Micro.House.Scotland

[micro-house-scotland]

Hello all!

 

Just found this forum yesterday, and already found a lot of useful discussions!

 

For the last 3 years I've been building a wee annexe/enormously overbuilt shed in my garden that I call the 'micro house'. I'm a DIYer and this is my first build. I've built 100% of it myself with no professional help so far, aside from architect and structural engineer for the pre-build warrant paperwork.

 

Some features about it:

 

• Full regulation / Scottish Building Standards / warrant build
• Built on ground anchors / screw piles to protect a ~300 year old copper beech I built right next to
• Reclaimed Scotch slate roof on traditional sarking boards
• Lead ridge
• Burnt timber cladding
• Zinc gutter
• Highly insulated and air tight, close to passivhaus, but this is as yet unconfirmed (hoping I can find advice on that here)
• dMVHR
• Wet room bathroom (about to build this out)

 

It's taking me a billion years for a few reasons, but I've been posting my incredibly slow progress on instagram and tiktok if anyone is interested to take a look.

 

Aside from building, I work abroad as a scientist and engineer for a chemical company that supplies the oil industry.

 

Nice to meet you all! Look forward to contributing to some of the discussions where I can. Let me know if anyone has any questions about my build, lots of pics attached. :)

 

[joe90]

What a great project and well done you, I have never seen those ground screws before.

[SteamyTea]

Welcome

 

It is great that someone with limited experience of building just 'has a go'.  I wish more people would do it.

 

What are the dimensions of it?

[Onoff]

  On 12/10/2024 at 09:28, micro-house-scotland said:

Zinc gutter

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Filling up nicely with beech nuts about now I guess? 😂

 

Did you char the cladding yourself, looks lovely. 

 

Folk here will be able to advise on DIY air tests ref the passivhaus bit. 

[micro-house-scotland]

  On 12/10/2024 at 09:54, SteamyTea said:

Welcome

 

It is great that someone with limited experience of building just 'has a go'.  I wish more people would do it.

 

What are the dimensions of it?

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Yeah more people should! It's slow going when you're learning every stage as you go, but it's been fun :)

 

It's approx 7.7 x 3.8 m externally

 

 

[micro-house-scotland]

  On 12/10/2024 at 09:56, Onoff said:

 

Filling up nicely with beech nuts about now I guess? 😂

 

Did you char the cladding yourself, looks lovely. 

 

Folk here will be able to advise on DIY air tests ref the passivhaus bit. 

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Hahhah only briefly, the pigeons love to eat them! TBH the tree didn't make many this year, think he was a bit thirsty. Pear tree next to him also didn't fruit.

 

Yeah I did the char myself, double burnt it with a roofing torch. Was a much bigger job than I expected. Burnt through about £300 worth of gas!!!

 

oooh DIY air tests?? Will have to search that up

[micro-house-scotland]

  On 12/10/2024 at 09:49, joe90 said:

What a great project and well done you, I have never seen those ground screws before.

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Thank you :))))

 

They're from Spirafix. They're hammered in as opposed to screwed. Then there's a big steel beam figure-of-eight structure on top tying them all together.

[saveasteading]

That is so impressive on many levels.

I will be going through your photos again for inspiration.

 

The list of compliments would be long, so please take them as read. But here are  a few comments.

 

Is the roof built around the tree bough? How did you do that and keep the rain out? Can the tree move in the wind?

 

Underneath will fill with leaves and other crud. Is there a way of spreading a ground membrane to stop weeds growing?

Rodents will like it under there too. I suggest an expanded metal barrier, to keep them and leaves out but let the air through.

 

 

[micro-house-scotland]

  On 12/10/2024 at 10:37, saveasteading said:

That is so impressive on many levels.

I will be going through your photos again for inspiration.

 

The list of compliments would be long, so please take them as read. But here are  a few comments.

 

Is the roof built around the tree bough? How did you do that and keep the rain out? Can the tree move in the wind?

 

Underneath will fill with leaves and other crud. Is there a way of spreading a ground membrane to stop weeds growing?

Rodents will like it under there too. I suggest an expanded metal barrier, to keep them and leaves out but let the air through.

 

 

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Thanks a lot :))))

 

Yeah, it's built round it. Underneath the branch itself I made a section of the roof just with lead sheet. The tree doesn't move at that section, it's a very bi diameter crotch.

 

ATM i'm using the underneath for timber storage. I'm in two minds about what to do about it TBH. In future there will be decking which will close off the front. There's membrane under there, nothing living so far, I think it's too exposed just now. Someone said to me at some point, that if i close it off, it makes it more attractive to rodents, and they will find their way in. Unsure, will decide on that another day!

[saveasteading]

  On 12/10/2024 at 12:09, micro-house-scotland said:

if i close it off,

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Hence use expanded metal and it is physically closed but not a hideaway. and you should maintain air flow.

 

 or in sheets and  ideally would also be set into the ground.

[Andehh]

Once a year peak summer could just blast it all out with a pressure washer to hard mud?

 

Love it! Looks brilliant.

 

Can you post up the links?

[BadgerBodger]

I like the outdoor lights. Are they the nordlux aldura seaside, I am thinking of getting them for my project but I didn’t see that colourway.

[Philxyz]

Yes this is very impressive

[Crofter]

That's a great little house. Interesting that you chose steel for the frame. I did something similar but built mine on Douglas Fir beams, 150x300, with engineered timber joists to make a sort of ladder chassis.

[saveasteading]

  On 12/10/2024 at 17:18, Crofter said:

Interesting that you chose steel for the frame.

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Used to building oil rigs I think. None of them made from timber.

[Crofter]

  On 12/10/2024 at 17:20, saveasteading said:

Used to building oil rigs I think. None of them made from timber.

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Well that would be one way of the oil industry working towards carbon neutral.

[micro-house-scotland]

  On 12/10/2024 at 14:19, Andehh said:

Love it! Looks brilliant.

 

Can you post up the links?

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Thanks :)

 

My website is www.microhouse.scot - all my architect and structural engineering diagrams are on here if anyone wants to take a look. Instagram/tiktok are @micro.house.scotland

 

  On 12/10/2024 at 16:15, BadgerBodger said:

Are they the nordlux aldura seaside

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Yeah Nordlux Aludra. The colour is Aluminium, but the place I bought them from doesn't sell that colour any more, I just checked. And can't find elsewhere, so maybe been discontinued. Weird, only bought them a few weeks ago!

 

  On 12/10/2024 at 17:18, Crofter said:

That's a great little house. Interesting that you chose steel for the frame.

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Thanks :)))) Not really my choice as such, I just did as commanded by my structural engineer. I think in general the building is very over engineered, which I like :)