SuperJohnG

Use SAPEASY. Then get the number based on your build up as per above, if it doesn't stack up. They will adjust it until it is above 85 for ecology. Make sure you keep an eye on their figures for MVHR and get it down to below 1.5. Now adjustment it might be addition of solar PV or other means. But in reality you're only ticking a box to say that's what you are planning to get above 85. Which will get you the mortgage. Then at the end of younrun the numbers and worst case scenario you don't get the full C change discount its not the end of the world as you'll be switching lender at that point.

Apparently not! If you look closely you can see it being filled the field drain that connected into the burn was actually backfilling the trench as the burn was up.

added some more pics and videos 20210123_163529.mp4 20210128_134659.mp4

Well, a few weeks have passed since my last past. We finished up the road and last post we had scrapped back the house footprint. I feel like we haven't come that far since then, but in reality we probably have actually now that I look at the pictures. Once we had scrapped back the top and subsoil we got the levels down to where I thought we should be. The house was meant to have FFL of 138.5m (referenced to sea level of course!) but I increased the height by 0.75m. It was just too low in the ground for the plot and the driveway would have ended up higher and now seems to be in the right place. So first full week at it, I was basically running around organising things as you do. I gave Jewson about zero notice of all the stuff I wanted. They gave me good list prices, 90% off with my self build credit account. I tested these on the internet and a few others merchants and they were decent. They delivered the mesh and underground drainage pipes, mesh castles, visqueen etc all in quick time which was good. I also took delivery of my container - which was much required and has been a god send to store everything. On the first day when I was out, the groundworkers were scrapping back to ground bearing soil, but found a soft patch at one end - instinctively they dug another 500mm deeper to get hard ground. Then called me to say we had an issue. They felt it was quite soft, I turned up - had a look it seemed softish but not overly. However I have no experience - fortunately I called the SE and he came straught by to have a look ...wasn't an issue and he told us to continue. Phew. I'd ordered type 1 for the sub base. I did price both type 1 and type 3, but there was quite a difference of 3-4 per tonne. I needed 120 Tonne (turns out actually 250 in the end). I checked with Tanners who had stated Type 3, but they said if it was a struggle type 1 would be fine. Plus I checked with a local guy who does passive foundations and he said they just use that so all ok. We continued the scrape down, then we laid a geotextile and covered with the type 1. What was immediately apparent was how wet it was, that extra dug down section filled with water quickly to form a lovely swimming pool. From here we tried to stone up a little more, but stopped due to rain. Then the guys decided we needed to get that land drain in to dry it up. I have used twinwall perforated pipe to do the land drain (under the guidance of my groundworkers) then added Tees wherever downpipes are going to be. This saves costs as then you're not digging another pipe above it later on. You can just roll the tees up and drop the downpipes into it. I discharge directly into a burn too so makes sense. I helped with the drains and we used the laser the set the fall ( @LA3222 ) I know why you like it so much, great tool and makes it dead easy. I did nearly make a schoolboy error and lift the full pipe up in the pea gravel...before the groundworker stopped me Once we had the drains in this has helped no end with getting the water out, and allowed us to continue a little more. In between this the power connection was brought on site, I had 6 poles put in from 3 fields away. I managed to also get them to hide the transformer pole in my woods which was ideal as I had planned it in the corner if the plotand that would have been visible always so a good win. The trench was also repositioned around the outskirts of the plot so that if I ever build another house ( my retirement bungalow) in the front garden I don't need to move it again. 6 poles put up in a day, then a week later cable pulled and terminated. The connection currently resides under the ground about 15m from the plant room, once I'm ready. I'll dig the duct to there and then I can call them back and pull it into the house at my leisure. We got a little bit of rolling done on the first layer of Type 1, but it's been mega cold and snowy for a few weeks which has stopped us. One thing that has been a pain was the test holes left big soft spots. We had to dig these out completely and fill with stone. The groundworks boys said he always have this issue and would be better if the SE put them off to the side. A good bit of info for others. So since that point it got basically rock solid cold. little happened for about 10 days just due to weather. Then last Thursday after postponing him 5 times, got the surveyor on site. I had marked up various times using the TOPO stations and tapes, but wanted very accurate positions on site for the walls and so I can get the ducts and drainage bang on. I spent days on the plant room design and layout which is now hopefully pretty good. The surveyor and I put all the profile boards up outside the footprint which went well, I was 400mm off the actual CAD position I had given for the house. Which considering I was using tapes from topo points which were 80m away wasn't bad. I had already cut drains in so we just moved house position quickly by offsetting using total station. The profiles are in and all good. So this week we managed to stone up more, the boys done a bit of rolling on Tuesday - in fact I even did the rolling while they moved stone around. The stone is compacting but not as hard as I would and as quickly. They had to put a thicker layer on that the 150mm due it being so wet it would just bubble up. But the stone is soaked, and taking a while to drain off through the type 1 as my stone seemed to have loads and loads of fines. Now If i go back to the start of this post....maybe I should have bought that Type 3, but we are where we are! We rolled it down, then got another layer on and continued to roll it. It was still quite spongy at the end of the other day in a few places but we haven't finished rolling this layer just due to it being wet. The boys definitely put on thicker layers than stated and we rolled the lower layer less than the required 16 passes. I was having a bit of a hairy canary when I cam home and started to doubt what had been done, I was checking the roller weight and spec religiously against the KORE manual, and then getting worried that it would leave the lower layers too soft. It's hard here as, how hard is hard enough as I don't have any experience of laying a sub base and reading on here it should be rock solid. So I was back and forth the next day to site, jumping up and down, seeing how hard it was. I made a plan the night before as it was concerning me, that if needed I would just strip it back down a layer and re roll that bit and not to worry myself too much (the boys keep telling me to put my worry beads away) that we can fix it. Now that we have had two sunny dry days with no ice, it has drained off well and feels better actually and I talked it through with the groundworker that i was worried and didn;t think we had enough passes, and he help reassure me somewhat (and I trust him) that albeit the textbook says 16 passes and 100mm layer that, it simply isn't possible here to do it in the 100mm layer as the roller would bring the water through at that point and we need a thicker lower layer. Now that we are up a but and it's drying it should compact better. It's now pissing it down for the rest of the week and we can't do anything. However he has left me the roller over the weekend, so I can roll it to my hearts content which will make me very happy. Hopefully we get a couple of days dry at weekend and I can et that done, then they will be back Tuesday to hopefully get the last layer or two on and bring it all up to the correct level and then we can mark the ducts and drains and get them dug in to the stone. I was quite surprised at how not flat my flat looking plot was. Standing looking at it is quite deceiving, at one end of my 20m length footprint, I needed around 150mm stone, at the other end I will end up with 4-500mm stone which is quite remarkable. To the eye it's very deceiving. Having the laser there is great and helps make it all very easy. Lots of challenges, on site with weather and generally getting organised. Also the stone compaction and not having done it before definitely caused worry which unsettled me, simply I think because there's nobody else really to take the responsibility as ultimately it's for me to say what's ok and what's not. Having a major responsibility is not a daunting thing for me, I work at a high level in a business and directly responsible for managing and being the technical expert for very large value and complex equipment. However there's something about being in unfamiliar territory here and doing it for the first time with nobody to else to take the responsibility which is both exhilirating but also slighlty terrifying. It's like when you take your first foreign trip without your folks, or when your new born baby won't stop crying. It's a challenge and when you get through it, it's good. You just need to feel your way through and make as best decisions you can and rely on the people around you. I can say I am absolutely thoroughly enjoying myself. I have loved being out my home office (daughters nursery!) and being out and about on site. I cannot wait till get further ahead, the kit comes, which is planned for April now, and I can work up there every night in the spring and summer. The kit has been delayed somewhat due to messing around with L shaped combination skylight windows for a week, I can firmly say trying to get them figured out has been a PITA. Also, I had added the angled reveals at the top and bottom (which I may scrap tonight!) but that's another post for another day.... Lots of pictures as that's what blogs are about. Test holes sense having them dug below.

Persimmon are horrific. But so are most mainstream bottom of the tree house builders. Lots of Instagram horror shows. A real shame for the people who buy them unknowingly.

Protek will be back in the game in April witha much higher capacity for policies. Also you onmy need that warranty of you will remortgage within the ten years. If not..then absolutely don't bother.

Just to really liven this thread up.... Bolts that have the shank threaded are called set screws....???

Potentially you might be one of the people who have been supplied a system that just isn't set up and designed correctly. It would be worth providing more context as per @tonyshouse mentions to help everyone understand your 50 quid a week comment.

Well surely if you are trying to bridge a bigger temperature delta then you're working harder.

@Onoff looks good.

Come on pictures.....

Following this with interest. I'm planning a k rend silicone render. Have heard OK things about JUB render though.

I'm planning on getting the 400L gledhill or similar. I was planning on still getting the 8.5kW, but come closer to the time, I was going to run some calcs on reheat times for an 8.5 vs 11kW. I believe the 8.5kW is absolutely fine for the 300l tank. @Stones fitted an 8.5 witha 300l pre plumbed cylinder. You'll have read the same thing as me that I believe the COP is better when they aren't working hard hence in theory it should be fine. But I do wonder how much power an ASHP will use in the real world.

Right at this point it the moment with Fakro....what a joke. For reference for others though, easy to block on Fakro apparently but not possible on Velix I believe as vent is in the handle...thats what the sales guy told me anyways. ?

Pretty sure it was. It was from when I was building my budget I'm sure I picked that price up and stuck it in the spreadsheet. Here's hoping I overestimated there...??

I've had my mind set in an ecodan for some time. Was sure it's abiut 6k for a 8.5kW unit. But I may just rethink that as they are good units., but seems there might be good savings available with alternatives.

Some amount of light in there!

Was the boiler second hand?!

Where are you based? That will have an impact. Don't forget the flue is required. Plus the van, tools, insurance, experience .etc I just had my mums done by my best mate. It was 1450 fitted, for a 28kw Alpha ETEC including flue ( 2 actually as I messed one uo cutting it) and filter. That's was mates rates though would normally be £1800-2k, full days work.

Yep. 10mm seems to be the standard amount around here for MVHR.

These reveals have popped up on my radar tonight. Anyone done an angled reveal at the top on a sips kit? I have L combi type skylights, tops of windows 3m off the floor so wondering if it's actually required?

@Tin Soldier I'm undertaking this very task of planning at the moment to get the rooflights right. I have the same build up planned as you, I'd be interested to hear how you got on in the end? and also what you done with the rooflights if you have an update? I have combination L profiles in my design (Rooflights that link up with walls on the window, but planning the structural openings is a complete PITA.

I have been looking at this as it is £6k hire costs for me. I'd buy if I coukd but it is such a grey area over who signs it off and what is actually required. Also if you have a contractor on it who falls off. Thats a disaster. I'd caution the 4 weeks there seems a lot to be done in that short time...allow 8 and if the costs are OK go with a firm. I think I will allow 12 weeks, then once it is down I will get my own tower or kwik stage to do the other jobs myself at my leisure. Like cladding etc that I was going to do myself.

Good progress. I could be wrong as I've never done it. But for the vertical battening above the arch window I think there should be a gap to allow and water to free drain down the sides of the windows. Just now as the vertical battens are tight up against the window fire break if water gets in there it can't get out. Sure this is what my render supplier told me and what I'd read on here somewhere too. Worth double checking I think.

Only thing I woukd query is the need for a pump feeding the ASHP. What's the need for this? As it should have a pump in it? Also do you need that other expansion vessel above that pump? As no matter what you are connected to an expansion vessel at the buffer or UVC at all times. Edit: I'm only comparing this with hydraulics systems I design. I'm not stating having a pump is an issue. Id just like to know what it's for (apart from the obvious).