G and J

Are those humidity levels comfortable ?

We knew pretty much exactly the layout and 85% of the external design and we then shortlisted two architects from looking at lots of their websites. We then met the chosen two on site and broadly talked through our plans. One was right on our wavelength and was happy to do just the parts we wanted (site survey, planning drawings and application support, then building regs level design and liaison with structural engineers). We got a quote for each bit and then went with it. We figured the relationship and matching values and attitudes were too important to shop around on price. Why not work out what you want then go meeting?

Our understanding from our architect is that we will have to sheath in cement board if we timber frame and have the larch cladding treated. I stupidly assumed that as I received enthusiastic quotes from SIP companies for builds sheathed in osb that SIPs were somehow different. That was dumb of me.

We will be building well within a metre of our boundary and literally just under a meter wall to wall from neighbours house. We’ve been told we will need to use something like cement board for the sheathing if we go stick built, rather than OSB3. I now realise that that will also mean we cannot have PIR outside of the sheathing board - please correct me if I’m wrong. So I think our build up might look something like…. 1. 3mm ish plaster. 2. 12.5mm plasterboard 3. OSB/ply to stiffen, solidify the walls and enable stuff to be hung wherever…. 4. 25mm service void for cables only. 5. Plastic sheet stuff of some kind. 6. 50mm PIR. 7. 140mm timber, completely filled with insulation, unsure what type but maybe rockwool. 8. Cement board 9. Water vapour permeable membrane. 10. Vertical battens (25mm) 11. Horizontal counter battens (25mm). 12. Vertical larch cladding (20mm) All adding up to circa 330mm, which is a bit more than target but on reflection and applying the stuff I’ve picked up from working out what a SIP wall build up would look like I think this maybe a good starting point for analysis. So folks, does the above look sensible? How can I improve it either from a buildability, insulation, cost or any other point of view?

Ouch. I got a couple of quotes for an MVHR system as a result of contacts made at the NEC self build show. I found them rather unsatisfactory. They were happy to give a price but no details, which tells me there’s a big fat margin in there. It’s like the SIP companies, they seem to work on the ‘you don’t need to worry your pretty (or in my case, otherwise) head about all that nasty engineering stuff, just sign here and trust us (wink)’. That’s so not me. So I read up a lot and concluded that designing our own system would boil my head but it would yield better results and would mean different kit from different places, so it would be worth it. Oh and it would save one or two k. I think they trade on the fact that most peeps won’t do hard sums and don’t have time anyway, but if you are ok with the numbers and you’ve the time it would pay off big time. Probably one of the most productive uses of my time in fact. Seeing past all the hype is difficult, it’s a slick and practiced industry, but I think, with the backing of the peeps on here, we can do better. My latest thinking is vent axia unit, part rigid duct then manifold then plastic flexi ducts, then in most rooms https://www.ventilationland.co.uk/en_GB/p/frameless-square-ventilation-valve-ø-125-mm/18709/

So this hepvo can be mounted horizontally or vertically? Can it be used for the kitchen sink too? If so that’s brilliant, could reduce the space taken up with the traps in my cupboards. Or is there a downside I’ve not thought of?

As Transmission Vamp sang : But you know that some things Are best left never said

Hmmmm. West Suffolk peeps. East Suffolk peeps. Me on the border. Who do I choose? Jets or Sharks? 😉

Are you saying that RobboBog has a combi boiler built in? Wow. Maybe it’s worth that many thousands then.

Noted.

We’ve the dreaded folding sliding doors where we are now. They’ve done us proud but they’ve taught us that in a restrictive space sliding doors help. So we are going for patio doors (as I call ‘em, where one pane slides over the other fixed pane to open) as we are trying to get the greatest feeling of space we can out of the limited width of plot that we have.

We’ve not started investigating yet but I foresee a fun time trying to sort the patio doors at the back of our great hall (it isn’t, it’s a combined lounge/diner/kitchen/conservatory type room with a choice of places to sit, but it will do as a name). The hole for them is just under 12’ wide, and the plan is to have two sliding panes and two fixed panes, to give a nearly 6’ wide opening. That means looking through both the fixed and the sliding panels on each side when open. If triple glazed that would mean 6 layers of glass. Will I notice the difference between that and the kryptonite filled double glazed version?

Interesting idea, and had such been available in 2006 would have been perfect for a full refurb we did in a small cottage in Norfolk. Gut feel is that a central ducted system will prove more suitable for us and our preferences.

I can remember thinking that about house lighting and the early home automation stuff. Years later here I am benefitting from hive control of a number of bulbs around the house as well as my heating system. But a toilet pan that opens it’s jaws like a waiting dragon as soon as I walk-in the room is just too much.

Whilst I agree with you in principle I am a bit obsessive so I can maybe take this too far… Ta for the steer. Will read up on what a cascade system is, then consult those references. But we are still not having a RobboBog.

It is a Sunday…. But if only I could get on with the build….

A few days ago J and I visited a high end kitchen and bathrooms showroom. The kind of place that should send out a defibrillator with every quote, just in case. Beautiful stuff, and we may well buy some stuff from them, but that won’t include the RobboBog. They proudly showed how, when one enters the bathroom, it automatically detects the presence of a potential user and opens the lid, lifts the seat, turns the mood lighting on and does a micro flush. I think the light is partly to help one find the remote control (you mean your potty doesn’t have one? Scandalous!). This remote sets off the water jets on the power wash for your bum, setting temperature and pressure, (please remain seated for the complete performance or have a floor mop ready) thence setting off the warm air drying cycle. It’s a wonderful demonstration of, in my opinion, how not every new idea is a good one. However, in even the most bonkers scheme a germ of a good idea could be lurking, and in this case it’s the micro flush, which does make the pan rather more teflon. The concealed cisterns I’m looking at have two buttons, a little wee flush and a big jobs flush. Does anyone know of a system with a manual micro flush third button. (Could we fund buildhub for decades by designing and patenting it?).

I’ve not finalised our design but I suspect I’ll end up using both. Our MVHR unit is going in our garage and then feeds the house in rigid through a small loft space and through a steel to a central point for downstairs (so probably manifold and flexi thereafter) and also in rigid to another central point in the loft for upstairs, (again thence probably small manifold). I read (and am still reading) lots and I’ve absorbed lots of info from biased and apparently unbiased sources and I’ve concluded I simply can’t trust one company to design me the best as they only use their own stuff. But each discussion and quote has yielded useful info. It does mean though that I take responsibility for the design and it’s successful operation.

+1. Can I come too. Please. Pretty please.

As for our main loft we’re thinking a cold loft, with lots of insulation laying on the plasterboard of the ceilings. We have limited headroom due to the ridge height being restricted and I hate chamfered rooms (are they known as dropped eves?) and so the loft is only good for solar pv kit and storage, and having cleared our previously overloaded with tutt loft where we now live we’re determined not to store stuff up there. I think a cold loft is the simplest and quickest and cheapest way of doing it, but when I get round to it I’ll weigh up cost and function of a warm loft too. Especially if it has no affect on room heights.

300mm is ideal but we won’t be silly about it. If there’s a really good reason to sacrifice some room space for better walls we will -better in this case meaning greater reliability and longevity, insulation is, as has been mentioned, capable of being ‘traded off’. So if losing 50mm made a big difference we’d do it. But I’d look for alternatives first.

My thinking is that a layer of ply or osb would give a better feeling of solidity, better acoustic performance, can be done by me so it’s only the cost of materials and it has the spin off benefit that one can hang stuff wherever (as I’m used to doing in my blockwork house). I’ve been told by a couple of peeps now that they are glad they did that, but I grant you, it’s not technically necessary. It’s so hard as we all have a natural tendency to view our own past decisions with rose tinted glasses.

The principle that an impermeable barrier is placed on the warm side so it doesn’t get condensation on it makes sense. The principle that there is only one impermeable barrier also makes sense, even if that barrier is double layered (e.g. plastic sheet and PIR). Which says to me the only safe option is to not have PIR outside my sheething layer. Are there practical alternatives?

So that’s a ‘maybe’ then, I think. 🤷‍♂️

So a build up like: 1. Skim 2. PB 3. OSB/ply 4. 140mm frame filled with rockwool 5. OSB3 6. water barrier membrane 7. PIR 8. Batten 9. Counter batten 10. Larch cladding Would potentially create a condensation pocket between layers 3 and 7. Fast forward to a rotten frame. Damn.