Thorfun

I would suggest leaving your architect on good terms so they can be there down the line if you need to ask questions or get support. This is what we did with our architects and it was something they were happy with. they got us through planning and BC drawings and then let us get on with it. but they're at the end of a phone/email to discuss ideas or ask question etc and we have a really good relationship with them. I send them updated photos of the build and invite them to site to just look around without asking them questions so that they maintain an interest in how it's going. seems to be working for us really well. I would get rid of the QS though! once you have their figures on what things 'should' cost you can go out to tender on your own and will have an idea if the builders/subbies are trying it on or not. we used an online QS which gave me a ball park figure and was good enough for the bank to get a mortgage with. I then went to various groundworkers about building our basement and foundations. spoke to timber frame companies about building the timber frame. window companies for the windows. chose the best quotes/people I'd most like to work with (as that bit is very important if you're project managing!) and got on with it. that got the superstructure up and I then found subbies to do bits and pieces as we require them. I'm finding it quite stressful but also very enjoyable at the same time. yes, it's slower than using a main contractor but I'm learning loads, putting in the graft on site to save money and getting the satisfaction of actually self-building rather than calling it self-building and handing it over to someone to build a house. 🙂 with a job that requires a couple of days a month I would be all over self-building/project managing/getting involved. it's a great learning experience. but, I also agree with @Iceverge and, after spending months insulating and airtightness-ing it might've been worth while getting a TF company to do all of that. I'm sure we've saved a LOT of money (I'm thinking at least £10k and will calculate it once I'm done) but we'd be many many months further on in the build and a lot closer to moving in. I couldn't afford the basement AND the MBC passive twin-wall house so chose to have the basement and do a standard open-panel TF and insulating ourselves in the end. I love our basement space and once it's actually finished it will be amazing! but, I have a slight regret over having it and life would've been a lot easier and quicker to build if I'd gone the MBC passive route. but then where would my cinema, music room and gym have gone! 😂 I also agree with @Nickfromwales in that you should just crack on. find a groundworker to do your foundations as designed by the structural engineer and while that is happening you can find a builder to build the shell and a joiner to do the roof etc. once you get the ball rolling it's not as daunting as it first seems. it's taking the first step on a new and unknown journey that's the killer. JFDI!

I learnt from the master

thanks. no progress in the basement except that one of the rooms is now a store room for stuff that doesn't fit in the existing house! there's been progress above ground but I'll save that for another blog post. 😉

this is true. we paid approx £1000/kWp for our MCS installation not too long ago and I think that the prices have gone up since then. still, using your maths above even at £1000/kWp I still think it makes financial sense, especially when the panels I bought have a 25yr warranty. so even if I get 20 years out of them with the SEG it's looking good!

and adding in the paltry £0.05 SEG for the exported electricity brings it down to £0.155/kWh. (assuming my maths is correct!) 🙂

we're you so happy with how they came out you ended up dancing on the ceiling?

I really like the way our house looks with the blinds down. but I am a bit biased!

cor...they're lovely! we went for standard Venetians so we can use them for privacy as well. negates the need for internal curtains/blinds.

our house isn't finished yet and we have no ventilation apart from where I've yet to membrane and tape! but we're already seeing the benefits of our external blinds. earlier this week with all the blinds open it got to 31° while working on the FF. I went around and closed the blinds and angled them to allow light in but not sun left windows open over night and the next day we closed the windows and, even though some openings in the house were open as we were working and going in and out, that same room only got to 27°. once we can completely airtight the house and get the MVHR working I've no doubt that the external blinds will do a 'blinding' job of keeping temperatures down.

90mm ring nails for our 2x2 battens and counter battens for timber cladding. they're not going anywhere!

yeah, it is, but it's not THAT flexible. anyway, I was just being silly, it's trivial to cut a chunk out of the mineral to allow the timbers through. just wish I'd thought of it myself before I started.

that's actually a very good idea! where were you when I started the job this morning. 😂 would save me doing 55° cuts. but would mean I'd have to cut the insulation around the pieces.

I think I know what you mean and I tried something like that and managed to cut one end at 55° but then couldn't do the other end as I'd have to cut to length and then cut the angle as the wood wouldn't feed through to the other end. the skill saw is a pain but it's working so will do for now.

thanks. the angle cuts are a bit of a pain as it's 55° and I've not got a chop saw that does those angles, so I'm measuring and cutting with a circular saw. it's not perfect but it's pretty darn close! that's a good idea. I just happen to have a bottle of Gorilla wood glue lying around waiting to be used. 🙂

thanks. will do just that and then will probably add another nail or two for good luck. 🙂 I was thinking of swinging off each one but it's about 3.5m to the ground so quite a long way down!

cheers. was hoping to not have to purchase more timber! got a load of 2x2 left over from the cladding battening. if folk on here say that 2x2 isn't enough then I'll get some 4x2. how about 2x2 with nails, screws AND some of these https://www.toolstation.com/tooth-plate-connector/p44246?

or is there a better way to fix these battens that will be stronger?

I am adding 2" x 2" battens across a vaulted ceiling to 'box in' the steel as shown in the photos below: I will be attaching 100mm PIR below these battens and then AVCL, service cavity and plasterboard. I will also be filling the void above the battens with off-cuts of mineral wool, so there will be quite a weight down on them. so, will ring nails be strong enough or should I screw the battens? or should I just belt and braces it and do both?

if you're worried then I would consult a structural engineer to perform the calculations for you. even if it costs £500 surely that's worth the peace of mind?

honestly don't know. I did look at that membrane and I know others on here have used Gerband tapes and membranes. in the end I decided that, for the small uplift and tiny percentage of the total build cost, I didn't want to risk it and bought the Intello Plus membrane. my decision was not based on anything but gut feeling though.

Super expensive Intello Plus for me but I’m a sucker for marketing! 😂 figured I only want to do this once so why skimp in the fabric of the building. do a search on here, there are many threads on the subject.

that sounds very promising indeed and good research! 🙂

indeed and the solution I've gone with albeit not Pylontech. I got these (which are similar to the Pylontech ones) with a Squirrel Pod (I've posted on other threads about my solution but I've added the info here for reference) Greenlinx.pdf.pdf

when you're investigating bamboo for external use check with your chippie as ours said he'd fitted it before and it was really soft and warped/twisted easily.

me too (given up on Powerwall that is) and I have my Squirrel Pod and 6.4kWh batteries in the garage waiting to be installed. I just thought that someone might be interested in the news.