Conor

I'm planning on getting an ikea kitchen (fitted on in our last house, very happy) and making my own ply doors etc (simple enough with a good table saw setup) and then getting them painted. It won't work out any cheaper than IKEA fronts, but we get the exact colour we want.

Something like bathroom duck board sections might work? Cheap enough, will withstand the water and you can just throw them down.

That's the thing, they've not signed off our drawings even though they had them since December, with queried resolved in January. Our assigned BCO is furloughed.... So have to phone them (North down and ards) again and see what the story is. One way or the other, foundations are going ahead next week!

Yes. It's just cut to size/angle like a concrete block. Some manufacturers will provide you with blocks made specifically for your radii. https://becowallform.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/building-a-curved-ICF-wall-with-Wallform-350x321.jpg C

You'd be better off using ICF. Easy to form to curves. If you've a lot of curved / awkward sections, ICF could be more cost effective

With the panel roof system and ICF it's quite simple. Only complicated but is a mezzanine on first floor, bit prices have come in good enough. It's 300m² and were hoping to bring it in at £850m². Bit 100m² of that is a basement that will only have a small utility and bedroom finished, rest will be bare. And there won't be a garage and the courtyard, retaining walls and covered areas are greatly paired back from this rendering. And there won't be a boat.

320w. I rounded down. Just spotted these. Any reason not to use these? https://midsummerwholesale.co.uk/buy/longi-solar/longi-365 C

Yes. Should have started already as we've done demolition and recovery of materials from the original house. I'll have to do it retrospectively. Sounds good - after I posted I spotted micro optimisers that replace the control boxes in Perlite panels and seems like a good option. Using them brings the whole installation in at about £5.5k. FYI rear view of house attached. Won't be putting the skylights in to the bedroom outshoot, so have chance to fit 4 panels on each side. Main roof with dormer faces due south. Other option is the flat roof, but I'm not sure on the aesthetics.

Our build start is hopefully impending in the next few weeks... as we're doing ICF, we'll be at roof level before we know it! So I need to have a PV design sorted sooner rather than later. We're using a Thermohouse EPS roof panel system - approx 250mm think EPS sheets with steel reinforcement. We'll have a narrow service void below this (max 50mm, more like 25mm), but otherwise all ceilings will be vaulted and no attic space. Panels will be mounted in a GSE in roof system. We'll have 8 panels on our south facing roof, and 8 more split between east/west roofs - 5kWp total. (this is because we can only fit 8 on the main roof due to a dormer, and we've no garage roof option) So I'm likely to go with micro inverters. I looks like these clip on to the panels? Can they be located remotely? E.g. in a remote location like you would a standard inverter? Or are optimisers with a central inverter a better option? I'm really reluctant to have anything serviceable on the roof, as it will be very difficult to access due to balconies below and it being basically three stories up.

Re tendering. Put simply, it's been a nightmare. We had tenders issued late Feb. We basically got nothing back from any of the contactors at tender close at end of march. We have them a couple more weeks, just beyond Easter. Got one partial response, and one 90% completed. Main issues are a lot of suppliers are closed and the lads can't get prices for steel, slabs, rebar etc. They also mention they are worried about the volatility of supplies... I.e. being able to get stuff is a struggle and prices are all over the place. So they aren't happy putting a number down on paper if there's a risk the cost of something will jump 50% in three months time. So I've just spent the morning reworking the tender cost sheet to go back out today with a close date of next Friday. I've had to strip most stuff out - rendering, floor screed, rainware, roof lights etc. I'll just have to sort those myself. One builder also told me he's had to furlough his three crews... Not because they can't work because of Covid, but because people aren't paying him. He said he's not going to take on our job unless I can prove to his solicitor we have the funds to pay him in full. People can't get mortgage drawdowns- not sure why but I'm guessing they're short staffed, valuer's aren't working etc.... Our local planning seems to be working fine as the development across the road got permission very quickly to move a couple of their houses. Building control (local authority) have basically stopped and aren't doing inspections. We've not got approval to start but it seems the guidance is to plough on and take loads of photos!!

Having PP does not infer the right to do so. You'll have to check with EA. They will have a code of practice and design requirements for you to follow. You will likely have two options. First, is to line the course so water does not deep through. Normally you'd clear the channel, line with heavy clay (forget the name, there's a specific type for lining canals) and finally a rubber membrane and stone. Second is to leave as-is, and dig a collection drain at the base and have it connect back in to the water course further downstream if elevations allow. That would be the cheapest and easiest way, and most likely to get EA approval.

Yes- standard practice now is to have a 110mm waste pipe come in to the house and up through the slab. Your sink etc will drain in to these within the cupboard- usually with something like a rubber reducing thingy. You have nothing above ground. It's part of building regs here in NI, not sure about elsewhere.

I'm hiring a Trimble S10 GPS unit for a week. Should get all points to a couple mm. Then again, I have a background in surveying! But Korec will load on my architect's setting out drawing, so all I need to do is turn it on and start locating my points and levels, peg and spray. I'll confirm with laser measure as well, but GPS will be more accurate than a laser measure over the distances involved. Another reason I'm hiring a unit is we've a lot of ground works to do for the basement... Have to get levels right over a large area. Whatever method you use, you'll have to start setting out the building using at least two points that are located exactly as per your planning application. Best way is like above, but at a pinch you can triangulate off existing hard points, e.g. corner of neighbouring buildings. This won't help you with elevation... Which is very important as you don't want a building that ends up being taller than your PP allows! You'll need a site level and a point of known elevation. Did you get a site survey done as part of your design and planning process? Might be worth paying a surveyor to come out and do setting out for you... Half a day's work shouldn't be too expensive for a self employed surveyor.

Another thing to think about is resale... I've been advised by more than one estate agent that if you have an "eco house" with no central heating, it will be worth less than a conventional house and be more difficult to sell. UFH is pretty much expected in a good quality house in most markets. We're very similar, house will be built to passive standards, just putting in UFH in the ground floor and a 5kw ASHP. Nothing upstairs, maybe electric towel rads in the bathrooms. Running your ASHP for heating and hot water in the early hours during off peak rates will cut the costs even more.

I'm planning a row water system as well. But, as you say, commercial systems seem to be around £3k. Not justifiable at that price. I assume you have a water main supply? Could consider what I'm doing. I'm I stalling a seperate pipe network for the toilets etc. Initially, I'll just have this connected to the main cold water manifold. But it will allow me to disconnect and hook up to a different supply in the future. That would likely be a rainwater tank with pressure controlled sump pump.

Thanks guys, really, really useful. I think between an Alaskan Rig, planers, Sanders etc, I'd be out of pocket by at least £400.... And likely rarely use the kit again. Definitely going to check those places out.

What do you mean by quarter saw the trunks? I want a smooth, not rustic finish. The sycamore will be used to make a large 3.6m long dining table. So do I need a different machine? Would I be better off sending the planks off to a saw mill for planing? The trees were felled last Feb and have been stacked up ever since. I doubt I'll be working with the timber until at least this time next year! I have the option of drying the timber in the basement once it's built this summer, so heated and ventilated. Yes, 2" thick. Am I better off leaving the trunks for another year or milling them now to dry out faster? I have to admit I've never done anything like this before, but I am competent with general wood work... Just never gone from tree to table!

We have a couple large sycamore trunks and ash trunks that I want to mill in to thick planks to make furniture. I'll be doing it with an Alaskan chainsaw mill.... So I'm thinking a table planer and thicknesser will be essential to get them evened out and smoothed. We also have some large Douglas fir purlins from the old house that would make nice bench seats. I've no experience in this kind of tool. All seem very expensive. Any suggestions or tips? I'm looking at this, but would prefer to spend closer to £200. I think I'll need the 300mm width capacity. https://www.screwfix.com/p/triton-tpt125-317mm-electric-thicknesser-240v/5554k

One other thing. The rear wall of the house has a 5m wide and 6m high glazed wall... Apparently this was causing point load issues at either end ?

EPS 300... Safety margins etc mean the max design loading is only 140. It was doable, but the extent of the ring beam was huge. Was also the additional loading as the basement walls were acting as retaining walls.

I'd put in another 25mm of insulation and go for 50mm liquid screed. You'll have less heat loss and will have faster heat transmission thorough the liquid screed. 100mm insulation really is the bare minimum, more is better. Personally, I'm going for 175mm insulation and 75mm sand and cement screed. That's mostly a cost based decision, it's a basement that will have limited ufh. We have option of going to 200mm insultion and 50mm liquid screed if there is budget for it!

Pretty much same design here. We had issues with breaking the compressive limit of the eps300 around the edges. Only way it would have worked was with a massive ring beam and loads of steel. I think at one point we had 1200mm wide ring beam. It was just going to be massively expensive. Interested to know how your engineer has got past the loading safety limit issue of the EPS.

I think your being fed conflicting and incorrect info. There are two types of ground bearing raft foundations. The more traditional, a concrete raft is poured directly on top of the excavation (with appropriate compacted material etc), then walls are built on top of that. After that, insulation is then fitted on top of the raft and finally a screed finish. The other type is an insulated raft, where EPS forms are laid and concrete pour also forms the finishes floor (and needs to be appropriately floated) Both can be done in a single pour. The variable will be the total loading from the supporting walls, you may need a thicker ring beam around the edges. In our case, we will have 400mm thick ring beams and a 200mm thick main slab. To do this, we are excavating down to the required depth, putting down 100mm of sub base, compacting. We'll add extra stones to the main floor part, so we only need the 200mm of concrete. We then build 400mm high formwork, lay our services, tanking membrane, mesh and pour concrete. Similar for an insulated raft, but the EPS forms are thinner at the load bearing parts, forming deeper channels for the concrete. Be aware that there are quite low loading limits for EPS. We only found out at the end of the design process that an insulated raft wouldn't work, as no matter how we designed it, we were always outside the safety limits of the EPS, so have gone for a traditional raft. It's working out needing less steel and labour, if a little more concrete. On balance, faster and cheaper. Make sure your engineer knows enough to get their job done, ours didn't!!

No need to think of it as one system at all. Especially the MVHR... It has nothing to do with heating and its sole job is to maintain good indoor air quality (whilst recovering some of the heat energy). So you can go to one of the many online companies that will do a design and supply you with all the components, BPC for example. You can then chose whether to fit it yourself. A lot of systems now just use semi rigid ducts that go back to a central manifold. Would just be a matter of pulling ducts through the house, hardly highly skilled. The units themselves are almost out of the box, screw to the wall, connect up and go. You'll just need somebody to wire it up, and you'll also have to commission it properly. Plenty here have done it and will give you loads of advice. Expect to pay anywhere from £2k for a supplied system for that size of house. Double that to £4k for supply and fit. Same goes for UFH... It's just pipes under the floor. Wunda will design your layout and sell you a kit. You can then install all the pipework yourself and have it terminate at the plant area. Let's say £1k for supply only. Then your left with the ASHP and cylinders etc... At this point it might be worth getting a plumber in to supply and fit. Fyi monoblock units are much simpler and cheaper than split, if a little less efficient. So, lets say £5k for 5kw ASHP and pipework connection to buffer tank and controls. Buffer tank, cylinder, controls, room stats etc, all traditional plumbing and you could get that all done for £3k or so. Maybe £5k if there are lots of pumps, manifolds etc required. But shouldn't be on a 100m2 house. I'd question the need for a buffer tank, but I'll defer to the likes of @Nickfromwales The supply and fit prices for all these new things are sky high as it falls under that new/different/eco category which means companies can charge a fortune. I've heard of people paying £15k for an ASHP... That's about £7k materials and £8k labour for a couple days of work. At a guess, if you did things seperately, and even paying for partial installations, no reason why you couldn't get that all done for about £10k-£15k. Edit: I've just spotted the post above and I swear I wasn't copying John!

I had many discussions about this. It's normally front elevation, or on side within 2m of the front. Cannot be on a return wall or separate kiosk. Internal consumer unit must be within 2m of the meter. For me, building with ICF, this is a pain in the balls as I'll have to use an ugly surface mounted box, or hack away at my insulation. I might just chance it with the kiosk I built when they come round to make the temporary installation permenant...