Hello ​👋​​👋​

[Tim_C]

Hi everyone - I'm Tim

 

Newbie selfbuilder here, in the early stages of planning our self-build project in South Wales (But currently living in Bristol). Looking to build a family home to passive house principles, and avoid any Grand-designs style crises during the process!

 

Excited to be part of this forum, which is a great source of info! I look forward to picking your collective brain more as we make our design choices and progress with the project. 

[Dreadnaught]

Welcome. @Nickfromwales comes from down the coast in Wales.

[Nickfromwales]

4 hours ago, Tim_C said:

Hi everyone - I'm Tim

 

Newbie selfbuilder here, in the early stages of planning our self-build project in South Wales (But currently living in Bristol). Looking to build a family home to passive house principles, and avoid any Grand-designs style crises during the process!

 

Excited to be part of this forum, which is a great source of info! I look forward to picking your collective brain more as we make our design choices and progress with the project. 

Hi and welcome.
 

Glad you're not looking to bother with the PH cape and matching slippers, as you probably need to live 1.5x to get all that extra bother and cost back.

 

Timberframe or ICF or other in mind? 

[Tim_C]

54 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

Hi and welcome.
 

Glad you're not looking to bother with the PH cape and matching slippers, as you probably need to live 1.5x to get all that extra bother and cost back.

 

Timberframe or ICF or other in mind? 

 

Thanks for the Welcome!

 

Potentially both Timberframe and ICF.

 

The plot is sloping, so needs a lower ground floor which dug into the hilside and partially below ground level. Working assumption at the moment is a raft foundation, tanked ICF lower ground floor then timber frame 1st/2nd floor. Definitely would be interested to hear if anyone on the forum has experience of this, given it's less common.  

 

 

 

 

[Nickfromwales]

5 minutes ago, Tim_C said:

 

Thanks for the Welcome!

 

Potentially both Timberframe and ICF.

 

The plot is sloping, so needs a lower ground floor which dug into the hillside and partially below ground level. Working assumption at the moment is a raft foundation, tanked ICF lower ground floor then timber frame 1st/2nd floor. Definitely would be interested to hear if anyone on the forum has experience of this, given it's less common.  

Quite a few on here have done basements by a 3rd party, and then plonked a TF atop, as most TF companies won't touch a basement (or anything sub / semi-subterranean) with a shitty stick.

 

May be a lot simpler for you to go with ICF all the way, but with timber for posi joists / internal walls etc. One point of contact for responsibility / coordination / liability, reducing risk massively (and avoiding errors and the blame game).

[saveasteading]

I've done a few buildings ( schools and factories) on steep slopes.

My principle has been to build a platform at the higher level, then a conventional framed building on top.

That keeps it simple and vastly more economical.

No basement as you get into a different level of complexity and risk.( digging into the ground, waterproofing, stability, access)

So that is conventional strip footings ans walls up to level . Then beam and block or precast planks make the surface. You are then out of the ground and on a solid surface.

 

With a raft you have a big hole to dig then work in. If the slope is steep there is potential differential movement of the ground.

 

If the slope is extreme then you can perhaps have a natural extra storey or part of one.

 

Worth mentioning perhaps that in a couple of those jobs the original designers had assumed the dig and raft technique or retaining walls and mass fill to make a platform.  I met one during negotiation and discussed  the principles, and he was simply surprised at the cost difference, not being a contractor.

 

Beam and block then a conventional kit above is my suggestion.