Thorfun

we have bought, but yet to fit, our RWH tank (5000l) from rainwaterharvesting.co.uk. we got the gravity fed system so we will have a header tank in the loft for flushing the toilets which means that the pump isn't running every time a loo is flushed but once when the header tank is empty. we also didn't do it for any kind of financial reason and couldn't give 2 hoots about ROI. we want to reduce our reliance and impact on the drinking water supplies and also don't like the idea of sending drinking water to waste down the toilet. if you want to do it then I say go for it. ignore the nay-sayers about ROI and costs etc and just do what you feel is the right thing to do. 😇

I'll let you know once the house is finished and we've moved in.

We had a 50mm cement based liquid screed (Cemfloor). I believe sand and cement needs to be 75mm min so you’d gain an extra 25 mm insulation and no laitance by using Cemfloor.

Loxone with a KNX extension for your switches?

not an interior designer as my wife has very good ideas about how she wants the house to look but we used a lighting designer as we feel that lighting is a very important factor in a 'beautiful' home. we put together a mood board of the sort of interior design we were looking at and she came up with a brilliant lighting scheme. was about £70/hr iirc but we think it was money well spent.

for us it wasn't but we had a insulated slab designed by TSD. if you're not happy with BB then get a second opinion, but it will cost you. I can recommend TSD if you want to go the insulated slab route, they were brilliant for us. or, just listen to @nod and @Russell griffiths who both know what they're talking about and stick with the block and beam! as they've said you can still build a warm, cold bridge free, airtight house with block and beam.

you could be waiting a while! 😉 I do have a blog post to write about our UFH pipes and screed in the basement so that will be coming at some point soon.

cheers @nod. will get the disc cutter out next week then. 😉

I had a liquid screed in the basement on top of our insulated slab and decided it was actually cheaper to lay 25mm PIR and staple the UFH pipes to that rather than pay for a deeper screed and a.n.other form of fixing the UFH pipes down.

I think I know the answer to this one and logic tells me I'm right but do I cut out the coursing blocks between the internal doorways/openings where the sole plate was cut out? I'm going to have to run UFH pipes so I'll need to cut holes for them and also lay insulation for the UFH pipes to staple to and then get a liquid screed in. so my head and logic is saying to cut those blocks out. just thought I'd check with the collective before I do something stupid.

well....no one shouted that this was a bad idea so I've gone and done it. water flows and falls through the new pipes nicely. another job ticked off the list!

interest to know why you used egg crate rather than staples in the first place if it's on PIR? they're a lot cheaper and not hard to fit. myself and my wife did ours in the basement and was actually quite enjoyable! 🙂

our liquid screeder said the egg crate type system for ufh pipes is notorious for pipes lifting up. I would suggest that those pipes will be lifted up with the screed and would need to be held down somehow.

this is an interesting thread for me as I'll be thinking about this soon. Our Zehnder MVHR has an automatic boost when it detects an increase in humidity so having the controller near the bathrooms doesn't make sense for us. I guess every situation is different and I'm leaning towards near the kitchen for boosting when cooking.

good luck! sounds like a project and a half. although I have to agree with @Iceverge and seriously consider knock down and rebuild. even as self-employed you should be able to get a selfbuild mortgage. People on here have had success with Ecology. worth investigating I'd say. then at least if they say no you know for sure!

yeah. looked at it, loved it, then discounted it due to cost! the zinc we're going for is expensive enough for us. 😉

yeah, that's what I've heard. especially with the deep metal guttering I'm looking at. I've read some manufacturers for this guttering are suggesting a 1:600 fall so that's 3mm over 1m which is nothing really.

yeah. cheers. we're looking at 125mm wide gutters with a deep profile. the timber cladding that the gutters will be fixed to are about 70mm from the edge of the slates: so I'm currently chatting with the guttering supplier to ensure that the fascia brackets allow the guttering to protrude sufficiently to do as you say.

in our research for windows we found that triple glazing was around 15% more expensive than double so if their prices are 50% more then I would suggest shopping around. sounds like they're taking those wanting triple glazing for a ride.

thanks. it did indeed seem logical to me but sometimes it's best to ask before jumping in! 🙂

next question on guttering......the fall.... I have a roof with downpipes at either end. do I lay to fall from the middle of the roof so the water runs evenly to each end or do you start at one end and run to fall to the other end. e.g. or

I'm using Protek for our warranty and haven't had any issues at all with the BCO appointed by JHAI who Protek subcontract to. She's very nice and supportive, is open to discussions about possibilities and options and attends within a couple of days of asking if required. sorry to hear that so many have issues with Buildzone.

see....I said more knowledgable folk would be along soon.

if it's the same price then it seems logical to get triple glazing! there might be some considerations that other more knowledgable folk will be able to tell you about though but if the window supplier says it's fine to put in triple glazing and they're willing to warranty it then I'd say go for it!

welcome. don't be afraid to start your own introduction thread where you can give details about your project. 🙂