Susie

I’m in the same position I have a Macbook 2011 version with a partition running Window 7 and luckily loop cad has installed ok despite the age of everything. it does seem that loop cad is the most used software for UFH. The tutorials are good as well.

Just trying to clarify. The neighbouring property that joins at your chamber they didn’t have a connection to the sewer previously so it’s all the pipe run from your neighbour to chamber and through the car park is all new. sounds like an easement was required but as the neighbouring property also joined the sewer at the same time maybe they have the details as they needed an easement over your land as well as the pub land. when you applied for the connection you probably sent a lot of emails and was given a reference for the water board they will be able to find the details you submitted try giving them a ring. My water board tracked my initial contact by the reference even though 2 years later were still not connected. When you connected it automatically became a private sewer initially but you can pay for the water board to take over ownership that could be worth looking into they will probably check for easements. Did the water board visit to check the connection to the sewer or was it all done by photos, don’t know if it will make a difference but the photos might date the connection and help with paperwork trails.

Your welcome another time, DM me when you’re free.

Update on costs so far B/f from previous blogs £212983 I added the windows in twice when paid for and in the window blog, -£20869 B/f should have been £192114 Solar internals final fix £4217 Render £3090 Consumables, insulation, electrical and alarm £3450 Total cost to date £202871

We are mixing two widths so we get a little wriggle room so far we’re ok see the blog for pics.

Weeks 35 to 39 The build is close to our existing working barn and home, close enough that as a Cow Shed power and water was fed from the working barn. We have renewed the power cable and water connection so that the new build with its 7.5 kwp of solar can power the working barn. With the solar on the roof the plant room became my priority to get the CU and wiring ready for the solar installation to continue. This meant us plaster boarding in the plant room, a new plaster board lifter up to 16ft for some rooms, and me watching loads of U-Tube and learning a new skill of paper taping and jointing, drylining. We have knocked old plaster off solid brick walls and put up a small amount of square edged plasterboard for a plasterer back in Manchester but never used tapered edge plasterboard or had to think which way round is best to hang it on stud walls and around windows. To make things a little easier for a first timer I used ready mixed Knauf Fill n Finish, this sanded easily and I didn’t have to waste time thinking about the consistency of the mix. I really enjoyed the process, I wasn’t quick, I wasn’t perfect, but the end result is very good. I did get a few blisters in my first ceiling joints, but I know why and I solved it and overall I quite impressed David with my new skill, so much that later on I can do other more important rooms. The main problem I had in the plant room was its size, a small room with a high ceiling in parts, the tall step ladders wouldn’t fully open width ways and then when they did open fully I was not close enough to the wall/corner. Just moving the ladders around was muscle building but our smaller ladders were not quite tall enough. Once I had painted the walls I handed the room over to David to do the wiring. Back in Manchester we have an Industrial and Commercial Electrical business and David was the NICEIC qualified supervisor for the business, he has now handed that role over to his younger brother but still has the knowledge (once checked the new regs) and skill to get the plant room wired ready for the solar to be finished. That meant he had to stop cladding and come inside the build so I went outside to get ready for the renderers who were coming to render the North wall. Due to the change in ground levels around the building, as it’s situated between the field and the concrete farm courtyard, I wanted to protect the walls with stick on waterproofing, that the renderers batten over. There are so many variants out there of sick on or paint on waterproofing membrane but not many that say they have no solvents or can be used on ICF, most of the small print says block or concrete. I chose Newton Hydrobond SA as it acknowledges its use in ICF builds, but the warranty is provided by the waterproofer ie me in this case. Once the soil is level with the build there will be a gap between the ground level and the render I hope to stick on the roofing slate I have saved possibly with tile adhesive. The walls currently being clad will also eventually be waterproofed below the cladding but I didn’t want the stick on membrane getting damaged and the ICF needed protecting from the sun so as a temporary measure for the ICF walls and a permanent solution on the concrete dolly block, in the area we park the cars I have painted on a bitumen membrane. David will love that I am now sharing my ‘kitchen utensil methods’ with you all, for the sticky black paint I used a washing up dish brush (also good for patio grout, and bathrooms), Its stiff bristles worked the paint in well and long handle kept me relatively paint free and I can also recommend a spaghetti measure that has various size holes and spoon end for stirring paint but his favourite one was me tiling the bathroom and trying to get the grout up between some wood cladding and a tile, a wooden spoon was used, in my defence I was very tired. So now I’m back collecting stone from our excavation piles to fill the gabions and next week when the weather is not supposed to be as sunny I shall be inside continuing with the insulation I’m on my 3rd pallet of Rockwool and soon will have completed two thirds of the roof, next is PIR insulation. A bread knife is great for this as I have to cut various shapes out of the insulation for the eaves, steel ridge beam and the join of the flat ceiling collars to the sloped ceiling rafters. Before the windows were fitted the openings were covered in roofing membrane so this was a cold job and the daylight hours limited my progress, now I’m extremely hot in the loft wearing a polo shirt as protection against the itchy insulation. I’m nearly done for now as I can’t reach any higher in the vaulted lounge/kitchen until we insulate and screed the floor then I should get another row completed before handing the job over for the last bit of insulation and the plastering from off a scaffold tower. May 2025 front cladding completed and March 2023 before we knocked down.

BC need to know the size of the new rafters and roof design and that it will all hold up the weight of the roof covering, and amount of insulation, warm or cold roof ventilation, getting the roof signed off as completed is one of their checks.

It sound like you have plans submitted to BC and have now decided to change the roof. If that’s correct if you are changing more than 50% of the roof you do need BC approval of the work. It sounds like you need to check with your local BC before you go to far.

As someone currently trimming Rockwool about an inch to fit between the rafters I would consider what insulation is going in, on or above etc, especially if you don’t need rafter spacing for the plasterboard. Do you not have drawings of roof spec for building control?

It looks like we’re thinking the weekend 21st/22nd. either date is fine for me, if anyone has a preference or we can wait until nearer the time and check the weather.

Cornwall show is on 5, 6 and 7th June so traffic will be bad then, for any one driving up via Wadebridge. Sunday 8th is ok Saturday 14th is ok Sunday 15th is Fathers day Saturday 21st, Sunday 22nd both ok Saturday 28th, Sunday 29th both ok Anybody have a preference @SteamyTea. @BotusBuild @Gone West @Omnibuswoman

Would any BH members like to meet up at our build. As mentioned in my blog due to our geographic location I found visiting shows and suppliers difficult so if anyone else in the South West wants to see the options we have chosen so far or it would be great to chat about everyone’s experience’s on their builds. The renderers are due to start next week, 8th May but we are still slowly cladding 3 other walls in wood. Inside it’s mainly just the ICF walls except the plant room which is half plasterboarded and the solar will be finished soon and CU is in place getting wired up by my husband. The blog is nearly up to date, I shall update and show off my new dry lining skills soon. Dates are flexible, week or weekend, day or evening, May or June. If weather is nice to us we could have a BBQ. Plenty of parking available. Add your thoughts and suggestions to this topic and I can PM you the address. Susie

Weeks 27 to 34 Cladding After securing our planning permission I arranged for a few samples of wood cladding from various trees and from a few different suppliers. I propped them up in the sun and watched for months as they changed colour and silvered off. We made a short list of which we liked, something with a definite grain pattern so not Poplar, not too knotty so not pine, thermally modified wood as it is less prone to shrink and swell and as it’s no longer sappy less interesting to insects and lighter for handling. We also wanted tongue and groove with secret fixings through the tongue and minimal fixings elsewhere if necessary, this often varies by supplier some say screw, some nail very few actually say nail gun as it can damage the brittle wood. We decided Ash was our favourite and got a few quotes from different suppliers, unfortunately when the time came to order prices had increased and we had to rethink as delivery became a big problem. We wanted it delivered by Hi-ab but most said the charge for hi-ab to us would be quite expensive or that they didn’t offer that service or it would be delivered to a hub then onto us and they couldn’t guarantee against damages. Read the delivery small print if you are thinking of having wood cladding. As it’s just me and my husband we weren’t looking forward to manually offloading the wood whilst the driver was waiting to make his next delivery and as no specific time frame for deliveries were available we couldn’t arrange for help offloading. A local company in Somerset could deliver by Hi-ab at a reasonable cost but it would be knotty pine. We really didn’t want pine but as it was cheaper and the delivery method ok we reconsiderd but still couldn’t make that final decision. Then I found Russwood after initially discounting them due to the fact they are in Inverness and we are in Cornwall and at the time I had at least 4 other companies all based lower than Birmingham some much closer to us. I spoke to Russwood and discussed delivery with them and discovered they deliver by Hi-ab on a big double length trailer but arrangements could be made that half of the trailer was left in a local lay by if necessary and our wood came on just the front half. They offered us Thermo Pine but it is slightly different the knots are fewer than on other pine samples we had from other suppliers Russwood describe them as butterfly knots, through the length of the knot rather than across the heart (round knots), you do still get some round knots. The tongue and groove is better designed in that each piece is fully pushed to the next but on the hidden side has room to expand. Most other tongue and groove needed a few millimetres between each plank for expansion which would slow the process down of putting it up and a bit more fiddly in general. Another difference in our wood is the face edges are rounded it gives a slightly more finished wood that could easily be used internally as well. As we we’re saving quite a bit on the Ash price we decided to over order enough that we can use some on the overhang, I don’t think we know yet how much spare wood we will have. A few comments from my husband are that it goes up really nice, screwing in the groove on the tongue with electric screwdriver so most fixings are hidden. It’s all fairly straight and not warped, some damaged pieces by handling but can be sorted into useable lengths over or under windows for example. On a sunny day he is enjoying this job. Cost to date Brought forward £207626 Cladding £5357 Cost to date £212983 I have noticed the Suffolk meet up chats and thought that If anyone is interested I could have an open day once we have done some more cladding and the rendered wall is complete and hopefully solar installation finished. The renderers are due to start soon so I was thinking May or June. It will only be for Build hub members so just PM me and we can all discuss dates that suit a few of us. If nice weather BBQ outside in the Bude sunshine.

Another vote for Norrsken you can read about the installation in my blog.

Have you got room for a turning circle or hammer head turn as fire appliances are not allowed in to reverse so far.