Vader behind the shield while I was welding the container roof; the retired doddery old builder walking past slowly, wife proudly on one arm - his broad wink and grin always makes me smile. In twenty or more years I've never spoken to him. Ever. But what about those who make the effort to stop and chat, or - as some have - sneer? Visits to the site by others begin before Planning Permission is given. And make no mistake, those before Planning Permission visits tend to be high-stakes. We lived next to our site: lucky in some ways, others not . Read on. The doorbell goes and the unmistakeable profile of the Chair of The Parish Council peers through the faux glass whorls in the door. "Just passing " was the introductory lie. He had the grace faintly to wince when he heard himself say that. His real agenda was to protest at the design we wanted. Sharp Scandi, clad to look like the old local barns which litter the countryside here. In a previous life, I used to run Conflict Resolution Courses but - when it comes to my own conflicts…. managing the irritation flushing rapidly into my cheeks was difficult. The technique runs loosely like this …..Repeat the question, rephrased if helpful, show you understand the problem, offer some sympathy for the challenger's situation. Stuff that mate. This is my place, my house my build my… my… my …. And up yours if you don't like it. It is very lucky that I am married to a consummate diplomat. Lucky also for me that a local builder had - using PD rights - just erected a wooden barn within sight of our build. (see image below) I swivelled on my heel and waved my hand in the direction of his beautifully clad barn 50 meters away. Same size as our proposed house. I swear the Parish Councillor nearly swallowed his tongue. I couldn't resist it: "You mean you don't like that either ?" Further waffle only dug him into a deeper hole, and instead of being kind, I continued "Our current chocolate box house is built of stone isn't it?" Nods sagely. "And we are proposing a timber build, but you want ours built in stone." More sage nods. "How long Councillor, does it take to create stone? A few million years? And how long does it take to create wood? " "Well we (the Parish Council) are all agreed you should be building in stone" came the -now- tart response. "Our whole design philosophy focusses on sustainability. I'll use the material that only needs a few hundred years to reproduce over a material which takes a few million to recycle itself anytime." Managing the local politics of a potential newbuild is a nightmare. At the time, I'd had not made time to think about how to manage this issue of the build. Learning fast though. We parted on the worst of terms. A significant error on my part. Other Councillors came and went. One even told us that our newbuild would spoil her Sunday morning run. Five years later, that same Councillor obtained Planning Permission for her own garden and built four executive houses on the land. At the same time, she had the effrontery to campaign for 'starter houses' in the area. At least , once she had sold the newbuilds and her own house, she had the decency to move out of the area. I'm looking forward to meeting her one day. Can't wait. And then last week : on another matter, I had the singular displeasure of a knock on the door from another hissy weasel of a Parish Councillor. One who had shared her ex-colleague's opinion: we should have built in stone. She wanted to tell me wonderfully our new house was blending in to the countryside : you can hardly see it from the canal-side. (see image below) Mountains sometimes do pole vault to Mohamed. Conclusion? Tolerate - but only just and for just long enough.

Whilst there only selling the stuff There probably right Most cladding arrives on site and is used immediately

Yeah, I've put one alongside a cold feed in our back yard where there will be an outdoor sink. No need to bring muddy shoes or boots in to the house.

Yes we have had two taps for years Great also for mucky boots Simple to install

If you're careful with a Stanley it works fine as the grooves keep it centred.

Yes. So better off selling the excess to the highest bidder and giving out a cheque at Christmas to everyone.

What size is the building? £50k may be excessive or may be cheap! Mini piles and ground beams is not an unusual foundation system so you should get three quotes to get a true feel for the cost. There are many factors when pricing work and one data point is not enough. If the issue is the roots of the trees then you will probably require some sort of pile. If the issue is heave then a raft (the concrete slab) may also require significant groundwork. Unfortunately spend on foundations is the most unsatisfying part of a build. But it is one of the most important to get right.

The 600W one shows that it has 2 12V/7AH batteries. That is a total capacity of 288Wh. I tend to work on half of the stated capacity, it is safer.

Hi Adam, for over the cavity take a look at compacfoam at Green Building Store, in fact I think someone was selling some on here in the marketplace.

Yep. Necessity being the mother of invention and all that.

Yes. Add affordability to design errors, project management errors, plain simple disasters, naivete, hip replacement(s) and Beep "Hooston, we gat a prablum" Beep. There's nowt else for it. Just Bloody Do It. Myself. Both of us have faced (and faced down) and beaten huge problems before. This is just another one . We wince, grizzle and niggle regularly, but then Friday night comes along - (International Party Night) , Saturday recovering, Sunday planning. And then along comes a few successes: (piling £6.5K when £22K was the average, successful insurance claim from a wall collapse, cracking architect, kind passers-by, good mates making stuff for me to dig me out of the soft and smelly, good local chippy, excellent orthopaedic surgeon) Not having enough money makes me think - much harder than I normally would. And thats an asset.

We moved in to our new self build about 3 months ago & the last inside trade has just finished. Loads of decorating left for me to do but no more cost except decorating supplies. Outside we have a usable driveway topped with mot type 1 but rest of landscaping still to finish (estimated cost of £10-15k depending on how much I take on myself). Total house build cost came in at £383k including all fees for 218 sqm (including single attached garage) so £1757 psm. I went over budget by approx £60k largely due to increased material costs & delays (started groundworks in Nov 2021). Build process was self managed and employing subbies direct. Expecting around £13k back in VAT reclaim...one day!

Our previous build was started six years ago My wife 51 and myself 55 We did virtually everything None stop for nearly two years and came in at £815 m for a very high standard of finish 390k spent 800k valuation Great Five years on we bought two excellent plots and a 2.5 acre field at the back Lets do it again But with a difference Let someone else do most of the work We even looked at TF But the costs where considerably higher than Solid build and that was before timber prices rocketed We pushed the boat out with the design Three vaulted ceiling’s Two feature windows Arts and crafts design roof with a 50 degree pitch Then the price and labour increases hit We found ourselves at a similar position to you Whilst we had no borrowing It was pretty obvious that bringing in trades wasn’t an option Re designing the roof and using tiles as apposed to slates would save us thousands and lots of time We decided to push on with the design we had Whilst we did the slating on our previous build We decided to get a quote for the house and workshop slating With over 60 meters of lead valleys we new it wouldn’t be cheap But over 30 k came as a shock But not an option We started putting the loose rafters in over three months ago and we still have about a 1000 slates to put in Both of us work full time but we will have to carryon in the same vein Suppliers are chasing us rather than the other way round There can be 50% difference in price between the same products as not all But many suppliers like petrol stations have jumped on the bandwagon and have and are overcharging Ill not bore you with examples but there’s lots of them out there Shop around

I started a similar thread early last year. Our budget has gone from comfortable to build everything we wanted to tight and compromised. First thing that went was the timber garage with space upstairs with cladding and roof to match the house to be replaced by a large insulated metal garage which was half the cost. I had a landscape budget but it has gone into the house. I was going to do full home automation professionally installed now I’ve scaled that back and doing it myself with the electrician. We wanted Abodo cladding but have swapped that to local Scottish Larch. The zinc standing seam roof is now a metal standing seam roof etc. I’m project managing and will be doing some of the work myself. Doing all that is what is allowing us to continue otherwise I think we might have been in trouble. Edited to add that our house is two simple rectangles totalling 202m2 with a straightforward roof design. We had originally planned something more complicated but ditched that due to cost.

beware of using sliding doors - they are difficult to sound proof.

Hi @PeterW Ours will not be much bigger, had hoped to get the Mhrv unit in and whatever bits required for solar but guess it would be too tight. Plan to put sliding doors on open side.

Try ecology. We put our own costs together and got the architect to sign it off and they were happy. They'll happily accept a QS, architect estimate or builders quote. If you search the forum for ecology every result will be 100% positive. For get about the local banks. You were right to run away from that builder, that's too cheap, even here.