Declan52

If some one posts something that contains a term or a technical aspect that you don't understand you could always Google it first before you respond. Only takes a few seconds and it will definitely help you understand what is in the post which will then help you reply with a clearer idea of what's going on and what needs to happen. As far balancing rads, it's just the term that has been used for years ,Peter didn't invent it.

Beats sitting in stockman's lane for 2 hrs !! Only thing you will miss is the free pens, sweets and curry dips to try.

This year's self build show in Belfast is virtual and tickets are free if you register. https://selfbuild.ie/sb-virtual-jan-2020/

What do the drawings show?? If possible you could use the existing footprint and add enough floor insulation to get you above building regs. Have you any requirements with heights to make sure your not a lot higher than what's beside you.

By a cheap sprinkler and set it up to get most of the dust but not soak anyone (unless your neighbour starts to really annoy you).

Have the stairs turned at the bottom by a few steps which will push it back giving you enough room for a toilet and sink under the stairs. A door in the hallway to access the office. You can then make the utility room much bigger with the toilet under the stairs. The wall between the utility and office can be moved to suit which room you want to be bigger.

I thought was being positive!!! Building a house is hard hard work. Actually lifting each block, each 150mm deep window cill measuring over 1m( you will very quickly regret wanting large windows) lifting each and every concrete lintel, shoveling tonnes and tonnes of sand and cement into a mixer then wheeling it in then shoveling it out onto a mortar board then using a 13 inch trowel cause it was £5 cheaper than a 10 inch will have you aching in bits you didn't even know existed. But sure its worth the addiction to pain killers and vodka. And as Ian has pointed out if it ain't right at the bottom then you have no chance.

The mortar beds should be 10mm. If you start to go higher in one corner you just get it back to normal by bedding at 7mm over a few courses. You will need a set of profiles which are bits of metal you attach to the outside corners to help you keep it plumb and in line. The profiles have marks on it to suit block and brick heights so you set your corner blocks with string in between at those heights and build to the line. I built my own but I did this for a living so knew what I was at and it took me near 12 months building away on my days off work. You will spend plenty of time just moving blocks from one bit of the house to the other, setting up scaffolding and there's plenty of days where you can't build due to the weather. If you have never done this type of physical work it will take it's toll. Your wrist and back will ache more and more until you get used to it. If you are getting a pro team in to do the founds then they should have some sort of laser level. When they are done you hammer a nail in at each corner so they all sit level. Then as you build each few courses you can check with a tape measure how you are doing. That's the easiest way to check your progress. But you need to make sure the nails are set exactly right or you will be building a house that will be every shape and when you come to the roof you could be in deep shat

Do a Google search for the particular hood you want and select the shopping option at the top of the page and see who else has it in stock and then go through the list and see what one will deliver and not try to rip you off too much.

The problem with starting something you have never done before is you will be dead slow at the beginning and gradually get the knack of it then your confidence will be sky high and it's finished. The issue will be how long it will take you to find your feet. If you have plenty of time then fire away.

Don't underestimate how important the organising aspect of a build is. Materials and labour are needed at different times and it's a juggling act making sure the right materials are on the job when the right trade needs them. No other person you will employ will do the amount of leg work to save as much money as you will. Plus a clean and tidy site makes a job run much smoother. An hour with a brush and shovel really works wonders. If you really want to use ICF and your architect doesn't then change your architect.

Use insulated plasterboard on the inside to get your u values acceptable to the building control officer. How deep will be a trade of of how warm you want it to be plus how much you can afford to lose inside. 100mm insulation would be great for heat loss but can you lose that much on each wall.

Once you start to seal up gaps then the stale damp air won't get removed. The more you seal up the more of this air won't be escaping so will start to cause issues with condensation and mould. When it gets to this point then you need to think about removing this air mechanically. Humidity controlled fans or mhrv is the easiest way.

You either space it out with slightly bigger perps or when it gets to around 50mm you tighten up to allow you to squeeze a brick in. Make a height stick with the heights of the block coursing marked on it, 225mm,450,675,900, etc. And nail it plumb to each external corner. A corner block on each side and a string set at the mark and build to the line. The height is much more important than the width. You can always put extra mortar on a perp. Cutting blocks down as your heights are out is a problem you don't want.

Precast concrete slabs aren't exactly level underneath so it's easier it batten it out and use plasterboard. The space from the battens give you room to run all your cables. On the first floor the cables are run in conduit and then buried in insulation or the screed. Chasing the walls is an easy job now with a wall chaser.

Install a WiFi analyser app on your phone and plug it in and try it in various positions in your house to find the sweet spot. It comes with it's own power pack so needs plugged in somewhere. You will then have an Ethernet cable from your router to the power pack and another Ethernet cable from the power pack to the unit. The first cable could be 500mm but the next one could be 50m or more. I bought a 20m cable and just moved the unit round the roof to find it's sweet spot. Drilled the hole and pulled the cable to it's position. My switch is in my attic so I had easy access to the first floor ceiling.

I just installed a ubiquity lite in my house and it has been way better than I could have imagined. Just needs an Ethernet cable to connect into your router or network switch and you set it up in mins with an app on your phone. Once setup you login to your router and turn it's WiFi ability of. If you keep the WiFi SSID and password the same everything just keeps working away. My house is 2500 sqft bungalow and with it positioned in the middle of the first floor my whole house is covered.

Mine asked for my sparks details and his certificate of completion. Didn't know I didn't need to use a qualified one but why would you not. I was lucky/unlucky enough that my build was chosen by the NIECIC for an audit on my sparks work.

You might as well make sure what ever you put in now is capable of being used in the future with regards automation. Something as simple as making sure that each light switch has a neutral cable for a start. Something that I'm regretting not doing at the moment.

Don't think you would get away with floating it either. Glued down onto ply with all the ufh pipes underneath. Then floor sealed up. Anything fixed will have to be in an over sized hole to allow movement in the floor. And then fully explain that the floor should be good for a year or so but eventually the water will get in to the joints and then the floor will warp and twist. If they really want a wooden floor then go for a laminate floor that is designed to be installed in a wet room.

We don't have anything like that in NI.

Everything from a hp bottle to fruit according to a mate who works in A&E.

Can you load the pics up on your phone/ tablet and do a screenshot and then post that.

The velux will be fixed to the old battens so it's going to have to come out anyway. It's just up to you if you want to put in a new one. How old is it?? I would reuse the tiles if they are in good condition and put the £700 towards the new velux window.

Hope you reacted with much delight at such a great once in a lifetime offer.