Glenn

Hello, I am loath to believe that a registered architect would produce such a layout that ignored circulation, sun tracking, and practicalities like waste management. My own experience (small barn conversion) was the opposite - I was presented with multiple concepts based on the brief I provided the architects (brief was about feelings, not features) and each one blew me away. It was the process of rationalising your one that added value. In a similar vein, ETC kindly shared a sketch idea. Yes completely different, but great input into the mix, and some really interesting ideas.But no worries, trying some specifics for you to consider. circulation as others have pointed out, shopping from front door to pantry. easy to resolve by splitting the kitchen wall bench for a gap into pantry. choke point at foot of stairs with the boot room. Accessing snug past some hall doors in the way. Loads more. water and waste management: bathrooms in all 4 quadrants. The guest en-suite and family bathroom could easily be back to back. The downstairs WC could be on other side of hall to share with utility and plant room, or upstairs master en-suite moved fenestration: a biggie. One window between 3 upstairs bathrooms. Tiny bedroom windows. Lounge window covered by sofa. I’ve admittedly no idea why any of the windows are placed where they are. Do they frame views? Joy and drama and feelings and fun: all that space, but how does it feel? What do you want to feel when sitting in the lounge? What is going to be the drama of the double height - eg floor to vaulted ceiling bookcase with a wide corridor above for a library space (the bedrooms can give up some space). Definitely a wider corridor, for that luxurious feel. If you moved the guest en-suite you could then have a hatch in the bedroom where they could look down (and order coffee etc…) again, i am sorry for being so harsh. But you are going to put so much of yourself into this build. It’s more than just a roof over your family’s head

Sorry for late feedback. First of all, many congrats on securing what looks like an exciting project! You will have great fun building it. but I think everyone is being too polite, so I will be less so. Please please please get some architectural input. I see no joy in this design, only a high risk of a huge amount of effort and time put into something that will end up being an echoey soulless box. You have a huge amount of space to use, have fun with it! You will be amazed at what a good architect can do to produce something ‘wow’. Let alone resolve the plumbing challenges of wages and water in all four quadrants and all the circulation challenges like I say, being brutal for effect. You’re quite within your rights to say “p..s off” in return

Mandatory upstairs heating a really interesting one. For my (admittedly very small) house but well insulated and airtight house I had estimate/quotes from 3 suppliers. One did mention they wouldn't proceed without installing heat upstairs, the one I went with (and who processed the grant) was happy to go with heat calcs based on ground floor UFH only.

Is this a self-build house or an extension? Assuming the former, you can get the grant before you complete the build. Grant rules specifically include self-build houses Regards Glenn

I've been able to expose the beams on my small house no problem at all - size did go up a bit (per comments above) so that protection is about char rates, but not excessively - certainly not a doubling. I wanted exposed beams for a feeling of height and for character (even though they are painted) - both would have been lost if I boxed them in. In terms of sound transmission it's a bit of a moot point - there's a dirty great double height void in the lunge/dining area with open mezzanine and a stairwell. It's been about reducing impact noise not airborne Regards Glenn

Reinforcing what others have already said - when I think about it the keys to me surviving/thriving on site in temporary accommodation, with sanity mostly intact: a) Separate storage space. Whether it be a shed or garage or another static b) Warmth and dryness. Wood burning stove in my case c) Tolerance. Not just of cramped conditions and a compost loo. That comes down to a shared dream or goal that all are involved in - not just tolerating your own dream to build Regards Glenn

Hitting the news https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ditch-barmy-windows-rule-that-makes-new-homes-darker-ministers-urged-w8mld79j5

Thanks you, truly appreciated. I in turn will endeavour to be less prickly (and more precise in my language)

Casual language equals bragging? Wow. Maybe I will stick to enjoying this forum (which I have learnt so much from) as a silent participant. Offering opinions and common experience seems a little fraught. (BTW, no mention of 4m pours)

Sorry not to have sought your opinion before using my own experience (and the input of others, including the SE) to make what was at the time a rational, not risky decision. All I was flagging up was the 1m pour at a time seems to me to be the default for everything, whether it be an 18thC barn sitting on brick dwarf walls or a 20thC redundant agricultural building. SEs naturally need to cover themselves, it's their reputation and livelihood on the line.

As someone pointed out higher in the thread, I like many others started out as Class Q and moved to full planning for more flexibility. OTOH, my build has some similarities in that it was a timber frame on top of a very thick slab with no foundation (1977 fruit cold store, thick slab for forklifts and apple crates). Some learnings for me: 1. SE mandated underpinning based on soil (clay) and trees close by. Your local condition may vary 2. The SE specified the usual 'Pour 1m of underpinning at a time, joining rods between sections poured'. I thought blow that, it's a thick slab with a light and stable timber structure sitting on it. Luckily ground workers agreed after pouring an exploratory corner and it was completed in about 4 pours 3. The groundwork crew had a 'double bucket' on the digger which minimised the amount of manual digging out (and hence cost) under the slab perimeter Regards Glenn

Much as I'd like to recommend them, as they travel from 'North Kent' down to me I know thy wo't want to go further sorry. Langton Green lovely though Regards Glenn

Hello and welcome! Couple of immediate thoughts/queries - Whereabouts in Kent? I'm south of Maidstone and would happily recommend a builder and other trades if local - Speaking from personal experience, converting my Class Q into full building permission gave me more flexibility with overall dimensions. My friend and neighbour took it once stage further and was able to knock his concrete frame down and replace with timber frame. Would your build more economical to start anew as opposed to accommodate existing structure? Regards Glenn

Thank you all, brilliant assistance as always! Will wave around the relevant sections of the document linked to by Nick Thomas For general info, 5kw ashp and 180l tank, 50l ufh buffer, all plumbing and commissioning etc, £8.8k ie £3.8k net Regards Glenn

Hello, sorry if this has been addressed elsewhere but a search defeated me. Installation of an ASHP (and HWC etc) in a new build. What is the timing of the £5k grant? Can the installer apply at time of installation (me as self-builder having provided evidence of no extra insulation needs etc by way of SAP/as-designed EPC), or do I need to pay full price and only (via the installer) receive a refund on build completion and registration of as-built EPC? The latter seems to go against the spirit of the exception kindly given us self-builders for our new builds, but it is what my installer is saying is the process. Regards Glenn

Thank you Nick! That is reassuring - thought I was overthinking it. I spent more of my time coming up with the best pipe layout around the house, most efficient manifold position etc - I should have prioritised a little better on how to best fit in these dirty great 125mm ducts to and from the actual MVHR unit... Regards Glenn

Install wisdom needed please as I certainly lack it... I have seen recommendations to have a fall on eg the pipe from the MVHR unit exhausting the air to the outside, but do I need to consider a 'fall' for the pipe delivering air from kitchen and bathrooms (ie warm and moist) into the unit? In case of condensation in the pipe? Or am I overthinking this and the moisture will stay as vapour until it hits the actual heat exchanger. Reason for asking is that I have only a small tight space in which to install the unit, along with HWC, UFH reservoir etc. Proving to be a 3D challenge... Regards Glenn

Plus another one. For my temporary accommodation in self build site I converted a farm shed with uneven concrete slab. Dpm, sand strategically placed to stop the 100mm butted insulation boards from rocking, then a raft of 2 layers criscrossed of 12mm construction ply screwed together, floating on the insulation boards. Solid.

This writer has an open friendly style about hearths. Quite accessible https://www.stovefitterswarehouse.co.uk/pages/hearth-regulations

Continal will do 100mm spacing, but I think with on!y 12mm pipe. Which could be similar output as 16mm on 150mm spacing Regards Glenn

Many thanks all for your thoughts. Just to clarify: yes by EWI I meant a layer of insulation sitting on top of the osb. Yes Siga did the condensation calculations for the vapour barrier to be where it is. No I’m not using the wood wool board for insulation, nor is it a cowshed will see what’s possible with angled fixing Regards Glenn

Feeling rather uninspired, hoping for some group thinking... I have a vaulted ceiling with 150mm depth joists on 400mms centres, with OSB on top of the joists supporting EWI and roofing. I'd like to keep the beam-like look of the joists after fitting the internal 70mm insulation, and have landed on wood wool panels fixed between the joists. These should help with acoustics and fit in with the general rustic cabin feel of the building. The challenge is keeping enough of the joists' depth exposed. The panels are 12\15mm, that only leaves say 65mm to play with. the easiest fixing would be to just run battons along the joists below the insu!ation. But how could I fix the 600x1200 wood wool boards in a way that keeps that 65mm? I'm trying to avoid extra work by e.g. Rebating battons into the insulation layer (Also, am I stupid for using wood wool panels in this way. Is there a better alternative) Regards Glenn

Thank you! That is indeed an unexpected bonus. Will try again to understand VAT431C. Regards Glenn

My apologies to all in advance. I suspect I am going to look like an idiot asking this but.... I am doing a self build conversion of a farm building: 1. Category 1. Most costs via builder or groundworks. I have been correctly charged 5% for supply of services and material from both . All good 2. Category 2. Some material costs at full VAT (purchase by me). All good Thinking ahead to that lovely time when I submit a VAT refund claim. For the above: a. Can I claim the remaining 5% of VAT on invoices paid under Category 1, or remain grateful with with 15% bonus? I have been assuming the latter b. Can I claim the full 20% of VAT under costs incurred in Category 2, or 15%? Again I've been assuming the latter I'm sure you'll all agree these questions justify the topic title, but I have gone round in circles with the ambiguous language in online articles etc. Thinking maybe, just maybe.... Regards Glenn

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