Redoctober

When we had ours put down, the UFH guy suggested a way of seeing whether or not the moisture had gone. He said tape down a large square bit of plastic sheeting to see if any "mositure" apperared on the bottom of it overnight. He also recommended using a particular progrmme on the UFH system which ran the heating for a period of time - warming the slab up nice and slowly - reaching a peak of around 40C - before coming back down.

Needed for sign off ! How close to the threshold were you? I have known people who have "been allowed to leave a gap" somewhere in order to raise the figure in their favour. But that said, your feeling has hit this debate square on the head. It does carry weight though, as you have lived without such a thing for a good few years and one could argue, your lifestyle hasn't been affected by it not being in your life. No one can really argue against the benefits of such a system, it boils down to whether or not the individual considers it a worthy investment, on balance.

@bmj1 for our Indian sandstone slabs outside, I have used "easy joint" - comes in many colour ways. It has done a very good job since it has been down, so worth the investment I feel.

Likewise, I'm in full agreement. In fact we have them in our house - Kitchen / hallway etc. and they look a treat with the finished grout. Not sure how you will "grout" them in outdoors though. Have you considered what product you will be using for that purpose?

Hi @Mike DC This is very close to us - we actually pass it on a regular basis into "town" and we have been enjoying its development / progress for many a month now. The roofer needs to mentioned in despatches because the slates are just wonderful. - The work going on inside looks equally impressive. Was the rendered extension a cause of concern for the planners? I though they may have insisted on stone to tie it all in?

Hi @Tarrel and welcome - Sounds an interesting project and it seems you are well equiped to make a good go of it. Photos would be nice and should you have any specific questions, just ask away. Enjoy the ride.

hi @brenthope welcome to the forum. What is a small home developer and as for what direction would you like to be pointed in, can I suggest you give us a clue as to where you want to go!?

@Post and beam We too have a cold roof and had a very similar issue just before Christmas - I purchased this item and touch wood it has solved our problems - It is very pliable and what I did was I rolled it up and "wedged" it between the sarking board and insulation within our loft space. It still allows for ventilation but stops any unwanted guests entering. https://renew-store.co.uk/products/200mm-bird-mesh-kit-1-roll-x-30m-black?variant=47686595019091&country=GB&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&srsltid=AfmBOoppwgXeEqjbpFoBT4kdziLXJWRo-lYXpB7x7j4Ahyq3uY_BNi2BsaY

Very interesting - didn't know that - every day's a school day👍

No creaking whatsoever coming from the upstairs floor - all nice and solid - Pity I can't say the same about our staircase though. There is an annoying creak on step number 4 - oh well, all part of the fabric of the house🤣

This is exactly what drove us to do what we did and also, it is our experience having lived with it for the past 5 years or so. I'm so pleased I went the " extra mile " on this part of our build and put in UFH upstairs. Yes, as always, there are alternative options, but for the reasons stated above by @Dunc I'm more than happy. Not only that, it allowed us the freedom to place furniture etc where we wanted, without having to navigate radiators or panel heaters etc.

This is exactly what we found when researching our build. We looked very closely at Border Oak but just couldn't make the remaining wall space work for us with a "frame" that was within our budget. So, like a few others here, we have incorparted "oak" in to our TF house with a stone external wall - Even to the point of introducing two 4 metre oak beams into the main rooms downstairs. Not structural, just aesthetic.

Blimey, are you suggesting that you are willing to put up with the smell to save on the energy costs? The reason we don't have ours emptied every year is because of the work done by the pump. How much does it cost you to empty annually? A bit of research may reveal that you don't need it emptied every year. Perhaps you could look at getting a more effeicent pump! If you are seeking some sort of validation of your proposal, then I'm not sure you are going to get it from here.

Hi @Yardmaster Perhaps some more detail would help - Firstly what type of Condor unit do you have? Is the pump "built in" so to speak or can it be replaced without interefering with the treatment plant itself? What type of pump is it? As for desludging, that can depend on many factors - How many occupants / manufacturers guidance etc. Switching the pump off is not to be recommended for any great lenght of time, I would suggest. It is there for a reason. We have a Bio pure treatment plant which is similar to a condor one, in as much as it runs on a pump - The manufacturers suggest that our tank can go for 3 - 5 years without it being emptied. We have also "operated" our unit without the pump for up to a week, due to a power cut without any dire consequences.

The company you purchased them from should address your issue surely? If not, then look at companies such as this one for replacement "units" - https://www.cloudy2clearwindows.co.uk/

On the face of it, the cost of scaffolding does seem steep but it is a necessary evil unfortunately - Yes shop around as prices will vary - that said, the industry is full of H&S requirements which is often reflected in the price. Cheaper operators may be out there but does that come at a cost? The price I paid for scaffolding irked me but I put it down to just one of those costs - a bit like pouring money into the ground for foundations ! Welcome to the world of self building😁

Hi and welcome - Your list is a good starting point and as @G and J has mentioned, keep reading stuff. That said you may wish to view my blog - link below - it may assist you as we undertook this process some 6 years ago. Bear that in mind though, when you come across costs etc.🤣

Not encountered this problem at all - ours is a house name and in fact the "postie" at the time said that they prefer house names rather than numbers in rural areas! On the subject of house insurance though, we have had a renewal through and it has increased by over 30% !! I did my checks and research and found that the insurer I'm with, and who are wanting me to renew with, are in fact the cheapest still, depsite the sharp increase.

Looks great - must be such a relief knowing that the "pour" went without any of the dramas, usually associated with such an option. What do you put that down to - good prep work?

I enjoy the programme but you are right in what you say - Back in the day, we were inspired to do what we did by "Building the dream" [ Charlie Luxton] - We found it to be more relevant to people setting out on a self build project and it did highlight the elements to look out for etc. It gave us the confidence to believe we could achieve a modest house on our budget. And that is exactly what we did. [recent members may wish to see my blog ]

Well this sounds like some positive progress. Good luck, as I know from your previous posts during the past couple of years or so, building a family home as been at the fore front of your mind.

Exactly this - a friend, local to us currently building had a very similar issue these past few months. The neighbour complained that he believed the standalone garage ridge height was higher than it should have been given the plans. Planning came out and were satisfied it wasn't BUT found the garage footprint was actually 1 metre further to the Left / Right than it should have been. There was a genuine possibiilty that the garage had to be taken down and "shifted" back a metre - Thankfully, for them, the matter was resolved by a further "amendment" to the plans and a much reduced cost - it caused 3 months of delays mind So, as @Nod says, you should be OK providing your neighbour is either on board or unaware!

Hi @Benpointer if you are considering a TF have you looked at the likes of Fleming Homes? Although based in the Scottish Borders, they do cater for the whole of the UK. The reason I mention them is becasue they do offer an in house Plan drawing service and that will get you through the planning stages as well as BC - My experience with them has been a positive one and they will adapt to your designs, it's not just from a catalogue so to speak.

@WalshieI have just sent you a PM with a spreadsheet I used when at this particular stage👍

@DC5 Take a look at https://www.lawnsmith.co.uk/ - Very knowledgable and offer many varities to suit all needs.