LSB

Thanks, The wall that fell over was the old one that had been there since the 1960's and was a farm building so we've no idea of the make up. We were supposed to use the old ones as a conversion just with a 2nd cavity wall. To be honest we weren't that disappointed as it meant it could be done to modern standards 🙂 It was rebuilt before anyone came and saw it so looks just like the old one. This was just to demonstrate the winds that we can have being at the top of a hill with no protection. Nothing like Scotland I don't expect though 🙂 I've no idea what mix we are using now, I'll ask when I see 'the builder' aka hubby.

I've still got lots to learn.

We've been discussing this and like everything with building we are hitting a catch 22 situation. There are 3 parallel walls with one end wall at the moment to the East (phase 2). Phase 3 is still with the old single skin walls and concrete which all needs to be broken out and dug down to the right level which is about 1m+ Then the founds need to be poured down to 'good' soil which may be 2.5m + due to some clay. Our concern is that the 3 walls that have been done could potentially, without being braced, be unstable until the other end is done. This is not ideal but was the only option with renovating and underpinning. So, snug / hall are complete with posi roof and temp covering. The South wall (bed 3 right), East wall are done and North wall is under construction. But we then need to underpin bed 4, pantry, utility and West family wall (yes it does have the kick back from the barn) We want to brace the North to middle wall and the middle wall to South wall, the roof joists will be resting on the middle wall. the distance North to middle is 5.4m and middle to South 4.2m It is single storey. South is 11 blocks and North is 14 blocks, so difference is 3 blocks (not 2) so should be okay for roof slope and draining. Snug / Hall have their own roof which is lower than the height of the North wall. The striped walls are solid and existing, the pink ones will be stud walls and could move. The posi joists are made to measure allowing for the slope so we aren't keen on ordering the full one until we know the exact measurements. We have it specified and quoted, but don't want to say go until we are sure. Phase 3 (utility / family / pantry / bed 4) won't be built until spring / summer 2027 hence why we don't want to leave the other walls swaying in the wind until then. This phase 3 still has the existing roof which we use to protect saws, excavator, dumper etc so ideally we have the temp roof on master / office to protect from the rain. This is our catch 22 , without finishing we can't measure accurately, so we might have to pay for sacrificial joists just to brace the 3 walls, but that is expensive. Our site is windy and we did lose part of the North wall when it was 5 blocks high between some of the external doors in a gale last winter so we are not just panicking for nothing. It had not got to the stage of being braced, but the door wooden frames were in situ, but not to lintel level. Maybe this explains a bit more. Our BC and architect were all for knock down and build from scratch, but after spending over 4k on planning to do this (on top of already having spent 6k+ to get conversion planning) we gave up. The reason for refusal was that it was a new build in the countryside, even though we had planning to convert the barn. I understand that now it would be easier, but that ship has sailed. So, I hope this explains our predicament a bit more. i know that if we had contract builders it wouldn't be such as issue as it would be quicker, but as DIY these walls need to stand for another winter. So, suggestions greatly received. Thanks for all your comments so far.

I would like MVHR or similar, my hubby gets terrible hay fever and wants filtered air in the summer and doesn't want me to open the windows. the build will also be air tight so I don't want stuffy. But, what system we have is yet to be decided. The advantage with DIY is you are slow and have time, but there are so many considerations to everything.

Solar is in the planning, but very contradictory, just really just says that it should look like it did before, which it can't as none before. They also want ASHP, MVHR, rainwater harvesting etc and 2 EV chargers. Basically, none of the existing barn exists due to very shallow founds which we replaced and walls converted from single skin to cavity. Planning guy came round one day and said fine, carry on. BC is just concerned with the BC bits and architect has lost interest. That said, it does look like it did before, blocks with openings. It won't as we are having render and cladding, all approved. I think the planning just didn't want anything bigger or higher. Most of the current roof has been removed and the rest will in due course.

I will tell hubby this, but he probably won't agree 🙂 This is what we did on the small roof, the posi joists are in place with temp sheets.

Planning stipulates metal, to be replace like for like, although we won't be using the old tin shed look, but maybe profile steel. I had some quotes and they were scary so we might have to DIY. One company wanted 40k just for the roof, no solar and no batteries!!!!

This is the span, the width of this phase is 13m, the total width will be 24m. There are 2 spans as the middle wall will be the end of one bit of roof joist and the start of the other one, but the roofing sheets will be continuous, if we have enough long ones left from the barn, if not then overlapped. Low and wide.

Thanks @saveasteading having looked again, put some string lines from bottom to top we can get 5 degrees maybe even 6 with some consideration on wall plate thickness. So, pretty flat, we look over fields and are pretty rural and the neighbours are only interested in how we are progressing, I suspect that we could put tilted solar and no one would comment. They know our planning includes the 'new stuff' as they call it. But, our planning also stipulates a metal roof so I need to understand the weight of solar on this as it's a large span. I've not yet even got a definitive answer as to how many panels I need. I've spoken to a couple of local supplies and they are not interested, I suspect too complicated for them and they all deal with retrofit and not new builds. Thanks for everyones assistance in this.

Better picture of the roof being replaced. Apart from it becoming one roof our planning only allows this height so we can't raise the higher side for angle or reduce the lower side as limited head room inside.

WE are vey slow building, think Pocster 🙂 So, although temp for storage realistically it needs to last probably 2 year. this shows how the roof was done previously when built in the 60's. We will be using the same roofing sheets, but the wood is pretty much knackered. We just want to replicate this as cheaply as possible for dry storage, the roof material is very light as just rain cover. This is all held together with joist hangers but we were hoping to do wall plates and joists. The issue is that roof one (not there in this picture) is 4.2m including the walls and roof 2 is 5.4m. For what we need we are happy to 'join' joists to make the spans from 3.6m sections, but that means for the phase we are doing we will need 64 joists plus wall plates which potentially might not survive being left for years. Phase 3, which is the bit you can see until the blue barrel behind the wheelbarrow will not have a temp roof. Once that is finished then the whole lot will be done properly with the posi-joists.

This is replacing the previous barn roof which was in situ since built in the 60's. That was metal and drained fine, albeit lots of water when it rains due to the size. Very much flat. It is being replaced with one roof covering both sections seen below. In this picture we have already removed gutters and part of the lower roof. It won't be this profile of sheets. It is facing south so I was hoping to put solar on top. the dead trees are long gone so nothing to stop light. Picture taken from other end, but this is what it looks like now.

It's probably me getting confused. I took what I was told by roofing bod, but maybe I misunderstood. Back to algebra to work it out properly.

I appreciate it's easier to mount, but I don't want to pay for a huge metal roof to promptly cover it up with panels. We are very limited to our planning, the difference in height between low and high is 2 blocks high so 430mm. Needless to say the planning and SE just specify solar without any details about mounting etc.

Our DIY new build has a flat roof (12 degrees). This is huge at 24m * 9m and will be metal. It's a barn conversion so we are limited to this design. I'm being told that you can't have in-roof solar on flat roofs, is that really the case or have I just not found the right supplier. Our planning does not allow us to go any higher than the top roof height, but also says we must have solar and we don't have space for ground mounted. The roof is pointing south with nothing stopping the sun so is an idea location. I don't want to cover the whole roof due to the size. Thanks

We are DIY Self building in 3 phases, over many years. Phase 1 walls are finished with a temp roof, made from the old barn roofing sheets with the final posi joists as this is a separate roof. We are now looking at doing the same for phase 2, but we don't want the final posi-joists as the whole roof needs to be done in one hit. Does anyone know a good place to get 4*2 timber for joists that will ultimately become firewood. they do need to be long long, one side is 4m and the other side 6m. I will need about 25 of each length. These are partly to brace the walls until we are ready for whole roof and partly to allow us to store equipment which is currently in another part of the barn. Any suggestions greatly received. TIA Jill

What is going on top of the pour, we had 3 at some points like you, but our pour is 200 with insulation and screed on top. So, if the concrete is a bit thin at points then it will be well covered.

Alan, can I come and see how your cladding is fitted for when we eventually get to that stage. J & D

building walls, but at least I can't see over them now. I would love to meet up. I nearly came to yours Geoff last week when I was in Woody, but ran out of time. I had a lovely visit to Alans, very envious of everyones progress

Well done G & J, you can come to our meet ups now 🙂

Our current council tax is band C because the house was a small farmers cottage when we purchased in 2000. That said we are rural so have zero facilities offered to townies But, we are converting a barn on the same site which will probably be worth less than the host house in selling value but it's unlikely to be in the same CT band. Does anyone know, do houses get revalued when they are sold.

We cover the cavities because we put the insulation sheets in every 4 rows and don't want them to get soaked.

I seem to use this blog to complain all the time about what goes wrong. And yet, it happened again. The weather was improving so it should have been full steam ahead, but as DIY builders life gets in the way. This time I became ill, my gall bladder exploded, started on a Saturday afternoon an by the following Thursday nothing had been improved. Turns out ambulances only come out for heart attacks so we had to make our own way to the hospital. Then the queue was 7 hours, albeit was a morphine drip. It took weeks to get tests and each time we had the 50 mile trip home as I wasn't unwell enough to stay in, not that I wanted to. 4 weeks this carried out, doctors, hospitals, tests and no building. Pain unbearable, acid from throat to bladder burning its way through. Thankfully the pain has subsided, but not because of any treatment which I still haven't had. I'm on waiting lists, whatever that means, and a very limited diet. The diet, fish, chicken breast and rice does work, but I'm stuck with NO sugar, NO fat, NO diary, NO salt so pretty bland. If you ever wish to lose a lot of weight very quickly then this is the diet for you. Anyway, back to the build. Progress is steady with some real milestones. From this To this, complete with lintels Internal temporary door frames The North wall from to So, compare with most of the builds on here not much progress. But, considering everything that's happened then we are pleased. Maybe by next time we will finish with these walls and can think about a temporary roof.

The one in Benhall Aldeburgh are metal Brothers who don't get on 🙂

Peggs can do this, they have cut lots for us, assuming that you can move it.