Triassic

I have a 5mm low point in my raft foundation, the TF company we’re not phased about it.

Having never used ICF before I was unsure about the practicalities of filling them with concrete and how to compact then. My local concrete pump guy has some experience and it was he who suggested they needed limited compaction. Hence this was our approach. So so about a month after the pour I've stripped off some of the ipolystyrene insulation to allow an internal wall to the keyed onto the concrete wall. Here is a photo of the concrete fill that was exposed having removed the polystyrene. Looks good to me!

The whole business of selling and buying has become a long drawn out mess. About 25 years ago I viewed an empty property and moved in 10 days later, having obtained a mortgage and done all the legals. My brother has just purchased an empty property at it took 16 weeks to complete.

Someone @Alexphd1 asked for more photos of my DIY insulated foundations, so here you are. This is the basement complete with ICF steel reinforced retaining walls. Here is a photo of the lounge. This sits at the elevated ground level at the far corner of the basement, just to the right of the pile of white insulation in the above phot.

The wall in question is an inner leaf of an external wall, the architec5 calls for a 140mm interleaf, a a140mm layer of insulation and a 160mm outer layer of stone facing. The inner leaf sits on the insulated raft and the outer layer on a separate trench type foundation. its the inner layer that I’m not sure if a DPC is required as it sits on a raft containing a DPC.

Im about start building the front and internal to walls of my basement. The raft is a Hilliard Tanner designed, insulated, steel reinforced, concrete raft. Included within the insulation layers in the raft is a radon barrier DPC. So, will I need a Traditional DPC under the front Blockwork wall?

I’d say yes, my mate has one the same and it’s way more worn than yours.

So, how did it go, photos?

If you go for the jack it up option, I’d use GRP to cover the flat roof, you wouldn’t want to have to go to repair a leak in felt.

What sort of paint are you spraying, as this may affect the selection of the kit.

This is your one chance, so do not go for a flat roofed box! Unless you really want to live in a modernist box! edit - why only one high level window?

I’m one of those DIY insulated raft installers, like @Alexphd1, I got a local guy in to help pour the concrete. This is is what I’m doing this morning, tying the steel work ready for the next concrete pour.

This might sound a strange idea but it’s based on a substation we built under power lines. Due to clearance issues we couldn’t erect scaffold, so we did as described above.

You could erect the roof trusses, complete with tiles and gutter etc on the garage slab, then jack it up to the correct height and build the walls up to meet the roof.

It’s still very worrying when alarms go off when your sleeping, she spent the night in a local hotel on the advice of the fire brigade.

Just be aware that when you use a sand and cement screed, the cement reacts with the foil and gives off carbon monoxide, my self Build neighbour found this out recently when the Carbon monoxide alarm went off at 2am, she called the fire brigade having not found th3 source, they did a quick survey f the house and found dangerous levels in the newly screened extension. The levels were so high in the house she was told firmly not to sleep there until the screed had set and to keep the windows and doors open to ventilate the space.

I found it was cheaper to build my own cabin. It was also a good learning experience.

Our general household waste bin is emptied once a fourtnight and being only two of us leaves plenty of room for black bin bags. So every 2 weeks I walk around site with bin bags and so far I’ve managed to get rd of most of our general site waste.

I keep getting Facebook pop up ads for funding for ASHPs. What’s the deal? I thought all funding for such things had stopped? UK Homeowners Receive Up To £925 Per Annum For Installing Funded Renewable Heating. If Your Property is Heated by Either Oil or Gas you Could Qualify For This Amazing Incentive. Apply Today http://heatpumpfunding.co.uk/

In July 2018, Housing Secretary James Brokenshire MP reported that fire doors from five suppliers had failed to meet fire performance standards, and suggested this highlighted broader potential failings within the industry. He instructed major fire door suppliers to meet and agree a clear plan of action to tackle these failings. He also asked National Trading Standards to oversee local investigations. Brokenshire said; "While the department’s investigations are on-going, I now have enough evidence to suggest that there is a broader issue across the fire door market. That is why I am calling on suppliers to meet this week and provide reassurance that they are gripping this issue properly. I want to see a clear plan of action to rectify existing problems and ensure such failures are not repeated in the future. Whilst our Expert Panel assures me the risk remains low I want to assure the public that the government is doing everything it can to ensure construction products are of the highest safety standards and accurately tested and marketed." https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Grenfell_fire_door_investigation#Updates Begs the question, are your fire doors up to scratch?

Oh well if it’s no good for MVHR it’ll do for eBay!

Just paid £6.90 for this, was it a bargain?

Very well done @JamesP a true self Build, I like it! Windows really are a pain, you would have thought roller marks would have been picked in the quality control well before the glass was cut and fitted. You’re not on your own with window problems, my self Build neighbour has had the window company out six times to sort out problems, such as window sets not aligning one above the other, windows not installed vertically within th3 opening, scratched paintwork during this installation, trim warping in the heat.

Others in the industry have suggested they won’t be the last to go under, good job the regulator it there to pick up the peices.

Replacement spring £114 from eBay! The springs has an aluminium tag on each spring giving the spring model number.