G and J

We’ve got full planning permission to build it, though we’ll do it after we’ve finished the house when we know what money we haven’t got left. We’re planning it at this stage partly because it may be a good idea to do some of the bits like the foundations at the same time as those on the house. The danger isn’t that it’s not built properly. The danger is massive over specification.

In none the flats I’ve ever been involved with would permission for those kind of penetrations be allowed. I looked at this unit early on, it appeared I could run everything in our house from just two 6” holes in our garage. I believe that the flow rates needed would mean that the air speed would mean it would sound like a chip shop extractor. Not an attractive idea.

In our case the initial purpose will be a gym and workshop, with a corner hived off for a shed (with that section having its own door). However, I would like to build it to last and it to feel good and solid (yes, over engineered). So that gets us a basic sort of spec/plan. Then I scratch my chin and think, “with just a little extra effort and cost I could make it…..”. Repeat that exercise enough times and I have a plan for an expensive building with the potential for easy conversion to a guest suite (I am not sociable and billeting guests at the far end of the garden appeals) or carers accommodation (we plan ahead). Not so much requirements ‘creep’ as ‘gallop’! So, day one it needs a floor as steady as a normal indoor floor. A bit of insulation would be nice but it isn’t really essential, but fitting it later would be a lot harder. A potty would be handy, but difficult as evidenced in other threads due to the fall of our site and the fact that inexplicably, none of the neighbours have offered to let me dig up their gardens and connect to their sewers. It needs lecky, as large TVs (essential for rowing, naturally) don’t run themselves and I’ve an 18v Makita obsession to constantly recharge. Now, all this seems a bit over the top. Until you factor in the presence, literally 250m away, of a leisure centre with gym, pool, steam room and sauna that I almost certainly will be a member of anyway. Then it becomes downright silly. But I still wants it, precious.

Methinks Sumamp is akin to SIPs. Great sounding idea, lovely in theory and a compelling sales pitch, but the dreary realities are another matter.

Sticking my oar in uninvited (I may know 3/8ths of very little but I don’t let that stop me) but if space inside is the limiting issue with an ASHP/cylinder I would contend that ecologically, an ASHP, etc. would be much higher priority than a battery. Better financially too I believe.

Sometimes, on some rhings, before the building work actually starts it’s hard to know what bits one needs to worry about and which ones one doesn’t. Me bring me I want to understand me options in advance. It can be a pain but it’s helped me a lot in the past.

I've been searching and reading and, I hope, learning. I think I've sorted some of the issues with my b&b damp proofing detail. I'd be grateful for a steer on what else is wrong with it....

Noted. Our garden is really sandy once you get below the soil. Hadn’t factored in the difficulty of getting the insulation level, I’d assumed a sand blinding would do that job without too much difficulty.

Good thought though because of the length of our garden that would necessitate a pump and access issues and cost would encourage me to do otherwise. I’m looking at beam and block floors for the house at the mo and I’m surprised how cheap it would be for the garden room, so that’s probably the other practical option.

I’m a dyed in the wool DIYer in that I tell myself to get a grip regularly. I post lots of daft questions too, but also I learn tons by reading the answers to other peeps’ daft questions. So fire away.

I think that’s rather a harsh generalisation. I’ve mixed it with three roofers over the years who have been excellent and determined to do a good job. The others I’ve interacted with have been ok but not really pushing the extra mile, but my experience is still overall, very positive.

I’m really liking the notion that the EV that we probably will have one day, could run the essentials in the house for at least a day in the event of a power cut. I think that’s really good resource use. In lieu of an assault rifle will a mildly belligerent and highly sarcastic attitude do?

I’ve been toying with the idea of costing up having two consumer units. One that will be powered by a battery in a power cut, (freezer, MVHR, router/Wi-Fi, lighting, etc.) and one that will be dead during a power cut. But when I think about the cost and resources just sitting there doing nothing and not saving energy just for the rare event of a power cut it feels wasteful and difficult to justify. However the same set up could serve, with the addition of the above changeover switch, with a small generator. Said generator would only be purchased if power cuts became a regular thing, but making the allowance for it might be a good idea… Food for thought (at least when I lay awake at night, that is….)

Yes. Jeremy’s spreadsheet. It’s really easy to use and informative.

Understood. I didn’t realise that was a busbar. Makes perfect sense.

And the only downside is that you need a deeper backbox on the light switch, which with timber frame is dead easy. I like that and will use that. Another buildhub membership info nugget banked. Again, thank you.

Goodness I’m full of questions (or something) this morning…. So typically a short to earth is less likely and hence not tested for, or indeed, is difficult to detect in a modern timber frame house?

Thank you. Presumably the left hand bottom two connectors are redundant?

I’ve always run the loop round the roses, then a wire for each switch from the rose to it’s switch. Is there a particular advantage in running loop at switch?

What’s the correct way of connecting in a generator (I’m not thinking of getting one, but I am curious)?

Are you saying counter battens might be making the flapping worse or the noise from the flapping worse (or both)?

This is part of the rationale for not having one to start with. Especially if, as it appears, it costs nothing but a bit of wall space to allow for it to be fitted in future. Again, thank you.

Noted. Thank you.

In fairness our current house has modern flimsy trusses and we are classified as being extreme exposure here so we had to nail the tiles loads. Never detected any movement in the roof. Mind you, this roof is heavy both sides, our new roof will be lighter one side than the other due to solar panels replacing slates.

I know that public opinion and factual science/engineering often differ, but I’d guess the vast majority of folk would not see having one’s own diesel generator as being eco-friendly. A box of candles just in case would be more what peeps would expect…