K78

I have to reduce the width of my design by over a meter. This hasn’t caused many issues with the first floor as it is open plan, but it has caused me a major head ache on the lower level. This is the solution I have come up with. If anyone thinks I could improve anything, or if there is a major flaw. Advice and comments are welcomed. Thanks

Impossible to estimate without knowing the ground conditions.

I wonder how much it would cost for a timber engineer to design a frame and then source everything yourself? I have been told timberframe construction is easy and enjoyable with half decent joinery skills?

Above DPC. I’m using eps blow ground level on walls and foundation.

What is the best value cavity wall insulation at 200mm? The kingspan boards are too expensive. Would 200mm of earth wool be a good idea? Thanks

I think I’ll give them a miss.

Check with major lenders if it is acceptable. Halifax used to borrow against local authority, steel frame/corrugated clad houses when other lenders would not. I’ve been thinking the same about non standard construction myself and am leaning towards building with cavity walls and cladding the outside.Something I really didn’t want to do originally. Solid wall and EWI just up the construction cost, as many brickies like building what they are used to. It’s hard enough selling a house at the moment without limiting buyers too.

Is that including foam glass strip foundations, insulation and windows?

http://www.phhomes.co.uk/ph15-system/

If it was like this everyday I would clad my house with PV panels.

Not at all funny. Social housing spawns gang culture? Really? A little rich shit from hale barns got away with stabbing a kid a few weeks back. He wouldn’t have got away with it if he was from a council estate. Youth culture spawns gang culture. Im sure a policeman in each block would be great if they weren’t useless, glorified traffic wardens. They let kids riot in city centres and grooming gangs rape kids ffs. What good would your policeman per block be.

I have the a 4m retaining wall that will be behind my house that I could build some thing off and the house is only 6m wide. Buying seems to make more sense than renting with scaffolding.

‘I’ll be giving that a miss then.

Has anyone ever attempted this? The weather forecast is all over the place at the moment and they say it will be a wet autumn. What I have in mind isn’t the type that go over existing scaffolds. I want a independent structure that I could build off the top of my retaining wall. Any advice on the layout of bars would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Build cost vary massively depending on fit and finish, how much work you can do yourself, if you source materials yourself and who you know. Friends in different trades are a big help. Many say a insulated raft is cheaper than strip foundations but I’m not finding that to be the case.

AP1 is what you need. I had had a nightmare with land registry. My solicitor was shut down before he registered the plot in my name. I had no idea and the guy I bought off remortgaged a few years later. Land registry refused my application because of the remortgage. Was a nightmare to sort out with more than a few sleepless nights.

‘I’m going 215mm. The saving isn’t worth the hassle.

Ive seen quite a few on greenbuilding forum? That is where I got the idea. There is still a air gap between the insulation and cladding. If it has to be 100mm batons so be it. I just want to keep things as simple and cost effective as possible. I prefer ewi with cladding rather than render. The render system can look awful after a few years.

The blocks are a higher expense no doubt. I can get 100mm locally for 90p but the cheapest 140mm I can find are £1.60. I’m sure I can find a better price on the 140mm. My windows are big so I’m not too worried about lack of light. I’d have them sat in boxes situated between the wall and insulation. Doors ive not thought about tbh. Finish will be timber cladding with insulation between batons. 2 x 50mm (horizontal then vertical) rather than 1x 100mm.

‘I’d rather use thicker external insulation. One job rather than two.

This is exactly what I’ve been thinking today. No need for internal insulation either which I really want to avoid. Less problems if I ever sell too.

I wanted something to show a builder I’ve been discussing it with. He’s not convinced and says it should be 215mm (block laid flat). He says that BC won’t like 140mm without a approved detail. Ive read similar on another forum which is why I was considering joining the AECB. They have silver standard examples of 140mm externally insulated walls.

A thinner solution at my height was really expensive. I would have still needed a wide foundation too. My wall was cheaper than than SE design for prefab, bolt down panels and kingpost. As it is a incline gravity retaining wall, the design was really simple. Ill try and dig out the idiotic design that I had done when I first bought the plot. It was a poured concrete retaining wall and house foundation in one piece. He spec’d £22k of rebar.

I’m really struggling to find section details of 140mm block walls with EWI. This is all my search has uncovered. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks

Never again. Apparently the cheaper their insurance the higher they have to spec. Really needs tighter regulation.