saveasteading

Hello all. we are awaiting legal completion, so excuse lack of address and details for now. It is not superstition, but experience. Highland will do for now, and it is quite big. I am juggling my own experience in commercial projects with the more relevant experiences in your projects. Conversion of farm steading, not new, but will be airtight and well insulated. question 1 space and water heating. My thoughts are to use ground or air source heating but also have oil or propane as security, and as best capital outlay value. Plus a wood burner. I feel that most of you are going for AS with perhaps electric backup. in commercial buildings i have specified and used AS many times, but never GS as the ground is heavy clay where we live. AS is noisy though. And solar panels? I think underfloor is a given for a new floor, which we would have. I'd love to hear your opinions. question 2. rock wool or foam board in the walls and roof (see how I am avoiding trade names)? I was tending towards foam to keep it skinny, but I like good quality rockwool, and see it on some project photos here. thanks

Hi, I am new so excuse if this is too late for you. btw I have already learnt a lot from your and other helpful messages about farm conversion. I know about new construction in England, not renovation in Scotland. In situ or beam and block floor? I would say in situ is more controllable, cheaper and more adaptable to change and penetrations. Beam and block is useful if on a big slope as the sleeper walls bring you cheaply and reliably to level. also handy for tricky locations where you can carry all the parts, but couldn't get a lorry. also depends on the dimensions as to how long the spans are and the number of sleeper walls. From looking at some other projects online, I have been shocked at some people breaking out concrete slabs then laying stone instead. If there is a slab or stone at the right level, then this will be another plus for in-situ. Insulation. I tend to go for default air pressure figure, simply to save the cost of the test. Correct me if I am wrong , but for a conversion are we not obliged only to do the best we can? 'Reasonably practicable' having regard to circumstances including cost. Obviously we want to save energy, and do what we can with insulation, but trading the elements is also allowed.

Looking forward to discussions and knowledge exchange with you all. It seems like a very practical and helpful Hub. I am particularly interested in the conversion of steadings, but have a lot to learn. I have extensive knowledge and experience as designer and contractor, but in England, newbuild, commercial. However this project will be private, renovation, Scotland, so I have a lot to learn.