Russell griffiths

That looks like the one I was thinking of @Blob the Builder some good details in that. I think it is certainly something I would do if building timberframe.

My mate has a converted garage type warehouse instead of keeping downstairs as commercial he divided the building in two left half commercial garage, right half two storey dwelling, this way he had less problems with noise fire regs and all other stuff he has a house all his mates are envious of, massive garage big enough for 10 cars and walks 5passes to be back in his apartment in the centre of Melbourne pits probably worth a couple of million dollars as there was no chance of ever buying a residential plot that close to the city.

There is no need to move the door , just do the job properly with the right materials if you say that there is only 500 mm of brickwork above then prop the whole lot up on acrow props and take all the brickwork down in the new opening right up to underneath those purlin supports then install the steel and build it up in new brickwork this will save having to try and keep just 6-7 courses in place as you hammer and bang about if you try and keep the brickwork above I guarantee you will disturb it, and you will have to pack the steel up under the old brick work so you might as well take it all down and rebuild nice and fresh. I would like to think under all that loft insulation will be a wall plate of some description just build up to the underside and pack and re bed under it.

Have you looked into spares for the bobkat its not a massive player in the mini digger market over here.

What is the terrain like, we have lots of trees, I purposely bought one without a cab as I new the glass would get smashed all the time this has turned out to be completely true.

Yep get a digger, we have a chunk of land and I find I can pop out for an hour of an evening in the summer and do all sorts of things that I would put off. Personaly I went for a 1.5 tonne machine, for a couple of reasons access I can squeeze it through a 1100mm gap so around the back of the house no problem less ground damage, I can sneak across the lawn and sit on a sheet of ply and not leave a mark. Parts are cheaper that machine you are looking at needs tracks, price a pair up and compare it to a pair for a 1.5 tonne machine. The power and ability my machine has surprises me every time I use it i have a kubota u15. 2000hours, cost me £7250 plus vat. Dont buy a wheeled machine unless you like mess. The next problem like like I have is you will want a tractor and trailer

I have read some ridiculous crap in my time but that is up there with the best. So if your window opens it has to be cleanab, but if it’s a fixed pain it doesn’t

Please tell me I’m wrong but what requirement for cleaning the windows how can that work I’m having lots of windows situated 4m above ground that don’t open how do they propose I swing them around to clean them. What a load of rubbish.

I just want to be happy dont care how far the build gets just want to stop being so grumpy.

Have you found a tile to do this pitch ? im at 10 degrees and using a raised seam metal roof. Im not sure I know of many pitched roof products that will go as low as that, from that 3d drawing I think grey metal to match the flat area would look good.

Remember to insulate under the static very well.

I would save your time, and And stick to a tried and trusted method.

I think it would depend what you painted it with. I spray painted plywood with a two pack white, then sanded then another couple of coats of two pack. It looked just like melamine smooth as a babies bum. If you spray it with 3-4 coats of a high build acrylic and then give it a good sand, then hit it with 4 coats of acrylic eggshell I think it would be fairly flat. If you pick a flat colour it will hide many imperfections.

In oz I saw a house built that was steel frame it then had thermalite block skin on the outside. The differance was the thermalites came in 2400mm high by 600mm wide and you screwed them to the frame you then applied a bag render with mesh just like over here.

If you use the new soudal foam, there is no expansion. Have a look at their new catalogue, some good new products

Why not just paint the osb.

Of course you could but why would you there are many ways to build things, I can’t see why these companies are spending a fortune on research and development, but not really bringing anything new to the table lightweight steel framing is in use in many parts of the world, a friend of mine built his like this at the same time I was doing a timber frame, Fors and against for both products, but nothing new and certainly not aimed at the whole world the United Arab Emirates, is not exactly the same as Europe and something developed over there would take a lot of tinkering to make it here. Sorry im out. Just like that spider wire thing, a good idea that brings nothing to the table, waste of time, after spending £10000 on plywood and £7000 on concrete you end up with a completely uninsulated concrete shell, would need to add £20000 of pir all over it to get it anywhere near usable.

Did somebody not put a pic up recently of an external layer of xps that came from the footing up past the sole plate with a taper top on it and then the cladding coming down over that.

Being I am half way through my icf journey, and being involved in construction for the past 30 odd years i would say this is something a diy house builder should avoid, it is als something I would say 90% of English builders will struggle with you would need a very good company to handle this, the proper system to support it while you pour the concrete will be immense and far beyond what your average builder will be used to by the time you have got them used to the way it should be done the time and trouble is not worth it. Tell me what are the benifits that outweigh the agro, I can’t see any.

As @PeterW said really, have you got to fit a cavity tray ? if so buy a roll of the dpc you will use and just roll it out on top of wall, put a couple of bricks on it and that’s done, core fill your cavity up to the height in your design, and then back fill both sides of the trench two jobs done and no need to buy that sheet.

No practice needed just fit them it’s easy all you need is to follow a couple of rules. Get a towel and sit it on the floor beside you this will ensure you keep all the plastic bits out of the crud, keep everything grit free, clean everything spotless, the rubber o rings hate grit. Cut pipe clean and square remember to install a pipe stiffener, in every end of pipe. Mark pipe with a pen at insertion depth to ensure correct insertion lubricate O ring, lubricate pipe end Remember to put locking collar, nut on before installing fitting. Try to use a plasson spanner I have found these far superior to adjustable grips If you haven’t got the correct spanner just get on with it it’s not the end of the world, just don’t over tighten.

Any reason you can’t backfil your trenches, if you are up to dpc level you won’t need to go back into them.

What’s it for ? thicker may not be user friendly, if you need to fold it in corners neatly it can be a bugger to work with.

Very interested in the I beam walls, if I had done timberframe this is what I wanted to do, I joists just for the roof now

Is that all, come on I’m bored stiff sat here pictures of the big hole please picteres of progress c,mon c,mon I’m about to kill one of the in-laws if they ask me another stupid question about my polystyrene house.