K78

I’ve booked in for the course on the 26th. Looks like a better product from the Italian YouTube videos, but I’m not sure it’s as DIY friendly as Durisol.

Thanks. I will take up on that kind offer. I like durisol a lot. It’s easy to work with. I’m going to take a look at isotex on the 26th before I make a final decision.

I love Hebridean homes designs. Skye is beautiful

I didn’t mean timber frame. I meant timber frame with timber cladding. I wouldn’t personally have a issue. But surveyors would raise it on a valuation and it could put some off. Most large scale builders are using block cavity for houses local to me. Apartments all seem to be steelframe with sips.

Your posts really scare me sometimes. Any mistakes like that would blow my budget totally. I’m planning on using Durisol (or similar) and building myself with 2 joiners and 2 labourers.

Resale is also something to consider. A lot of potential buyers would be put off by all timber construction. When I first started looking at options I thought timber frame was the way to go. I didn’t realise that most of the cheap quotes with for uninuslated, 140mm frames. I don’t understand the logic in paying £25k for a uninsulated frame that needs to be insulated and clad. MBC or similar are completely different but out of my price range.

I nearly used precast L shaped bolt down wall sections. Big issue I had was getting a SE to do a design for less than £5k. It didn’t make sense to me as they are a bolt down retaining wall with a recommended foundation detail. In the small print it said slab to be designed by SE. Most didn’t want to know. I used concrete Lego in the end instead.

I remember speaking to a self build mortgage advisor in Scotland a few years back. She was amazed I was considering TF without brick or block, and said it would not be mortgageable.

I agree that looks like western red cedar. My PP specifies this for my upper floor cladding. I’m really hoping they let me change it to Siberian larch. I prefer the silver look now.

Looks great. Thought had a kindred spirit on the forum when I seen the title. ?

On a individual basis for a self builder? I’m not being argumentative by the way. It’s a genuine question. Governments in Southern Europe don’t see the initial investment as worth it for the return. The reasons we see so many in the uk, are the ridiculously high initial FIT (now scrapped) and the usual salesmen and cowboys jumped on the bandwagon. Many people were conned into thinking they were getting free solar panels. When in fact the installers were taking the FIT and using their roofs. I honestly think the whole situation is a scam, but it’s only my opinion. Similar with EWI grants. Although at least EWI works even if the price is ridiculous. As soon as the grants started, so did the 2 day £2000 courses to become a “certified” installer. The fact we have the highest percentage of homes with solar panels in Europe, when we have the worst conditions for them is crazy. Shows what inept fools we have at the top level making these decisions. The money put into pushing solar could have been much better spent. Wind obviously makes sense in the uk, but solar? I remember when they were telling us diesel cars were “green”. I don’t think we should be laughing at any country in the Eu at the moment. I’m genuinley ashamed at the current state of the uk.

What would 2 PV panels achieve in the uk? As the map shows we are the one country that shouldn’t bother. Yet we have more PV than countries in Southern Europe. Because some idiots in Westminster thought it would be something to boast about if they subsidised it. The rest of the world laughs. Just like they do about brexit. We need to replace the inbred, political classes that have never lived in the real world. With real people.

That is the problem. EWI should be a simple diy job. But they won’t approve a common sense approach. If they did they would not be able to sell their extortionate courses, fixings, mesh/render systems etc. It’s a huge con.

Wow. No wonder the contractor is not arguing over correcting that. A bit worrying that you don’t agree with his opinion of what went wrong. I hope it all gets sorted. I would email pics to parex and see what they think? I was all all set for rendered EWI. Until I looked at older examples on the continent and seen leapord spots from fixings, yellowing and other issues. My current pp has a mix of timber cladding and render. I really hope they let me change to all timber.

They are the prevent cracking to the finish on timber frame houses due to seasonal movement in the frame. Probably makes sense on “huge swaths of render”, unless you go for one of the flexible renders. https://www.ribaproductselector.com/Docs/0/13810/external/COL649855.pdf

I’ve read the 360 can fire round head nails and screw head nails. But they are expensive compared you the standard ones. Screwfix reviews and questions can be quite useful.

The IM360 is slightly cheaper now. The 350 is also li-ion battery now. I don’t think there is much difference other than the 360 has a different nail type? I would happily buy either.

It’s a bad idea. Knowing my luck I’ll buy a dud. Im about to go for this. https://www.kelvinpowertools.com/paslode-im360ci-framing-nailer-c-116-p-8279 Paslode say it’s a upgrade on the im350. But some say it isn’t as reliable and the round head nails are expensive.

I’m tempted to take a chance on a used Paslode IM350. Is that a bad idea?

Thanks for all the advice. Hitachi come out top on a lot of google top 5 lists but Paslode are not that much more expensive. As mentioned previously judging by the prices of used ones on eBay, paslode seem to hold their value. I’ve wanted a nail gun ever since I seen arachnophobia ?

It will get very well used. Framing, flooring, cladding, fencing. I’m glad I read the reviews before dropping £450 on the makita.

Why are expensive toys so tempting?

Mains, battery or compressor powered. Which is the better option? The makita model that matches my batteries is expensive with poor reviews. ?

That’s a fair point. But I honestly think the recent horror stories with persimmon, Barrett etc have changed the mindset of most regarding the quality of mass build modern houses and NHBC. I imagine 99% of houses built by someone to live in themselves tend to be a higher quality than houses threw up as quickly as possible to minimum regs, by builders on a block rate. In terms of purchaser mindset. When I sold houses the majority of buyers were not interested in new or modern builds at all. Due to poor quality, plot spacing, small gardens, tiny garages, tiny rooms, low ceilings etc. A structural engineers report or full survey would give most buyers,(and all mortgage companies) more reassurance than a expired warranty.

NHBC is to give large scale builders a independent guarantee to dupe new home buyers into thinking they are getting a high quality home with a 10 year warranty. It also makes their mass produced homes instantly mortgageable. Mortgage companies don’t give a sh!t about NHBC really. Just makes it easy for big builders to shift a lot of units quickly. Imagine having to get indemnity policies on the amount of houses persimmon sell for example. NHBC makes sense for them but not a self builder. They also have the added bonus that many dissatisfied customers with poorly constructed, mass built houses persue the NHBC rather than them directly. Until they realise their 10 year warranty is basically worthless. It’s a scam.