Tom's Barn

Hi @Visti Thanks for your note and guidance. I have this evening received the notes from the structural engineer re battens and screw sizes. He has confirmed your idea of 20x50mm vertical battens, and the 25x50mm counter battens that hold the sheets and provide a drainage plane below. He has also confirmed the need to penetrate into the rafters when the counter battens cross the verticals which makes perfect sense. The only you mentioned that he has not provided information for is the screws holding the tin. You mention domestic screws and caps. Is there any chance you can send me a link to a type you are referring to. Thanks again for your points. They all serve to confirm the way forward. I did look at the fitting instructions online at the cladco and there are some good points on there. T

Hi Adrian This will be brief because I am doing it on my phone. Because I was using and enginered wall system I thought an engineered raft would work best and it has. We have a very dimensionally accurate building. The other reason is cost certainty. The raft has an exact cost. Trench foundations come with the uncertainty of what the ground provides. I chose izodom because I thought it was more robust than the white stuff everyone else sells. If it is good in Poland Iit is perfect for me. I will look at Instagram but I cannot give you certainty I will sign up. Good luck with you build..... Tom

that is not good; sorry that you have been left with that mess.

thanks Patrick. It has arrived and looks good. I will use that on the first and last row of purlins.

Many thanks for sharing this info. Are you saying you have now closed the ventilation gap within the roof space completely? I talked with proctor recently and they said as long as the roof space was completely filled with rockwool and a vapour membrane was attached inside then there was no need to ventilate due to the 75mm of ventilation above the membrane. Thank you

Thank you. Just ordered some to see what they are like. Much appreciated.

Hi Does anyone have any guidance on fitting corrugated roofs? I am struggling to find a contractor to do the work. Any insights greatly appreciated. We are just getting the rafters in and OSB over the next two weeks. I am going with a 25 x50 vertical batten to hold down the membrane but am struggling to find information re the horizontal batten. 65mm timbertek screws recommended by Thomas profiles. The corrugated profile is 19mm high. Any guidance is appreciated Tom

Hi @Cpd Thanks again for the previous info. Question if I may.....what batten sizes have you used on your roofs?

Hi @Visti I hope the roof installation went well....any lessons learnt? Also I cannot find any guidance re batten size. How did you choose the 38 X 25 battens? Surely in a strong wind the uplift on the screws for the horizontal batten at 25mm is too much. I would have thought a 50mm horizontal batten at the very least. Any guidance appreciated. Do you have a spec sheet for fitting the sheets. I am struggling to find a capable person to fit. I know in the end it will be me that ends up fitting it which I don't really have time. Thanks oh and any photos?

No sorry too old for Instagram..... Let me have a look. I have honestly never thought about IG

Hi Adrian I hope the new updated information is useful. Get in touch if you have questions.

Hi @Sandybay, happy to provide feedback on the Isotex blocks but you have moving towards EPS for a reason. Can I ask why you like the EPS ones first so I understand your perspective and then I will give you my views on Isotex. For the foundations if you had to insulate the entire slab then it was easier to just do it in one go rather than different sections and stages. I believe if you take the entire foundation slab it is cost neutral but that is based on my calcs and own situation (I completed most of the ground works myself with help from one other person).

I am very pleased with the progress and delighted that throughout the rain and wind we had no down time at all because the 380 block can withstand quite a beating even when empty. Also, if I had gone timber frame with the amount of rain we have had I would have struggled to keep it dry. I like it tidy; there is nothing worse than an untidy build or build method.

Isotex Support Just a quick note on Isotex support from Jamie and the installation team managed by Dan. Fantastic support throughout with all my emails and calls answered. Only one issue and that was late delivery of blocks but apart from that I am very happy and as you can see the building is looking fantastic after just 7 weeks of onsite building work. This comprises of 3 weeks of support from Dan and his team. They helped me in very specific areas: 1. Laying the first course 2. Setting up the lintels and wall plates 3. Building and shaping the gables Myself and 2 other non Isotex staff helped throughout and ensured the building was ready for each visit by the Isotex installation team. My advice is do some yourself but recognise that certain elements especially on a full house development require experience and understanding. Anyone thinking of buying Isotex then you are very welcome to come to site but you need to book through Jamie and the team. I was supported by many visits to other buildings before I made my decision so if you are unsure then maybe our new house will help you decide.

Isotex Waste Onsite An interesting point regarding build methods and how much waste they create. With all the blocks that get cut, for one reason or another, the waste has been dealt with in two different ways. The off cuts of insulation (I removed them from the blocks) equate to 9 builders bags. I sold the lot on ebay for the fixed asking price of £20. It was collected from site and is being reused to insulate a garden office. The off cuts of blocks are simply thrown on the hardcore pile ready for the new patio. This situation has meant that site created waste is at an absolute minimum. Skips are not cheap as you know.

Hi All just a quick update following some good work in the 8 weeks leading up to Christmas. We have made very good progress overall and the Isotex blocks proved to be very easy to work with. Pictures speak a 1000 words so see below:

Hi Alex any chance you can report your sliding door section. I am just working through my window requirements and how I make the cill detail work. Being able to see others would be a great help. Many thanks in advance Tom

many thanks for the information @Cpd - it is really useful to understand your approach

good luck with the roof @jamieled. If you can take a picture of your install that would really helpful to fully understand your approach. Many thanks

Based on the value of the windows and the delicate nature of the glass within normal site conditions, I wil be going for a supply and fit. The foam and the tape you mention are interesting; I have just looked those up and look just the ticket. Thank you

thanks for all the replies so far. With the open venting option and your push for maximum airflow I presume your tin has a batten and counter batten underneath? I am surprise to hear it has been left open. I would have thought the wasps would have loved the space under the roof. Mind you it may get a little too hot for them...

thank you for your information so far; brilliant. I am casting my net wider for quotes etc and will keep you posted on the outcome. Disappointing to hear of issues associated with the install of Internorm windows when the product seems (in the show room anyway) so good. Actually, I have just taken a call from my builder and he has been working with a company called L and L Windows based in Tewkesbury. He tells me that the service and windows (Sunflex) that have been provided on his last couple of jobs have been excellent. I will investigate and report back.

Thank you for your responses. I do have a quote from Ecohaus Internorm and the quality seems very good. However, I am concerned that I only have one quote and was trying to establish a comparable supplier for the costs, customer service and product. I take your point about separating out the manufacturer and supplier and installer but for something like Internorm and separating the first two is impossible. The danger with separating the chain of course is you then have 3 parties to deal with and with window issues I would prefer to have a single point of contact should issues arise. Where you have multiple parties in the building trade makes it very easy for them to blame the other party. thanks for the comments so far

HI Jamie sorry I should have put the word metal in my title; just added. However, I will look at those to see if suitable. Many thanks

Hi All I am in the process of specifying the details for our new corrugated roof (dictated by the conservation officer). The main issue I am coming across is how to ventilate the roof panels because the foam closure strips have no ventilation holes in them. One supplier has sent me a foam closure for the panels which has holes drilled in it and mesh infils. This seems like a great solution but it is 20mm higher than the normal strips. Before I fully commit to this product (the only one I have seen so far), how did you ventilate your corrugated roof? Many thanks for sharing your experience with this matter Tom