joe90

I always remember Tony's answer some time ago, don't drain the bath after bathing, let its heat dissipate into the room then let it go. The simple ones are always the best. Personally I discounted them way back as not having a good payback.

Well now that I have actually started building I will be going through every one of Jeremy's threads and podcasts to finalise my thinking on our build. His input into heating, cooling and DHW is second to non. In fact the strength of the man ( in my opinion) is his admittance recently that all the technical control systems he designed and experimented with ( and offered to one and all with no cost to himself) was not really needed, a simple room stat proved sufficient ( phew, because I could not keep up with all that Technical stuff). He has even offered to lend his testing kit out to forum members at no cost. I, like others on here, am looking forward to more podcasts from the man himself. Keep it coming Jeremy, this place is a great source of knowledge with some wonderful people but is all the poorer for your absence.

Yeh, what's wrong with red brick houses, that's what I am building ?

Yep, when I bought a decent tile cutter, found the cheapest on the tinternet, printed it off( price must include postage if there is any) and presented it at Screwfix and hey presto, they price matched. however, just looked on line and some people have complained that they don't/won't, ?

I agree but I would still say that it's link detached if next door does not extend like you, still only linked by their garage.

Also Screwfix will match on line prices so if you do find it cheaper elsewhere!!

We are going to have a front porch primarily to act as an air lock when entering or leaving to stop heat loss but it will not be locked so perfect for post or parcels, we are out in the sticks tho.

Not if the flue draws well and works properly ( not like the neighbour over on the GBF)?

I know, I know, but the I beam supplier that my builder uses is telling us its not calculable , you guys agree with me. As per this thread further back I think I have found an I beam supplier that says it can be done so waiting to hear back. Fingers crossed. I don't want to pay an S.E. just to work this out if I don't need to.

The purlins are missed on purpose, I don't want them, need them.! The main reason for a clear roof space with a warm roof is to create a VCL with osb cladding and not have lots of "posts" etc poking through. ( yes I know I have to deal with ceiling joists) I want to stay away from tapes and rely on glued joins for air tightness. The span ( 5 mtrs) of the rafters is more than coped with using 302mm I joists, the walls and stretcher ceiling joists can also easily cope with the loads, it's just this ridge thing that has got under my skin as I don't see it's need ( enter an S.E. who explains why I am completely wrong ?)

I would have to agree but there is still no difference between a lumber made roof and and I beam roof.

Sorry guys but this is bugging me so I needed to do a drawing, now from my very simplistic drawing I fail to understand why "W" needs support from below 1/. flex is the bend within the rafter and it depends on the weight and depth of the timber/ijoist 2/. Spread is the tension in the ceiling joists created by the weight of the whole roof ( I admit this could be less if a ridge beam were installed) 3/. W1 is the equal weight on both wall plates of the whole roof ( unless a ridge beam is installed) 4/. W2 is the equal and opposite weight both sides of the roof create by resting on one another ( think of house of cards) The various pressures are dependant on angle a. therefore if all the above is adequate there is no need for W to be supported I.e. No ridge beam.

Now you understand my problem ?

What I don't understand is why a ridge beam is needed with I beams but not with roofing joists , surely I beams are just engineered joists. Well the site that gave me most knowledge is this one. http://www.donnybrooktimberframes.co.uk/files/I-Joists - Boise UK Technical Guide.pdf and yes a ridge beam is asked for ( I think I have found a way of providing it in a hip roof so hopefully my problem is sorted,) if it is I will post my solution in case it helps others. Yes joints are all about packing out the web,s to match the thickness of the top and bottom string so the beam as a whole is loaded ( as far as I can tell from the above).

I toyed with the idea but my timescales are so short to not make it worth it for me, however for a longer timescale ( and wood from site usually available) I would do it .

It's not to be underestimated how challenging living in a cold damp caravan is, I am an ex mountaineer so used to cold spaces and minimum comfort. I am planning to start being on site most of the time in about a months time and because ours is already on site with no double glazing etc I gave invested in a few electric panel heaters, I know the electricity will cost but it will be cheaper than any other option. Let's pray for a warm spring

Well I have electricity, bottled gas and it's connected up to the old cess pit ( which will be replaced by the new treatment plant installed for the new house). There have been discussions here and elsewhere about caravans on site and needing planning permissions. I maintain ( through looking on the web) that you do not need planning permission for a caravan on site " as long as it's not a separate dwelling in its own right." We are thinking of keeping our caravan to rent out to surfers in the summer after the build and I will not connect up the toilet ( that the council will be able to see) so the caravan is dependant on the house in theory. anyway, it's a gamble, it might depend on nosey neighbours dropping you in it or a council that is on the ball.

I think Jeremy delayed the commissioning of his treatment plant on purpose so his council could not charge council tax. ( I know it was working because I used his loo ?)

If it's your only home then yes and I think it's band a, I have a caravan on my site but I am not always there as building has only just started and my wife still works where we currently live. The local taxation officer did ask me about it and I simply stated it was a site office for the builders ( that I may "camp in" occasionally) but I was able to prove paying council tax on our other house so they let it go.

Mike, thanks for this, a very comprehensive answer. I think I would rather be out bending re bar than swotting this stuff but you might disagree ?. I can live with the ridge beam as I could use a large timber/glulam supported on two 4" posts from structural walls below. Like you I have considered cutting ply gussets glued and screwed across both sets of Osb,s to tie the structure together at the top, another American website simply shows two joists butted at the ridge and metal strapping fixed over the ridge to stop them sliding apart. on this same American web site it shows sloping joists glued and screwed to ceiling (spreader) joists through top and bottom rail only. I am sure a full fill of the gap and more glue and screwing would be more than adequate. I think this is now academic as unless I get a S.E. to sign off what I want, it won't get passed so I need to find one with a sympathetic ear and a knowledge of I joists.

I have put rods on modern type worktops and they are great, frankly er indoors does not know it yet but they are going in our next kitchen.

Mike, read your post a few times to get my head around the problem, are you saying that the problem is in the " joining" of the I beams, I.e. A satisfactory way of joining them to carry loads across the whole I joist?.

Yes guys I understand the last two points. However at ceiling level there are ties in the firm of ceiling joists or more I beams so this would be taken care of, with regard the ridge I still don't understand as like with a ridge board they simply push against one another with equal and opposite forces. looks like I need a structural engineer ( bugger) to work out the detail.

But where does it carry it too?, each opposing rafter at the ridge leans against one another, the ridge board between them ( which in most houses is only a 1" board) simply ties them together . The wall plate also ties the rafters at their set distance and transfers the weight directly to the wall below. A steel beam or glulam is designed to carry weight over a span, loading that weight onto whatever the beam is resting on at each end. if in a ridge roof a very large velux or similar was installed then yes a beam is required to carry the weight over the gap in rafters.

I had planned to build my roof from 300mm Finn I joists, hip roof, no purlins, two mtr ridge, osb lined inside for racking and vapour barrier, full fill with 300 mm batt insulation, felt, battens, slates etc. I have been told this is incalculable for the roof by the I beam suppliers! They are talking ( to my builder who I trust) about a raised tie truss roof battened out to 300 for insulation and using a glulam ridge beam or even needing steels in some way. With regard the glulam ridge beam ( which I cannot see the need for) I have had this discussion before, with a pitched roof the ridge beam simply ties the two sets of rafters together and carries no weight as such. If ( like a loft conversion) one pitch was removed then yes a beam, steel or glulam is needed to carry the weight of the slope retained but with equal and opposite slopes surely this is not required. Surely 300mm I joists over a 5 mtr span at an angle of 35 degrees is not rocket science to calculate ( I wish I had become a SE or at least learnt the theory before I started this project). We are also getting into the realms of paying for an S.E. to make these calculations which obviously I would like to avoid. So, am I barking up the wrong tree?, am I trying to be too simplistic?, I cannot for the life of me see the requirement for steels. HELP