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Isotex build in south east Cornwall


keith65

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Building control have been fine about windows just had to show they are pas 24 compliant and as most are fixed pain not to hard. I am doing as much of the work as I can, so apart from the sparky, I will be doing lots.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi 

Have done the final pour today and fitted the glulam ridge beams, all went well so happy days will get the wall plates fitted tomorrow and will start the roof weekend. 

I PU glued the blocks for the gables so the beams could be sat in place and this worked a treat. Also managed to get the floor joist fitted this week. So good progress?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi its been a hard week or so it seams but have managed to get the roof cut in and ready for felt and batten so progress made if but slow. I went up to the train station platform to see how much of the view the house blocked as this was the only objection to planning from the ANOB the nimby group.

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  • 1 month later...

The last six weeks have been a bit of a slog but have finely got the roof finished, PV fitted and first floor cladding and windows fitted. Scaffolding came down yesterday 3 weeks longer than planed big hole in wallet. First floor chipboard flooring down so will start on the ground floor windows  and studwork. But now back to real work as well.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi keith65 .... well impressed. Any part of the isotex walls going to be below ground? I hope to start on my project soon and I am keen on a woodcrete ICF and isotex is a clear front runner in terms of the woodcrete, insulation, touch and finish of their blocks. Got a few Qs

 

1. I see steel bars protruding from the raft to tie into the blocks ..... was this specified by an architect, structural engineer or Insulhub ? I've noted other builds, albeit on flatter ground that didn't require these steels connecting the raft to the walls. I am on avery gentle slope .....

2. How many hands were needed to dry stack the isotex blocks and how many needed during the pour?

3. During the pour, was the concrete consistency / slump checked and if so by who?

4. Were the concrete suppliers / pourers experienced with ICF builds ?

5. Assume fixtures such as door frames, windows are attached to the concrete ..... special attachments / long screws to reach the concrete through the woodcrete and insulation ? or is there a recommended method ?

 

Hope your build was a success and you have moved in or about to this summer. Any tips to give us a heads up would be much appreciated....

 

Edited by DillyDilly
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Hi 

I think all rafts will require starter bars from the reinforcing in the slab as this ties the two together. The structural engineer set out how much rebar and the spacing, more below garage as this is below ground.

I have laid all the blocks myself my son has helped to move them around.

I had 3 helpers with the pour and was lucky Dennis from Isotex came down for the first this gave and understanding of what is required.

I just asked for an S4 mix as this is what Isotex recommend.

The pump driver had done a lot of ICF pours of different types so very good walked around scaffolding  with me during the pour and was watching to make sure the flow was right.

Fixings for windows and doors are easy got a pack of light restraint straps from screw fix No 68348 cut them up and screw them to the back of frame and then into blocks. I would not screw through frame as this is over the insulation so you wont hit the concrete as this is near the inside face 40mm in.

I found having a box of assorted glazing packers use full for leaving up block every 2ed or 3ed course to keep walls plumb.

My build is moving on but will be winter before finished I hope as doing most of the work my self.

Good luck with your build post some pic when you get started.

Keith

Edited by keith65
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Hi Keith

by using the restraint straps, if you had to remove a window in the future would that then require hacking out the reveals to get to the straps ?

 

Can you not just screw into the woodcrete part of the block and stick with silicone.

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  • 2 weeks later...

No Radon is high in this area so they say but who knows just have to do what we are told, same as contaminated land. The man who lived here before has grown fruit and veg and is 93 but I can not grow anything in the soil,  but the council must be right ?

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17 hours ago, keith65 said:

No Radon is high in this area so they say but who knows just have to do what we are told, same as contaminated land. The man who lived here before has grown fruit and veg and is 93 but I can not grow anything in the soil,  but the council must be right ?

 

Same here (we are staying in an old mining hamlet across the valley whilst working on the workshop) - this used to be my great granny's house. My grandad, and great-aunties and uncles all grew up eating fruit and veg grown in the 'contaminated' soil. Two of them have lived here all of their lives and were daily consumers of potatoes and veg from the garden. All have lived into their 90s. I suspect that the arsenic is a preservative if anything! It was heartbreaking having to scrape away the topsoil on our plot last year.

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Yes I think the council would prefer Cornwall to be uninhabited the way they look at every thing I will have no topsoil just gravel and raised beds but been hard to get the council to except, they wanted me to remove 600mm of soil and then geotex membrane and then bring in 600mm topsoil from some where else. So will be removing 200mm and membrane and then gravel could be granite, does that make more radon

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Cornwall Council seem to think that everything must be geared to tourism and hospitality, or less that 15% of the counties economy (this number varies slightly, will be higher this year).

The last working mine, South Croft, stopped producing anything of note in the late 1980s.  There has been talk about reopening it ever since, but the council keep putting obstacles in the way.  Now SC is next to the Hartlands World Heritage Site, as if we needed yet another mining museum with 10 quid sandwiches.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi 

Have managed to get watertight and have insulated the roof in the house but still have the garage to do, 

In the house I have used 150mm PIR in between rafters and then 2 layers of 60mm PIR, also sealed all joints with airtight foam, using large washers to hold up insulation until fixing the timber for the service void thought insulation into the rafters, then counter batten for plasterboard. 

Have now started first fix plumbing and mvhr system.

So moving on if not as fast as i would like.

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Hi sorry for the late reply some airtight paint but I moved a partition over so one had to be redone but will be covered when I do the parge coat and then dot and dab did this behind pole plate before fixing and around windows.

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