canalsiderenovation

Cladding mission continues for the underneath of the porch and balcony continues. Has anyone heard of Rockpanel woods? We have Trepsa and Rockpanel samples we are quite taken with either, though I'm still clarifying guarantee and warranty for both. To show how it will look all together we will have a render on the lower half (example from K-rend but considering others), Anthracite RAL7016 windows on the lower half and Anthracite corrugated profile cladding on the upper half as the windows on the upper half are all skylights.... The Trepsa is the top one Rockpanel bottom one.

It is textured not smooth, the other samples I had yesterday were Rockpanel and smooth, though I quite like these too.

I've had a sample today of something called Vulcan Weathertone. Unfortunately I ordered the wrong profile samples and ended up with the shiplap profile which isn't the one we need but it's quite an interesting product compared with some of the other products as it's textured. The darker sample is the Dark Oak and the lighter sample is the Natural Cedar. For anyone wondering what it's made of the brochure says it's production process 'premium fibres of mixed hardwoods using the entire tree, breaks these down into 100% natural wood fibres, combines them with a 6% mix of resin, wax and alum and compresses them under extreme heat and pressure. The surface treatment consists of 5 separate coats of acrylic paint baked on a high temperature'. I've tried to upload some pictures so you can see it as I've not seen it mentioned before. One pic of each colour and me holding them both together so you can see the different colours.

Well our architects spoke to the council and they asked for lots of photographs of our loft and outbuildings first. I took about 100 photos and the architects have submitted them, the outbuildings are sparkly and clean as is the loft so they need to decide now if we need a bat survey as well. Our architects seem to think the photos may be sufficient. Like you, it will put the brakes on any build for this year if that happens. Keep me posted @janelondon

Thanks, you are right as we will have corrugated anthracite plastisol on the roof and top half, the bottom will be render in a white/limestone. The wood under the balcony and porch will be a contrast but I want like you say a synthetic alternative that will contrast with the rest of the house so don't want it to grey.... We also are having a solid front double door made (wood to be decided yet). I found the TrespaPura just a bit odd looking if I'm honest and less like real wood and given you will be pretty close to it under the porch and balcony that's a bit of an issue. I'm also waiting for samples from Vulcan, Teckwood and Vivixlap as well.

We still have lots of questions and I'd hate to feel we are pressurised into choosing certain things, e.g. kitchen, bathrooms etc and certain brands when I've done a lot of research already and have some good ideas too on what we want. I've got visions of it being like shopping with my sister in law, I'm looking at handbags in Primark and she is picking out one in Mulberry!

@D Walter did you come across any wood effect cladding that you thought looked particularly good? I'd got samples of Trepsa but didn't like any of those? I'm just worried about the natural greying on Accoya and other natural woods .....

Lots to consider and think about. Builder, architects etc are very keen, strangely even though it would put pressure on them re timescales.

Exactly! How do people 'find' an extra £50k....?

Grand designs would definitely not be us - it's not quirky enough, nor do we have a Grand Designs budget! I'd be worried as every project I've seen ok TV goes massively over budget.... Or perhaps they just add this in for dramatic effect.

Like @D Walter I have so much cladding I could probably clad our whole area from samples! One thing I'd say that is proving interesting is to leave the cladding outside, all samples have been outside now for a while in various weathers, albeit untreated. Accoya is like it was when we put it outside initially and looks great. The only thing is it would have to be stained to match the colour of our wood front door, and Accoya was too expensive to have a door made from it! Other wood alternatives like Rockpanel etc just don't look right... Boats erm, is it oak or some kind of Japanese cypress?

That's really useful, it wouldn't be Grand Designs, it isn't 'grand' or 'unusual' enough! Definitely do research then, sounds like there aren't many perks as such.

? Let me be clear it would be impossible for that to happen, infant a miracle!

This is definitely a niche question, but has anyone been on any house related renovation programmes, or knows of anyone that has and would share their experiences - good, bad etc If you had the opportunity would you? Curious if they are worth applying, you frequently see adverts after some of the shows on TV encouraging you to apply

I hope not! I've been driving myself batty (pun intended!) researching into everything bat related.... Couldn't see any signs but I may need to keep going up the loft weekly now, checking for mice and rats after the discovery of the rodent boxes ? and clearing out some of the junk we discovered today. We are also clearing out all the outbuildings, vacuuming and cleaning over the next week or so, we also cut down some more trees today.

We are in exactly the same position and will have whatever metal roofing we have on the first floor walls as cladding. We have samples of Tata, Euroclad and have been comparing general pricing. We also looked at alternatives like the Marley Eternit. We are now leaning to a cheaper alternative a plastisol covering metal from a local firm at a fraction of the price of Tata and Euroclad given that it will rust the same, it's all down to getting someone who is competent to install it! https://www.excelclad.co.uk/sheets--cladding-14-c.asp

Finally today, Boxing Day task, I ventured up the two lofts. We have one in the bedroom and one in the kitchen as due to the odd layout of the bungalow (basically two bungalows seperayed by a flat roof in between). The good news is that whoever installed newish loft insulation left the paperwork up there from a couple of years ago so there is lots of insulation, so everything was definitely disturbed not too long ago. Lots of spiderwebs and a random dead blue tit in the first bungalow loft, but can't for the life of me see how it got in (removed it), no obvious gaps but we did see birds going near the guttering, fascias and soffits in summer but no sign of anything in the loft. Lots of white boxes with 'rodent killer's on them situated all in both lofts (counted more than 10 in both so mice or rats perhaps, but no sign of bats). Second loft has chimney in it, again lots of spiderwebs which seem to have caught an abundance of wasps, so perhaps a wasps nest somewhere which explains why we had so many in summer throughout the house, though can't see any actual wasps nests or birds nests. We just have an old flat roof sectional garage and makeshift building to worry about that will be demolished, but the bungalow itself certainly has no obvious signs of bats in it, but I guess they could still be 'around'. Architects know someone who normally does their surveys so I'm just researching into who they mentioned. There is a local guy literally walking distance away who had permission passed for a swimming pool and gym building (who had the same architects), so I'm guessing he would have had to have a bat survey too, and let's face it a swimming pool is not exactly conservation friendly!

Ouch, sounds like it's a sore subject...

Tomorrow, I'm going into the loft - it's easily accessible as it's a bungalow, we have two loft hatches one in the kitchen and one in the bedroom. Since we bought it at Easter its has tradesmen in there, me and my dad looking for the TV aerial cable as well as a professional guy rooting around and us emptying stuff that has been left in, in addition to the wasp incident so I can't help but think we would have noticed or at least disturbed them if there was any. I'll see what I can see (and smell) tomorrow - if anything.

Hmm, well just waiting to see what architects say. I suspect first step is the pleliminary bat survey. When my dad removed the wasps nest from the loft a few months ago he didn't see it smell any indication of bats, but then he's not a specialist and I guess any little sight or them and it will be the full survey.

Thanks I'm currently looking through LPA and finding out info. I'm thinking worse case scenario here as we are immediately adjacent to woodland and adjacent to water (canal) so there's bound to be some of the critters somewhwre!!!

No, although our bungalow roof has that many holes and gaps in it we probably have all sorts nesting in it currently! Worst case scenario there are bats living in our roof ?...

I think our hope of starting the renovations next summer has just disappeared then! This is the info from the council; Before a consultant is contacted to assess the building for bat potential, the applicant may like to provide additional information, i.e. internal and external photographs of the building, which we will take into consideration before determining whether any surveys are needed. If a bat survey is required, it should be carried out as follows: This application site meets the trigger point for requiring a bat survey since it involves modification, conversion, demolition or removal of buildings and structures (especially roof voids) involving the following: all agricultural buildings (e.g. farmhouses and barns) particularly of traditional brick or stone construction and/or with exposed wooden beams greater than 20cm thick. The bat survey should be carried out as follows: A Preliminary Roost Assessment including a thorough internal and external inspection of the building and an assessment of the potential for bat roosts to be present. Recommendations should be made regarding the need for additional surveys (see below) and/or precautionary methods of working. During the Preliminary Roost Assessment the ecologist should also record any evidence of nesting wild birds. A Presence/Absence Survey should be carried out in all cases where the Preliminary Roost Assessment finds evidence of bats, potential for bats or where a complete and thorough inspection cannot be carried out. The presence/absence survey will involve dusk emergence and/or pre-dawn re-entry surveys to aid identification of the species of bats present and estimation of the numbers of individuals. The presence/absence survey should follow the guidance on survey effort and frequency in the Bat Conservation Trust’s Good Practice Guidelines (3rd edition, 2016) and will usually comprise 2/3 emergence and/or pre-dawn re-entry surveys* between May and September (optimum period May to August). The Presence/Absence Survey will allow the surveyor to consider the need for mitigation, enhancements and compensation, to assess the likelihood of an offence being committed and to make a decision as to the need for a European Protected Species Mitigation Licence from Natural England *Note – 2 surveys carried out within the same 24 hour period constitute one survey. A Roost Characterisation Survey should be carried out in cases where an offence is considered likely to occur, where mitigation is required and where a European Protected Species Mitigation Licence from Natural England will be required. The Roost Characterisation Survey is intended to establish number of bats in the colony, access points used, temperature and humidity regime in the roost, aspect and orientation of the roost, size and perching points, lighting and a surrounding habitat assessment. For any planning application triggering the need for a bat survey, the following documents should be submitted to allow determination of the application: 1. A Preliminary Roost Assessment and any further surveys recommended by the licensed ecologist (e.g. Presence/Absence Survey and Roost Characterisation Survey). 2. A site plan showing any mitigation and enhancements being offered for bats (e.g. bat box locations, bat loft locations with measurements and internal details) 3. A lighting plan showing location and specification for any proposed lights on the site. The lighting plan should reflect the Bat Conservation Trust’s Bats and Lighting in the U.K. guidance. All bat surveys should be carried out by an experienced, licensed ecologist and in accordance with the Good Practice Guidelines. Mitigation should be designed in line with Natural England’s Bat Mitigation Guidelines. Any deviation from the methods, level or timing of surveys set out in the Good Practice Guidelines should be accompanied by a reasoned evidence statement from the licensed ecologist carrying out the survey clarifying how the sub-optimal survey is ecologically valid.

Oh god, go on please tell?

See that's what I'm thinking that there will be a condition of weight limits etc, BUT the farm can use it frequently and with vehicles I estimate are almost double the 10 tonne limit, (tractor, sileage trailer)... The neighbours apparantlt raised the issue of the farm going over the bridge at speed, churning up the grass edging and the bridge and lane has potholes in it from the farm vehicles - CRT would not act on it. It won't be a highway issue I would have thought as it is a bridleway technically...