Russell griffiths

Couple of things, my neighbours pipe work floated so he weighed it down with half an engineering brick every couple of m just cabletied on. Second funny and not connected bit, we have a small man made island in the lake that was built out of breeze blocks on top of 3 huge tractor tyre inner tube, the concrete blocks where all bonded together with expanded metal and once dry the tractor tubes inflated, it was then floated out to a shallow spot where the previous owner and 2 mates swam out with pen knives in their mouths like a royal marine commandos, on the count of 3 they all stabbed the tubes and down it went, still in position 30 years later.

So as normal the complexity of building this house is doing my nut in, piling no problem, foundations no problem, building the whole bloody house no problem, BUT how the hell do I heat it and produce hot water. My situation may be different to many people as we live on the banks of a lake (see pic ) so everything screams GSHP, or does it the quotes we are getting are stupid, not eye watering, just stupid so anybody got any thoughts, both quotes we have got look like they are based on the rhi payment not what the equipment is going to cost. So has anybody done this, can anybody shed any light on the rhi scheme. Im due to call the welsh wizard @Nickfromwales but have got tied up sorting out roofing quotes, I wish I could just get on and build the bloody thing. Any thoughts appreciated before I put the oil boiler back in.

Oh ok, you confused me with the word render, so what you really have is timber cladding, the render is actually just a parge coat i thought you where going to render over a board, I had visions of it cracking like a mo fo.

So what is the boarding for ? i thought you where going to cut bits of durisol and key it all in. Are you saying you are going to make an outer skin of some sort of board with insulation on the inside.

I’m confused what is that timber for ? are you not bringing the wall out to the same distance as the block work on that inner skin.

Perfection. ?

You didn’t used to have a gauge box for cement, as the big mixers took a half bag and then you just use the box for sand. However if you are using a small mixer, 1barrow load , then you will need a box or bucket for the cement also remember also a set of measuring spoons for the febmix. Sorry only joking.

Peter beat me to it make up a gauge box it saves lifting lots of heavy buckets you will find your perfect bucket will get nicked by the bricky and used for water, it will then get split and chucked in the corner make a gauge box and it will sit by the mixer for ever generally have a sheet of ply on the floor by the mixer, you fill the gauge box and after lifting you have a nice flat surface to shovel off. Simple innit.

Chisel all the odd bits off to make nice and square but in a toothed pattern get a bunch of stainless rods that come in a crack stitching kit cut off cuts off durisol to fit in toothed pattern you have made drill and insert stainless rods in appropriate places using epoxy resin stick durisol in place with same epoxy resin, smear more resin on and add second chunk of durisol drill next hole and add another bit of stainless rod continue up to the top you could put a piece of timber up as a former to keep a nice vertical window jamb.

@AliG i Am hoping to use double sided tape to stick the eaves end of the membrane onto the eaves flashing, leaving it slightly short from the sheet end to allow an open end to the mesh stuff for moisture to drain out from and into the gutter.

I would think with that level of insulation it would only be any good for living in in the summer, wood burner needed for winter.

It’s really up to @nickw to go back to his roof manufacturers and find out what they want under their sheets, if he doesn’t install to their spec he probably won’t get a warranty. I will I’ll be using a membrane called klober permo sec metal, which is a breather membrane with an extra layer of spun polypropylene on top to allow any condensation to escape, wicked expensive but I have not been happy with the roof makeup that the manufacturers want.

Have a look at your roof manufacturers recommended build up, any metal roofing needs to either go on a warm roof or needs to be ventilated. I have been trying to work out the details for months, and have decided to do my own thing. Ventilated gap, and then gaps between sarking boards instead of osb.

You will need to come up higher than 3 course of engineering bricks as in that pic you ground slopes. so the 3 courses need to come up 3 courses above that high point of ground, no point putting them or a damp course lower than finished ground level. Why not not just go 600mm high engineering bricks and then your face bricks, no damp course in garden wall, don’t over think it they will be covered in green mouldy shit in a years time.

I believe @nod is the man to answer this.

Build them square. Not helix not fooking elliptical, just fooking square. Good god man do you not like anything straight forward.

Why on earth are you talking in bulk bags, have you been drinking de icer, get a wagon load direct from the quarry. I would start with two ten tonne loads, ten tonne truck is a lot smaller than an eight wheeler, but you know that sort of stuff @nod

Does anybody have experience of any fire stopping needed in an ICF house timber cladding to some parts and stone on others. Might need to ask bco.

I was going to say m10 doesn’t sound very strong is it carrying a load or just for holding the grp in place.

i would replace the 100x100 timber with steel personaly have you seen these.

Nope, use 100mm wide blocks for the outer skin with render on, then use 75mm blocks for outer skin with a batten on and slate, this will bring the finish depth out to roughly the same.

I do agree that a lot of modern timber is rubbish just took a load of floor joists back, as the difference in size was 5-7 mm over a 225 width. Manager said it was two different manufacturers.

You made a fundamental mistake @Onoff you went to wickes wouldnt use wickes timber if it was free.

I did

100 acres roughly @JSHarris has been there.