jen and mark

Photos!

Hi! We had our windows passed by BC before we fitted them but we then changed our mind for the internal walls. We now have a screen instead of a wall through from our hall to our open plan lounge kitchen diner. This now causes a problem for our bedrooms opening onto the hall ( potential smoke issue) so BC now want the ensuite windows to open for fire escape. The size is pretty tight - 1070 x 570 but he is happy for us to just change the hinges so the window opens fully. The problem we have is that they are top hung and cannot find any top hung fire escape hinges - I have phoned may hinge supplying websites! Does anyone have a 'bespoke' work around on this? I am loath to buy more windows!!!!

I am using an external junction box as the wiring centres are tight and I wondered if it is ok to use a common Live and Neutral to the room stats, taken from a zone output, linked in my junction box and just take a Switched live back to each zone??

At the moment, we do not have a battery pack and have not received the agreement back from the DNO (we applied in September!) so cannot get any SEG payments. I thought the emlite ECA2 was the export meter? As I say, I am lost as I have little knowledge on Solar. I just dont like seeing a red warning light!

I think it is - the Solis is showing up to 1KW being generated (thats the maximum we've had on a sunny day for our 4.86 KW array) and the emlite meter is showing the total generation but nothing is being shown as exported to the grid. Its been installed since November 3rd

Hi guys, We have just had our solar installed in our barn conversion. We are still building and living in our caravan on site but thought we would like to get the benefit of the solar while we work. We are working through our first fix electrics and have no internet in the barn as yet (not sure if that is what the Comm relates to) though we do have our main electric supply in there which then goes out to the caravan. I am a real noob when it comes to solar but our Solis invertor has the above fault showing. I contacted the installer who said dont worry about it, but I dislike red alarm lights and feel this cant be right. Any advice would be appreciated!

Could you use Contract Matt Emulsion? Its half the price!

When dry, what do you recommend for sealing the PB prior to painting? mist coat? PVA? expensive primer?

Cheers @nod. Just to confirm - Gyproc joint filler for the tape then 2 coats of Gyproc joint cement instead of 2 coats of Gyproc easi fill 60. Is Gyproc a better finish - Knauf Premium Joint Cement seems much cheaper, but is it any good?

Hi guys, Could anyone recommend a good taping and filling product for plasterboard? I was thinking of using Gyproc joint filler and Gyproc Easi-Fill 60 however the knauf joint filler is half the price! Any hints and tips would be gratefully received!

Hi guys, Could anyone recommend a good taping and filling product for plasterboard? I was thinking of using Gyproc joint filler and Gyproc Easi-Fill 60 however the knauf joint filler is half the price! Any hints and tips would be gratefully received!

Really late reply and probably way past your son-in-laws birthday! I think you are thinking of The Housebuilder's Bible 14: 14th Edition Paperback – 12 July 2021 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Housebuilders-Bible-14-14th/dp/1916016812 I have found this a general basic guide in easy read terms by Mark Brinkley. Not much on Barn conversions but does give food for thought for someone starting out on the self build venture 😃

No planning conditions for our class Q - apart from Bat mitigation. Haven't spoke to BC yet but plan on asking him what he would like to see. No. Just a main valley gutter on an old clay pipe 75m to pond between the 2 steel barns. No guttering at all on the eaves that I could see! Your traditional square/round modern house soakaway pits are only suitable up to 100m2 See BR Section H 3.26 Soakaways for areas less than 100m² are generally formed from square or circular pits, filled with rubble or lined with dry-jointed masonry or perforated ring units. Soakaways serving larger areas are generally lined pits or trench type soakaways. Our roof is much bigger than this so would rather land drain to pond and have a nice feature for the wild life 😃 The Regs for England state: Soakaways and other infiltration drainage systems 3.23 Infiltration devices include soakaways, swales, infiltration basins and filter drains...... So I dont think he would object - who knows?!?! - Would I catagorise our pond as an infiltration basin? Could do with some ideas on how to build the thing 🤪🤪🤣

Didn’t know that - thanks

Looking for a bit of info and any tips from those who have built a detention pond. Originally we had planned for 2 soakaways however because our roof is so large (not sure exactly how big - double steel barn with total floor area of 366m2) these would have to be massive. We have an existing pond on our field about 75m from our steel barn conversion. I think the original roof discharged into this alongside the other field drainage pipes. It has now run dry (due to lack of rain and the barn roof no longer connected to it) so we thought we could extend the pond and half pond line it (so it wouldn't run dry). We would then build up the sides to allow slow release. We have a straight run from the barn and the field is sloping towards the pond. The ground is clay. We are going to use 100m solid twin walled drainage pipe from the gutters at the barn and then straight to the pond. How deep should the land drain be? Does it need bedding in gravel as with foul? What gradient? - I have read 1 in 100 - does it matter if it is more like 1 in 30? Do we need it to be roddable at any distance across the field? Happy for any advice!

Timber frame is definitely the best way to go - built on site is easy and cheaper than buying panels - lots of good videos on You Tube!

Cant see why it would be a problem to leave the blocks with no DPC if the wall is structurally sound. I would continue the DPM all up the wall and tape all joints - cheap fix and would do the job.

Sorry just seen this - finally finished the screeding 😫🤪. We have dropped ceilings (8ft high)) running through our study, pantry, utility, bathroom 2 so that covers roughly north to south. Others are going through central double studded wall and the remainder (mainly in spare bedroom across to back door) will be boxed in or left open - yet to decide. This provides ducts to all rooms. Really glad we went for properly designed plans for this (including commissioning). We went for spiral steel ducting in the end so we could leave on show. Now it has all arrived I am not too sure where to begin! 😂 With regard to the insulation - we encased the 4ft concrete walls alongside the steels both inside and out so they are sandwiched in the middle if that makes sense (Slightly more on the inside due to class Q restraints). The roof is full external insulation. It was the best we could come up after many nights head scratching and asking for ideas through the forum!

Cheers @daunker not to everybody's taste but we do have the option to plasterboard at a later date when we have more money - everything has doubled in price since we originally costed it out in Nov 2020! These things are something we can do anytime (though disruptive and messy). The main money has gone in the fabric of the build! We had to think hard about the insulation, thermal bridging and condensation (and class Q restrictions) so we wrapped the external stanchions in sprayed on closed cell insulation with a small amount of exterior insulation over the complete outside shell and the remainder inside. The roof provides full exterior insulation so the rafters are inside. The inside stanchions will also be fully 'wrapped' in foam and insulation apart from 1 which will remain open. We will always have an issue with thermal breaks from the stanchions in the ground but as had plenty of head room, we built the floor up with plenty of insulation! We got the idea from @IanR - see previous post that has some good photos of what he had done with his build. Hope this helps - we found it one of the most head scratching times in designing the barn as we have no architect. Everyone was telling us we would have condensation issues with no thermal breaks but our structural engineer and building inspector said that this would be very unlikely given what we have done and with the UFH and MVHR system - time will tell! What I have found is that compromise is the name of the game and as we hope to never leave, we are doing the best we can with the money we have - we are completely doing the work ourselves. Prior to this, we lived in an self build house built in 1963 so this has to be better! We are currently on ECP of B - 85 so are hopeful our blower door test will bring this down even further!

Sorry it’s a bit dark!

Forgot to say ... we have not had a blower test yet but the panels where well sealed as they were installed. Sound is a lot less than a poly carbonate conservatory roof when it rains which was a worry of mine 🤣

We went for QuadCore KS1000RW Roof Panels thickness 137mm to give a u value 0.13W/m.K. https://www.kingspan.com/gb/en-gb/products/insulated-panel-systems/insulated-roof-panels/quadcore-ks1000rw-roof-panel This is our final finish - no plasterboard or additional insulation. We love it and it gives a nod to the industrial/agricultural steel barn that it used to be! Although the panels are not cheap it has saved us money on plastering! I will try and post a photo tomorrow so you can see!

I ask these questions after reading this https://www.buildenergy.co.uk/tips-and-insight/thermal-bridging-explained/ and this https://www.buildenergy.co.uk/tips-and-insight/tfee/

Cheers - but.... I want to increase our EPC (currently B 85) and I thought the best way (as we have maxed out on solar, EC Charger, ASHP, UFH etc) is to enter PSI values for thermal breaks and to have an airtightness test - which, as a conversion do not have to have. As I am not an architect, could I still use the ACDs to show how we have mitigated the thermal breaks or do you have to hold the necessary qualifications? - it does say site manager can sign off.