Some design strategies please

[JohnMo]

Plasterboarded and taped, not plastered. Didn't insulate in the 50mm void, would if I did it again.

 

All our ceilings are vaulted and insulated between and under rafters.  Basically 350mm of spray foam. AVCL, batten service void and plasterboard.

[Iceverge]

Derisk your build by using masonry or stick build timberframe. 

 

Theres been a a few to many stories of people's projects being sunk here recently by relying on ICF companies or TF manafactuers that went bust. 

 

Also ability to drive 5 mins to your hairy knuckled local builders merchant with a car trailer and return with a few 9X2's,  2 dozen breeze blocks, a bag of cement and a box of nails is invaluable in the real world of building a house and saves lots of time and cash. 

 

 

 

[SteamyTea]

6 hours ago, Iceverge said:

Theres been a a few to many stories of people's projects being sunk here recently by relying on ICF companies or TF manafactuers that went bust. 

Yes.  As much as I like alternative construction methods, especially factory made timber frame, reducing financial risk needs to take precedence at the moment.

[Dave Jones]

the 'modern' build methods like timber frame, icf are quick but are double the price of a traditional build. so unless you are planning to have a rapid build and move in within 12 weeks they offer very poor value for money.

 

Much better to spend that money on improving the fabric of the building, having very good insulation and air tightness etc

 

 

[Nic]

@JohnMo Curious how did you finish walls and ceilings if not plastered, painted or wallpapers? 

Edited June 5, 2023 by Nic

[JohnMo]

In Scotland the norm is to dry line, tapered edge plasterboard, taped and filled. Then painted or papered.

 

Rarely do you see plastered walls.

Edited June 5, 2023 by JohnMo
Missed details

[SteamyTea]

2 minutes ago, JohnMo said:

In Scotland the norm is to dry line, tapered edge plasterboard, taped and filled. Then painted or papered.

Do you get that hollow 'empty house' sound?

Was in a flat a while back, and while quiet, it was quite a lot of echo, was all dry lined.

Edited June 5, 2023 by SteamyTea

[JohnMo]

The noise changed in the house when we installed the plasterboard. The parge coated walls and stud walls filled with installation, was nice no echo and very silent. When plasterboard went on there was a lot of echo, this softened again as soft furnishings went in. But did prefer the noise or lack of, prior to plasterboard.

[SteamyTea]

22 minutes ago, JohnMo said:

The noise changed in the house when we installed the plasterboard.

 

11 hours ago, JohnMo said:

Didn't insulate in the 50mm void, would if I did it again.

Do you think that would have sorted most of it?

 

I went to Jeremy Harris's place when it was still empty, I was amazed how quiet it was, seems that is a benefit of wood fibre board and cellulose insulation.

[JohnMo]

Mostly sorted, the room with a bit of echo is the living room, but it's a  6m2 room with a a wall of glass and vaulted ceiling, so 6m tall also.

[SteamyTea]

10 minutes ago, JohnMo said:

Mostly sorted, the room with a bit of echo is the living room

Large picture canvases. Can also hide a bit of carpet in the back of them.

[Adsibob]

No wiij

[Adsibob]

On 04/06/2023 at 09:37, JohnMo said:

UFH you don't need zones a single zone

This is debatable, and to a certain extent subject to one’s personal dogma.

[Adsibob]

On 04/06/2023 at 11:23, saveasteading said:

Ceramic tiles are best.

There are advantages of ceramic tile, sure. But an engineered wooden floor is more homely, and after the initial delay to heat up, will let plenty of heat through. So I would go for a mix: tile (personally, I prefer porcelain to ceramic) for bathrooms and kitchen, and perhaps hallway to kitchen, but have at least the lounge, snug, study and bedrooms in oak.

[Nic]

I’m considering a polished concrete floor downstairs ( UFH) and then bedrooms carpet, no UFH upstairs 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Adsibob]

2 hours ago, Nic said:

I’m considering a polished concrete floor downstairs ( UFH) and then bedrooms carpet, no UFH upstairs 🤷🏻‍♂️

We have microcement, which is similar to polished concrete in look, but apparently easier to install. Only 3.5mm thick and goes directly onto the screed.

[saveasteading]

3 hours ago, Nic said:

polished concrete floor downstairs

In my opinion this will look like an industrial floor and you will cover it.

There are sprinkle products to brighten it up but make sure you see a real life example. Expensive.

I'm not familiar with the @Adsibob product so can't comment except that it is a double job, whereas polished concrete is just the concrete slab.

[Adsibob]

14 hours ago, saveasteading said:

In my opinion this will look like an industrial floor and you will cover it.

There are sprinkle products to brighten it up but make sure you see a real life example. Expensive.

I'm not familiar with the @Adsibob product so can't comment except that it is a double job, whereas polished concrete is just the concrete slab.

Well, polished concrete still needs to be polished. So that is a double job in a sense. Microcement can look industrial or it can look very homely. It all depends on the way you use it, ie the colours you choose, the other finishes in the room. 

[saveasteading]

I don't know microcement products  at all so I defer.

I'm only referring to concrete as laid in one pour, then polished after a few hours, as it nearly always has marks and wobbles in it, even cracks. So that's what I wouldn't want as my finished floor.

[Gone West]

1 hour ago, saveasteading said:

then polished after a few hours,

Do you mean power floating, I've yet to see a power floated finish that I would want in my house. I have seen some polished concrete which looked excellent, especially when special aggregates or glass chips have been added.

[saveasteading]

31 minutes ago, Gone West said:

have seen some polished concrete which looked excellent, especially when special aggregates or glass chips have been added.

I've had many thousands of m2 of slab done. Only one client wanted it sprinkled with minerals before final polish. He was happy but I wasn't greatly impressed.

 

Then, complexity and cost wise,  I think comes the option to grind the top off again, exposing shiny polished stones, or glass. I think that can look OK but I'd like to hear any more.  Saw this done once for ultra-flat purposes with normal stone. I assume it needs pretty stones really. Expensive but maybe not much more than fancy tiling?

 

Then there are fancy glass inlay toppings like mosaics. Shopping centre style. 

People I know who fancied it have all changed their minds. Probably re cost.

 

So perhaps there are different interpretations of 'polished'.

 

I'd be very pleased to hear more on the pros and cons, and costs.

 

[Adsibob]

I stayed at a friend’s house in Melbourne once, which was designed not a fancy architect. Their kitchen/open plan living area was done in polished concrete. It was quite dark, but with coloured stones in it, that were red, yellow, green and pink. It looked good, much more interesting than our microcement. But it also had a couple of cracks in it, which are part of its “charm”.

The walkway/bridge between the two sides of the Tate Modern has a much more sleekly styled polished concrete floor finish; I walked over it a couple of weeks ago and liked it more than the art I was seeing!

 

[Gone West]

14 hours ago, saveasteading said:

So perhaps there are different interpretations of 'polished'.

I visited Crossway while it was being built and filmed for Grand Designs in 2008. Richard Hawkes had coloured glass chips and special aggregates added to the surface of the slab when it was laid. The surface was then ground down with different grades resulting in a highly polished attractive looking surface. A friend had their conventional concrete slab ground down and polished, and although no unusual aggregates were used, it looked an attractive interesting finish.

[saveasteading]

I seem to remember that the grinding cost as much as the slab.

 

 But then so does fancy tiling.

[SteamyTea]

4 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

I seem to remember that the grinding cost as much as the slab.

 

 But then so does fancy tiling.

Grindr don't come cheap.