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saveasteading last won the day on January 6
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Another daughter, another barn conversion. A steel shed this time, commencing May 24.
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SE England / Highland depending which.
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I'm so pleased with the way this turned out. It is a covered way through the whole width of the wing with the main glazed entrance behind the photographer. The floor is entirely of harvested glacier cobbles. These were formed when the glaciers had streams running beneath them, rolling stones along and forming these shapes. The cobbles are in bands in the sand , and were recovered when digging foundations and drains. They were carefully selected from a huge pile, one by one, for size and being flattish on one face. Most are rounder than these. The right hand wall and the arch are original, repointed in lime mortar. To the left, off camera, is an original timber clad stud wall, including a door, retained for heritage and interest, but there is a new wall behind it. There are pencil writings on the wood cladding, concerning numbers of sheep etc. Everything done by my daughter and SIL. 'except the straw bales' as they put it.
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Hijacking the post. Apologies. Wouldn't it be useful if members could publish the cost of their windows divided by the area? Somewhere I have a little black book that says that (at the time) windows cost £w/m2 for upvc or cheap timber windows, x for aluminium, y for timber, z for curtain walls. It was remarkably accurate for a first run though a feasibility costing and could be useful for new members on BH.
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Contesting final invoice - please help!
saveasteading replied to Tom's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
It's often specifically excluded. Shouldn't be but is. But that would need to be clearly expressed in the quote or contract. -
Thoughts on electricQ air-to-air?
saveasteading replied to ReedRichards's topic in Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP)
That's likely. The big fan is outdoors. They will all publish noise figures I think. The prices range dramatically for what looks similar. Efficiency and noise are the obvious differences. -
@Caversham Passivhaus Amazing. Can you show what the printer looks like?
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- window cills
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Thoughts on electricQ air-to-air?
saveasteading replied to ReedRichards's topic in Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP)
I hadn't seen this idea of no outside unit. Tidy. But the in and out vents would need to be far apart or it will draw the exhaust straight back in. The other type (with external wall mounted unit) is a standard thing in Mediterranean areas. Off the shelf in the diy stores. They seem to be optimised for cooling but reasonably efficient for heating too. ( X 3.5 ish). They can be a bit noisy. -
So we are going to committee..
saveasteading replied to deancatherine09's topic in Planning Permission
They exist. The ones I used were sole traders, not employees in a bigger firm. They had been planning officers, knew the system, knew the planners. They made it easy for the planning officer. -
Stove spill test. Has anyone done this?
saveasteading replied to saveasteading's topic in Barn Conversions
so they didn't test it with fans , or smoke sticks and the room fans running, while the fire was lit? ie n accordance with the BS? -
Contesting final invoice - please help!
saveasteading replied to Tom's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
disagree. They are professional bullies and don't have time* for due diligence. * being a bit polite here. If they understood contract law then they'd be lawyers or consultants. -
Roof Trusses - design including window apex
saveasteading replied to Caroline's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
It will be a portal frame ( columns and sloping rafters, either forming the gable glazing opening, or full width, then a ridge beam sits into that. The timber frame companies that I have come close to have always excluded these frames, which you have to get designed and fitted by others. The pedestrian door in the gable end doesn't need a frame as the wall can provide the support. So send it to some suppliers , but expect these exclusions. They need more information. ceiling heights (are the ceilings other than the feature entrance going to be at eaves level?) Internal arrangement and whether any walls can (or are intended to) provide support. They will ask for any more information they need. a single sheet on battens, or a composite panels with insulation? -
Stove spill test. Has anyone done this?
saveasteading replied to saveasteading's topic in Barn Conversions
Yes very similar, except water knows where downwards is and behaves differently in open channels. Progress, for anybody interested. The residents have done this work, not me. Apparently it is expensive or perhaps impossible to get a Hetas registered business to test and approve an installation by an outsider. A closed shop in effect. allow £1,000 if you find one. You'd also worry that they might be keen to tut-tut and fail it....although they could fix it. Cynical me, sorry, perhaps unfair. BUT a local chimney sweep will do it, and assures us that it will be accepted by the bco, and he is doing it next week for a reasonable sum. -
Contesting final invoice - please help!
saveasteading replied to Tom's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
That would be refused by small claims, as it is too technical, but they might try. @Tom what are they actually arguing? Not that some work is unfinished but that your pay less is too much? How much? Give them difficult work to do, and ask them what sum they are claiming and the justification. From this stage I nearly always start to notice things that aren't right with the job, and add them to the claim. I'd get a friend to witness the current condition in case they argue that you have caused damage in use. They might now offer some compromise. You say no, as you have already tried to find a solution and they refuse. And @Tom well done so far. -
Contesting final invoice - please help!
saveasteading replied to Tom's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
No. Not so. Even if there was some implication, no contract has a space to write in the interest per day. 8% per annum maybe. They are playing at being lawyers, thinking this will intimidate you. It is bullying. Again. It looks as if they are used to behaving like this. Clearly the last thing they want to do is return to complete the work. Prepare your mindset for the next stage. They may well now write you a letter by a solicitor, because they generally do the first letter cheap or even free. When you read it, you will see that it is rather generic, because it is simply writing what they are told to write. You just write back, stating what you have said on here already. And that on reflection you paid too much and will seek for redress if this proceeds, plus costs. -
SuperGlass acoustic. 100mm enough?
saveasteading replied to Super_Paulie's topic in Sound Insulation
Highly specialised physicists make up their own shorthand formulae to avoid repetition. joist depth x frequency of dance steps divided by insulation density (lumps per m3) minus floor nail length to the power of weight of dancer in kg). is designated as ¿. I hope that helps. All that @Icevergesays applies. I once had to design and build a school classroom block where they insisted on woodwork below and maths above in one area and art above maths in another (artists clomp around). The floor structure had everything mentioned. Most memorable was the osb deck with rockwool slab on it then floorboards floating on it. It worked well but was very deep and very expensive. The cushioned topping is the crucial thing in resolving the original question. -
I wouldn't insulate the floor. The heat loss around even an insulted and 'sealed' garage door is quite high. double glazed windows yes. If the roof is in cladding then add translucent sheets for free light and nicer ambience. heating by infra-red directed at the working areas. Perhaps one on a rig to move as required. Depending on what you will be doing, put a mat on the floor where you stand. Some of the above might change if you were to be in there for much of every day.