Great_scot_selfbuild

@Nickfromwales approx 50m from the CU, or 40m from nearest 3-pin socket. Could run a direct line over the protected tree gap and save quite a few metres though. Photo to help set the scene.

We have our consumer unit at the garage (point of mains electricity arrival). I could be wrong, but I don't think we have more than one breaker as there was a discussion about multiple circuits in the garage and we decided more than one circuit there was overkill (background - if we have a chest freezer there then we didn't want it cutting out if use of tools in the garage caused the power to trip, but then again I'd know about it as I'd be in the garage and would be able to reset and sort it out, so we didn't really need two separately protected circuits). See attached photo (need to get one of the CU with the cover lifted up, as I'm not sure whether there is an RCBO (would that be standard to install? it didn't come up in discussion - electrician is good and understood our needs, but ultimately I didn't know what to ask. We have plenty(!) of sockets in this garage - are you saying we could plug yellow 110v transformers in here and run them as far as we need? (from a power/current perspective, dealing with the safety of leads separately (we could ty-wrap cables to the fencing that leads up to where they may be used, as a possible option).

Do you have any pictures of how they’re installed by chance?

@Adrock I’m a little puzzled by the idea that these products would be sold not to be fully used - a bit like a 4-socket extension not being able to be used for 4 plugs at the same time. See my reply a few minutes ago - would you be suggesting a temporary waterproof cabinet, Consumer Unit (is that the same as ‘32A RCBO’?) and metal plug sockets, to then run multiple small yellow transformers off? In my reply to @Nickfromwales I explained my challenge of where this is actually located.

Thanks @Nickfromwales we have lots of metal clad sockets for charging already and the people on site are all part of the same team at the moment. The challenge I’m trying to wrap my head around is where the builder would have this temporary connection positioned as the cable pops out of the ground exactly where it needs to rout up and into the plant room - if we install a temporary cabinet, CU and sockets there, then it’ll be right in the way. I’m wondering if a generator may still be needed if there’s plug-in tools needed until we at least have the cable up and in the footings of the house.

Thanks - I should have made clear - it’s for all trades (we’re a way off from electricians having much to do on the house tbh and so it’s more for hte ring beam and timber frame build first. I’d noted that the small yellow boxes have many comments advising that they’re not much use for more than a single tool in use. I’m not sure what the builder had in mind being ‘installed’ but I would guess something like these 10kVa (pic attached). I’ve not yet found detail on how these are connected? Am I better off having a waterproof cabinet, consumer unit and sockets with multiple small transformers? (They’re far easier to pick up for not much ££).

Hi all, Short version: What’s involved in installing a 110v transformer? The yellow boxes I’ve seen on searches all have 3-pin plugs, but we’ll need ours a long way from our existing sockets; there is a mains cable yet to be connected up to where the meter is - do they get connected directly to it for the build phase? We have mains electricity connection installed, but because of the site layout, the connection and meter is in the garage next to the road and I’ve been told we will need a 110v transformer next to the house (not that far away but using an extension would need quite a lot of length to keep out of the way of foot/vehicle traffic as it’s not a straight line between the two). We have the mains cables etc installed in the ground that runs from the garage to where it comes out of the ground ready for the house and I’m just trying to understand how the electrician will install the transformer; it’s likely we’ll need it in place for a while and so I’d rather buy one myself and sell it on at the end rather than hire or have them loan one (in case we change electricians - hence asking here so that I have a good appreciation before discussing with them). The garage has plug sockets in it and I’d assume in describing ‘connecting up a transformer’ this would connect to the cable coming out of the ground for the house, rather than running an extension cable - or is it really as simply as running the extension lead? (Just seems less safe and likely to get damaged or be a trip hazard, but happy to be corrected!). Many thanks

From the extensive research I had to do for ourselves, I understood that the regulations say you can’t put rainwater into the STP / drainage field. But that said, I it sounds like you’ve discussed this issue at length elsewhere on the forum. I think your comment about a lack of ‘can do attitude’ is probably the most important bit lacking on their part tbh. best of luck.

We’ve gone for black - it’ll match a couple of other doors off the hall, or so our budget is hoping!

Just interested to see examples of where people have used a colour on the inside of the door, that's all... (this aspect of the doors doesn't really feature on the websites or brochures.

Sorry, I'm not following what you mean - @SteamyTea can you explain please?

Looking for inspiration ideas for what colour to go for on the inside of our front door. It’s an aluminium door (Internorm AT540) and we’d prefer not to go for white or black (outside frame will be black though. Photo attached of the approximate door design. There will be a large window about 500mm above the door, with a light wood surround. The walls may be white, but not decided. Keen to see examples of any inside door colour choices people have made, especially if they’re on an aluminium door. Thanks for reading 😁

@Gus Potter Thanks for your interest. As you can probably appreciate I’m burning the candle at both ends and haven’t yet found that elusive 30hr day that I need, so my input is often brief and only contains the essentials as otherwise every post would be worth of a blog. Which I want to do, but see earlier comment about 30hr day… Not wishing to deprive the enthusiasts however, PSA a screenshot of the summary from our ground pile tests. Screw piles because of tree root protection zones and the planning permission constraints. Even concrete piling would undermine the principle of our approval (and the principle of our approach - we have chosen to minimise our impact; there are no TPOs on the site, though once PP is given, they are all ‘protected’ - of a form). As for lateral strength/support, the SE has included diagonals on the columns for the ring beam - one end is at ground level, the far end is about 1.2m above ground. There are about 70 piles/columns. Aerial photo of the site goes some way to demonstrate why I’m not concerned about the lateral wind loading. House is 9.5m, tree canopy is 30m. Buildability. I’ve often found myself leading the conversation on this theme. Agree on all your points. I wish I was willing to accept lower standards.

@Nickfromwales first I’ve heard of these. Not even mentioned as an option by architect or SE. My initial searching indicates EPS is in fact cheaper on material cost as well as labour? Would I need to protect the underside from potential animals? (It’s a raised floor above ground) Have you got experience of using it?

Great point. I've been so focussed on errors elsewhere in the design detail I haven't yet asked how the designers proposed this will be protected against.

Both are good with this. Thank goodness as it's essential (RPZs).

@JohnMo, @G and J Thanks - these comments are exactly why I post here. Really useful to get an objective external check/opinion. Just off to ponder...

The score piles is something I researched significantly and is actually the least of my worries with the ones we’ve gone for (Quadrabuild, aluminium alloy helical screw piles) and we’re in a good sand-soil location (the area around us used to be a sand quarry in the late 1800s and the plot was set out in 1908 but never built on). Ground tests reached ‘refusal’ at around 2 - 2.5m.

Indeed - I’m please to hear that the stuff I’m focussed on (a lot!) is the bits others would recommend. The engineer initially specified everything (literally) to be galvanised, but then he has a tendency to over-spec. We’re having to consider carefully what we go for as galvanised vs. Zinc oxide. It’s all going to be well protected from the elements and I have to keep reminding myself that one of the alternatives was a timber ring beam (saw an example of a house using this), and so a well-maintained steel ring beam already has a far longer lifespan). Plus we’re not in a challenging environment (not exposed, not next to the sea etc.).

Thanks - I’ve just received and posted as a separate topic about thermal bridging question.

I’ve received this design through as the proposed edge detail for the foundation to timber frame. I’ve only just received this, so haven’t had the answers back from the architect and so I thought I’d reach out here to you good people. I’ve attached the version with my comments (and observation of a puzzling measurement discrepancy). He’s shown the insulation being continuous with the wall, apart from a DPC layer, whereas in fact the wall above the DPC is a modular timber frame (Larsen Truss twin wall). That wall is U=0.11. We’re going for 150mm PIR floor insulation (0.14U) as a cost-based decision and also to avoid adding a lot of height to the house - it’s already got to be raised off the ground, so every bit counts. Specifically I’m looking to understand the most sensible option for the insulation on top of the ring beam steel, but happy to take any other comments/questions. Thanks! (after-edit: the ‘90x25 batten’ has 28mm written as the height distance and then this section adds up to 208mm, but aligns with the 215mm floor depth. Have others had to pick up discrepancies like this from your designers?)

@Fi and J I feel your pain. I did a lot of research on this when we went through planning. There is legislation (statute law, so the council *must* follow it) stating that hey are to manage a register and process of tracking self-builds. They are required to report on it annually (you can put in an FOI to request the stats - I did), so that is no reason for them to avoid what may well be an easier exemption criteria for you. Here are some relevant links and policies that helped me: (Useful but you may need to check if anything has been updated since it was published) Self-build statute legislation (get familiar with this, get yourself on the council’s self-build part 1 register too): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/17/section/2/2016-10-31 Key Legislation and Policy Sources 1. Environment Act 2021 This is the primary legislation introducing mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) in England. It amends the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to require a 10% BNG for most new developments. 📌 BUT: The Act itself doesn’t list the exemptions — it gives the Secretary of State the power to create exemptions via secondary legislation. 2. The Biodiversity Gain (Exemptions) Regulations 2024 ✅ This statutory instrument (SI 2024 No. 3) provides the legal basis for the self-build and de minimis exemptions. 🔍 Key self-build exemption section: Regulation 4(1)(d) – Exempts self-build and custom housebuilding where: The site is less than 1 hectare, No more than 9 dwellings are proposed, It is not part of a larger development. 📖 You can find this SI here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/3/contents/made 3. BNG Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) – Updated 2024 This is the official government guidance that supports the law and helps LPAs and developers interpret the rules. It details how to claim a self-build exemption, what counts as custom housebuilding, and what evidence is required. 📚 Available on the GOV.UK site: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/biodiversity-net-gain Look under: “Exemptions from biodiversity net gain” “Small sites and self-build developments” 4. Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 (as amended) Defines what qualifies as self-build or custom housebuilding. You must meet this definition to claim the exemption under BNG regulations. ✅ Summary of Requirements for the Self-Build BNG Exemption: According to the Biodiversity Gain (Exemptions) Regulations 2024, you must show that: You’re building a home that qualifies as self-build or custom, The development is fewer than 10 dwellings on less than 1 hectare, It’s not part of a phased or larger scheme. Good luck!

So we're getting quotes in for a steel ring beam for our timber frame to sit on. The design structure is quite straight forward and it will sit on screw piles. I'm an engineer and familiar with designs that come with torque specifications on every nut and bolt; I'm not expecting this of the ring beam. The design and connections are straight forward, and we will be measuring prior to manufacture in order to get the fit correct. I'm looking at working with my builders to install the ring beam and the block and beam floor in order to save some serious money (quoted c.15k installation). Has anyone done this before? when steelwork is bolted to a concrete foundation, is there a torque setting expected, or is it as basic as I'm expecting on a building site? Is there something I should be considering? The task isn't technical - the technical bit is all in the design and measure before manufacture; the building control inspector is looking at the build matching the SE-specified design. TIA

@Jane W I did write one for the first submission, but what I’ve described above covers all the lessons and improvements made for our second application. For an appeal, you can’t really submit much more unless it directly addresses the reasons for refusal, so our appeal wasn’t a great deal more than the original submission. In our second (successful) application we had: Planning statement (by Planning Consultant) Design & Access Statement included sustainability statement (by Architect) Access strategy (by me - did my research and just made clear that it was produced ‘in good faith’, presenting all the facts and referencing all my sources at the end of the document) Landscape Context Assessment (by me - lots of references to the GVLIA ed3 which I found a copy of, and they publish tech notes online; one of the links above, may or may not be relevant for you).

@Jane W I did something similar, and I was no planning specialist when I started. I've since spent so much time poring over planning documents, policies, websites and watching planning committees I consider myself at least averagely proficient. Your post has reminded me that I need to write up and share my experience here at some point before I forget the details. Our situation: Pre-app suggested no chance. Set your expectations low (throughout! - We had a planning consultant and architect involved. Both were invaluable, but not without challenges and frustrations. Architect produced a D&A statement, and whilst ok (better than many tbf), it didn't address many of our specific challenges adequately in my view. Our specific challenge areas: Arboricultural (but we engaged an Arboriculturalist from the start as we knew this needed the documentation produced by a professional with the right qualifications and credibility. Landscape and character. Access. Apps and tools I used: iPad and Apple Pencil - I would download pdfs and scribble on them (described below). Procreate (I paid for the pro version and have made full use of it; most expensive app I've bought, but I saved well over the £80 or so in being able to produce images myself without having to pay for others to do them. MS Word MS Excel ChatGPT (came to this very late, well after submission - I caution it's use, it's only as good as the instruction it's given and definitely needs checking, plus it can be easy to spot AI-written material if it isn't tailored). What I did (and this may be relevant to your case): Read the NPPF and highlighted all the areas that may work for and against us. Really important to identify (and not shy away from) the areas that are against you. You need to shape your case to actively knock these issues down (directly/indirectly, eliminate/mitigate). Read the local plan. Identify the area you are within and focus on all the area-specific policies (as above). Search for your council's 'definitive map' - ours had an interactive version which was very useful for providing something to screenshot and use (be sure to cite / check copyright permissions - many will allow you to include providing the source is cited). Google Maps is useful, and I used a combination of the different mapping sources, imported to Procreate as different layers, made one slightly transparent and so I was able to highlight certain attributes that then aligned with the phrases from their own policies, to support my application. I then produced a Landscape Context Assessment (I'm not a qualified landscape architect or other professional, so I just made clear in the opening and closing paragraph what the document was doing and that I 'the author' was presenting the information in good faith etc.). And finally... Once I'd written it in total, it was detailed and long, and the reality is that even the planning officer is probably not going to read everything in the detail you want them to. So, this is where I found ChatGPT came into its own (excuse the noddy guide, you may be more experienced than me, but in case others need it spelling out, this is what I did): Open www.chatgpt.com Enter the following: "The following text is comprises a [Design & Access Statement?] document as part of a planning application. Summarise the document as a succinct bullet-point list to include at the start of the document, with an introductory paragraph stating that it summarises the document contents: [Copy/Paste in the full text context of your document]" Click the arrow to submit. Watch and marvel! Tailor and include this at the start of your document. The reason for this (for me) was that there were many aspects to local policy and we were policy compliant but likely to go to committee because that's just the way so many of our council's applications go. Committee members aren't planning experts and you need to 'land' your key points in the first couple of pages. Some will ready the detail, but not all (and they all have an equal vote). It's my opinion that the summaries I provided actually made the case to the officer so strongly that it was approved without the need for committee (and hence after 2.5yrs we could finally relax). Attachments: Couple of screenclippings showing how I used the mapping (local definitive map, policy map, google maps) and Procreate to layer the information together and draw on top of it. Some links: Magic Map (contains a detailed and accurate measuring tool - distance and area of any shape; more functionality than google measure and also has layers you can overlay): https://magic.defra.gov.uk Environment Agency Mapping tool: https://environment.data.gov.uk/explore/6fd0120f-d465-11e4-abee-f0def148f590?download=true Landscape Institute Technical Guidance Note 06/19 – Visualisation of Development Proposals https://landscapewpstorage01.blob.core.windows.net/www-landscapeinstitute-org/2019/09/LI_TGN-06-19_Visual_Representation.pdf HM Land Registry Mapping (Polygons) https://www.gov.uk/guidance/inspire-index-polygons-spatial-data Helpful blog describing how to make practical use of Land Registry polygons https://anna.ps/blog/how-to-use-land-registry-data-to-explore-land-ownership-near-you