Ed_MK

Very Nice!! It might not go with our cottage-style house though ....but its really clean and neat By the way Joe ...with my steep roof ..I have to go for a deeprun gutter ...I wonder if they do them in imitation Iron ?

any ideas Peter ..I can buy them before next week. Is there something proprietary ..the TF is i THINK 19mm OSB or Ply with a pink foam centre (under all that silver stuff) ...its certainly heavy when you pick up even a small panel ..so i suppose the "strapping or ties" has to be something that provides a firm fix to ply . I see Ancon do a few ...but are they substantial enough, some of them are recommended for 15m high! ...but again its a chimney as Peter said and not a wall https://www.ancon.co.uk/products/wall-ties-restraint-fixings/cavity-wall-ties/ties-for-timber-frames

Not from Potton ..it is probably on the extensive list of "extras"

and its not over yet LOL We have finally decided on the Balanced Flue Option and so instead of going Up Up and out...It will now go Up a bit and then through the Chimney Wall and Out But i do have some other questions ...to see what other people think. 1. Being that the chimney is effectively "blocked" is it wise to leave some sort of air gap still ..just in case of fumes or any small leakage ...either a void upwards ...and the chimney capped with a cowl ..or some air brick lower down ? 2. All this talk of "swaying in the wind" has me worried ...What ties would you guys recommend from brick across that 50mm void to the TF, and is it possible to have TOO MANY or should i just get my brickie to go Rambo and shoot one in every 2 courses , every 2 bricks across LOL

Trust me Nick ...i am glad i found this place and have already told dozens of selfbuilders/DIY-ers about it! And from what I can see its not "places" ..its just HERE ! ??

Well things MAY be looking up on the rendering front . Just had a nice plasterer come around and gave me a "bracket labour cost" which was not too bad ..even at the top end He is on trustatrader and has a good website & facebook page ... I can see he does good work and YES it IS him in the pictures !! Well the only issue is.... He has only rendered with Sand and Cement and never this newfangled spray stuff ..which is fine by me! But .... Whenever he has rendered for builders the "backing" was always put on by the builder or joiner ....he calls it paper and mesh . ..Well Of course on mine it isn't up yet ..but he said if i find a carrier system and how to fit it ...he will price for that too ....very decent !!! But again I am back with Potton and Stucanet ...is there really any alternatives when rendering with S+C on a Timber frame ?

] thats awesome Peter. As the wife really only wants the LOOK of it and the wide fireplace ....she doesnt give a monkeys about flues and stuff. and BCO would be Ok with this ? ..I presume or you wouldn't have suggested it. Due to the daft deep fireplace though I will still need an RSJ or something to support that inner chimney wall but hey sounds like a plan !

really !! in cost of boiler or cost of chimney/flue ? So if i did that ...what would become of my bloody chimney lads

that is EXACTLY the one the wife wants Peter although we are swaying between the 30 and 40 and still trying to get our head around the CF versus BF bit but i hear your post above ....either way we are into a liner ...looks like back to Dunbrik config page again

hmmm... the only issue is that the foundation literally ENDS under the outside edge of the pipe... ..i will think of something. going back to my chimney (the one i haven't got yet) ..it looks like it is trickier than i thought ...but i want to get it right .....but in reality ....DO I REALLY NEED A LINER, DUNBRIK, TERRACOTTA RINGS OR OTHERWISE ??? as its only a gas fire and the BCO mentioned Stainless Steel Twinwall? ...would that not suffice ?...I see stuff on the internet that describe themselves as "pot hangers" ... its just if i can get away with leaving a straightforward rectangle hole all the way up and using one of those , ...potentially saves me £1000 in a lining system that would never get any warmer than a cold crumpet anyway

Also.. I have just finished extending some of the RIDICULOUSLY SHORT pipes left by the groundworkers ...some of them were actually 1" protruding from the base So i had to get a breaker to get enough room to get a collar on them and extend . the do look OK and fall is looking good ...they are only Kitchen wastewater ...not Toilet ones One thought ...Due to the position of another pipe (installed by the groundworkers, running under sunroom) ..I have had to hug the wall to get a connection to it.. ..but I am left with about 180mm of Trench block in which to lay bricks on ....(including cavity) ...Now the brickwork and cavity are only 150mm, but the bottom several courses have a plinth on ...and this takes it out to around 215mm...so slightly OVER the pipe in places by about 10mm-20mm. Will i be OK ? I know the obvious answer would have been to go lower and bridge ...But I am SEVERELY challenged by Fall to connect to an existing long drainage run, any deeper and i would have been pumping

Some good advice and pics above .. I wish my chimney was that narrow ...its ridiculously big (at the base anyway 2.5m!) Potton design. I have a brickie coming in 2 weeks and wanted to get the design and stuff sorted out by then, including anything i need to buy liners? perhaps ...it is only a gas fire but ... PeterW has been guiding me on things like cavities and insulation , and I think like you above ...I would be better of building in block and then cladding the face on after Its just getting the internal structure right ...As the top 4m of stack will be almost freestanding as it is separated by the cavity up the outer wall ...makes me kinda nervous

Right ..thanks ...I have hired a 7kg breaker from Selco ....£35 for the week and includes all the bits (they dont do day hire) ...but i have some unearthly heavy 50kg lumps of concrete and fused brick hardcore to break up to put in the skip ...so I will get use from it I am only going to chip into the outer block edge and try to get a 45deg angle to the outside so I can get under the DPC ..should be able to ... ...and then straighten it all up with fittings ... Its just the plumber wants me to leave an upstanding 300mm pipe in that position so after screed he will presumable have 150mm poking up to do what plumbers do with But i got another woe ...I am full of them me ! When the groundworkers laid the B&B and put the soli pie in for the downstairs WC ...(I didnt realise it then) ....but when the framers finished i now have an issue (or 2) 1. The Pipe is actually 1cm from the kicker brick ..and if i extend it upwards ...I will need to chop half the SIPS panel above away to get ANY push connection on there ...BALLS! 2. Also the bit of pipe they used to form the upstand ONLY clears the B&B by about 3cm !?!? ..So looking at a floplast push collar and am thinking I will need to hand chisel about 2 inches CAREFULLY around it to get a proper fit ..WITHOUT breaking the pipe ...but even then I have problem number one (above) I tried looking for some type of "solvent weld" collar ? ...so i could at least get some length on it or a bend later to avoid having to saw my panel..Is it just me or is the solvent pipes mostly small diameter ...and i notice they are not the same colour ...Is that something to do withe the plastic ? I know that solvent glue can MELT certain plastics ...and I dont want it to get all nasty on the inside .....*not before I get to c**p in it anyway EDIT Wouldnt it be good if there was something that pushed INSIDE the pipe ???! EDIT AGAIN Hmm..but then it would be less than 4inch at the join me thinks ...Back to Plans

you're only right Mr F. but I have had a word with neighbours.. ..they are more than happy for me to cut them right back (as most are growing from their side) ..i hope they know what i mean by "cut RIGHT back" ....Muwahahaha

Thanks ...great advice ! I think as they are the ticket ...I will go with the BM due to tidiness It wont be for a month or so yet ...Roof is still in progress ..Its all felted and stuff now. And we were excited as the first of our roof tiles went on ! (are we sad or what) ...just the rear dorma's yet.. but apparently the roofer is coming with the FULL TRIBE on Monday to GO MAD on it hmm.. Not sure of the terminology ...but I am glad I got the Indians and not the Cowboys

"deep flow" "clipped every metre starting at inside" ....added to my checklist ..thanks

all 65 of them ?

agreed ....so you would put the lot in ?

Which 3 do you mean ...i thought 2 could be optional .... Its a steep incline roof ....thats what worries me ...(the centre bit is anyway) and so rain is likely to come down faster? ..if that makes sense

chain ...like they have in Spain LOL

Balls ! I remember asking that ..but was told .." a lot of clients did it this way" ?!?! As Potton/TF Company include the fitting of Rafter feet and all that Jazz in the price ... ..I am guessing the reason for the recommendation on getting them up now ...is so they can "one-hit" the job ..and not have to return to do a load more on the eaves etc

Hi I am planning where the gutters and downspouts need to go .. ..i know the wife wants things to be as TIDY as possible at the front and back (The sides are invisible to us and anyone due to trees one side and a high fence at the other) I see how others have built SIMILAR Potton homes and where they put their downspouts ... Let me know if you think I have planned well please Also a) Do you think the downspouts either side of the Sunroom are necessary ....as there is a ceramic patio tiling going all around it and i think it might make it look messy ? b) also i was considering ...it might be daft ....but is it possible to FLIP a downspout around the corner ? basically to maintain the clean look of one side of the house ?

Hi Peter ..I am even more perplexed.I was told by the Timber Frame erectors ...they exclusively work for Potton ..although different company name (i believe) To "get painting the accessory wood as soon as it lands" ...So i spent 3 days ..maybe more sanding, Treating, Priming Undercoating and then 2 coats of Satin to finish All Weather shield specced stuff these bits were i believe .... * long bits with sharp point ...loads of them! ....rafter feet? * Small triangle bits ...about 40 of them fiddly to pain sprockets? * 8ft long floppy 9mm plyboard things about a foot across ......for near the rafter feet ..apparently you can see them looking up ...so paint faces down, lots of these too you cant see anywhere near the lot in these pics of my improvised painting area * Oh and right at the end i got asked to paint a load of bloody heavy 10in x 1.5in boards ...must have been 12 foot long ...weight a ton! these are the ones you can see that run around the edge and have a pretty "chamfer detail" in them ..not sure what they are called Now the reason for the frantic paint was that apparently its EASIER to do on the ground than once they are fitted..I just did as I was told Peter As you can see from the last pictures these are now all up ...I may have to touch up here and there nail holes and scratches but essentially done But regarding current of the roof //progress ...its 90% felted ...and the roofers are all set to tile (see last piccie)

Balls OK

Well, I think I have asked something similar before on the BH forum ...and it ended in me googling a load of info on Level access thresholds etc. the Building inspector came over last week ...to check the roof and structure and I was talking to him about low thresholds as i am STILL worried about water ingress and DPC differences and stuff ..He didn't seem to think it was difficult ...In fact didn't seem to flinch or question But he DID say the way he would cope with it ....which i suppose translates to "you better do it this way" He basically suggested an ACO slot drain ....Which I havd already surmised ....but then told me to basically FOLD the DPC into a C shape at the thresholds not sure what he meant there ...I should have asked ..I am guessing that it meets the REAL dpc at the lower level and then scoops up and into the brickwork just UNDER the ACO ....maybe The problem I have (one of loads) ...is that the wife "wants" these lowered thresholds at the back ...but there are 3 doors there ...so I suppose to keep the patio level it would be wise to do them all ? Otherwise the patio line at the house will be going up and down like fiddlers elbow ....not a good look But then again ...would this mean running an ACO across the ENTIRE back of the house line ..sounds mad i know ....but I am scare dto death of breaching the integrity of the DPC layer ....but also dont want rainwater backing up into the doorways These pics should help explain what i mean ...yellow bits are doorways ....red bit is the extent of the patio and i suppose that pic is how they might look