JohnnyB Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 Hi all, a quick intro as I've been reading posts for a while but only just signed up. We are building in a house and annexe with double garage in Suffolk. Building with timber frame and using hempcrete just to make things complicated. The hempcrete will be laid with an experienced local builder who has worked with hemp for several years. This will be lime rendered on the house with timber cladding on the annexe. It hasn't been simple so far to get a timber frame designed that works for the hempcrete that a structural engineer was happy with but we have got there and have started building our annexe building. I'm building the frame myself with a local carpenter helping to erect it. The grind for walls went up this week. My background is joinery so building the timber frame is simple enough. For the main house we have a local timber frame company build the frame to keep that moving forward this year. This should be delivered and up in the next 6-7 weeks. We are living on site, in a static, and are concentrating on getting the annexe watertight first so we don't freeze in the static over winter. Life is very busy so I'm not online that much but I've be using the site for research a bit and thought I should start posting. Johnny 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 Sounds like a great project - keep us updated and welcome THE forum for people like us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Ambrose Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 What bit of Suffolk are you in? @G and J , @LSB and me are all in the area. I know one other couple doing a barn conversion also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyB Posted June 8 Author Share Posted June 8 Where mid Suffolk, just outside Stowmarket. Where are you? @G and J has already messaged to say hi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Ambrose Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 Present place is in Witnesham IP6, plot is North Green, IP17. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyB Posted June 8 Author Share Posted June 8 That's a nice part of the countryside to have a plot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Ambrose Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 It will be if we ever get PP . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzPaulzz Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 Hi @JohnnyB We are also awaiting planning for our timber frame build in Hintlesham IP8. This is round 2 so hoping to get it this time. Researching passive foundations, timber frame and window suppliers at the moment while we wait. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzPaulzz Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 4 hours ago, Alan Ambrose said: It will be if we ever get PP . It’s a hard and expensive slog for us too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Laslett Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 Hello all, my build is in IP31 mid-way between Bury St Ed’s and Stowmarket. We broke ground back into 2021. My wife and I have tried to do as much of the work ourselves. We are halfway through the internals. On site most days pushing the project forward. Found BuildHub very early on in the thinking process, so was able to incorporate a lot of the ideas discussed here. We have an insulated slab foundation, and used ICF for the fabric and EPS boards for the roof. ASHP, MVHR, UFH in the slab, Solar panels in roof. Target PH airtightness. Metal framing, Fermacell boards. Sun cool solar control glass. Very happy to have visitors, if you want to get a better feel for some of this stuff, please PM. We are complete beginners, with no previous building experience. The people and resources on this forum are amazing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMo Posted June 9 Share Posted June 9 (edited) 23 hours ago, JohnnyB said: Life is very busy so I'm not online that much but I've be using the site for research 9 hours ago, Nick Laslett said: Found BuildHub very early on in the thinking process Me also, but used only during the thinking process and getting ideas on paper. Once I had my plan it was frozen, think during the build we only changed the shape of a cupboard in the hallway and moved a few lights. Stayed offline (buildhub) during the whole build, so as not to get diverted, on many tangents and over thinking decisions that had already been made, for me that was a good decision. Did lots of the build myself with hired help when needed, a year from starting foundation (late 2020) we were sleeping in the house (mostly finished). Then came back to contribute once the bulk of the house was complete. Have I found things I would change, a few. Have since installed an ASHP (mostly for cooling) and unvented cylinder, I could have made the house slightly smaller and changed a couple of windows for smaller sizes. Things I learnt during the whole process Have a plan for everything before you start, down to where you want light switches etc. Airtightness is good. Have a ventilation strategy and stick to it, make sure every room is ventilated. MVHR will reduce your heating requirements. Understand how you route ducts and pipes before you start building You can never have enough insulation Hot and cold water distribution manifolds are good and make life simple. Low energy houses and big boilers are not a mix made in heaven. Do not listen to anyone that uses rules of thumb, they are generally wrong and screw things up. Do the calculations yourself and make your own decisions. If it's difficult, move on to something else and come back to it the next day. Ways to get around a problem come when you are thinking about it (it's how the brain works). Shop around, big variations in pricing. MCS and ASHP equals being ripped off, unless you are very careful. Forgot to mention - don't work everyday, you will burn yourself out. I worked from 7.30 until day light stopped me during the winter and a out 5pm when it didn't. Treat it as a job, if doing it yourself. Edited June 9 by JohnMo Forgot to mention bit 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyB Posted June 9 Author Share Posted June 9 9 hours ago, Nick Laslett said: Very happy to have visitors, if you want to get a better feel for some of this stuff, please PM. We are complete beginners, with no previous building experience. The people and resources on this forum are amazing. I would love to visit, you must very close. If you PM some details maybe we could arrange a time I could head over. You are a way ahead of us and speaking to others is alway useful, for me at least as I'm not as sorted as JohnMo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G and J Posted June 9 Share Posted June 9 5 minutes ago, JohnnyB said: I would love to visit, you must very close. If you PM some details maybe we could arrange a time I could head over. You are a way ahead of us and speaking to others is alway useful, for me at least as I'm not as sorted as JohnMo +1. Can I come too. Please. Pretty please. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSB Posted June 9 Share Posted June 9 I'm in IP17 like Alan, but work in Needham Market so definitely in your neck of the woods. Welcome to us lot. We are converting an old pig barn on a DIY basic, taking years 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G and J Posted June 9 Share Posted June 9 Hmmmm. West Suffolk peeps. East Suffolk peeps. Me on the border. Who do I choose? Jets or Sharks? 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melonseeds Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 Not remotely close to Suffolk - try Ayrshire in South West Scotland 😂 but I would be really interested in finding out about the practicalities, pros and cons of living in a static on site from your experience @JohnnyB. This is a likely option for us, at least at some stage of the project and we have three kids (aged 2-10)…a daunting prospect! Currently can’t quite get my head around when it could get on site for services…pre or post foundation slab?? Still working it out… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyB Posted June 17 Author Share Posted June 17 On 14/06/2024 at 07:49, melonseeds said: Not remotely close to Suffolk - try Ayrshire in South West Scotland 😂 but I would be really interested in finding out about the practicalities, pros and cons of living in a static on site from your experience @JohnnyB. This is a likely option for us, at least at some stage of the project and we have three kids (aged 2-10)…a daunting prospect! Currently can’t quite get my head around when it could get on site for services…pre or post foundation slab?? Still working it out… We coment just recently that we wouldn't want to do it if the kids were small, but that is self build in general not just the static! We have two still living with us but they are 18 and 22. We re pushing hard at the moment to get into a building before it gets too cold again. Stories of people in statics with frozen pipes and heaters on timers to try to take the chill off in the morning isn't really for us. We had water and electric on site and the sewage treatment plant plumbed in before we moved to site. The footings weren't in but that wasn't really a consideration for us and could have been either way. Make sure you have a bit of time to set it up, it took longer than I expected to get it to the right position, level and the plumbing sorted. The pros are being on site all the time and being easy to get on and work whenever there's a free moment. If we weren't living on site I would rarely see the family. It's also much cheaper than renting and it's a big incentive to get on with the build and move out quickly. At the moment the downsides are few, there's less space and the temprature follows outside quite quickly, but my wife loves camping and being outdoors so as long as the weather is good then all is OK. We have additional space in a shed for washing, drying, fridge etc. Make sure there is hard standing or a good path between any buildings. It gets very mucky when it rains and that easily carries inside. Personally we wouldn't do it with young kids or over winter, but were getting a bit older and not so hardy as we were 20 years ago when we first looked at selfbuilding. For us it is working well at the moment and we are quite happy most of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now