Rain, rain go away (start the build another day?)

[Tony K]

Evening everyone. 

I had planned to commence my self build in spring of this year, but a combination of circumstances meant that I only received my self build mortgage offer today. I have also discovered a couple of brand new hurdles that I have to clear:

 

1. Building control need some extra details from the engineer regarding the foundations. I can start work in advance of approval at my own risk, but the footings are unusual and complicated (steel screw piles, heavy clay soil and trees), and so these aren't standard details. 

 

2. Having done two thirds of the land level reduction I've established, as I knew I might, that the clay soil won't play nicely with the soakaway. I will need a drainage engineer to design a solution, and probably need Thames Water to agree to me connecting my downpipes (and possibly some limited land drainage) to the main drain. 

 

3. A tedious technicality has arisen regarding whether my existing bank or the self build lender gets to have first charge on the site. 

 

I have no idea if these things will take days, weeks or months to resolve. What I do know is that winter waits for no man. 

 

My questions are...

 

How big a difference does it actually make to build in winter rather than summer?

 

What are those differences (costs, time, quality?). 

 

If I can resolve these issues in the next two or three weeks I might just commence. If not, would I be foolish to begin when I can postpone until spring?

 

It's a small house, 110m2, and should be an 8 month build. 

 

Any advice gratefully received. Thanks. 

Edited September 30, 2020 by Tony K

[Roundtuit]

Great question!  I don't know the answer, but having built through two winters, I can say that wet, cold weather generally slows things down and makes the job miserable.... site like a swamp, mud on everything, roofers can't work due to frost, brickies can't work due to frost, screed takes weeks to dry,  plastering takes weeks to dry, reduced daylight hours etc etc.  All do-able though, just be aware that it may be a bit more frustrating than doing it in summer.  Don't know what your chosen build method is, but maybe there's the opportunity to get the foundations in sooner rather than later, then do the above ground stuff when the weather is on the uphill curve?

[Mr Punter]

Regarding point (1) yes get this properly engineered and approved before you start.

 

Point (2) Thames water should allow you to discharge into the sewer, (if you cannot do soakaway, watercourse or surface water sewer) albeit you need to mitigate as far as possible.  I have done this in the past.

 

I can't help with (3) and I doubt I ever could.

 

I have just gained PP for a site and will hopefully start in about 2 months but chalky site on mains drainage and I can get TBS electric albeit at stupid expense.

[Thedreamer]

Building in the Hebrides a winter build was not a option for me.

 

I started in March and adopted a subcontractor approach therefore had more time delays than most, my first aim was getting wind and water tight before the autumn.

 

I guess it depends on your building materials and how much you are prepared to pay for speed.

 

 

 

[Tony K]

57 minutes ago, Roundtuit said:

 Don't know what your chosen build method is, but maybe there's the opportunity to get the foundations in sooner rather than later, then do the above ground stuff when the weather is on the uphill curve?

 

The footings and slab are complex, but otherwise its simple stuff. Block and brick cavity walls, flat roof. 

 

Thing is, once I start I need to keep going, otherwise I'm paying the interest on the SB mortgage for nothing to happen on site. 

 

If I can get these three bits wrapped up quickly enough then I may be able to get the shell up before the worst of the weather comes, which I presume would negate the impact of winter? 

[SuperJohnG]

I'm in the same pickle currently. 

 

Building warrant will approve shortly. Kit on order (SIPS) and I was hoping to do my insulated slab in around 8 weeks and get kit up prior to Xmas. I have renderboads on exterior and cladding.

 

Generally here in West Central Scotland. Up to December is fine, just wet. Jan and Feb are pretty miserable but not always freezing. 

 

I always planned to avoid winter, but it is what it is and to be honest I don't really want to wait till March. If I can get kit up roof and windows and roof done quickly I will be happy come March I will maybe do render.  

 

If.you don't get going straight away itll give you a good chance to line everything up over winter for prices and deciding finishes etc then ready to rock in march

 

 

 

[Ian]

@Tony K

heavy clay soil can be a nightmare in Winter for obvious reasons

[Bored Shopper]

We enjoyed glorious September last year sorting out our mortgage (ages...), hoped to break ground whilst still warm and sunny but ended up having Day 1 on 30 September. From that particular date onward the first 2.5 months of the build were spent in pissing DAILY rain which was nasty and created difficulties (dug foundations were filling up with liquid mud, some trades could not work due to adverse weather. Took ages to sort out scaffolding as these guys could not work in rain (slippery), wind (shaky and unstable), and sunny dry weather as well (too much blistering sun, difficult to work on heights ? ).

[Tony K]

1 hour ago, Bored Shopper said:

We enjoyed glorious September last year sorting out our mortgage (ages...), hoped to break ground whilst still warm and sunny but ended up having Day 1 on 30 September. From that particular date onward the first 2.5 months of the build were spent in pissing DAILY rain which was nasty and created difficulties (dug foundations were filling up with liquid mud, some trades could not work due to adverse weather. Took ages to sort out scaffolding as these guys could not work in rain (slippery), wind (shaky and unstable), and sunny dry weather as well (too much blistering sun, difficult to work on heights ? ).

 

This is exactly what I'm concerned about. What I don't really understand is roughly how much extra cost is involved in wet weather building. I presume builders charge a bit extra to cover themselves over winter if they get a trench full of water, or because the cay they dig out is heavier to take away, or whatever? I wonder what that extra cost is in percentage terms?

 

I suppose weather will always happen. We had a monsoon in July this year!

 

I reckon I will see how long it takes to get the drainage design agreed and the other paperwork done, then estimate whether I can get the shell watertight before winter.