Russell griffiths

Hi, can you tell us what the big aluminium stanchion thing was.

My architect stated air vents under the doors, I explained to bc that this couldn’t be done because of level access, but I had increased the number of vents on the two opposing sides to get a good cross ventilation, he was happy with this and it has not been mentioned since.

First pour was only 450mm high. It seems the vents that collapsed where the telescopic sections, as one piece slots inside another you get an overlap, it was this overlap that allowed concrete slurry to push up from the bottom and enter the hollow tube, if i wa doing it again I would get some thin xps sheet and clad the vents to seal them up and add extra strength. This is what I was up to today.

After we had done all of ours I did wonder if we had done nothing if I would have gone through but with a big pile of conditions.

At the moment I am having quotes for my roof 220mm I joists the prices are on average double the cost of a standard 225x50 structural grade timber. But its not just the cost of the timber to look into if you stick build it in normal timber you may use something that could be anything from 140mm to 180mm any bigger and your getting silly, so you need to look at how much insulation you can get in between the joists. Not enough. So now you need to look at insulation across the face of the studs either inside or outside, so more work and more cost. a lot to think about not just the cost of the joists. Im not clever enough to start talking about u values and all that junk, I just like knocking it all together, I will let somebody else tell you how to get it up to spec with regards insulation.

Well spotted hadn’t thought of that.

Hi @Vijay I thought you were past this point, I did indeed have a very major cock up with our telescopic vents the weight of the concrete and the vibrations collapsed the telescope sections, and I had to cut them all out by hand after the concrete had gone off. If you haven’t done this yet I would look at reinforcement over the vent to give it more strength. Hows it all going mate. Russ.

No idea on cost comparison just too many differences for me to compare i am working on my own most days and felt it was easier to chuck about a block of eps rather than a bloody great 6x2. So far it’s a breeze I think I could possibly get the wife doing it with only a couple of hours training.

Nope, carry on.

If you get a company to design your frame and you work to their spec and put in the correct fasteners where they say then what is the problem. You will I’ll have to work to some sort of standard, you can’t just think I’ll set my studs at 750 centres just because it looks ok, you will need somebody to specify how many studs at openings, and what timber to use as window lintels, you will need to know how you are fixing it to the foundation, what nail spacing to use on your racking boards. If you have the correct information you should in theory theory be able to give the plans to anybody to build. If building control have signed off on the design then all they need to check is its built to spec, you can get a monkey to build it but it must meet the spec. Im currently building in ICF block, ATBH it seams perfect for a competent diy job, it’s flying up and is very user friendly.

I have edited my post to re name the Larsen truss wall panel to be known as a trussed wall panel. @Ed Davies

If you use an engineered timber for the studs there will be very little shrinkage, I have just picked up a couple of samples of i joist for my roof and it looks like a lovely product. I did consider building this house I’m doing in timber and I had two methods in mind, one was I joists. The other was to borrow a mates barn and build up a load of wall truss panels and bring them to site in my trailer and erect them a trailer load at a time Have a look on YouTube there are loads of framing videos, they are all Mostly American but try to find the European ones they are very good as they cover how to get a good level of insulation in to a thinner frame.

Flood risk rainwater mitigation measures. SUDS landscape plan ecology light pollution. All this is obviously site specific, but these are just a few of the hoops we had to jump through.

That’s exactly how I did mine, sacrificial trim around head of window got removed after a year or two and a bit of fettling and re sealing and then replace window trims. Inside and out.

How about building it in sips, and then adding all that detail as fake dress up on the inside, non structural just for show.

My thoughts would be I would avoid a timber frame building at all costs, I guarantee that no matter how well you seal your hygiene layer if you steam clean it regularly you will get water Ingres into your main structure, i would look at a galvanised steel frame, portal building, insulated sheet roof, timber clad on the outside but plastic coated internal wall panels, epoxy floor covering you could have all the pens in flat pack form so you can alter the layout later on if needs be. My wife wanted to open a high spec cattery, so I have already put a bit of thought into this. I would give a timberframe building 10 years before it looks very tired.

Why is stick framing not that popular? because not many people can do it. It’s that simple its easier to write a cheque out, and it turns up on a truck dont be misled into thinking its easy to frame a house it’s not, you will need a pile of tools, chop saw, circular saw, nail gun i would think your easier route would be to get Cullen to design it, a local sawmill to chop it all up, and you and a mate to put it up, you will need a mate, you will struggle trying to plumb a chunk of timber and fire some nails in it on your own. I stick built our last place, all 360m of it. If I was doing it again I would use an i joist and have it all CAD designed, wider timber area to allow more insulation, timber is all straight. Go to your local lumber yard and try looking for a straight piece of 6x2 you will pick up 4 before you find one you want. If you use an i joist you will probably not build it in panel form but in a true stick sense, this is easier to lift in place as you can add the racking boards after, and the insulation after you have it all water tight. Make sure you look into airtightness, as you will need to detail it very well to get a membrane in place before you fit first floor joists, as it is a pig to detail if you try to do it later. I think @PeterStarck used I joists, read his blog the frame looks fantastic.

Specific blocks for each area. Higher density for higher load areas, block strength is measured in kn. lighter blocks for main walls, block n beam floor etc. Both typing the same time. @Declan52

Thanks all I want to do 2.4 m and just wanted to make sure I wasn’t over gunning it.

I stick built on site my last house and we allowed a 20mm gap above the windows for settlement, after 2 years you can re decorate and re align and window trims.

It’s about half way up, very nice product, wouldn’t hesitate to use it again.

Hi after a few different opinions please. How high did you pour in one go, I have had a chat with our rep, but I’m after some other opinions please. Cheers russ.

Why would you put a block skin on the outside of a house you want cladding on ??? the main problem I see with timber frame is when you want a rendered finish, this is when the mortgage lenders get cold feet, as they want to see a cavity not render straight on a board straight on the frame. There are lots on here with timber frame and cladding. A few on here have used a company called cullen timber frame, they can design all your timber and produce a detailed cutting list so all you need to do is knock it together on site. I myself was going to use them but chose ICF instead.

Evening. Has anybody got any experience with cuplock, a load of it has popped up 15 mins away from me and I’m tempted just because I won’t have much in the way of transport costs. Cheers russ.

Well done chap, it’s a long slog when you are doing it yourself how do you fancy putting up a pic up of your mobile home, I have been telling people to build extensions to them and chuck a wood burner in, it looks like this is exactly what you have done, every time I mention it I think people think I’m a nutter, but yours shows exactly how it should be done. Cheers russ.