Chanmenie

When I built the foundations for the ICF blocks I lapped the DPM over the foundation walls, I’m now fitting the doors so will have some exposed DPM, which will need to be covered by the flooring, I was planning on applying a levelling / latex compound about 4-5mm think, is this viable over the polythene DPM and the 30mm PIR upstand or is it likely to just crack. Could I remove the poly DPM and use a Bitumen paint on DPM which I assume would give a much better key for the latex.

Do you need a membrane @IanMcP , I have been looking at cladding for my gable ends, research has told me EPS does not need a membrane, unless you’re doing it just to hide the blue Nudura blocks. I’m considering using Hardie VL Plank which won’t have gaps so won’t need to worry about hiding my white Beco Blocks

I used fibre reinforced easy flow concrete in the end, so stapled the UFH pipes to the insulation. much easier and cheaper than using rebar mesh

As @IanR suggested, I used a large angle grinder and cut 30mm deep channels. I would question why you are pouring the concrete so thick ? if it’s fibre reinforced 135mm would be strong enough to park trucks on.

What was actually inspected, And why ? By BC inspector came and looked at my roof trusses and said he didn’t need to inspect anything else other than the drains, as all the structural stuff is done

Also have a look at Keylite windows, easy to fit, have a built in expanding thermal collar, the quality looks on par with Velux

Have you looked at the EPS ICF products ? I was going to build with Isotex but having been ripped off by Insulhub, and not wanting to pay the high delivery costs from Italy I looked at alternatives, I have now built with an EPS bock manufactured in the UK, which I believe is a superior product, in terms of insulation properties and ease of airtightness

Hi Ben yeah I’m south of Norwich at Poringland, I live in a Norfolk Homes built house, they have been putting UFH pipes in the slabs for years. The only problem I’ve heard of was a customer putting high tog carpets in with stopped the heat getting through. Who’s doing the fibre reinforced slab for you ? I had Co-Dunkall do mine with Eastern Concrete EC flow, it dried pretty smooth as it’s self compacting. you’re welcome to have a look

My floor is exactly as your proposed. It will work fine, I have not tried the heating in my new build yet as only just got the roof of on, but the house where I currently live is on an estate with several hundred house all built with UFH pipes in 4” - 6” slabs and the ufh works fine. But I too have been told it won’t work

I just use a straight edge as I don’t have a rail and not sure the HS0600 will work with a rail. I have an 8ft plasterers feather edge I use for a straight edge The saw will cut 101mm so goes right through in 1 pass I’ve fitted about 80 lengths so far and am getting a perfect tight fit

What was the right of way for ? Our plot had a right of way for access to the well (long since filled in) I discovered that as my father in law had purchased both the house and the plot of land the right of way was extinguished as you cannot have a right of way over yourself. So are you able to establish the original purpose of the right of way

You could but it won’t cut through 100mm in one go

Just the blade it came with, I think it’s a 24t rip blade. like I said you will need a dust extractor or a vacuum attached. I clamp an 8ft straight edge to the sheet to use as a guide. It works really well and is very accurate I have no gaps between insulation and rafter. It is a big job as I’m doing a double layer, 100mm and 75mm

On recommendation from @nod I’m cutting mine with a circular saw, it does create a lot of dust so extraction is a must, but you get lovely square accurate cuts. I bought a Makita HS0600 which will go through 100mm, it was a lot cheaper than the Festool insulation saw and gives better cuts.

Save yourself a fortune and as previous comments, build with timber frame and consider cladding instead of render.

I’ve started them but they are not load bearing

Yeah mine was fine aggregate, max 10mm they sprayed a curing agent over the top to stop it drying out too quick

I had 100mm fibre reinforced self compacting concrete and that’s perfectly flat and level. It’s poured like a screed so self levels

The corefix and rigifix fixings look pretty substantial and are rated well over what I need

I’d like to put my MVHR unit on the wall in the utility room above the washing machine and tumble drier. I’m planning on getting the Zehnder q350, having read the instructions it was says for the wall bracket the wall needs to have a density on 200kg/m2, but I have built the wall with aircrete blocks. The unit weighs 50kg A couple of ideas are 1) directly above the wall is a double truss and the unit would go close to the wall (ICF) so I could bolt some metal straps to the truss joist and support the weight of the unit from the straps. But would there be a potential for sound or vibration transmission through the joist. 2) Use structural 18mm ply instead of plasterboard and affix the ply to the double truss and wall so the weight of the unit is spread from truss to wall. Any other suggestions ?

I did spiral counter flow with 150mm centres, it’s easier to lay as you don’t have many 180d bends like you do with serpentine.

I first received a quote for my Ali clad timber windows a year ago they have gone up a little about £50 a window, so not too bad

It should have gravel under it, but you could also put concrete under it to stop it moving.

Mineral wool is not as efficient as PIR. And if the rafters are plumb and square cutting the PIR should not be over challenging plus you can seal with gapotape or airtight foam. Have a look at Robin Clevit videos he shows a jig he made for cutting PIR that will keep the blade straight and true. Im cutting PIR for my roof using two layers, 100mm and 75mm as thinner sheets are much easier to cut than one thick one, plus I’ll have a better chance of achieving the airtightness.

Yeah certainly, I personally would not want a 1:100 fall, I’ve done mine at 1:60 as you say very little room for error.