Hello (again)

[Trw144]

I m another for whom the forum died just at the wrong time - just as my timber frames were being erected. So what's happend in the meantime - the frames are now up, my cantilevered stairs in, and most of my roofs insulated and covered (epdm), my windows and doors have been measured, and I ve contracted some Welsh guy to design my hot water system ?. I put the second house on the market hoping to generate some interest ready for when it's complete, and have agreed a sale less than a week later (now it's with solicitors but hoping to exchange/complete this week).

Next up is a quiet few weeks whilst windows are made, followed by floor insulation and ufh, and the start of first fixes.

Edited May 22, 2016 by Trw144

[Jeremy Harris]

Welcome back, as I've just said to Mackers, it's really nice to see some familiar names coming back here.

[Nickfromwales]

Good man! You've found your way from the dark, back into the light   

give me a bump tomorrow afternoon   

[Trw144]

House feels like it's finally getting there now the plasterboard is going on and plumbing is going in so thought I'd share some pics as I m feeling happier with progress tonight....

[Barney12]

Love the stairs! 

Your plant room appears to bigger than our planned living room  

[Trw144]

5 minutes ago, Barney12 said:

Love the stairs! 

Your plant room appears to bigger than our planned living room  

 

That plant room is actually the side of the internal double garage hence why it looks big. I have a much smaller one where the mvhr and home automation kit is going (and probably the Hoover and ironing board!).

[jamiehamy]

Looking good - keep the pics coming! We're preparing to start the first fix joinery soon and I'm liking seeing how things look on simialr projects. 

 

The stairs are simply tremendous - I need to make sure my other half doesn't see them!

[Bitpipe]

Great progress - our electrician left cables for spots in the ceiling behind the board so the plasterer could do a better job (always gets a bit scrappy around protruding cables) and then cut out the holes after. Would recommend trimming your MVHR plenums before plastering (we didn't) to get a smoother finish.

 

+1 on the amazing stairs.

 

[Trw144]

Yes I m pleased with how the stairs look - the glass and treads should be going on next week all being well. Cost wise they were nt too bad - the timber frame company put them in when it was erected (there are a few steels due to cantilever floors etc) and they charged £1200. Tiling the wall behind them has probably cost me just as much though!

 

Thanks for the heads up on the mvhr plenums, will get them cut off before skimming.

[Barney12]

1 hour ago, Trw144 said:

 Tiling the wall behind them has probably cost me just as much though!

 

Cutting the holes in those large format tiles must of been a right pita! 

Were they done by hand on site?

[Trw144]

4 minutes ago, Barney12 said:

 

Cutting the holes in those large format tiles must of been a right pita! 

Were they done by hand on site?

 

Yes the tilers measured and cut them on site - they said it was fiddly as they sometimes had three steps to cut and align on the same tile. I was very impressed with the accuracy they achieved around the treads - the final tread is around 25mm bigger all round so all cuts should be hidden.

[Gone West]

I like the stairs as well. I don't suppose you have a picture of the other side of that wall before it's been covered. Is that wall thicker than standard?

[Trw144]

4 hours ago, PeterStarck said:

I like the stairs as well. I don't suppose you have a picture of the other side of that wall before it's been covered. Is that wall thicker than standard?

Here you go.....

 

I ll have to measure thickness of the wall but it's nothing excessive. The treads are two box sections welded together. I have a cad drawing of it if it's any use?

 

[PeterW]

What is the banister arrangement for the the open side ..??

 

love the open arrangement - - steelwork looks very simple but very clever !

[Trw144]

43 minutes ago, PeterW said:

What is the banister arrangement for the the open side ..??

 

love the open arrangement - - steelwork looks very simple but very clever !

 

Using glass for the balustrade on stairs and landing. Plan is to batten the outer side of the glass and bring the ceiling across, up the side and back in - a bit like this....

 

http://pin.it/Zz5v0Qg

 

Personally I m not keen on seeing the glass clamps, hence why I want to plaster over it. On the stairs I m getting some cover pieces to hide the glass clamps with the aim it looks like this....

 

http://pin.it/Koyv2OA

 

[ProDave]

I presume you have to partly close the risers? I am sure the regs here are no gap that a 100mm diameter sphere can pass through.
 

[Trw144]

4 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I presume you have to partly close the risers? I am sure the regs here are no gap that a 100mm diameter sphere can pass through.
 

 

Yes, those box sections are something like 45 x 160mm, they need packing out with ply and then the final wooden finish will be a 15mm thick "sleeve" that will fit onto each tread. Final dimension will be 230 x 100mm 

Edited September 24, 2016 by Trw144

[Gone West]

2 hours ago, Trw144 said:

Here you go.....

 

 

 

Thanks, that's a brilliant idea. I often wondered now to create a floating staircase in a timber frame.

[Stones]

How much weight can the steps take before flex becomes an issue?  Can't wait to see the finished article!

[Trw144]

They don't have much flex to be honest, and I m told the glass (which will be fixed to every tread) brace the whole lot even more. The only one that had some flex was the top tread that was welded to the I-beam rather than the steel stringer. The I beam was thinner steel than the stringer and was flexing on the vertical so we welded some additional plates to stiffen it and it's fine now.

[Stones]

I seem to remember watching a Grand Designs where they had quite a fancy floating staircase, but had to put in a slender vertical support half way up to prevent flex, as the occupants were a bit heavier than average.  

 

I'm assuming the finished cladding will be taken right to the tile, or do you have to leave a couple of mm expansion gap?  Likewise, what size of expansion gap did you leave between tread and tile? 

[Trw144]

I ll take it within a couple of mm and use a rubber gasket to stop it rubbing on the tiles, ditto at the glass end of the steel. The tread is going to have a 5mm rebated shadow at the end also.

 

Perhaps I need a sign advising fat people to stick to the inside of the treads, and put an outright ban on any Americans going to the first floor!

 

 

Edited September 24, 2016 by Trw144

[Nickfromwales]

  

What about slender Americans? 

  

[Trw144]

51 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

  

What about slender Americans? 

  

 

Canadians?

[Nickfromwales]

Your on your own here mate