Thedreamer

Yes, here is the ground floor plan. The ground floor is due to have blocks around the pipe to the ground floor ceiling and then it would have been in a plasterboard box, within the store cupboard. But if the store is gone the stove pipe will either need to be just visible or covered in some way.

Doing that classic self building thing, changing plans. Since we put up the chipboard flooring, we are rethinking about the use of the middle part of upstairs. We are due to have a wardrobe, wc and store cupboard here, but now thinking of removing this and having a single small open living space. What I'm unsure of is the regulations concerning a stove pipe running through a room, do you have to plasterboard around a pipe or can you leave this exposed? Here is the plan.

Agree with above. Does not seem that bad. I don't think £7k is ridiculous, often people are quoted much more. If you buy a site and it has been sold to you as having services then you could feel ripped off. If services are far away I would expect the plot costs to be reduced.

I watched this video yesterday on plasterboarding.

Hi @Lets welcome to the forum. I found this book to be useful Housebuilder's Bible it gave me a good overview of self building. I would also recommend having a good dig through the blogs section of the forum.

That's exactly what we knocked up for our temporary supply. Went up in 2015 and is still doing the job. Was also useful for storing small tools as well.

Awesome progress. I was a little disappointed that the plasterer was not actually called Elvis ?

No currently due to fit a Joules Aero system it like an hybrid because MHVR and Air Source heat pump to provide hot water. Plans show a duct in our ensuite, bathroom and one in a airing cupboard which is where our stove pipe will run through. In this W/C the plans show just a standard electronic fan, I have a similar fan here in a small bathroom in our loft conversion it pretty hopeless at ventilating the space. We just open our velux window and this provides ventilation.

I would be grateful for any help with this question. I have small WC upstairs which is approximately 1.34m x 1.5m. I have large U04 velux which cover the width of the room. If the regulation states that 1/30th of floor area does this mean that if the size of the velux ventilator is 30th of the floor area this would be compliant with the requirement below? Toilet either: a ventilator with an opening area of at least 1/30th of the floor area it serves, or mechanical extraction capable of at least 3 air changes per hour. 10,000mm Thanks

@ProDave what's your plan for dealing with the extra height resulting from a suspended timber floor?

It's on the plan so expecting it to be required. But if you don't ask you don't get. Once I get the rendering done, painting done, scaffolding down, container can go, excavator can shift the hardcore to the back to build up the level to the limit the air bricks allow. I'll then know the size required and can work from there. @newhome what was the reason for the gradient requirement on your build?

This has been in the back of my mind for a while. What do you think the chances are of this clause being applicable in my case? There is no requirement to provide access for a wheelchair user to: a house, between either the point of access to or from any car parking within the curtilage of a building and an entrance to the house where it is not reasonably practicable to do so, or I'm hopeful that suspended timber floor and disability access would result in the ramp being so long that it would not be reasonably practicable. Although a possible step solution or a small wall to bring the level up and create a gap might be another.

Hi @SiBee Welcome to the forum. Quite a few on here are building with ICF so if you haven't already, it would be worth checking out blogs section.

If you foam you will also find that the boards will feel really solid, probably more so then if you cut and fit accurately. Also I presume you have one but you really want an gun for the job rather than a nozzle from the can. We are also going to be fitting a lot of PIR insulation, but for our rafters over the next few weeks.

Always a pain when you go over budget, but foundations/utility connections tend to be the area where most uncertainty exists. Hopefully going forward the costings will be more accurate. I was surprised at the cost of chambers and pipes for our foul and surface drainage.

I think they cost around £40, the proper stuff is cast iron effect Brett Martin, prehaps I am a gutter snob?

I'm pretty sure this was discussed on a long running thread a while ago. Generally the definition of profit would vary between a self builder or developer As an example a developer will probably factor into their profit calculation financing costs as part of the overall project, however a self builder would probably not see their interest on self build mortgage as a part of the overall project cost. Another would be that a self build would probably not add an value to the overall project cost, to factor in that they have accepted a reduction in the standard living whilst living in a caravan or moved in with family members during the self build.

Good to hear that those slates will be easily replaced. Might be more of issue for me, with the rain we get here, but what do you guys do with your temporary downpipes when it's windy? So far only the most exposed and awkward pipe has fallen over once since they went up in November time.

@ash132 as @ProDave suggests, first area I would check is air bricks. Have external levels been raised/is water running off downpipes etc? For damp and suspended floors, I would check out a few of these videos.

I think a few on here have passed where we are building, the kilt rock shown above is a popular place to stop. Often people take drone shots like this one. I sometimes work in the Uists, Benbecula and Barra but never been to Harris or Lewis.

I remember that post, felt so sorry for you @recoveringacademic It would have been relief when you did the last pour. Fortunately for our site my father in law planted a shelter belt quite a few years ago and this has provided protection whilst fragile stages of the build. With the our anchor straps, trusses clips, variable ridge connectors and this week's job nailing 100 framing anchors the structural of the house does feel quite secure in gales.

It's quite windy here at the moment. Gusts of 60-70mph It's night like tonight when I feel we made the right decision about fitting dense concrete blockwork on the sides that get blasted by the wind and rain.

Looking forward to seeing the contrast of the different external materials.

I agree with this. When you consider we also have bats flying around, the ruins of an iron age fort, building in a national scenic area, cut down 100 trees and building near a loch (maybe some newts/otters here) not a single "ologists" report required. If we were building down south probably would have had to spent £1000s for nothing.

Thanks very much @Russell griffiths & @makie