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Stones

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  1. Stones
    It's been a couple of months since my last update, during which time we have (almost) finished work and moved in.  In this entry I'm going to talk about the joinery work.
     
    As readers may recall, our UFH was switched on 2 weeks before Christmas, which meant there was very little activity on site until the builders came back after their Christmas fortnight.  
     
    The joiners were first back, and got to work straight away laying around 105m2 of engineered oak flooring in the main living area, hall, bedrooms and upstairs study.  We opted to fully bond the floor to our concrete slab on the ground floor, and went with a simple floated floor in the upstairs study.
     
    We sourced our flooring from:
     
    https://www.luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk/150mm-oiled-engineered-european-oak-wood-flooring-14-3mm-thick.html
     
    having gone through a fairly extensive process of obtaining samples from various suppliers and matching the finish to the Osmo Oil used on our skirtings and facings. The flooring has an understated Matt finish and came in random lengths. Having heard reports of random length being code for very short lengths, I was pleasantly surprised to find a good mix of short, medium and long lengths in each pack, each pack having virtually identical contents.
     
    Our flooring adhesive was supplied by the same company - Thomsit (now Ceresit) P618 Parquet flooring adhesive.  Like similar products used by other forum members, this is a flexible polymer adhesive that allows the bonded floor to move with the subfloor. The Joiners laying our flooring certainly commented on how easy it was to use compared to Sikaflex, which they had used previously. Coverage worked out at 1m2 per kg. This was a bit less than we hoped for and meant I had to buy a another tub of adhesive locally, at a significant premium to the Thomsit to keep the joiners going.
     
    The adhesive was spread onto the slab with a notched trowel, and the boards pressed down firmly and pushed snuggly to the row of previously laid boards.
     
    Upstairs, we used 18mm flooring and 2mm underlay so the finished floor was level with the top step of our staircase (20mm).  The boards were glued together as they were laid on top of the underlay.
     
    The joiners spent just over 4 days laying just under 105m2 of flooring.  In general it has turned out very well, and the random lengths provide a more interesting (and in our view more attractive) finish.
     

     
    Unfortunately, we did find after the floor had been laid, that a few of the boards hadn't bonded to the slab / lifted slightly as the next few rows of flooring were laid.  The two areas affected seem to be on the edges of where previously identified dips in the slab were filled with self leveling compound.  This really goes to show how critical it is to have a near perfectly level sub floor.  Visually of course there was nothing to see, but easily detectable when walking over the floor - a  hollow sound and a bit of give like a floating floor as opposed to the rock solid feel of the fully bonded floor.  To remedy the problem, the joiners used the approach shown on this film:
     
     
    In summary, a plunge saw was used to cut the boards out and new boards inserted with sufficient adhesive, then a heavy weight placed on top (in our case buckets of sand) until the adhesive had set.
     

     
    Fortunately, I did have almost a pack of flooring left, and even more fortunately, the random lengths were all of a standard size so it was easy to select and replace exactly the right size board.  Hopefully this fix will stand the test of time. 
     
    I have to say I'm still a bit unsure of the underfoot feeling that a bonded floor gives.  I'm still finding the experience a little alien, compared to floating floors we have had in the past. 
     
    Having laid all the flooring, the joiners moved on to lining the door openings, hanging internal doors, fitting door ironmongery and all the oak facings and skirting boards.  In previous houses this phase has never taken that long, as door sets were supplied as part of the timber frame kit, and skirtings / facings were fitted very rapidly.  Oak by its nature (IMHO) demands a much greater level of attention to detail when being fitted.  Each and every mitre joint on the door facings was sanded silky smooth for a flawless join.  Skirting boards were all scribed to the flooring, being hand planed to ensure a tight fit rather than the more common 1mm to 2mm gap you see in some houses.  This really does make a difference to the final visual appearance, and although it did take the joiners longer to do this, it just one of those little details that elevates the finish from good to outstanding.
     

     
     
    We opted for unfinished rather than pre-finished doors, purely so we could oil them ourselves to match the rest of the oak finishings.  Whilst they were £30 a door cheaper, I spent just under an hour per door, sanding and applying 2 coats of oil.  Add in the cost of the oil itself and you probably exceed the cost of a pre-finished door.  I'm really glad we went down this route as they are a perfect match.  Pre-finished doors would have looked fine with a varnished woodwork, but would have looked completely out of place against the oiled oak.
     
     

     
    The remaining oak finishes were handrails fixed on top of the studwork balustrades - 
     

     
    and shelving and hanging rails in all of our built in bedroom cupboards / waredrobes.  
     

     
    Oak veneered  MDF, oiled to match our other joinery was used in the cupboards, simply to ensure a pleasant finish within.
     
    Overall we're delighted with how the joinery sits against the white walls, and the quality of the finish.  It's unfortunate that a few flooring boards did not bond, but my builder, without hesitation, has rectified the problem.  
     
    Next entry : Kitchen and Utility
     
     
     
     
     
  2. Stones
    Having originally planned then dropped the idea of Solar PV (a combination of budget constraints and drop in FiT rates) I recently acquired a number of Solar PV panels (a pallet bought in conjunction with @ProDave from Bimble Solar via Ebay).
     
    Having recently collected the panels, lengths of mounting rail and various other bits and bobs @ProDave had kindly sourced, I fitted the system over the last two Saturdays.
     
    First off was mounting the rails on my rear, SW facing garage wall.  I decided to mount the panels vertically simply for ease - a ready made structure to fix the rails to, and easy access to a consumer unit for the grid connection.  There is a penalty in terms of a reduction in annual generation compared to a sloped array, however simplicity won out.
     
    The following picture shows the garage wall with rails fixed;
     

     
    To start I nailed packers to the cladding to ensure I had a drainage gap behind the rails.  I then fixed the rails (Unistrut - a tip from @Onoff) through the cladding, cladding battens into the timber frame of the garage using timber drive bolts I happened to have.  As the lengths of Unistrut I had were offcuts (only way I could transport them) I used joiners secured to the channel with bolts/channel nuts.  Finally, I added hanging brackets for each panels to help carry the weight of each panel / so I wasn't reliant purely on bolts clamping the panels in position.
     
    I fitted the panels, sitting them on the hanging bracket and bolting them around 300mm from top and bottom as pictured;
     

     
    The ends were secured using Z brackets I cut down using a grinder (thanks @JSHarris) so that they clamped only the frame and did not overhang the panel itself;
     

     
    Long M6 bolts with large washers were used to secure the panels into the rails where they met with each other;
     

     
    The channel nuts (also known as Zebedees) into which the long M6 bolts were secured;
     

     
    I used M8 bolts and channel nuts for the joiners, end and hanging brackets.
     
    My electrician connected the system up, wiring the panels to a DC isolator, into the Inverter which in turn is wired into the garage CU via a meter and AC isolator.  2 hours work for him.
     

     
    Switched on, the Inverter ran through all its self tests and everything okay.  Sadly at that point it clouded over and the heavens opened so only a few watts being generated.  Fortunately, today has been a bright and sunny day (albeit a bit hazy) and my 1.5 kWp system is as we speak, generating 1.2kW.
     
    The following shot was taken yesterday just before the rain came on, but all in all, I'm pleased with the way it looks (panels mounted so they read visually with house windows).
     

     
    Cost wise the system (1.5kWp plus a spare panel), mounting rails, nuts, bolts, brackets, isolators, meter and electrician (@Prodave was kind enough to give me the DC cable he had left over which was just enough for the job) total £550. I already had the inverter.
     
    Final job within the next 28 days is to notify the DNO of the installation. 
  3. Stones
    With spectacular timing, our window order went in too late to beat the summer factory close down, resulting in a 4 week delay on top of the normal 6 - 8 week delivery time.  Better late than never, our windows arrived a fortnight ago, all the way from Poland.
     
    Having a passionate hatred of UPVC windows, we specified 3G aluminium clad timber windows.  I obtained a few quotes from different manufacturers / suppliers,  but in the end, after pushing hard on price, we went with Rationel, (supplied in Scotland via ADW Ltd).  Without seeing them in person, it is difficult to appreciate the quality of the windows, but we are absolutely delighted.  They appear very well made, so much so that all of the joiners working on our build have so commented, and my builder has switched to Rationel as his supplier of choice.  
     
    Performance wise, we have a combination of 4-20-4-20-4 and 4-20-4-18-6 triple glazed windows, with U values ranging between 0.7 and 0.9 depending on the size of window and an overall project U value of 0.8. Price wise, including the extra delivery costs relating to our location, we've paid £290 per sq metre for our windows and doors.  
     
    Fitting the windows took a couple of days.  Whilst the majority of the openings in the ICF blockwork had remained true, one or two were slightly out which meant the odd packer here and there to ensure the windows were level and plumb.  The windows have all been positioned such that they protrude 20mm beyond the outer face of the ICF block:
     
    :
     

     
    and are secured in place internally be metal straps fixed to the window frame and the timber openings:
     

     
    The standard Rationel installation detail is a little odd (as has been experienced by ProDave) in that they want a gap left between the edge of the alu cladding and the window reveal / ingo, so as not to block the drainage channel that forms part of the alu cladding.  We deviated from this detail, primarily because neither I nor my builder had any confidence in it.  We were both of the view that if left exposed, such a seal was bound to fail within a relatively short period.  In fairness, Rationel do say that it is up to the installer to fit the window to suit local conditions.
     
    http://www.rationel.co.uk/media/1614084/Installation-Drawings-ALDUS.pdf
     
    Rather than using expanding mastic tape (compriband) we are using a Soudal sealant to seal the timber window frame to the timber opening.  External  insulation is then brought hard up to to the aluminium window cladding.  This keeps the drainage channel on the alu cladding open but completely conceals the main line of sealant behind.  
     

     
    The window reveals / ingos will be finished with render or timber clad hard up to the alu cladding.  In the case of render, a stop bead will be used at the alu cladding junction to ensure a good finish and an effective seal.
     
    The window cill which you can see pictured above was sourced independently of Rationel / ADW Ltd.  For reasons I cannot quite fathom, Rationel do not supply cills.  This is the responsibility of their agents who in the case of ADW Ltd source them and have them painted to match the windows here in the UK.  Unfortunately, they were unable to supply me with cills deep enough for me needs, so I had them fabricated and painted by a company in Glasgow - MSP Scotland Ltd.  I paid just under £250 for all my cills.  Again, we are delighted with the quality - 2mm folded cills, which fit snugly into the preformed cill groove on the underside of the Rationel windows.  
     
    Two depths of wall insulation have been fitted to our house, 100mm to the section to be timber clad, and 140mm to the section to be rendered.  The main reason for restricting extra insulation on the timber clad section to 100mm, was to facilitate the subsequent fixing of battens to carry the timber cladding.  
     
    To facilitate precision cutting of insulation, a hot wire cutter was used:
     

     
    The external insulation was fixed using a combination of expanding foam and mechanical fixings.  Foam was applied to the back of the insulation sheets which were then positioned on the wall.  Mechanical fixings (pictured below) were then used to firmly secure the sheets, in the case of the timber clad section (100mm insulation), the long screw and black washer which fixes into the plastic ICF block formers in the core of the block, and in the case of the rendered section (140mm insulation) a plastic type plug drilled into the concrete core of the block.
     

     
    The insulation itself came in different sizes.  The 100mm insulation was supplied in interlocking 1200 x 600 mm sheets.  The 140mm insulation came in 2400 x 1200mm sheets.  Opinion on site was split between the pros and cons of each size with advantages and disadvantages to both.  Fewer joins when using bigger sheets, but smaller interlocking sheets were easier to work with.
     
    A couple of pictures of how it now looks:
     

     
     

     
    All being well, the scaffolding should be removed shortly, ready for the render system to be applied.  The joiners have started fitting battens to the section to be timber clad so it's all systems go.   
      
     
  4. Stones
    Working around the joiners as they completed the internal fit out, the electrician returned to complete second / final fix.  I won’t bore you with endless photographs of sockets and light switches, but will describe the most notable electrical installations:
     
    LED lighting – after obtaining various samples and some electrical testing, I purchased a quantity of slimline 6W recessed fittings from
     
    https://hartingtonheath.com/product-category/led-recessed-lights/non-dimmable/
     
    I bought mine via their ebay outlet which gave me an additional 10% off.  The electrician was a little dubious, primarily on the issue of the cut out size required being greater than a standard downlight.  We went ahead and fitted them in the kitchen, utility, staircase and upper floor.  Each light comes with its own driver so to wire up to the mains, a connector block enclosed in a 'choc' box was used.  This did increase the amount of time required to install each fitting, but the actual cost of the fitting was significantly lower than the more traditional alternatives we had previously looked at.
     
    The light they give off is fantastic and they really do seem to disappear into the ceiling, far more so than many standard downlight designs I’ve seen. 
     

     

     
    Apologies for the quality of the pictures!
     
    The slimline design was especially helpful when fitting in the coomb ceiling as there was no requirement to hack into the insulation as the fitting sat comfortably in the service void.
     

     
    Chatting to the electrician, he commented that they had now adopted this type of downlight because of the flexibility it offers.  
     
    Our next luxury was a 5A lighting circuit - fitted in the main room so we can switch off all the occasional lamps used from a master switch.  Simple, effective home automation!
     
    To future proof the house we installed Cat 5E data points to every room, with the hub located in the meter cupboard next to the BT master socket.  I've located my BT router there and currently hard wire direct from an ethernet port on the back of the router to the port on the hub for the data point in use. There are still 2 ethernet ports left on the router, however, if I want to make any more than three of the data point live, I'll need some additional equipment (not really sure what would be required so following various current topics with interest). Whether we end up using all or indeed the majority of the data points, I have no idea, but it certainly made sense to put all the cables in. 
     

     
     
    The last electrical item of note was a CO2 detector – a wonderful (Scottish) building regulation designed, I think, as a way for large developers to avoid having to fit a mechanical ventilation system, because householders have a means of monitoring air quality and therefore a way to manage it – by opening windows etc.  
     

     
    At £200 they are not cheap (but from a developers point of view, a lot cheaper than an MVHR system).
     
    Here is the link to the relevant requirement - look up part 3.14.2
     
    http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Built-Environment/Building/Building-standards/publications/pubtech/th2015domcomp
     
    No doubt this regulation will creep in elsewhere in the UK.  I did have quite lengthy discussions about whether we could use a CO2 sensor in the MVHR to actively manage our ventilation.  The idea of doing so was certainly very positively received and thought to be a far better / more sensible approach, but unfortunately, there was no getting round the installation of a stand alone detector as the Vent Axia sensor that you could integrate with my MVHR didn’t have the specifications required in the regulations.  At £350, it was also significantly more expensive. 
     
    If you read through the specification, you’ll notice that one of the requirements is that the sensor alarm must be capable of being switched off, which does make you wonder, why bother?
     
    Next entry: MVHR final connections and commissioning.
     
     
  5. Stones
    In Part 22, I detailed my decision making process in relation to my choice of a pre-plumb Mitsubishi Ecodan 8.5kW ASHP based DHW and heating system.
     
     
    I now have a full set of data covering 12 months so can provide figures in respect of how the system, and our house has performed.
     
    My baseline requirement was to maintain 21.5C in the house 24/7 throughout the heating season (October to April), and a supply of DHW water that would allow multiple showers to be drawn off without a drop in the temperature of water delivered at the tap.
     
    The Mitsubishi FTC5 master controller / thermostat is set to 21C, and is located in the hall next to the vestibule. DHW is set to and stored at 50C.
     
    Over the 12 months March 2017 – March 2018, heating COP ranged between a February low of 3.3 to an October high of 4.6 over the course of the heating season, with an overall SPF of 3.7
     
    DHW COP ranged between a February low of 2 to a summer high of 2.5, with an overall SPF of 2.3
     
    Based on a kWh electricity unit price (inc standing charge) of 12.3p, I paid 3.32p per kWh of delivered heat, and 5.34p per kWh of DHW (inc losses).
     
    It should be noted that DHW cylinder losses do slightly reduce my heating demand, albeit at a higher cost than if delivered via UFH.
     
    For a reminder of our layout:
     
     
     
     
    In winter, with a set temperature of 21C, the house sits at a comfortable even temperature, the main living section of the house tends to sit at 21.5C, the 2nd and 3rd bedrooms at 21C and the master bedroom at 20.5C. I suspect that the slightly lower temperature in our bedroom is due to the fact I set the MVHR vent at a higher supply rate than the other bedrooms. This would tally with my experience of doing the same in our last house.
     
    The two biggest factors that impact on our heating demand are wind speed and solar gain. In modelling our heating requirement, I took both into account, along with incidental and household gains. The weather data set was based on a combination of met office and local home weather station information.
     
    Our average wind speeds are significantly higher than elsewhere in the country, and combined with the effect of storm force wind speeds (which we get a fair bit of) we do have a higher heat demand when compared to the same house being located in a sheltered inland area. The impact of wind speed, and the differential in pressure it causes is illustrated here:
     
    http://www.wanz.co.nz/ConversionChart
     
    A doubling of wind speed sees the pressure increase by a factor of four.
     
    Average winter wind speeds of 15-20mph (which equates to the standard air pressure test) are common if not the norm here. Average storm wind speeds of 40-50mph gusting to 70-80mph are also common. The impact of the pressure differential that such wind speeds cause was illustrated to me during the build whilst I was decorating. Having masked off the windows with polythene it was noticeable that when wind speed exceeded 40mph, the polythene would inflate on the windward side of the house, and be sucked onto the glass on the leeward side. Whilst we’re not aware of any drafts and the house isn’t any way uncomfortable, looking at the daily heating requirement when wind speeds are high, you can see an increase in the amount of energy used. Part of that will be air leakage (as evidenced by the effect of pressure differential on the windows) part is the unbalancing of the MVHR (gusting wind from a particular direction can cause the fans to struggle), and part is the lack of solar gain on such stormy days.
     
    In terms of solar gain, the vast majority of any gain manifests in the public areas.
     
    In winter this provides a useful uplift in internal temperatures. Depending on how clear it is, and how long the sun is out, the uplift sometimes compares to having a WBS stove on and really is quite pleasant. More generally, with mixed winter weather, the gain is less noticeable in terms of a temperature spike, but does have the benefit of reducing our heating energy use.
     
    In summer, the gain can be significant and does require a cooling strategy.
     
    Without any active cooling, the house has at times risen to 25C in the public areas and 24C in the bedrooms.
     
    Alongside the MVHR summer bypass (set to activate when extract air is 22C or more) we cool the house down to a more comfortable 22C using cross ventilation, opening windows / taking account of the prevailing breeze. We also have a velux window upstairs, which when opened in combination with a downstairs window, creates a chimney effect that is very effective in exhausting hot air.
     
    The biggest downside in using cross ventilation is that it doesn’t work when the ambient temperature is high (not a very common), nor when there isn’t a breeze (again, not very common). You also have to factor in the unexpected as we had to recently as our neighbour undertook ground works, which created vast clouds of dust in the dry weather. Opening windows simply wasn’t possible on those days.
     
    Overall the predicted impact of solar gain is as I modelled it using data from the following two sites:
     
    https://www.susdesign.com/
     
    http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/apps4/pvest.php
     
    PVGIS provided daily average data, and from susdesign I was able to work out a peak solar gain multiplier to determine what the maximum likely amount of solar gain would be on a clear, cloudless day.
     
    Modelling solar gain for both heating and cooling requirement was a very worthwhile exercise as I was able to determine what our worst case requirements were for both, and what strategies would work.
     
    I’m fortunate in that the prevailing weather conditions here mean cross ventilation is a viable and workable strategy to deal with overheating. I am however in no doubt that had we built our house in a sheltered location in a warmer part of the country, that we would have a very real overheating problem and would have to use a very different strategy, most likely combining solar films on windows and active cooling.
     
    I do have the option of actively cooling my house using our ASHP, via the UFH and if I wanted by retrofitting a duct cooler into the MVHR system, although haven’t felt the need to do so yet. One plus point of the Mitsubishi Ecodan ASHP is that activating cooling is simple (changing a dip switch setting to enable the master controller).
     
    All in all, I’m very happy with the way the house is performing in terms of retaining heat and providing a comfortable environment in both winter and summer.
     
    The performance and running costs to date are certainly more than satisfactory.
     
    Of particular value to us is having sufficient heating capacity to deal with spikes in heating demand (resulting from especially stormy weather) as and when needed, without having to resort to auxiliary heaters or peak rate top up, and the simplicity of use of the master control system. Whilst I could if I so wished set flow temperatures and heating curves, the onboard auto / adaptive program requires one user input – internal set temperature, and the controller works out the lowest temperature way of delivering it.  Whilst I had a very good idea of what our heating curve should look like, using the auto / adaptive mode saved a lot of trial and error, and having monitored flow temperatures, have not seen them exceed 32C.  For those not comfortable with developing their own programming or control systems, this is a very big plus.
     
    Having looked at a variety of options, I concluded that an ASHP would be the most cost effective solution (even after taking into account the cost of replacing the outdoor unit after 10 years) to meeting our requirements, and 12 months on, I have absolutely no doubt that I selected the right system for our requirements.
     
    Whilst I have no hesitation in recommending the ASHP system I have, it is important to recognise that low energy or passive type builds really do need to be modelled and individual requirements identified to determine what type of heating, cooling and DHW provision is required. 
     
  6. Stones
    In this entry I'm going to discuss in more detail how I came to choose our heating and hot water system, and how it has performed to date.
     
    As other forum members have found, deciding which fuel source and type of technology to use in a low energy house, is a challenge given the different requirements each of us has.  We had three stipulations – low running costs, hot water available on tap 24/7 and maintenance of the whole house at an even and constant temperature 24/7.
     
    Having calculated our heating demand, taking the impact of solar gain, incidental household gain, human occupancy and wind speed into account, I was confident that I had a good indication of the amount of heating I would need.  I was also confident, based on historical use, of the amount of hot water we as a family use.
     
    Living in an area without mains gas, my options were somewhat limited to using either oil or electricity as my fuel source. LPG was initially considered but discounted due to the lack of availability in my location. 
     
    As part of the decision making process, I spent a fair amount of time carrying out a cost comparison of both oil and electricity based heating and hot water systems, using 500kWh increments from 2500kWh to 5000kWh.  I considered direct electric of various type, oil and air source heat pumps, both air to water and air to air.  Solar PV was also considered and costed in terms of each method of heat and hot water delivery.
     
    In line with previous cost comparisons that I had carried out, I found direct electric to be the most cost effective in terms of capital outlay and running costs when both heating and hot water demand were less than 2500 kilowatt hours each year. As heating requirement and hot water requirement increases so the balance began to tip in favour of other technologies.
     
    Oil was quickly dropped from the list as it became apparent that any rise in fuel prices over then then low point, would significantly increase running costs.
     
    Having conducted significant investigation in respect of the viability of Sunamp units, although attractive in many ways, I found that the capital outlay and running cost was simply too high to be able to justify, given that the main benefit (low heat losses) were not as critical for me as they have been for others.  Part of that decision was also driven by the cost of fitting Solar PV, which in our remote location was extortionate.  I looked into a non MCS DIY install, but couldn’t make the figures stack up, the break-even point being around 17 years.  Much as I wanted to install PV, it didn't make any sense financially.  In time, I hope to revisit PV, if and when battery storage reduces the break-even point to a more realistic timescale. 
     
    A wind turbine, given our location and the virtually constant presence of wind, would have been an ideal energy source and paired with Sunamp technology, probably unbeatable.  The proximity of nearby houses ruled out that option in terms of planning permission.
     
    Air to Air heat pumps were ruled out based on my own experience of them and a road test at a friends house.  Neither myself or my good lady found them particularly pleasant as a heat source.
     
    Having gone through the list of options, an air to water air source heat pump, paired with a large UVC and UFH for the distribution of heat, represented the best balance in terms of capital outlay, running costs and crucially, comfort and convenience.
     
    We opted for a package from Mitsubishi Ecodan, an 8.5kW heat pump and 300 litre pre-plumbed cylinder fitted with the Mitsubishi FTC5 control panel. Given our location, we opted for the coastal model, which is treated with acrylic resin for enhanced corrosion resistance.  Whilst a pre-plumbed cylinder is more expensive than a bare cylinder and associated parts, after taking labour (plumber and electrician) into account, I found there was very little difference in cost.
     
    I sourced the package from a trade supplier, Secon Solar. I found their price list while searching online and having phoned the company, and perhaps fortuitously speaking to the managing director of the firm, found they were quite happy to sell me package at trade / installer price, the bonus being that delivery to my location was free.
     
    The package is configured for the UK market, the only difference to the system as sold in the rest of Europe (AFAIK) being that the cooling function of the heat pump is disabled so that the product complies with MCS approval for claiming RHI.  It is however a simple task to activate the cooling function, by flipping a dip switch in the control module on the cylinder.  Cooling can then be controlled from the master controller.
     

     
    As stated in an earlier blog entry, the heat pump and cylinder were fitted very quickly with simple connections on the plumbing side – flow and return from the ASHP, cold water, hot water and flow and return to the underfloor heating manifold.  Electrical connections consisted of power to the ASHP, a cable from the ASHP to the control module and a plug-in controller. 
     
    I had initially planned to have the cylinder in the utility room close to the ASHP Monobloc, but changed the location to a service cupboard in the middle of the house, to reduce internal DHW pipe runs.  This does mean a 15 metre pipe run for flow and return to the ASHP, but as virtually all is within the insulated envelope, it doesn’t represent much of an issue, and does not appear to be having an adverse effect on performance.  
     

     
    The ASHP Monobloc itself is located beside our back door, open to the elements.  It seems happy enough where it is, despite the wind that traverses the space between house and garage walls.  Locating the ASHP within the garage itself was an option but one I decided against simply on the grounds that I didn’t want to give up floor space within the garage.  A timber housing for the ASHP is something we may look at in the future.
     

     

     
    We opted to fit individual room thermostats to all 3 bedrooms, to give us the option of being able to reduce the bedroom temperatures if we so wished.  We have not used these and keep the whole house at one temperature 24/7, treating the underfloor heating as a single zone.
     
    At present I only have limited data as to how the heat pump has performed since moving in.  On board energy metering (energy consumed and energy produced) shows the CoP for heating has ranged between 3.5 and 4. DHW is maintained at 47C-50C in the cylinder, boosted every fortnight to 60 degrees by the immersion on an anti-legionella cycle.  To date the CoP for DHW is 2.4
     
    As members know, heat pumps are best suited to the production of low temperature heat as opposed to the higher temperatures required for domestic hot water.  Whilst the CoP for DHW is lower than that for heating, the cost per kWh of our DHW, based on a CoP of 2.4, is 5p, which is significantly better than an E7 electricity tariff.  We may be taking a hit on efficiency, but in reality all of the other options would have cost us more.
     
    The 300 litre capacity of the cylinder means that we have plenty of hot water on tap and can comfortably run a full bath and still have sufficient left over for another person to shower. 
     
    The ASHP is currently operating on a 24/7 basis, providing heat input to the UFH and topping off the DHW as and when it determines it needs to, at whatever flow temperature it determines.  Whilst that does sound like a recipe for high bills and high flow temperatures, in practice, the heat pump delivers the lowest flow temp it can get away with to maintain our set temperature.
     
    If I so choose, the controller lets me set various parameters such as heating curves or set flow temperatures, or indeed a timed schedule for heating and DHW. However,as the system is operating efficiently on its auto setting, and providing the level of comfort we want, I see very little reason to mess around and create my own settings.  If say electricity tariffs were to change from a single tariff to a dynamic tariff, then I would have the option of timing the heat pump operation to coincide with  lower rate tariffs. 
     
    After much thought, and indeed discussion on this forum, I opted for an 8.5 kWh ASHP over a 5 kWh ASHP, as I felt happier running a larger unit more gently than pushing a smaller capacity unit harder.  A 5 kWh unit would probably have sufficed, and in time, may be what the current unit is replaced with when it reaches the end of its life.
     
    We haven’t yet had to activate the cooling function as any overheating (defined as internal temperatures over 23C) caused by solar gain, can, as modeled, be managed by natural cross ventilation.  
     
    Neither have we found it necessary to constantly circulate the UFH to even out the house temperature / redistribute solar gain from one part of the house to the other.  In the heating season, we found that there was sufficient circulation of the UFH during the heating cycle to maintain the house at an even temperature.  Outwith the heating season, when solar gain is at its peak, the house zones itself, the bedroom section remaining slightly cooler than the public areas, very useful on a warm summers day.   
     
    Overall I’m very happy and impressed with our system.  It has, so far, delivered everything we have asked of it in terms of comfort and convenience, and the running costs are low.  I have the capability to cool the house (via slab cooling) if I so wish, and the option to bolt on a second zone pack onto the pre-plumb cylinder if I ever found it necessary to install a second heating / cooling function – i.e. fan coil or duct heater / cooler.  The one criticism that I have is about the controller thermostat function and its hysteresis - 1C increments only. A finer degree of control would have been preferable. 
     
    Our installation was recently inspected by an MCS accreditor (our plumber is going through the accreditation process).  In due course that will give us the option to apply for RHI, although that will be very much dependant on whether the figures stack up.
     
  7. Stones
    Having spent the summer months pottering in the garden, and generally ignoring the list of outstanding things to do inside, I finally summoned enough motivation to get things finished off. 
     
    Fortunately, the list was fairly short so once started, was completed in a reasonable timescale.  
     
    In the kitchen we tiled the splashback, fitted a decor panel underneath the bridging units (rather than having to see the underside of the units) and fitted a breakfast bar.
     
    Picking the tiles was probably the most challenging part, but we finally found something we both liked and agreed upon, and seems to work pretty well as a contrast to the units and worktop, as well as matching the colour scheme of the wider room.
     

     
    The decor panel has nicely finished off the underside of the bridging units.  Ideally, this would have been done at the time the kitchen was fitted, and although was something I raised in the kitchen showroom, it was decided that it wasn't required...
     

     
    The breakfast bar was formed from 450mm deep lengths of worktop, the uprights specified as shelves so they were finished on all sides.  A very simple construction secured to the back of the island by means of small brackets to a batten, and fix-all to the wall and floor.  The height is set at 1000mm, which although taller than a standard breakfast bar, does give more leg room when sitting at it.  I have to admit I wasn't keen on the idea of a breakfast bar, but have been won over, and it is a really usable addition to the room, primarily as a place to sit and chat when someone is working in the kitchen.  I think solid oak worktop would have been preferable, but the final choice was down to asthetics, and again colour contrast was desired.
     

     
    In the utility room, I built a bench / shoe storage.  A very simple but sturdy construction, I used oak worktop off-cuts for the uprights, and formed the shelf and top, using off-cuts from our oak door frames and door stops, glued to an off-cut of plyboard, all finished with Osmo.  From a cost point of view, the materials were all free as they were scrap.  The only cost was my time, a little wood glue and a few sanding pads for the orbital sander.
     

     
    Having built the bench, I had a couple of pieces of oak worktop left which I used to make a couple of little side tables.  I had intended these to be only temporary, but like them so much that I plan to keep using them rather than replacing them.
     

     

     
    Elsewhere we had a couple more spots on our oak floor where it hadn't bonded to the slab.  These only became apparent as we moved furniture around.  I've previously relayed the reasons for this issue so won't repeat them.  We used the same method of 'repair' using this product:
     
    http://www.fixafloor.co.uk/
     
    but instead of drilling a larger hole and using a plug of timber flooring to finish, I drilled a hole of 4.5mm, injected the adhesive, then once cured 24 hours later, finished the drill hole flush using melted furniture repair wax.  This in my view is a better method of finshing, looks less intrusive and was less time consuming compared to plugging.  See below for comparison pictures.
     

     

     
    Filling all the nailheads on our oak skirtings and facings was not a task I was looking forward to, but in the end only took a couple of hours.  Using a tip I picked up many years ago from a decorator, I used linseed putty, mixing 50/50 some natural and mahogany coloured putty for a final filler that was pretty well matched to our oak.  Very easy to use, the putty remains flexible with the only finishing required being a wipe over the filled area with a dry cloth to remove any reside.
     

     
    Other than that, it's been settling into a routine of annual maintenance - servicing our MVHR (filters and cleaning the core), renewing the white silicone in our showers and servicing the treatment plant air pump.
     
    Next entry - Heating and DHW - How our ASHP based system has performed over the last 12 months.
  8. Stones
    Having completed the initial groundworks last year (see Part 15) it was great to get the digger back and be able to spread the remaining sub and top soil over our site.  All in all, there has been around 150 hours of digger time to get all of the site landscaped.  Other than using stone excavated on site to edge parts of the driveway and round the back of the house, most of the digger time (supplemented for earth moving with a dumper) has been spent on earthworks.
     
    At the front of the house, we had formed our terraces last year so 'only' had to cover with top soil.
     

    At the rear of the house, a lot more work was required as we had to spread what was still a sizeable amount of subsoil, before we could finish with topsoil. 
     

     
    The result of all that work was a barren 'moonscape' of soil.
     


     
     
    Having considered all of my gardening options, and in particular the exposed nature of our site, I opted to go for a very simple garden scheme - a mix of lawned grass and wildflower meadow.  With 2/3 of an acre to seed, I opted for the big guns and got a local farmer in to power harrow and air seed the meadow areas.  He also harrowed and raked the lawned areas for me, but they did require good old human input to get an acceptable and stone light (I won't say free) bed on which I could sow lawn seed.  
     


     
     
    I sourced both lawn and meadow seed from a local merchant, opting for a local species rich meadow mix, boosted with some annual and bird/bee wildflower seeds. On those areas which the air seeder couldn't reach, I used an aero broadcast seed sower /  "fiddle" sower.  For those who haven't used one, it's a very simple yet effective bit of kit.  
     

     
     
    The lawn seed was sown at a rate of around 45g / sq m, and the meadow grass at 3g /sq m (to allow space for the wildflowers to grow)
     
    6 weeks on, the grass has established itself and our site is starting to look rooted in its surroundings.  Looking forward to next year to see some colour in the meadow areas.
     
    Stone lined entrance - large stone will eventually have a house name sign on it. 
     

     
    Driveway, lined with timer (old 75mm posts) and small stones at the corner
     




     
    Meadow area - depending how this looks, the lawn area may be extended back a little to shape the meadow with flowing curved lines.  
     



     
    You can see our treatment plant at the bottom right of this photo.  A diversion channel filled with stone and small stones around the plant lid are in place to prevent water running onto the lid and flooding the pump chamber.
     


     
    The slope between the two terraces has been sown with wildflower meadow grass, so the terraces are hidden when looking from the road below.  if this doesn't work / look quite right, I have the option of converting to lawn grass.
     

     
    How we have finished the space between the two sections of the house.
     

     
    It will of course take time for the grass to get properly established, and no doubt there will be many changes made, but overall things are looking good and the house feels that it should be there / always has been there.  Meantime, we are just waiting for the fencer to come and erect two new boundary fences and replace an existing one to enclose the site from the adjacent field and neighbouring site.  
     
     
     
  9. Stones
    As we approached our move in date, our tiler was unfortunate enough to come down with a bug that was doing the rounds.  He had to take a couple of days off (and I think probably came back before he really should have) but it did have a knock on effect on the plumber, who couldn’t get all the sanitary ware fitted before we moved in.  On the morning of moving in day (and to obtain our Temporary Certificate of occupation) we had one fully working bathroom.  At the end of moving in day we had both working. 
     
    We sourced our basins and toilet pans (Ideal Standard) from Germany.  Doing this saved around £300 (even after delivery was taken into account) compared to the best price I could get in the UK.  Other members of the forum have found that buying from Europe can generate savings however this is dependent on the prevailing exchange rate.
     
    We sourced our bath and shower trays locally, simply because there is no saving to be made by importing from Germany.  I was also concerned about the likelihood of transit damage to the bath and wanted to ensure that a local supplier was responsible for delivery and able to resolve any issues that arose.
     
    Taps, shower valves and concealed cisterns were sourced from:
     
    https://www.plumbingforless.co.uk/
     
    We went with Grohe for the lot.  Generally speaking, we are very happy with them and certainly happy to have a 5 year UK warranty.  The only disappointment is the pop up waste lever on the basin taps. 
     

     
    It seems relatively flimsy compared to other taps with pop-up waste that we have had. 
     
    We’re very impressed with the showers, good flow and a large shower head means a very luxurious spray of water. 
     

     
    I’ve measured the flow from the shower at 16 litres per minute.  Whilst this is slightly extravagant it does make for a luxurious feeling shower and is not something I intend restricting – it’s a cost (in terms of DHW) I’m willing to bear.
     
    The shower screens were also sourced locally, which turned out to be a very wise decision in view of a fairly significant oversight on my part.  When ordering the shower screens, it never occurred to me to check the height.   Virtually all of the shower screens on display in the showrooms were 1950 or 2000 mm high, and in previous houses we had always had trays which you stepped up to get into.  It was only when the shower room screen had been fitted and I stood next to it that the issue was highlighted.  Being over 2000mm in height, the problem with a 1850mm high shower screen on a low profile tray is self-evident.
     

     
    Fortunately the master en-suite shower screen door was still in its packaging when I identified the problem.  A quick visit to the plumbers merchants and they agreed to take the unopened screen door back and replace it with a different shower screen.  That screen arrived a couple of weeks later and was subsequently fitted by the Builder. 
     

     
    The shower  walls were finished with Multipanel rather than tiles, simply to make cleaning easier.  Picking the right colour / finish of panel was a little challenging, although I think we managed to achieve a pretty good match in the end.
     
    We went with a simple L-shaped aluminium trim to finish the tiles for a sharp clean look.
     
    The bulkheads, which conceal the cisterns allowed us to raise the basin height to 1000mm.  There are two removable tiles, one for the basin trap, one for the cistern.  A larger flush plate was an option for the cistern however we preferred something smaller and stuck with the push button supplied with the cistern.  We fitted the flush buttons so that they are behind the raised seat, forcing users to close the toilet before flushing. A couple of reasons for doing this, firstly it prevents any flush spray into the room, and secondly to ensure the toilet seat is left down (this saves a lot of grief) which in turn encourages users (or should I say children) to wash their hands after use.
     

     
    The bath was fitted into a tiled frame, the front panel being removable if we need to get access to the trap.  The taps are connected to copper pipes with long flexi pipes.
     

     
    We’re really pleased with how both the shower room and en-suite have turned out, and both feel it was worth spending a bit extra on porcelain tiles to get a nice finish. 
     
    Next entry: Heating system and DHW
     
     
  10. Stones
    I had intended this entry to be about our heating system and DHW, but due to the interest and debate on MVHR silencers, have brought this entry forward.
     
    As reported in a previous blog entry, I’ve been aware of fan noise being emitted from the individual room supply and extract terminals.  The valves themselves do go some way of dampening down the noise, so acoustic valves may well be a good solution, but I decided to go down the route of building my own silencer following some discussion on the main board.
     
    A check of the various offcuts in the garage revealed some sheet MDF, plenty of CLS, various pieces of 150mm plastic ducting (supplied by BPC but not required during installation), half a box of screws, and three opened tubes of different types of sealant.
     
    Whilst it may well have been simpler to buy a ready made silencer for circa £50, I fancied a small project, and felt I would be able to produce something more effective (i.e. a larger silencer) for less cost.
     
    So, having assembled all the constructional materials, I ordered a sheet of egg box self adhesive acoustic foam from ebay.
     
    With an audience watching proceedings I set about constructing the box itself. 
     

     
    I decided on a rectangular shape, 900mm x 600mm x 300mm as this was about as big as I could make it without causing myself problems getting it into the loft next to the MVHR unit.
     
    As you can see from the pictures, I constructed a fairly simple timber frame and clad it with MDF sheet.  Acoustic foam was stuck to the internal surfaces of the MDF, with additional strips of foam being added if any of the timber framing remained visible.
     

     

     

     
     
     
    A generous bead of sealant seals the perimeter of every piece of MDF to the frame, and to all external MDF joints.  I then taped up all external joints as a belt and braces approach.  The end panel remains removable, as I used some foam tape as the sealing gasket rather than sealant.
     
    Using a jigsaw, I cut out 150mm holes in the top and end of the box and sealed in place short lengths of 150mm plastic duct, the idea being that these permanent connection points could then be fitted with whatever additional rigid or flexible ducting was required to make the final connections to the MVHR unit.  
     

     
    Cutting the plastic duct was a bit of a challenge due to the inherent flex in the pipe - it simply isn't as thick walled / strong as drain pipe.  After a couple of failed attempts at getting a straight cut, I switched to using my mitre saw. Holding the duct against the back upright guide on the saw, I simply brought the blade down for the first cut, then rotated the duct against the back plate until the blade had cut all the way round the duct.  This produced nice, clean straight cuts.
     
    To finish, I wrapped the whole box in foil backed insulation and taped it all up. 
     

     

     
     
    Up into the loft, I fitted a couple of pieces of timber as a supporting platform for the silencer and positioned it next to the MVHR unit. Using a mix of flexible and rigid ducting, I made the final connections to the MVHR unit and supply manifold. 
     

     
    Having switched the unit back on, the difference was immediately noticeable. Even in the dead of night I cannot hear fan noise from any of the supply terminals, so it appears as if my home made silencer is doing its job, and doing it well. 
     
    We still have fan noise being emitted from extraction terminals so I’ll be fitting a silencer on the extract duct as well.  The plan is to use the silencer BPC are sending me.  Whether it will be as effective given it’s far smaller size and therefore has a smaller sound absorption surface, remains to be seen.  I hope so, but if not, I do have enough material left to make another DIY (albeit smaller) silencer.
     
     
     
    Next entry will be – Heating system and DHW
     
  11. Stones

    Part 19 - MVHR

    By Stones,

    One of the final significant jobs I had to do before we moved in was connect up and commission the MVHR.  All the radial ductwork and individual plenums had been fitted at first fix, however I had left installing and connecting the actual unit until the loft has been insulated, as I didn't want to risk pipe connections being damaged.
     
    The day before we were due to move in, the insulation contractor having laid all the loft insulation, I spent a couple of hours in the loft space above our vestibule connecting ducts for the air intake, air exhaust, and the supply and extract ducts to the distribution boxes.
     
    I decided to locate the MVHR in our (cold) loft space, primarily to free up space in my service cupboard which houses our DHW cylinder, UFH manifold and CU.  The installation manual advises that where the MVHR unit is located in a cold rather than warm part of the envelope it should be insulated.  I initially considered lining the whole of the relevant loft area with insulation, but having worked out the cost, and then being able to salvage a number of sheet insulation offcuts from the skip, I ended up forming an insulated box around the MVHR unit.
     

     
    As you can see in the picture, it's a very simple box, the relevant supply and extract ducts simply cored through the insulation.
     
    Our MVHR unit is a Vent-Axia Kinetic Sentinel Plus.  These can be supplied in either left hand or right hand format to suit your installation.  My plans had originally shown the air intake and exhaust on the Southeast roof of the house, but as the house was being built it became clear it would be more convenient for those vents to be located on the northwest side of the house.  Making that change left me with a problem of having an MVHR unit with the duct spigots for the internal supply and extract on the wrong side of the unit.  Fortunately the Vent Axia units can be reconfigured by taking off the front and back of the unit, disconnecting and removing the control panel, rotating the unit chassis through 180 degrees, then reassembling so that the back is now the front.
     
    Having connected all the ductwork, the final thing to do was connect the condensate pipe I had fitted during first fix (which discharges to a rainwater trap outside) to the flexible condensate pipe on the base of the MVHR unit.
     
    Having switched the MVHR on, I then went about balancing the system using an Air Flow meter borrowed from my builder.  This was a relatively straightforward process and just required minor adjustments to individual diffusers in each room.  
     
    Our system is currently operating at a normal supply rate of 32% which equates to 150m3/hr. Having measured efficiency during cold and windy weather, it operates at 90% efficiency in terms of temperature differential (room temperature to supply air temperature).
     
    In warmer weather, the Summer Bypass, which I have set to come on when internal air temperatures exceed 22C and ambient air is above 10C, automatically activates.  If ambient air temperature exceeds internal house temperatures, as was the case last week, the summer bypass remains inactive so that outgoing stale air can cool incoming fresh air (albeit the effect is negligible).  As others have found, whilst summer bypass does provide limited cooling of incoming air, it is not on its own enough to cool the house. Cross ventilation by opening windows remains the most effective way of providing such cooling (in the absence of any active or UFH cooling).
     
    The final feature worth mentioning is the humidity sensor, which variably boosts the ventilation rate to ensure RH does not exceed the level set in the controller.  This also seems to be working well, auto boosting ventilation when showers are used.  When cooking, if we deem it necessary, we can manually boost ventilation to assist in the extraction of cooking odours.
     
    Overall I pleased with how the system is operating. The one thing I have noticed compared to other MVHR systems we have lived with is the noise of the fans which you can hear through the ductwork.  This is the first house where we have used a radial system rather than 150mm main ducts with branches off, so it may be the duct choice, as I can't recall hearing fan noise on previous installations.  To combat this issue, I've ordered some self adhesive acoustic foam sheet, and plan to construct a silencer out of scrap MDF and timber, line with foam and externally insulate, to fit between the MVHR unit and distribution boxes.  I'll report back in due course how effective this is.
     
    The final tweak to the system that I'm considering is fitting a CO2 sensor so that the unit can auto boost ventilation rates as required. Vent Axia want £350 for their sensor which is a non starter, but looking around, the following may be an option as it seems suited to the parameters of the Vent Axia:
     
    https://www.digikey.co.uk/products/en?keywords=235-1413-ND
     
    Again I'll report back when I've looked into this some more.
     
    Next entry - 2nd fix plumbing
     
     
  12. Stones
    Having gone through the process of considering then discounting travertine as our floor covering of choice, we eventually settled on a porcelin tile to cover those areas (kitchen, utility and vestibule) that were not having oak flooring laid. Unfortunately for us, the person who we believed was going to be doing our tiling (and does virtually all of the builders tiling), at the last moment refused to undertake the work in our house.  Quite why I've not been able to establish, nor has my builder.  To say I was put out is an understatement.  My builder was none too happy either.  Fortunately, he was able to pull a rabbit out of the hat a couple of weeks later, in the form of Tony from Australia, a tiler on an extended visit to Orkney.  As neither of us had seen his work, we agreed that he would tile an initial small area and decide whether he would do the whole job on that.  We needn't have worried, a really nice and hard working guy, he set about measuring and marking out, discussing patterns and the best way to achieve the look we wanted. As the tiles started to go down, we could see the care he was taking, and we are more than happy with the result.
     

     
    Due to insufficient clearance under both the front and back door we ended up creating mat wells for the door to open over, edging the wells with aluminium trim.
     

     
    Moving into the bathrooms, where we had decided to use the same porcelin tiles, we tiled all the walls to half height, and finished with a simple straight edge aluminium trim.  In the picture you can see the bulkheads we created to conceal the cistern and give a finished height of 1000mm, and the frame / surround for our bath.  Access to the cistern / basin trap is by a removable tile (held in place with silicone).  If for any reason we do need to get to the cistern and the tile breaks, I have 6 boxes left, so a healthy supply of spares.
     

     
    In the utility room, the units and oak worktop were fitted.  
     

     
    A 50mm offcut strip from the utility worktop was used to create a handrail on the staircase, as required by building control.
     

     
    One of the key uses of our utility is as our clothes drying area.  Readers may recall from earlier entries that we have a section of vaulted ceiling in the utility which now accommodates two clothes pulleys.  
     

     
    Each pulley can take a full load of washing which means all washing can be hung up above normal ceiling height,out of the way.  I fitted the utility MVHR extract in this space to ensure moist air is drawn away, and can happily report this particular feature to be very effective, drying all washing overnight.
     
    Through in the kitchen, plinths were fitted, doors put back, appliances installed and the worktop (quartz) lifted into place. On the island, we decided to go with a quartz splashback, and to finish with oak on top. We're very pleased with the finished look.  
     

     
    On the other side of the kitchen, we are still undecided how to finish the splashback, so in the interim have a length of quartz.  
     

     
    We may opt for tiles, glass or leave it as it is. We also have to decide how to finish the underside of the overhead units. This was something I flagged at the design stage but I was overruled in the quest for a 'clean look'.  We have the option of fitting a piece of pelmet or a piece of shelving matching to the doors / carcuses.  I suspect the later would give a better overall finish.
     
    Next entry: 2nd / final fix electrics
  13. Stones
    It's been a few weeks since the last update, but we've had plenty of activity on site.  
     
    The decorator has taped, filled and sanded the walls.  He was good enough to do the house in two sections, which let me paint one half of the house while he was taping and filling the other.  10 days in total of painting say me roll three coats onto the walls and ceilings.  First coat was a thinned down Armstead contract matt.  Second coat Armstead contract matt, finished by a third and final coat of Armstead Durable (scrubbable) matt.  We have gone all white, so I didn't have much in the way of cutting in.  I did take the precauation of fully masking the windows and doors, and whilst there was some bleed under the masking tape, the polythene that I taped to the windows meant I didn't have any roller splatter to clean off.  I did use two different brands of masking tape, and I think it fair to say that there was a fairly big difference quality wise between the two, the cheaper 'value' roll, suffering more bleed and being more difficult to remove in one piece.  
     
    I've also pre-oiled all of our oak facings and skirtings ready for the joiners to fit.  In the picture you can see my use of the scaffold tower as a convenient drying rack.  
     

     
    Having experimented with various finishes (dansih oil, varnish) we opted for Osmo Oil - (clear satin) as our finish of choice, and I have to say it does really enhance the look of the wood.  
     
    Outside, the digger returned to do the bulk of the landscaping and form the rest of the driveway.  I'll let the pictures do the talking here, but needless to say, utilising a 6T dumper, we shifted a huge quantity of subsoil around to the front of the house, which the digger formed into two terraces, tying the slope into the existing,
     

     
     
    We also used some of the larger stones / rock that dug up when digging out the foundations to form a mini retaining wall around the house and to line the driveway turning area;
     

     

     

     
    The end result of all that work;
     

     

     
    Whilst we got a fair chunk of the outside work done, we will need to revisit the landscaping in spring next year, once the subsoil moved to the front of the house has had a chance to settle and harden.  One more week with the digger should finish off spreading our remaining topsoil, let us form our finished driveway entrance - something we decided to leave until all bigger vehicles are finished on site, and do final repairs / resurfacing to the track we take our access from.
     
    There is of course still a fair amount of finishing to be done inside.  Completing the decoration (or at least having put on the final coat) prior to all of the other work inside being completed is of course a risk, but I concluded I would rather have to touch up any paintwork as required rather than have to spend double the amount of time painting a full final coat once flooring and joinery works have been completed.
     
    We now have all of our finishings on site ready to be fitted.  The plumber and electrician came through the week to get the UFH up and running, locating and connecting the monobloc ASHP outside, and the preplumb cylinder inside;
     

     
    The plumber spent a day or so connecting everything up, albeit a fair amount of that time was running pipework from tails he had previously left.  The electrician was there for a day as well, but again the vast bulk of his day was fitting the CU inside and bringing in the mains supply from the meter in the garage.  The actual ASHP and cylinder connection took minutes - mains cable from CU to ASHP, control cable from ASHP to control module on cylinder, remote programmer connect to control module.  The electrician actually commented on how simple and straight forward it was in comparison to other makes of ASHP based systems he routinely works on.  The installation is such that my builder is seriously considering switching to this very set up. 
     
    Whilst the UFH is now up and running, there is now a period of waiting until we can switch the UFH off, and proceed with the installation of flooring (tile and engineered oak), which in turn, dictates when we can get the rest of the joinery finishes completed.  With the Christmas break just around the corner, we are not going to get much more done inside before the joiners return in the new year, with an entry date planned for the end of January.
  14. Stones

    Part 10 - Garage

    By Stones,

    Since the roof was finished, things have slowed down on site while we have been waiting on our windows.  There has been some activity, with the garage being progressed and some EWI fitted to the external face of the ICF walls.  Rather than tinker at the edges, the joiners have now been off site for a couple of weeks pushing on another job in readiness for returning to our site next week.  Our windows are as I type this, sitting in the delivery depot in Kirkwall awaiting delivery to site.
     
    How the garage has progressed:
     
    6" blocks were laid onto the strip foundations previously poured.  You can see my youngest 'helping' lay this foundation blockwork.
     

     

     
    Upfill and blinding, DPC and Slab poured:
     

     


     
    6" x 2" timber frame was constructed on site:
     

     

     

     

     
    Timber Skews were formed and covered in lead as per the house, the roof battened out and tiled as per the house and untreated siberian larch cladding fitted using stainless steel nails.  Plastic ventilation strips were used instead of insect mesh at the bottom of the cavity between the timber frame and cladding.
     

     

     

     
    The cladding still needs finishing off with corner pieces and a trim to the underside of the skews.  The side door has been fitted but we are still waiting on the main door. Ramp access into the garage will be completed further down the line.
     
    Other than some EWI being fitted to the outer face of the ICF blockwork:
     

     
    and applying patination oil to the lead skews following a very useful discussion here:
     
     

     
    we have been a bit limited in what we could get done.  With our windows on the way, and 4 joiners due on site from Monday, we should see fairly rapid progress.
     
     
  15. Stones
    Work continues on site with our foul and surface water drainage now installed; 
     

     
    Following an initially negative assessment of the treatment plant design by the digger driver, its installation worked out far better than he or I expected, causing him to take back everything negative he had said.  A hole was dug out to the required depth and the conical shaped treatment plant lowered in.  Naturally it pivoted about on the point of the 'cone', but all it required was four lengths of timber to prop it in place, then backfill with a dry mix concrete / fill the plant with water.  
     

     
    Our foul water and surface water soakaways were dug out and filled with aggregate, in the case of the surface water, mixed size aggregate I had picked off the spoil heap on site, and for the foul water soakaway, clean aggregate bought in.
     
    Slab laying followed the completion of drainage works, and we now have a 600mm riven slab path running right round the house, as well as the landing/access area at the main door;
     

     

     
    The slabs were laid on a dry sand / cement mix, mixed on site using a mixer scoop fitted onto the loadall;
     

     
    The slabs give us a nice clean edge to landscape up to.  The digger is due back shortly to finish digging out / creating our driveway and turning area, and to do the basics of landscaping / earth moving ready for final landscaping in the spring, once the winter weather has done its job and everything has had a chance to settle:
     

     
    Inside, the joiners have finished off plasterboarding, fitted the kitchen units and staircase.  The kitchen has been fitted at this stage as it's being 'built in' with enclosing partitions;
     

     

     
    The staircase;
     

     
    The joiners have built some shelving underneath the stairs, and created a solid balustrade using MDF and plasterboard, topped with an oak handrail.  As you can see, I've primed the newel post ready to paint in to the adjacent plasterboard, the idea being we will have a seamless appearance.  I'm not sure yet how we will fill the join between newel and plasterboard - flexible filler or caulk. 
     

     
    Oak veneered MDF shelves have been made and will be fitted into the unit once decorating has been completed.  Oak veneered MDF faced with a solid oak apron has also been used for the shelves you can see in the kitchen, and for all our window cills.
     
    This next picture shows the stairs after a coat of osmo oil.  We had initially been thinking of painting the stringers and risers white so that the oak tread would 'float', but in the end decided to go with the two tone appearance.  I spent half a day sanding it all down, and have now applied two coats of oil. 
     

     
    The final couple of pictures show the mezzanine area accessed by the stairs and the view down into the main room;
     

     

     
    Where we have solid balustrades, they will be topped with oak to tie in with the other internal finishes and stair balustrade.
     
    The decorator has started and will have the bedroom and link section of the house taped, filled and sanded for me by the middle of the coming week, which will let me get the first half painted while he tapes and fills the other half of the house.  
     
     
     
  16. Stones
    A busy couple of weeks on site has seen the majority of the timber cladding finished, the rendering completed, and first fix / plaster boarding progress inside.
     
    The render system used by my builder is made by Mapei.  Having prepared the area to be rendered (as described in the previous blog entry) a base coat :
     

     
    was sprayed onto the EWI, then floated by hand to a 6 / 7mm depth finish.
     

     
    Fibre mesh (which you can see at the bottom of the picture) was then pressed in the base coat to provide long term strength.  The base coat was left for a few days to dry before it was skimmed over by hand to take out any imperfections / ensure the fibre mesh was fully covered.  
     
    A primer was then applied (using a paint roller) to the base coated surface ready for the final coat:
     

     
    Due to some unfortunate weather, some of the primer got washed off in heavy wind driven rain.  Reapplied where required, the house was then ready for the top coat. 
     
    The silicone based top coat :
     

     
    came premixed in 20kg tubs, and looks very similar to Artex!  At around £100 a tub, quite expensive as well!  
     
    The top coat was sprayed on, and floated / polished by hand.  
     

     
    Let's keep any comments about the sprayer clean!
     

     

     
    With an aggregate size of 1.2mm, the final finish is fine textured rather than smooth.
     
    Having completed the top coat, the guys returned the following day to touch up anywhere that needed it - very easy to do when your render system can be applied (like Artex) with a paintbrush - and to remove all of the protective film from the windows and gutters.  They also took the opportunity to apply base coat beneath the bellcast ready for painting in due course.
     

     

     
    With the protective film removed, and the render complete, you really do get a feel of what the finished article will look like.  It certainly (to me anyway) looks very neat and crisp.  The only niggle really is the roof tiles, which although nominally the same colour, we clearly have tiles from two dfferent batches on the roof, which shows when the sun shines.  Redland (Monier tiles) will apparently supply a tub of the acrylic coating used to finish the tiles to paint on, but local experience suggests that after a winter of weathering the difference will disappear.
     
    Drainage works and final landscaping are due to start next week, so all being well, by the end of the month we will have everything done outside.
     
    Inside, work is continuing, with Electrical first fix complete, Plumbing first fix nearly completed and plaster boarding nearly finished.
     

     
    The decorator is due in a fortnight, so we have a bit of time in hand to get everything finished off ready inside.
     
  17. Stones

    Part 12 - Progress continues

    By Stones,

    There has been progress on all fronts over the last couple of weeks, inside and out.
     
    Taking advantage of some good weather, the joiners pushed on with the larch cladding.
     

     
     
     

     
    We still have one wall to finish off and around the entrance door, but due to a shortage of cladding (a slight under ordering) we will not get this finished for another week or so.  It looks very crisp at the moment, but we still have various cover pieces at the corners, to the underside of skews, window reveals etc to finish off before the cladding is complete.  I do have a fantastic joinery team on site, who are very particular in making sure the cladding is being well fitted, produce nice straight lines of stainless steel nail fixings and ensure board end joints are flush.
     
    On the other part of the house, the windows have all been masked off and the EWI buffed with a giant orbital sander to make sure the surface is level prior to the application of render.  In the picture you can see a base coat of render has been applied for the bellcast.  We have most of our beading fitted now, but encountered another unfortunate shortage - the local building merchants all being out of 6mm beading used for the render system we are applying.  Fresh supplies are en-route, so only delaying things by a few days.
     

     
    Our treatment plant also arrived, which meant a 'crash' course in loader driving for me!  Fortunately it came on a large pallet which meant unloading was straightforward.
     

     
    Inside, battens have been fitted to create a service void, plasterboard ceilings are up, partition work started and insulation work to the vaulted ceiling started:
     

     

     
     

     

     

     
    Over the flat ceilings we have 450mm of earthwool to go in, albeit this won't be laid until after first fix.  On the vaulted ceiling, tile battens are fitted to the underside of the OSB sarking to create a ventilated cavity.  An additional tile batten was then fixed onto the underside of the rafter to give us the required depth to fit 2 x 90 mm frametherm 35 earthwool batts.  50mm board insulation across the rafters follows, then further battens for a service void and finally plasterboard.   A large part of our roof is vaulted, so no truss uprights to worry about, but where we have them they will have nothing more than plasterboard as they are within the insulated envelope.  This gives us the option of having a warm storage space if we so desire. The gap through you can see in the last photo leads to section of the house with flat ceilings.
     
    I have taken the opportunity to lay all my MVHR ductwork from a central point above our entrance hall, and to install ceiling valves.  Using a radial system has been far easier than previous installations I have DIY'ed, where I had main duct runs with branches off.  The crushproof radial ductwork is just far more user friendly and dare I say forgiving.  My MVHR unit will eventually be positioned next to the plenums.  Being a cold roof space, my intention is to insulate it with a simple box made from board insulation.  Any ductwork not covered by loft insulation will be wrapped in foil backed insulation.
     

     
    All being well the insulation work to the vaulted ceilings and the remaining partition work should be completed by the middle of next week, ready for the plumber and electrician - first fix.
     
    Last but not least, a couple of visitors have taken up residence on the pile of quarry dust we have on site...
     

  18. Stones
    Having fitted sarking boards and roofing membrane, the next task for the joiners was to batten out the roof ready for tiling, and forming timber 'skews'.
     

     
    'Skews' are a verge treatment seen widely throughout Orkney, be they lead covered, stone or formed from concrete.  
     
    Nothing especially complicated in their construction, as can be seen in the 'technical diagram' used by the joiners:
     

     
    With no external block leaf, our options were a bit limited in terms of construction, but the cantilever design is strongly anchored, bolted as it is to the concrete core of the ICF block, and to a timber (also bolted into the concrete core) that runs under the cantilever.  The overhang will be significantly reduced as and when the additional EWI is fitted and cladding / render has been applied. 
     

     
    Lead work next.  A lot of lead required, 13 rolls of 390mm, 10 rolls of 600mm for the skews and valleys combined.  Those of you who know the price of lead will appreciate the costs involved!
     
    The lead valleys were done first, 3 rolls of 390mm used:
     

     
    followed by a couple of days folding lead for the 'skews'.  Two pieces were used to form the finish, the first being the 'soaker', which formers the gutter between the edge of the tiles and the 'skew' itself.  The soaker profile, formed from 390mm lead (7 rolls used for the house, 3 left for the garage):
     

     

     
    The skew profile, formed from 600mm lead (7 rolls used for the house skews, 3 rolls left for the garage) :
     

     
    and how the two profiles fit together:
     

     

     
    And finally, how they look when complete:
     

     
    As you can see, to facilitate expansion, the skew is made up of overlapping pieces of lead rather than a single strip.
     
    Having completed the lead work, 5 days of it - 1 for the valleys, 1 day each per gable skew and soaker, the plumber handed over to the tiler.  Working alone, he covered the roof with a flat profile concrete tile in 2 weeks.  Because of the wind up here, every tile is double nailed and clipped. Black Soudal roofing sealant was used at valley / soaker junctions to secure any tiles that had been cut.  Where tile meets lead, the folded edge of the soaker / valley lead was pulled up to the underside of the tile to prevent water (and bird) ingress.  
     

     
    We now have a finished roof, which I have to say looks great.  We are really pleased with the skews and the huge difference they make to the overall finished roof appearance.
     

     

     
    Unfortunately, we are still waiting for our windows, so will not be fully water tight for another 3 - 4 weeks.  Work will however continue on site, with a reasonable list of jobs that can be progressed while we wait - building the garage, fitting EWI, fitting fascia and soffit boards, dwanging and battening inside etc.
     
     
  19. Stones
    A busy couple of weeks for the joiners has seen us progress from poured walls to roof on.
    First order of business was removing some of the bracing used to secure the walls during the concrete pour;
     

     
    and bolting a wall plate on ready for the roof trusses.  A laser level (you can just make it out on the earth mound in the background) was used to ensure the wall plate was level.
     

     
    Using a telehandler, engineered trusses are lifted into position and secured in place by the joiners.
     

     
    The trusses over the link section and in the main room are 'attic' trusses, which are being used to create an MVHR serrvice room over the link section, and a mezzanine study that will look over the main living area.
    Once the trusses were in, ridge beams for the areas where we have vaulted ceilings were lifted into place.  Quite an interesting sight given the reasonably brisk wind we had that day! 
    This beam forms the master bedroom roof:
     

     
    This monster, 9m x 450mm x 125mm forms the main living area roof (clear span).
     


     
    In the absence of gable walls (which get built to suit the roof), posts were bolted into the ICF walls, the ridge beams being rested on top of timbers fixed to these posts.  To ensure the ridge beams were level, a laser level was used (you can see it lying on the scaffold tower).  In both cases the other end of the ridge beam is carried off a double truss (in the case of the bedroom) or a triple truss (in the case of the living area).  You can just make out the oversized joist hanger used to secure the main ridge beam to the triple truss. 
    After positioning on the supporting posts, bracing timbers were screwed in to keep the ridge beams in place until the rafters were fitted.
     

     
    The smaller ridge beam you can see on the left hand side of the house spans 2 metres, and is there to create a vaulted ceiling over the utility room (to locate an pulley clothes airer) and on the other side the staircase up to the mezzanine and provide a bit of feature to the small relaxing space below.
     

     
    The rafters were fitted next, having been made on site.
     



     
    Sarking boards (OSB) were used to cover the roof, and the gable ends were built up ready for a final concrete pour.  
     

     
    Rebar was used to tie the gable sections to the previously poured wall, and a thicker concrete mix specified to ensure the concrete didn't run out during the pour.
     


     
    The day after the final concrete pour, a ventilation strip and structural fascia timber (to be clad later on) were fitted, allowing the last of the OSB sarking to go on. 
     

     
    The entire roof was then covered with a roofing membrane and is now ready for tile battens.
     


     
    We still have plenty to do on the roof, not least the construction of the timber formwork for the lead covered skews which will finish the gable ends, something that has to be completed before we can tile.
    To finish this entry, a quick glimpse inside to show the height of the vaulted ceiling in our living area.
     

     
     
     
     
     
     
  20. Stones
    Another week of hard work by the builders and the foundations are complete.
    Type 1 up-fill (only 100mm or so required) was spread then compacted down with a vibrating roller.  A final layer of quarry dust was added to finish the blinding.  In keeping with previous comments about a clean and tidy site, you can also see the digger spreading type 1 around the foundations.
     

     
    Internal drains and ducts are added, DPC / Radon barrier laid and 150mm PU insulation fitted.
     

     

     
    Whilst doing all this, the concrete wagon stopped by and the strip founds for our garage were put in.
     

     
    The plumber subsequently put in the UFH pipework, over 1 KM of it!  A track system was stuck down (black lines you can see) onto the face of the insulation and pipework clipped in. Individual clips direct into the insulation were used where required.
     

     
    The following day, an hour of light drizzle forecast, the main concrete slab was poured.  Two wagons and just under 14 m3 of concrete with glass fibre mixed through.  Again, a concrete skip and crane were used to move the concrete from wagon to foundation.
     

     

     
    You'll notice the twin (scaffolding pole) rails running the length of the foundation.  They had simply been set as guide rails for the vibrating leveler to run on and were removed once the main vibration runs had been completed.  The next shot shows the slab ready for power floating later in the day.  
     

     
    Unfortunately, it kept on raining which meant a 0430 start the following day for my builder.  He did a cracking job power floating the slab, which is now beautifully smooth and level.
     

     
    The final stage before building the walls can start, is painting a radon barrier ( the green paint you can see ) on the concrete core of the ICF block.
     

     
    Apart from a bit of unwanted news - 3 week delay for our windows due to a summer factory close down - things are moving in the right direction.  The walls should go up this week so we are going to see big changes over the next few days.
     
  21. Stones
    A busy week on site has seen us transition from foundations to solid structure.
    First order of the day, getting prepared -  ICF blocks, braces, window formers and other equipment moved onto the slab.

     
    Building the walls up - basically a giant lego kit!
     


     
    Blockwork finished and scaffolding going up.
     

     
    Although the ICF blocks interlock with each other, the walls themselves (6 blocks high) are subject to a lot of movement.  To counter this and secure them for the concrete pour, adjustable braces are fixed to the slab, and to tracks bolted into the plastic ties that form the core of the ICF block.  Timber sheets are bolted over internal and external corners for additional strengthening, 
     

     
    Timber window formers are fixed into place inside and out to prevent movement during the pour.
     

     
    Rebar is used to reinforce around openings;
     

     
    and finally, any gaps or damage to the ICF blockwork is sealed with expanding foam;
     

     
    Erecting the ICF took two days, with all the preparations taking another two.  Concrete was finally poured on day five, using exactly the same method as per the foundations.  A hoistable skip attached to a crane, was filled with steel fibre reinforced concrete.  The builders worked their way around the walls in three circuits, filling to a depth of 2 1/2 blocks on the first two passes, and finishing the depth of the last block on the final pass.  Again the same hopper was used to run along the top of the block wall and direct the concrete from the skip outlet down into the wall.
     


     
    A vibrating poker was used to help settle the concrete.  A lot of work went into getting the concrete to flow around the window openings.  To ensure full fill beneath the windows, the builders cored holes in the window formers and manually topped up the concrete in areas where required, again using the vibrating poker to ensure the concrete filled any gaps and settled.
     

     
    Having filled the ICF core, the final things to be done were floating the surface of the concrete in readiness for the wall plate, inserting lengths of rebar into the gables in readiness for the final sections of ICF being built when the roof goes on, and checking all the walls were true.    
     


     
    Two separate rounds of checking the walls and adjusting the bracing were made, to ensure any movement in the curing process was countered.  In this picture you can see the curing process in action - water from the concrete being forced out of the joints in the blockwork;
     

     
    Around 22 m3 of concrete went into the walls.  The builder had ordered an additional 1 m3 but it wasn't wasted, being deposited in the garage foundation (it's a useful tip - have somewhere prepared where you can deposit / use any spare concrete)
     

     
    All being well, the roof goes up this week.
     
  22. Stones
    NEW ENTRY
     
    4 weeks after we hoped to have it, our warrant was finally approved.  Another weeks delay waiting for the digger driver, but finally work has started in earnest on site.
     

     
    Strip foundations were dug and concrete poured the following day.  A minor set-back during the pour, a hydraulic line split on the mixer forcing it to shut down.  An hour later after the mechanic had brought out and fitted a new line, the job was finished. 
     

     
    You’ll note the lack of a digger on the concrete pour. 4 men - 2 on barrows,1 spreading in the trench, 1 tamping and levelling the concrete off.  It’s the fastest I’ve seen strip foundations poured. 
    Having finished the pour, the concrete was floated to a smooth finish.  Not normally required with block foundations but as we are building with ICF, it’s important in ensuring that the base blocks are level.
    The ICF (Amvic) system blocks that we are using are formed from two sections of 65mm EPS separated by 150mm plastic webs to form a hollow core for the concrete.  The plastic webs are embedded in the EPS for rigidity.  Here is a close up of the block:
     

     

     
     
    Note the teeth on the top and bottom edges of the EPS, these ensure the blocks securely interlock with each other.  The markings on the side of the blocks are to aid cutting and are set at 20mm intervals.
    So, after measuring and setting out, the first course of ICF blocks were laid. These were half blocks, a full block having been cut in two with a table saw so that there was a flat edge to sit on the concrete strips. A second full course followed, taking us up to just above finished floor level.
     


     
    The pour to fill the hollow core of the blocks took 1 hour.  C35 concrete had waterproofer and steel fibres for strengthening added to the mixer. You can see the steel fibres here:
     

     
    A hoistable skip was filled by the concrete mixer and lifted by crane.  Again, a team of four worked their way round the foundation, releasing concrete from the skip into a ‘funnel’ which ran on metal rails fitted over the top of the ICF blocks.  The rails allowed them to quickly slide the funnel along the ICF block wall, filling up the core as they went.  2 men worked the skip and funnel, while a third, following immediately behind, used a vibrating poker in the core to agitate the mix and encourage settlement.  Every segment of the block (as separated by the plastic webs) had the poker treatment.
     


     
    My builder followed round, running a line the length of each wall, bracing it where required to ensure the finished wall was straight and true.
     

     
    The finishing touch was floating the surface of the concrete in the core to a smooth finish, to aid the painting on of a radon barrier.
     

     
     Next entry - Upfill, insulation UFH and slab
     
     
  23. Stones
    Originally published on the old forum April 2016.
     
    Had to happen, the lack of a building warrant has pushed our start date back. I had started the process back in November and having been encouraged to do so, handed over the submission of the warrant application to a local surveyor well versed in our chosen method of construction.

    Without boring you all regarding the reasons why, the application wasn't actually submitted until the end of January and there have been delays in getting BC queries answered. We are almost there now, with the final list of queries being minor and with luck everything should be in tomorrow and will have our warrant by the end of the week. 

    We have however done what we can on site, bringing in an access road,

      

     
    creating a hard standing working area for the contractors / crane / concrete wagons, and dug down to the level the house will be built on.

      

      


    We do thankfully have good solid ground (being a free draining shaley type clay and rotten rock) to build off so need nothing more than a standard concrete strip foundations.

    I do now have a mountain of the aforementioned shaley clay (which you can see in the background of the last picture) to use on site as the topsoil coverage was only around 200mm or so. We are planning to build up a terrace at the front of the house along with some general landscaping which should use up most if not all of what we have. Meantime I've been busy picking off pieces of rock/stone from the surface of the heap of spoil, larger pieces for landscaping / in the garden and smaller stuff to use in rubble / french drains. 

  24. Stones
    Originally published on the closed forum March 2016.
    In submitting our planning application, I had purposefully had the external walls and roof depth drawn as 450mm thick, reasoning that this would let me investigate construction costs for a variety of different construction methods.

    First port of call was MBC, but our geographical location meant that was a non-starter for them. Next, I got in touch with Danwood, who were happy to travel and build on Orkney, but were not prepared to build what they described as a complicated roof engineering design, and were unwilling to use metal as a roof covering.

    Having previously built timber frame houses (kit and stick built on site), it was only natural for me to price this type of construction, so I obtained a kit price from Scotframe for their Valutherm system. Their basic and super insulated kit prices were in line (per m2) with the prices on their website. There was however a significant uplift (about 20%) to form a vaulted space high enough to accommodate the mezzanine /full height over the living area.

    I put the plans and a detailed written specification out to tender, approaching four separate contractors. Two would price for a timber frame build, based on the Scotframe kit, and two for an ICF build. We were fortunate in this regard as ICF has been used on Orkney for a number of years, has established itself in both the social and private sector, and is respected and understood by local surveyors and estate agents.

    It took around 9 weeks to get all of the prices back. One TF contractor was very honest in saying that he wouldn’t be able to start work until at least the middle of 2016 due to other commitments (and I have since heard he is not taking on any new work until 2017). He had priced at a significant premium and was therefore ruled out. The others were all able to work to my planned start date, and had come back with prices, which although more than I had originally budgeted, could at least be worked on.

    I spoke to a number of locals obtaining references, identifying my preferred contractor (ICF) from that process. I thereafter visited two of his ICF builds, one in the early stages of construction and one near completion. I was very impressed by what I saw, both technically in terms of what ICF could offer, and in relation to the construction and final finish. It was clear from viewing his work, that he paid a lot of attention to detail and took a genuine pride in his workmanship and that of the small group of tradesmen he employed. The icing on the cake was that we got on and were comfortable with each other.

    I decided to progress our project with this ICF contractor and commissioned a building warrant submission, so the contractor would have enough technical detail to give me a final price. On previous builds I had always prepared and submitted the warrant myself, but I was persuaded to use a local surveyor, as he had a good knowledge of the system and all the relevant information to hand. The cost of going down this route was reasonable so I came to the conclusion that although I could get all the information myself, the extra time it would take me to pull everything together would probably outweigh the savings of doing myself, as we’re currently in rented accommodation.

    As part of this process, we revised our plans slightly, rejigging the layout of the bedroom section and bathrooms (and in the process reducing the footprint slightly), amended some window sizes and positions, re-positioned the staircase and mezzanine.

    In a minor wobble moment of 'have we got the design right' we also looked at re-positioning the rear section of the house to reduce the area of dead space between the two sections of the build (effectively moving the stagger), but couldn’t develop a revised layout that didn’t involve compromising other things that were of greater importance to us. 

    We had planned a mix of concrete tiles and profile metal sheeting for the roof, but concerns regarding profile sheeting, and the additional costs of a standing seam roof made us think again. Purely by chance we passed a house under construction which like ours, had a mix of render and timber cladding but was under an all tile roof. The finishing touch, which tied the roof to the differing wall finishes and gave the house the look we were after, was the use of a local verge treatment – lead covered skews. Having a passionate hatred for the look of dry verge systems, this was the perfect solution and should ground the house as a modern interpretation of the local vernacular;

      
     


    After consulting with our planning officer, the changes were accepted as a Non Material Variation. We were fortunate as changing to an all tile roof was acceptable within the conditions specified in my original planning permission.

    The house now looks like this;

    Main plan without spec and name - A1.pdf
    Mezzanine & Sections without spec and name - A1.pdf

    I’ll go into costings and technical detail later in the blog as we're still finalising some elements / finishes.

    Our building warrant was submitted at the end of January. We had hoped to have it back by now (end of March) but additional calculations were requested in respect of the roof and a couple of other minor queries have delayed us slightly...
    Next entry - Delays 
  25. Stones

    Part 2 - Planning

    By Stones,

    Originally published on the closed forum, March 2016.
    So armed with our ideas, and having read through the guidance documents on housing in the countryside

    http://www.orkney.go...Countryside.pdf

    http://www.orkney.go...ctober_2013.pdf

    I contacted the council to see if I could speak to the planning officer who had dealt with the outline planning application for the site. Having read all of the comments on here about pre-planning processes, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Orkney Islands Council still operates the very sensible informal approach, whereby you can pick up a phone, talk to a planning officer or meet them to discuss and refine ideas prior to submitting a full application - no need for a pre-planning application and no charge. I did actually ask the planning officer in question about this and she advised that they had looked into such a system, but concluded it would create more work, cost them money and frustrate applicants.

    So, having run my ideas past the planning officer, she was very supportive and suggested I provide some sketches. To avoid spending any money at this juncture, I downloaded Sketch-up and set to work rendering images of the house. It didn't take long getting to grips with the software, and allowed me to produce a series of images which I was able to send to the planning officer for comment.

    3D landscape images Ebuild.pdf
    Elevations (Ebuild).pdfElevations (Ebuild).pdf

    I have to say this was a very useful and helpful way of visualising the build and developing ideas. Again, the planning officer was very supportive.

    Having looked at the general style of the house, I started developing and refining my ideas about the internal layout. Whilst our last house had worked really well for us, I wanted to learn from it and (hopefully) avoid some of the minor niggles. Having carefully assessed how our last house worked, we concluded the following;

    Utility room needed to be a little wider, ideally with vaulted / raised ceiling to accommodate a clothes airer / pulley.
    Of the two living areas we had, one was used 95% of the time. The main use of the second living area was as a space for someone to go to read a book etc, so a large second room wasn't required, only a suitable escape space.
    Not having a dedicated study was a pain.

    I also had to incorporate a small but challenging wish list from my good lady;

    The kitchen had to have an island (a peninsula was not acceptable).
    A mezzanine of some kind had to be incorporated.

    The latter requirement for a mezzanine dictated in large part how the design developed. Vaulted ceilings above the height I could achieve with a raised tie or scissor truss were required, as was space for stairs, and the ability to look down from the mezzanine to the main public areas.

    In the end we came up with the following layout;

     

    finished externally with a mix of render, timber cladding, tile/slate and metal roofing, to reflect the dual building style of the dwelling.

    I had the plans drawn up and properly scaled by someone I found on a freelancing website.

    DB1509-01 - Site 1 - Orkney - Proposed Plans - Redacted - Rev0.pdf
    DB1509-02 - Site 1 - Orkney - Proposed ElevationS - Redacted - Rev0.pdf
    DB1509-03 - Site 1 - Orkney - Proposed Elevation and Sections - Redacted - Rev0.pdf
    DB1509-04 - Site 1 - Orkney - Proposed Location Plans - Redacted - Rev0 (1).pdf

    and duly submitted them for approval. 

    We received one objection which thankfully only related to concerns about construction traffic, which was withdrawn after I spoke to and reassured one of our new neighbours. Nine or so weeks later, we got our approval and got ready to put the job out to tender. 
     
    Next entry - Tendering


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