DrewG

I'm going to be going Nudura on a DIY basis for a 3000 sq.ft house and garage (and SW distributor looks secure from companies house checks). Had looked at Durisol and Isotex earlier but like the size of the 8 foot x 18 inches Nudura blocks.

Reading this thread has been a wake up call to me as feel for all those effected. I originally was keen on Durisol doing their course last year and then discovered Isotex which was my chossen route up until begin of Feb. My original contractor had changed numbers..not a good sign and so I decided I'm going to build the ICF myself and thus have decided to go Nudura who have a proven system with 8 foot by 18 inches high blocks so quick building times. Going to be placing orders next month...a long as can at least pay deposit with credit card after having reading others misfortune on here.

Like Dave and Helen I'm currently trying to choose a Struct Warrenty Provider. Have had prices from Self Build-Zone £4.6 and Protek £2.2k and awaiting on Global Warrenties (apparently they have done quite a few Nudura icf houses which is what I'm going to be building with. Building Control Proces so far between £1.5 and £2.3k...it's all adding up!!!

You could be right and I may need to decid how I feel about OSB celing...keen on the industrial look so considering having exposed Universal Beams downstairs and use the bars on the Alitherm 300 windows for the Crital Style. Have attached a photo from my last house built in 2019 (Blockwork walls with SIPS roof).

The plan is not to have any services in the upstairs ceilings i.e. wall lights and there's no MVHR...just good old fashioned trickle vents on the windows (planning on Alitherm 300 with I think Planitherm glass due to the new Part L Regs).

I'm going to use SIPS for my roof and have decided on Nudura XR35 for the walls (going to do this myself even though no previous experience of icf). Hopin to find a SIPS manufacturer who will do birch ply for the inner face of the SIPS to have as my finished ceilings upstairs (have done this before with UNILIN (no longer supply the UK).

I think I see the problem here...maths and converting imperial to metric. 96" is 2.438m x 18" is 0.457m = 1.114 m2 and not .495 m2 as suggested! £63.40 a block I'm guessing wasn't in last couple of months?

That can't be right as a X35 block with 6" core is around £81 and is around 1.1 m2. I'm looking to build a ICF House with 270 m2 floor area with Nudura my favoured option.

I've short listed Isotex for my build and have below The strip foundations /slab /dpc detail as I see it (will most probably have the slab at 150mm). Doing it this way you ca clip the u/f heating pipes to the PIR Insulation (would add another DPC between PIR and under Screed. This would also be the detail for door threshold i.e. footing plus 2 blocks woth DPC.

Thanks for the replys, I have had highlighted this point to the tree surgeons, so I'm 100% sure now that this invoice should be zero rated. I did get them to remove 12 trees last year which were shown on the outline planning (all were where the driveway is to be located so no chance of retention) but I paid VAT in this instance as had not had my reserved matters approved (live and learn all the time).

I have spent £7,900 (including VAT)s on tree surgeon's before I got my Reserved Matters Approved (i.e. I only had outline planning at this stage) and now since I have my reserved matters approved have spent another couple of thousand which have been charged VAT. Am I able to ask the tree surgeons to zero rate their latest invoice as this work was done after my planning approval and the work they did was as stipulated in my Tree Protection Plan?

Don't know if this has been finished yet but I have used the Thermoguard for a steel structural post on my last self build with no issues from BC. Took around 4 coats to get to the required thickness though and was slow drying.

I lived in a house for 11 years before I got it signed off 🤐. Only had 2 things outstanding from 1st final inspection and only got around to doing those when I sold the house in 2018 😁. With hindsight wouldn't have much chance of making a claim on the buildings insurance 🥵

Reading through this tread about costs EPS v PIR what hasn't been taken into account is the volume of muck away over the whole footprint will be significantly higher for the EPS assuming a flat site...just saying

Reading the above comments can say my last project I used Buildzone for the warrenty and for Building Control inspections meabt I only had to deal with 1 surveyor which worked well. I'm planning this time to get quotes from them and Protek this time around...well as soon as I have decided on foundations and build method ICF or trad cavity blockwork (both with using SIPS roof).

As you live around the corner and only work part time I would project manage the build myself hiring the trades in as a and when. You could do the completed house for under £400k this way. It's not rocket science and there's lots of you tube video's (NHBC used to do a very nice guide when I built my first house 20 years ago with no experience). Once done you will have a rwal sense of achievement.

Not possible due to tree's with TPO's. Will go dual pump and pumpout truck should hopefully fit down driveway.

I'm going to have to install a pumping station to pump 28m with about a 1m head (just hoping there's enough fall from the foul in the house to the pumping station location 20m from the house!

My previous house I built with traditional cavity blockwork and SIPS roof so a hybrid house. The inner face of the SIP's was ply which was my finished vaulted ceilings but the supplier from Europe Unilin no longer supply into UK since Brexit so wondered if anyone knows another SIPS manufacturer who would do this +/- 250 sq.m. . I'm looking again to build a hybrid house with ICF walls and SIPS roof. Cheers

After a 15 month battle to get my Reserved Matters approved have finally done this so earlish 2023 will be the start of my new home. While this won't be my first new build it seems every build is so different! Still trying to decide foundations and build method. Have a LOT OF TREES which has dictated the shape of the house as well as creating services issues. Once have a couple more trees down at the entrance and can see what the final width restriction is will help determine if going to go down my preferred ICF route (I'm kinda leaning towards Isotex but looking at the alternatives too). Think the pinch point is going to be around 2.6 to 2.7m due to a TPO tree restricting the access so may just be able to squeeze cement lorry and boom pump lorries past. Once trees down will also give me a chance to get a digger in to do some trial holes as I believe from next door the bedrock may only be a few feet down so weighing up insulated raft versus trench fill (not sure on warrenty company attitude to potential tree roots but if bed rock only a few feet would think shouldn't be an issue...may post this as a new topic. Cheers, some very interesting reading on here with some great advice. Drew