The Reverend Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 I have worked for our local Council as a tree inspector and Japanese Knotweed adviser and treatment coordinator in the Housing Department also dealing with boundary issues but now nearing retirement. Claire and I started looking for land 4 years ago and picked up a corner plot in a quiet village near the Preseli hills, thankfully not in Pembrokeshire national Park. We have a budget of £250k for the build and 3 years along the road with planning permission taking 18 months but it's a difficult site to develop due to seasonal springs, high water table, split level and made-up ground. Wish us luck because we will need it. Going for a Hemp build with MVHR 4Kw air sourced heat pump, and underfloor heating. Solar and battery was planned but as other costs increase some of the 'would like' things are being crossed off the list. The log burner was crossed off yesterday after reading this forum. I hope I can contribute to the forum and share what knowledge I have as well as learn from your experiences. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Welcome to THE forum, not that much of an echo chamber, for people like us - looks like a grand plan. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Welcome. Your advice on trees and knotweed will be useful. Rethink the PV. Infact, design the roof around it. With roof integrated, it need not cost any more than tiling/slating. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Good morning and welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Don’t be to quick to cross off a log burner We installed one in our build and will in our current build Five years on we are still using the trees we cut down when clearing our first plot Free heating for the very cold months Much nicer than sitting in front of a radiator 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Jones Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 1 hour ago, SteamyTea said: Welcome. Your advice on trees and knotweed will be useful. Rethink the PV. Infact, design the roof around it. With roof integrated, it need not cost any more than tiling/slating. one of the few occasions ST is correct! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Jones Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 why hemp build ? Creating a headache and cost right off the bat. Excellent insulation levels can be achieved much more cost effectively with normal traditional build types. Save the money for elsewhere! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 1 minute ago, Dave Jones said: one of the few occasions ST is correct! More correction than a strict matron. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Good morning and a very warm welcome to THE self build forum, I originally wanted to build in straw bales but came round to brick and block and I am now glad I did. I too have a woodstove and would not be without one, I also have a 4kW ASHP and MVHR. Best of luck with this and ask away about things, remember there is no such thing as a stupid question, stupid is not asking (and we have all been there). 👍 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 I’d say go for the things that ultimately will save you money long term . Lots of insulation , pv , ASHP , ufh If funds permit ; battery and EV ( depending on your requirements ) Everyone loves toys 🧸 ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceverge Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Welcome, a mate is building with hemp/timber frame at the moment. Materials are about 5 times € vs dense blocks and EPS beads. It is much nicer to work with however and environmentally more sound. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 11 minutes ago, Iceverge said: environmentally more sound. Without some data that is a hard one to know for sure. Intuitively one thinks it should be, reality, and nature, cannot be fooled though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceverge Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 2 minutes ago, SteamyTea said: Without some data that is a hard one to know for sure. Intuitively one thinks it should be, reality, and nature, cannot be fooled though. There is the land use case re growing Hemp and other considerations. What I should have pointed to was the lower greenhouse gas emissions over a lifetime than concrete. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271608819_Life_cycle_greenhouse_gas_emissions_of_hemp-lime_wall_constructions_in_the_UK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Bonjour! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 1 hour ago, Iceverge said: There is the land use case re growing Hemp and other considerations. What I should have pointed to was the lower greenhouse gas emissions over a lifetime than concrete. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271608819_Life_cycle_greenhouse_gas_emissions_of_hemp-lime_wall_constructions_in_the_UK Do you have access to the full text? Looks like an interesting read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Reverend Posted May 7, 2023 Author Share Posted May 7, 2023 7 hours ago, SteamyTea said: Welcome. Your advice on trees and knotweed will be useful. Rethink the PV. Infact, design the roof around it. With roof integrated, it need not cost any more than tiling/slating. Hi, we wanted a standing seam roof and priced in a zinc roof but Covid and the timber/energy hikes have put that out of reach so ended up with coated steel. Definitely want solar but the budget is so tight that as things get more expensive other things get dropped. Some of the windows are now fixed glazing and Oak floors will be replaced with stone tiles. We are having to be very pragmatic with choices. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Reverend Posted May 7, 2023 Author Share Posted May 7, 2023 6 hours ago, Dave Jones said: why hemp build ? Creating a headache and cost right off the bat. Excellent insulation levels can be achieved much more cost effectively with normal traditional build types. Save the money for elsewhere! Working in Housing Development for the local Council I see a lot of older housing sites being cleared for new homes and the waste is horrible. The plastics and foam are sent to land fill or incinerated and I don't want to leave that mess for our children to deal with in the future. Since the start of the incinerator in Cardiff a new brown.orange layer hangs over the city and especially visible in the late evening. Even on the new new builds the amount of waste is huge with skips full of cut bricks and blocks all of which represent waste energy and mineral resources. With Hemp if you spill some you just put it the next mix so no waste.😊 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Reverend Posted May 7, 2023 Author Share Posted May 7, 2023 2 hours ago, Iceverge said: Welcome, a mate is building with hemp/timber frame at the moment. ✔ Materials are about 5 times € vs dense blocks and EPS beads. My neighbours has built a large extension and must have a pallet of cut blocks that will just be used as hard core. Don't forget the savings on air-tightness and no cavity wall insulation. Plus you get a saving on thermal mass and no mold or condensation to deal with, it all adds up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 (edited) 12 minutes ago, The Reverend said: Since the start of the incinerator in Cardiff a new brown.orange layer hands over the city and especially visible in the late evening Nothing to do with the dirty electricity generation in South Wales then. https://carbonintensity.org.uk/ Edited May 7, 2023 by SteamyTea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 4 minutes ago, The Reverend said: Plus you get a saving on thermal mass As a new person you will not be aware of the “thermal mass” debates here 🤯, no such thing (but we all know what you mean), just warning you in case……. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 7 minutes ago, SteamyTea said: Nothing to do with the dirty electricity generation in South Wales then. https://carbonintensity.org.uk/ They keep all the best things for the English......even our bikes have square wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 1 hour ago, SteamyTea said: 2 hours ago, Iceverge said: Expand Do you have access to the full text? Looks like an interesting read. It's research gate so usually open. Source but in this case you need to pop the title into Google and you can find a copy to read by the looks of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 46 minutes ago, MikeSharp01 said: Google and you can find a copy to read by the looks of it. Got it, thanks https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921344912001620#:~:text=Further carbon sequestration by lime,the storage of greenhouse gases. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 I found this interesting…. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Reverend Posted May 7, 2023 Author Share Posted May 7, 2023 5 hours ago, joe90 said: As a new person you will not be aware of the “thermal mass” debates here 🤯, no such thing (but we all know what you mean), just warning you in case……. What you need is a study and it just happens that I have one from Buildings research Establishment😉 the walls at Haverhill were 200mm and today I think the norm is 350mm.HempHousesatHaverhillfinal.pdfHempHousesatHaverhillfinal.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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