Design for mull of Galloway. Thoughts?

[jaymd_123]

4 minutes ago, DannyT said:

Brick, block, render, tiled roof. Traditional materials. Materials tradesmen use everyday keep the costs down.

 

Cladding requires the exterior material, membranes, baton's and counter batons, fire stops and lots of stainless screws.

Glass is expensive, avoid overkill on windows. You can still get a nice design without 20+ windows.

zinc roofs, etc

Number one rule to keep costs down is don’t build a house that is too big! Wasted space, bedrooms at 40sqm of space you don’t need. 4 bedrooms and only 2 of you and the dog live there. 
Im only building a 2 bed because that’s all I need. A 3 bed would involve a whole upper level. Stairs, floor joists, another ceiling, more heating, electrics, insulation, en-suite, doors, The list goes on.

All for what? A extra bedroom that I’ll never use. 
90% of people on here who have built, will have built too big and probably regret it in some way or another.

You dont need fancy switches and wireless this and that either. A light switch should be just that, a switch. Not using your phone to turn on the light.

 

This is incredibly encouraging. We are planning a house that is slightly too large for us, mainly because our family is growing and we (plan) to only do this once lol. Granted, the house is 178m2 + 37m2 garage (attached). 

The plan is to build block and render. There is a small area of stone cladding which I will do myself. Planning to use attic roof trusses for all areas minus the living area where we will use oak trusses for a vaulted ceiling. The oak trusses are probably the only 'luxury' thing we're planning. We will likely go for a retail-bought kitchen and bathroom. We bought all the things we have in our current home (renovation) on sales and it saved us a fortune... The only 'fancy' electricals I plan to fit is cat 6 throughout, as WiFi drives me crazy. That said, it isn't expensive to do this and I know what I'm doing here. Windows is a good call; we currently had in our minds we would add french doors to most of the house vs windows. Pricing it up, they we're a great deal more expensive than the window, but it does stack up and I could probably shave about £3-4k going for windows vs french doors.

Anything in the above screaming "don't do it - that will kill your budget"?

p.s. loving your solar blog - thank you for sharing that. Checking our their website, they have some pretty good looking kits, but I need to do a lot more research into this.

 

[DannyT]

Mid range kitchens and bathrooms from retail are good on the wallet, The kitchen in my current house is a b&q. I fitted it and like yourself it was bought on a sale offer.

It’s a decent kitchen too, even after 6 years.

 

Oak beams will cost but you need to have that one item that screams wow. 
Mine are the big sliders looking out over the fields. That alone may cost as much as the other 8 windows.

 

like you I originally thought about having sliding doors in bedrooms but cost would just be getting out of control.

 

I have visited Voltacon several times and they are great.

Off grid, no DNO permission, no feedback to grid, off grid so if there’s a power cut the house will stay on. Very easy installation.

Highly recommend kit.

 

[Sparrowhawk]

Like the design though unclear why the fish room is central rather than one of those in the flat roofed bit? Wouldn't that central internal room be a good plant room as it'll reduce distances to all other rooms?

 

What software are you using for the 3D modelling and renders, and for the U-Value calculator in

 

[Iceverge]

On 08/10/2024 at 21:23, DannyT said:

Mine are the big sliders looking out over the fields. That alone may cost as much as the other 8 windows.

 

Good ones that won't be draughty will cost a fortune. 

 

Most of them are rubbish at air sealing. 

 

I would get french windows.witb fixed sidelights. They'd be fraction of the cost and seal much better. 

[jaymd_123]

@DannyT How did you plan the pitch when planning your roof for solar panels? Currently, I am looking at a rise of 210cm, which gives me a pitch of 45 degrees. I'm planning to use attic trusses for additional storage (maybe in the future some sort of expansion) This won't leave me with much internal headroom. I could add to the rise, that the pitch will enter 50+ degrees. I believe 30-40 degrees is optimal. Any thoughts or observations on this from your experience? 

[DannyT]

5 hours ago, Iceverge said:

 

Good ones that won't be draughty will cost a fortune. 

 

Most of them are rubbish at air sealing. 

 

I would get french windows.witb fixed sidelights. They'd be fraction of the cost and seal much better. 

Thanks for your input. 
This is a consideration at the moment. Possibly 2 fixed panels with the middle one sliding. Been realistic, how often would I have 2 panels open in Scotland? 
 

 

[DannyT]

6 hours ago, Sparrowhawk said:

Like the design though unclear why the fish room is central rather than one of those in the flat roofed bit? Wouldn't that central internal room be a good plant room as it'll reduce distances to all other rooms?

 

What software are you using for the 3D modelling and renders, and for the U-Value calculator in

 

I agree, but fish room is centre as the peninsula tank needs to be attached to that room if that makes sense. All the workings of it will be piped straight through wall. Always wanted a peninsula style reef tank rather than the style I have now running parallel with wall and that’s the only place I can get it to work.

Switching it around would mean walking around tank at end of hall way, so would have to walk around it.

image below. What do you think?

 

Shapr3d for modelling 

change plan for u-vales http://changeplan.co.uk/u_value_calculator.php

 

[DannyT]

4 hours ago, jaymd_123 said:

@DannyT How did you plan the pitch when planning your roof for solar panels? Currently, I am looking at a rise of 210cm, which gives me a pitch of 45 degrees. I'm planning to use attic trusses for additional storage (maybe in the future some sort of expansion) This won't leave me with much internal headroom. I could add to the rise, that the pitch will enter 50+ degrees. I believe 30-40 degrees is optimal. Any thoughts or observations on this from your experience? 

To be honest I designed the house first with a 45degree then thought about the panels after but it works with the house and my solar needs.

Been southwest/west facing, most panels will get the lower winter morning then afternoon sun. Midday is covered by garage panels
yes you are correct in away that 30-40 degrees is optimal, but that’s for spring, summer months when sun is higher in sky.

In spring, summer, my batteries are often fully charged by midday with ample light, even before sun gets around to optimal position. 
The problem comes with them at (I believe they are) 30 degrees, when the sun gets lower the light just isn’t hitting the panels head on. 
At the time of year I need to get every kw I can, the panels need a steeper angle.

Dont get me wrong, they still work, but at moment I’m getting highs of 4800w in full sun. Down about 2400w an hour.

 

50 degrees would work well with a lower sun. In summer it’s not an optimal angle but more hours of light to make up for been down on power.

[jaymd_123]

6 minutes ago, DannyT said:

50 degrees would work well with a lower sun. In summer it’s not an optimal angle but more hours of light to make up for been down on power.

 

So really, in Scotland where the winters are long and cold, 50 degrees could be a better angle? In Summer, we use significantly less electricity (lights and heating mainly).

Sorry, not trying to hijack your post. Just curious to how you're progressing and the choices you're making and why. Great to see the progress you're making.

[DannyT]

32 minutes ago, jaymd_123 said:

 

So really, in Scotland where the winters are long and cold, 50 degrees could be a better angle? In Summer, we use significantly less electricity (lights and heating mainly).

Sorry, not trying to hijack your post. Just curious to how you're progressing and the choices you're making and why. Great to see the progress you're making.

That’s ok. It’s how I got my questions answered.

so below is a live shot of my system. Currently in full blazing sunshine. 2 months ago that would have been 7kw of solar going in. Why is it only 4.6kw now and less in November-February? The angle of the panels are too shallow for this time of year. If I tilted them now to a steeper angle Im certain id get in the 6500w plus.

Therfore charging the batteries sooner and I’d probably been at 100% battery an hour ago. Instead I might just hit 100% before sun goes down but only just.

so yes a steeper angle in Scotland will work better in the months that you really need to catch every last kw you can.

Thats why I’ll be leaving my house at 45 degree roof and putting as many panels on as reasonable. Solar panels probably cost less that slate per m2 anyway so could be cheaper on a new build than you think.

 

[jaymd_123]

5 minutes ago, DannyT said:

Solar panels probably cost less that slate per m2 anyway so could be cheaper on a new build than you think.

This is a really good point. I had assumed you tiled and then fitted solar over the top (my lack of knowledge showing for sure). In that case, does it not make sense to populate a vast majority of roof in panels?

 

7 minutes ago, DannyT said:

yes a steeper angle in Scotland will work better in the months that you really need to catch every last kw you can

I assume there is no happy medium? You're saying at 45 degrees, you get really good summer results with less in winter... I believe there will be a lot of variables, but in normal circumstances, what would be the sweet spot for a solid balance all year in terms of angle?

 

9 minutes ago, DannyT said:

Instead I might just hit 100% before sun goes down but only just

How much run time do you get from your system from 100% battery on a rainy day around this time of year (i.e. very little charge but electricity in normal use?)

[Iceverge]

1 hour ago, DannyT said:

Thanks for your input. 
This is a consideration at the moment. Possibly 2 fixed panels with the middle one sliding. Been realistic, how often would I have 2 panels open in Scotland? 
 

 

 

It's the sealing that I'd be concerned about.  Old fashioned sliding doors rely on brush seals which are completely useless. 

 

You can get lift and slide or a straightforward French door which are all compression seals and perform much better. 

[jaymd_123]

4 minutes ago, Iceverge said:

You can get lift and slide or a straightforward French door which are all compression seals and perform much better. 

What are your thoughts on bigger openings? Say 5 meters of glass. One set of french doors plus side panels wouldn't really work here as the opening would be too small. Is there a suitable alternative?

[DannyT]

It will have to be a lift and slide. I know what you’re getting at with the brush seals. All the effort of air tightness and u values undone with a drafts door would really piss you off.

I don’t think a French door style will suit.

 

11 minutes ago, Iceverge said:

 

It's the sealing that I'd be concerned about.  Old fashioned sliding doors rely on brush seals which are completely useless. 

 

You can get lift and slide or a straightforward French door which are all compression seals and perform much better. 

 

[DannyT]

25 minutes ago, jaymd_123 said:

This is a really good point. I had assumed you tiled and then fitted solar over the top (my lack of knowledge showing for sure). In that case, does it not make sense to populate a vast majority of roof in panels?

 

I assume there is no happy medium? You're saying at 45 degrees, you get really good summer results with less in winter... I believe there will be a lot of variables, but in normal circumstances, what would be the sweet spot for a solid balance all year in terms of angle?

 

How much run time do you get from your system from 100% battery on a rainy day around this time of year (i.e. very little charge but electricity in normal use?)

I have fitted on a rack system at the house I’m currently in so has tiles under. New house, solar will be built in so no tiles under those.

 

45 degree will be the happy medium for me on the new Scotland build. 
My current house system is a 6 month or so optimal but at 30 degrees, it’s really noticeable in the months we are now going into.

 

last night, 5pm batteries full, this morning 9am down to 50%. Oven on last night, reef tank running 24/7 plus all the usual.

Use about 17kwh a day so been careful I could get a full 24hrs from 20kw storage but if it’s looking tight I’ll add a few kw of charge to see me through on the octopus go rate of 8p kw.

Edited October 11 by DannyT

[Iceverge]

47 minutes ago, DannyT said:

It will have to be a lift and slide. I know what you’re getting at with the brush seals. All the effort of air tightness and u values undone with a drafts door would really piss you off.

I don’t think a French door style will suit.

 

 

 

Perhaps ask for a quote for both for interest. 

[scottishjohn]

you mention storage 

 

why not build the garage bigger where it is 

seems the simplest way to me 

 and yes looks like a lot of window area 

cutting that down will save you big bucks 

Edited October 12 by scottishjohn