SuperJohnG

Quickish update only because I seem to have run out of hours as now we are building, balancing family life and a full time demanding job. So after the last update, where the stone wasn't really getting solid. I ended up getting it dug out, it was bothering me too much and I was completely worried about it. It was no major issue the boys dug it out in an afternoon, then put dry type 1 back in there and compacted down and built the levels up no hassles. We had a full dry week so it made a massive difference and they were able to get along much much quicker. In between the stone drama I had the surveyor on site and we set up profile boards to set out the corners and main walls internally that I needed to reference off for ducts. I set my boards up so that the string lines lined up with the lower portion of the insulated foundation once I came to the stage of setting that out. Doing it that way worked well. They built the stone up to level, then we cut all the ducts and drains in. The groundworkers took my layout for the drains, then done what they wanted to do in instead, which worked better. They didn't fancy using the rest bends but I insisted in some places. They did prefer to use Tee's which seemed fine. I wasn't too bothered by this point. The ducts ae all mm precision hoefully along with the drains so they all pop up and I spent A LOT of time planning the plant room. Then we screeded with 50mm sand. I used steel pipes for this and we set them up with the laser. It worked well and we had it screeded with 50mm sand in an afternoon. I used concrete sand for this which was wet but worked fine. That's a picture of me in the bucket of the digger doing the bits out in the middle. None of us could deal with leaving a hole in the middle. I got straight on to the DPM after this. My system has the DPM placed under the Kore insulated foundation. I did this all myself and had worked out all the joins on CAD befroe hand. It's easy to lay that way, albeit I hadn't anticipated the PITA it is to not walk on the sand but lay the DPM and then not walk on the DPM is impossible as i want it to stay level. I used OSB boards to move about most of the time. Cutting round drains is a pisser with the DPM, alsowhere you have 4 ducts popping up next to one another in a bunch it is also a complete pain. I did big cuts to get it over and it took forever to patch. I used top hats where possible and taped them in but there was some dodgy joints around where multiple ducts come up in a bunch - Those have been foamed to death now the insulation is down. Things to note - the Visqueen DPM is good, their double sided tape is good. I actually kept it in a cooler with a hot water bottle to keep it malleable as it was pretty cold when I was doing it. Their single sided tape is absolutely shit, do not buy it. Toolstation single sided DPM tape is also shit! However the Screwfix DPM tape is mega, stick like mad no matter what. really impressed with it. here: So once DPM was done I got the insulate foundation down and got started. I took some advice from @LA3222 as albeit straightforward it's not bang on. I was expecting something more highly engineered and don't get me wrong it is of high quality but some bits are a little longer and few mm here and there and some cut slightly off the square which means a good bit of adjustment. But works fine. I set out the corners first, then loosely laid it with my profile board lines. I then ended up taking a middle section out each line to get it to the right lengths and adjusted from there. I checked the lengths and squareness and procrastinated about it, ovethought it and all sorts, I didn't trust my tape as I could stretch it however much i wanted. I then ended up moving it all about and doing all sorts, one thing was apparent was the internal diagonals KORE/tanners can get relied on exactly due to the manufacturing tolerances mentioned above. So you just need to get them square tothe same size and as long as it is ballpark it is fine. I set out again and used the outer lengths, then I bit the bullet and called the surveyor back. He took 250 off me....stayed for 45 mins. Only to confirm I was pretty much bang on. I was 0mm out in some corners (bare in mind i set up with tapes over 20m) and 3-7mm mostly. Two corners I was 20mm off but i knew that as a profile board got knocked. All in all gave me plenty confidence. I then proceeded to pin the edges and then I finished filling in the three internal layers last night. Took me two full days (sat and sun) and then three nights. I used the U pins, I found them good, i started with the PU foam but found it too hard for the edges and thought it woudl take a while. So I pinned it, then filled holes with PU foam.I used PU foam in all internal joints though as that was easier. Cutting through the EPS 300 is a PITA but planned well it's ok. I'd avoid drains in the out sections next time. If i get time I will put more effort at the insulated foundation installation details, but knackered tonight after the last 5 days at it and doing my normal work. I've been writing down things that I would change and I'll list them in each blog post to provide a hint for a step! Lots of pics attached as normal. Lessons learned: 1) It is is wet - buy the type 3 stone 2) Listen to your groundworks guys if you trust them - they wanted me to add big stone down the bottom to help it drain...I didn't want to. We should have. 3) Dont buy the visqueen DPM tape, waste of money. 4) Don't be cheap and by the pro nozzle for the foam gun, It's only 20 quid. I didn't that was a schoolboy error. 5) Don't buy the bahco £19 wavy 'insulation saw' it's crap and near impossible to use with the KORE stuff Ditch it and just a normal saw. It's messy but much much quicker. thanks for reading.

I've been to fleming homes, good bunch of folks. I can't fathom how a third of an acre would be 425k in Scotland or Northern England. I know you didn't want to do merits of the plot but thata the bit that is causing you problems

I'd highly recommend. The SAP calc is minimal hassle,.just aim for over 85 and theoretically all else being OK they will accept you

Yeah. Not such luck at the moment.

A SIPS fitter quoted me the other day. 650 a day per guy, that's more than I get paid and I'm at the front end of delivering critical structures for a nuclear power plant. They defo must be busy.

It's been a while. But I installed the ring family of products in my dad's house some 10-12 years ago. Mainly because he had dementia and I wanted to know if he left the house, it also linked to the smoke and fire alarms and I could dial into the house and listen in. It worked well back then so can only assume I has advanced well.

Welcome Bruno. Lots of good info here. I think it might be called a back boiler. But I get what you mean. My thought are you might not need much heating as its Portugal but does it get cold?

Hi. Welcome to the forum. I'm just south of Glasgow. Building a SIPS house with insulated passive raft. Currently halfway through foundations....(bloody weather)..I went with Kore....infinitely cheaper (50%) and I have groundwork guys but overseeing a doing a good bit of DIY on the raft. Have you chosen kit supplier yet? Sounds like a hebhomes or Caber house.

You'll not get a call back quickly. But yes I have proceeded with foundations, I got them a month or two ago and the boy said they would get oodles of policies in April and it'll be fine and he done a quick calc and if I miss the foundations stage I actually save 500 quid. It's completely ridiculous, no point in the surveyor's being involved. they just triple the fee.

I've started foundations. I'm just going to get it in April when it is available. It'll be fine...

Welcome.. lots of good info to be found!

Seems pennies to me. Albeit....I spent 18k crossed 3 fields with 6 poles and have my own transformer.

@MortarThePoint I'd avoid any form of manual labour required to paint your own windows, seems madness to me. I'm going with Zyle Fenster, timber framed Aluclad from @craig.

I'd absolutely have the good side facing yourself if you are paying. That's what I did with my neighbours. As for the bottom of the garden,.I don't know the rules but I'd probably just stick one up and stuck it and see if anyone says anything.

I'll second that. I'm projecting much more for mine and not passive standard and no basement....and similar size...

I'll give you a few pointers craig next time we chat. ?

Ha they are always about, lovely to see them. Have a badger too that visits regularly

we are: self_build_ayrshire Just search for that username. But to find others you would search for a hashtag E.g #SELFBUILD Then that would show accounts who tag their pictures with #SELFBUILD, then you will quickly find lots of accounts. Works for anything on there, so if you want to see pictures of cladding search #cladding or maybe #timbercladding give it a shot.

I previously used it years ago. I still have an account and sometimes I look at the odd image there, but it'd much more interior design focused and heavily American. But it's time has come and gone imo. If you genuinely want to generate more social media awareness to generate interest and leads then it is all about Instagram. There you can see work businesses have done and see how it looks. I love it for that, you need to be consistent with posts though and committed. But easily there you can follow more self build accounts. We have 600 odd followers following our build and watching out stories. So getting tagged by accounts like that helps no end. In there though very few are interested in technical details, just how.it looks. People on here are the folk that want technical info..

My Kit supplier is struggling for someone to erect the kit (central belt Scotland). Does anyone know of any SIPS erectors in the central belt area in Scotland?

LVT shouldn't move like that either. It should be rock solid. No disaster, and they'll fix it. But definitely be cataloguing these errors seriously and how they are attended to, straight on the phone to the main contractor/ plumber and have him fix it. In my opinion you are sue plenty money back.

Firstly. Welcome to the forum. I've never heard of a SIP floor being used ever? Why do you want that? If it for insulation then just use insulation? An idea of your planned build up would be helpful here.

Thats me... I brought power from three fields away and had to have my own transformer- £18k. I'm also 400m from mains water. That would have been 30-50k to bring down a B road, so opted for a borehole (getting drilled next month) at a cost of 10-15k all said and done. I have treatment ant too and will discharge into my own burn. These options made the plot viable for me.

Welcome @2nd Time Around. Lots of good info to be found. But defo err on the side of caution and do lots of research and that'll give you the best chance! I used to go here as a child regularly shooting at a ace called the Gannochy, loved it. Stayed in the big hotel in town every time. Just linked to our low wages isn't it. Blows me away the wages and house costs down in England. When people say their budget is 600k...for a three bed semi....

Does seem a bit hard to find to find them.. is that an ecodan thing or an ASHP thing. Does this mean you don't need to do all the other piping/circuitry as per the other thread?