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I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to do without any heating upstairs. We'll certainly want UFH in the family bathroom and en suite, so I thought that it might be easier to run UFH throughout so that floor levels remain the same. I suppose if we were to mount UFH drum below for the bathrooms, and put in pipework for radiators in the bedrooms, then we shouldn't need to worry about floor levels, and can always put radiators in if we feel like we need them, as by that point the bedroom layouts should be settled so radiator placement won't be a restrictor.

Thanks @JohnMo. With your UFH carpeted rooms, did you use special UFH specific underlay and low tog carpets and still find it ineffective, or just standard materials?

Hi All, We are doing a self build. 280m2, 2 storey, 5 beds (4 upstairs, one downstairs). The plan is ASHP, MVHR, 3G windows, airtight, and currently UFH throughout. However, we really like carpets in bedrooms and the lounge (will be hard flooring in kitchen/sitting/dining room, study, hallway, bathrooms and utility). I seem to have read conflicting things about the effectiveness of UFH with carpets. There is some claimed specialist underlay and low toggage carpets, but that very quickly gets expensive. And they may have the utilitarian feel of office carpet tiles. We don't really fancy radiators as we haven't finalised room layouts and don't want wall mounted radiators to be a restriction. Similar with the skirting heating. It would be great to have the same heating method throughout the whole house. Has anyone just used traditional underlay and carpets with UFH? Was it effective? My thinking is that if the house is well insulated, and the heating is running low and slow from the ASHP, the heat HAS to go somewhere, so should eventually heat the room once the thermal mass of the underlay and carpet are finally up to temperature. Would welcome any thoughts. Thanks

Thanks. Keen to avoid any movement impacting sealing. I'm almost considering creating a glazed curtain wall behind the oak frame, to remove the oak from any windows.

Hi. Our timber frame building supplier is also providing a green oak framed structure for the front and rear of the house to support a veranda and a double height oak frames porch structure. We think that we have selected the windows and doors for all of the traditional openings in the house, Aluclad Timber with a sub 1.0 U Value. The rest of the house will be very well insulated. I haven't quite figured out how we are going to deal with the amount of glazing in the oak structure. Keeping it well sealed, airtight, with the right U value for the glazing whilst minimising heat transmition through the oak frame itself between the glazed panels which will be in effect uninsulated. Does anyone have any thoughts, or glazing suppliers that might be worth speaking to? There are several oak frame companies who look to also do glazing, but the ones that I've spoken to so far are not interested in working within someone else's oak frame Thanks

Hi. @eandg just wondering if you installed cork flooring? We really like the look and feel of it, but are a little concerned about it's longevity. Have ordered a few samples from various places and they all seem a bit flimsy and prone to damage, other than Re-Cork which feels like much more of a premium product.

Hadn't considered Aluclad UPVC, I'll look in to it, thanks. Although my worry with anything UPVC is chunky frame profiles. Will get in touch with Allan Brothers. Thanks

Interesting views about timber Vs Aluclad. I had assumed that the aluminium outer would have a 20-40 year maintenance free lifespan. I was drawn to Aluclad as having lived in various houses within conservation areas over the past 20yrs wth single glazed timber sash windows, I absolutely hate the thought of ever having to paint a window again.

Hi. Our build is progressing well, and we are now at a point when we expect to need windows in about 12-15 weeks. I've had prices from Rational (via 3 separate suppliers), Green Building Store, Velfac and IdealCombi. All a similar price when including tax and fitting, with IdealCombi being marginally less expensive, but still over budget. Approx 45m2 of glazing, split between a mix of 15 x fixed and openable windows and 3 x 3m wide openable doors (sliding, french or bifold, indifferent which). I've also got quotes from a couple of local window companies for triple glazed aluminium and UPVC frames, which are only about 15% cheaper than the Aluclad companies, but with much poorer U Values. Is there anyone else that I am missing? Often on the Grand Designs type shows on TV, the glazing comes from somewhere further East, but I'm struggling to find anything other than that big names mentioned above. Any other suppliers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Thanks for all of the advice and opinion. We will be keeping the very few original walls in place.

it has been. While since this thread was updated. Has anyone got any experience of the wider Ikea induction hob with built in extraction? There were a few comments in the thread about it being significantly cheaper than an Elica, however both seem to be around £1400 now. Bora seems much more expensive, and there is very little real information available that isn't just marketing.

Thanks. Maybe a fresh application is the way to go then if I decide to remove what little will remain of the ground floor. But, my question still remains, as to where the line is between a new build and a large scale renovation/extension. Is there guidance, previous determination or case law that sets the threshold of how much building must remain for it not to be classed as a new build? My approved planning permission shows that by length, around 50% of the ground floor external walls will be either new (due to the extensions), or modified (by having a bay window/door removed, a standard window removed or window inserted). Plus, I am adding an additional 20% on to the height of all ground floor external walls. 60% of existing ground floor internal walls are being removed. 100% of everything above the ground floor is to be removed and replaced. So in effect, there is very little original to remain. Thanks for the VAT related responses, definitely something to have in mind, but I do not really want this thread to be about that.

Yes, however if doing that, then we are committing to it being a 'new build', and not a renovation. Given the house has been vacant for so long, we are claiming 5% VAT rate anyway, so although the 0% reclaim is good, it is not really a huge incentive for us. For cashflow reasons the 5% probably works better for us as we pay 5% now, rather than pay 20% and reclaim to 0%.

Hi all. Have been reading the forum for a few years whilst planning a self build, but this is the first question that I haven't been able to find an answer to in an existing thread (but if someone is able to point me to a previous similar post then please do). We have bought a semi derelict dormer bungalow and now have planning permission to remove the roof, raise the ridge line slightly to create more habitable space upstairs, raise the ground floor ceiling height, remove some bay windows, a double storey rear extension, internal reconfiguration and change the size/location of almost every window and door on the ground floor. Basically very little of the original 1950s building will remain untouched. We had intended to use a local builder for demolition/ground floor prep and structural works to existing, and a timber frame company to put on the new first floor/roof structure. The foundations of the house are good. We are now considering removing all of the existing ground floor walls and having the timber frame company build the ground floor structure as well as the first/roof. Same layout as the approved drawings, and utilising the existing footings. Would be quicker, cheaper, easier, fewer unknowns, and create a better sealed/insulated house. So the question is, when does something become a 'new build'? Is it not a new build if a certain amount or %age of original walls remain? If we did use timber frame for the ground floor, the finished house would internally and externally still look the same as the approved drawings. We are keen to progress as quickly as possible and would rather not go through a new planning application given if we were to go for full timber frame the plans and application would be almost identical to what we already have approved. Is there a risk that a planning officer may pop round and notice that the house has been demolished and cause problems? Is this significant and what actions could be taken? It is quite feasible that during the original plan of keeping the existing ground floor that we come across issues that require further demolition. Or a construction vehicle could accidently reverse in to the part demolished ground floor, meaning that we have to rebuild it anyway. Would be good to hear thoughts. Thanks