ToughButterCup

This photo shows the (now infamous) re-built East face of our cottage (the face with the ladder against it). At the moment it is covered in scaffolding because we need to finish that face first. Why? We need to build the flat roof and at the moment the scaffold is in the way. Which set me thinking. How on earth am I going to maintain the East face of the building (when the wooden cladding has been fitted) after the flat roof is built? Now we have the chance for some creative thinking about how to make the flat roof safe to work from. All I'll need to put on the roof is a simple lightweight scaffold tower . Help me start that thinking process, would you?

The difference made by just one pesky little ol' syllable. We have a passiv Haus in the making: walls but no roof, no first floor, open to the elements. Most days this last week, we've been working on it wearing (in my case) 6 layers of clothing. There's a very noticeable temperature difference standing next to walls that both face the sun and are in the wind shadow. And that reminds me of the 6% overheating risk we are forecast to have - once built.

My God that must have been some tiger that attacked you.....

I for one would be really interested in seeing the results. Ian

Ah, that's what I like to hear. Fortnight off then........

I need to crack on with our rendering / parging / slurrying. But it looks like there'll be a bit of a nip in the air soon. I have organised a cover for the parged / rendered / slurried area (well, I get moaned at if I get the term wrong ) Should I simply avoid the process in the very cold weather? Or is there some witches potion that we can add to the mortar mix?

Hilliard designed the slab, and these people designed and put the ground improvement columns in here is the blog post about it. The company were very particular about our soil profile, in addition to our separately commissioned report, they got me to dig three trial pits, then their engineer jumped in and grabbed a few handfuls from the bottom of the hole to make absolutely sure . And I was like a girls blouse about the process.... of putting the piles (ground improvement columns) in. Mercifully, it's unbelievably quick. Cost £6500 for 64 piles; time 3 days and four meetings. I visited a site where the company were working to have a look at the process. I know I've said it before, but it's unbelievably fast.

I just can't remember. Sorry to be so unhelpful.

Windows off a flatbed LGV and into a container . Should not be too hard. Thats our backup strategy....

OK, folks, so this is what we've decided: Monday a.m. ring the SE. Thanks @MikeSharp01 Monday a.m. a bit later ring the H+S guy. Thanks @JSHarris It's a finely balanced decision which could go either way. But leaning towards roof on first. Thanks everyone else, our heads are a lot clearer.

It's exactly that question , @Alphonsox, ' ' ... what are we hoping to save... ' that made us think out-of-the-box. The unavailability of labour, for whatever reason, has made us try to build as defensively as we can. I / we have had enough of key people promising and not delivering. For months at an end; constant kicking the problem down the road on their part has really pi$$ed us off. We've just had enough. @HerbJ, thanks for the thought : mini material handler (the sort that will get into a container) £115 per day.

To those of you who have mentioned the stiffness of the walls: The house is made of well-cured concrete. It has endured all the named storms since October. One or two visiting trades folk have said that any other type of house ( i.e. non-ICF) would have '.... been down bi now maaaate....' The house has more rebar in it than TaTa Steel works. To those of you who have mentioned boarding: We have enough kwikstage scaffold and boards to make a working platform at first floor or higher, and in the case of the ridge, up to and beyond it The roof is vaulted: we are not using trusses. So there appears to me to be no reason why, once the ridge beam is in place, the rafters cannot be put on in two halves. Safety is a principal concern: Our Kwikstage can be built up to way beyond First floor height. We already have three full harnesses, and need to consider a fall arrestor. I am considering ringing a mate who is an H+S bod to come and do an assessment. He is a very very nice man, very nice indeed. Trouble is I can't name him. Debbie leaned over my shoulder just now and wants me to thank you all for your help. She is being a real star, lugging long Standards and Ledgers around and fussing gently. And the weight of those boards ---- phew! Some, wetter than others, feel like they are double the weight. Yes, @ProDave, I have spent an hour each morning and evening stickering the ones in store so they dry out. Thanks for your blog post about that. Saved me a good deal of money. Pint next meeting

Given a careful risk assessment and appropriate safety plan, Is there any reason why we should not put our roof on before we fit the first floor? We have more than enough kwikstage to put up a proper, safe working platform several feet above the first floor level both inside and outside the house, sufficient also to take us to the roof apex. You might be aware that we've found it difficult to get trades to come and what do what they say they will do when they say they will do it. My concern is lack of communication when the normal rescheduling process occurs. (For example) If we had a waterproof roof, then working inside would be much less subject to scheduling crises. And that has been our main issue since the beginning of the build.

Well, mostly I let her have my way..... takes a while, but I'll stop digging now

Has anyone here insured a telehandler for a short period? My self-build insurance specifically excludes hired plant. Ideas anyone?

Hi @Marie Turner. You are most welcome. I'm all for a female perspective on stuff. The OH is off this week, helping me scaffold. And mostly, she's right. Which is annoying, but can be fun.

I couldn't agree more. But @vivienz how would you solve the problem of the Attention Deficit Disorder suffered by those trades folk who, once paid on time simply refuse to be contacted? Or when eventually contact is made, and a start date agreed, don't turn up. And when met by accident in the local supermarket tell bare-faced lies about turning up to do £1300 worth of follow up work '...on Monday...' Everyone has scheduling problems. Everyone. But it seems the emotional maturity necessary to face talking to customers about low-level job-juggling is rare for some in the building sector. My argument is that with the 90% of decent trades folk, paying on time is 'right' . But for those whose personal standards allow them to simply ignore a customer mid way in a job with two phases (supply and then fix), then not paying is the last resort. It's the only thing that would hold (in this case) his attention.

Thats an advantage for those of us who put dark coloured tools on dark surfaces

Welcome. We could do with some creative accounting on our build. What's your day rate? Ian

A very reassuring Welshman will wake up from his mid-afternoon snooze soon.

''' ... I think that the next big brain task is to get to grips with SPONS ... Its no easy task. But (you're) worth it.

.... Also in the meantime, I'm still waiting for sign off from Natural England to get the roof off the house and deal with the bat summer roost. ... Tell us about that, would you please? Lots of people have the same issue. I get the feeling it's dealt with differently across the UK, and possibly differently across the UK by individual ecologist . Despite official protestations to the contrary.

Fair while ? I'm German. Fair while is not appearing in my translation app. Be more accurate Englander!

Oh, so many of us. Do a bit of ferreting, a bit of quiet fireside reading. It's fun.

Lets make this easy @jpinthehouse but painful. Forget the stove. Just a bit of research on this site will save you the expense of a stove. I know, I know, it hurts. I love them too. Ian