stratman90 Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Hi everyone, I've used this forum a few times for bits and bobs of info and thought I'd better join and contribute something back! We're building our home in Northern Ireland...bit by bit! I'm a total greenhorn and we are currently hiring sub contractors for all the work. Started last April (2017) and its looking like it will hopefully be August or September this year before we get in. Slow moving and hugely stressful but as the rest of you say, we have to just get on with it and it will be worth it in the end! I've attached some pics 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divorcingjack Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Looks like good progress! Whereabouts are you? I'm originally from NI , and so is our MVHR supplier ... It is slow, frustrating, stressful and costly, but as everyone keeps telling me, it'll be worth it in the end! dj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epsilonGreedy Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 A large first project guess 2500 sq ft, mine will be around 1500 sq ft if I proceed. Where did you incur delays, were these before the digging started? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpd Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Wowzers, great location, great looking house. I guess its like the saying “have children it will be fun” they just forget to tell you the percentage of fun v stress....... that back corner window looks impressive, beyond my understanding how its held up.... but looks great. This is a great forum and i look forward to following your build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratman90 Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 1 hour ago, divorcingjack said: Looks like good progress! Whereabouts are you? I'm originally from NI , and so is our MVHR supplier ... It is slow, frustrating, stressful and costly, but as everyone keeps telling me, it'll be worth it in the end! dj Hi @divorcingjack we're in County Down, we haven't gone for MVHR..I know I know, shame on me haha. We're going for 2 DriMasters in the house...I know a few self builders who have done the same and been 100% this past few years. You're right, the frustration is the worst lol. The lack of knowing on my part kills me! Getting there and thanks for the kind comment! Are you building at the moment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divorcingjack Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Ha, I was born and brought up in Bangor, school in Holywood Small world. You get accustomed to not knowing - it's inevitable. The only thing you can control is when you come to that realisation .... Yes, we're building across in Scotland - I've settled here in my university town. We're just on to first fixing, but it's slow going .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratman90 Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 1 hour ago, epsilonGreedy said: A large first project guess 2500 sq ft, mine will be around 1500 sq ft if I proceed. Where did you incur delays, were these before the digging started? Hi @epsilonGreedy it is a large first project O_O, a bit too large at times haha. Delays really occurred with the blockwork to be honest. Issues with lack of people to be honest. Believe it or not 2 men built the house with some laboring from my father in law and myself when we could. Delays with this have meant delays in the roof going on too. The groundworks were grand although still a fair whack to do before its suitable with drainage etc. Best of luck with yours if you go for it, its a strange mixture of bittersweet haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratman90 Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 9 minutes ago, Cpd said: Wowzers, great location, great looking house. I guess its like the saying “have children it will be fun” they just forget to tell you the percentage of fun v stress....... that back corner window looks impressive, beyond my understanding how its held up.... but looks great. This is a great forum and i look forward to following your build. Hi @Cpd, thanks very much for the kind comments. That window is the sunroom at the back of the kitchen area. Its sort of beyond me too how it is held up...Steel and lots of it I think, the roof is full of steel lol. Yeah the fun v stress ratio is a little unbalanced at times lol. Lots of brilliant information here and I think, more importantly, lots of inspiration and nice people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yzzy Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 oh wow that is beautiful!!!!!! Look at those views! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpmiller Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Hi and welcome from the Ards. There's a fair few of us on here, where are you precisely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 1 hour ago, stratman90 said: [...] Slow moving and hugely stressful but [...] and 17 minutes ago, divorcingjack said: [...] first fixing, but it's slow going .. and 16 minutes ago, stratman90 said: [...] its a strange mixture of bittersweet haha. and 17 minutes ago, stratman90 said: [...]. Issues with lack of people to be honest. [...] and '...Tiredness and stress of the build is increasingly affecting concentration and logical thought...' and then '...I'd snap my right arm off to be able to build my own home, so chin up mate. ...' He's right. Most people , offered the chance, would give up a lot to be able to do what we are. Knowing that doesn't make it less stressful though does it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divorcingjack Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 I'm well aware how lucky we are to have the chance, but you're right - it doesn't release the stress and worry. I do actually think that the responsibility of it being your own place, for your family increases the pressure immeasurably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epsilonGreedy Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 27 minutes ago, stratman90 said: Delays really occurred with the blockwork to be honest. Issues with lack of people to be honest. Believe it or not 2 men built the house with some laboring from my father in law and myself when we could. Delays with this have meant delays in the roof going on too. The groundworks were grand although still a fair whack to do before its suitable with drainage etc.... I need to raise "blockwork" higher up my league of worries. Forgot to say "Gobsmaking views", must be worth £300/SQM alone if such an intangible can be priced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vfrdave Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Welcome to the forum @stratman90 lots of invaluable information on here. I too am building in co down and running to similar timescales to yourself. Currently struggling to get a roof finished with the weather currently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratman90 Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 6 hours ago, Vision Of Heaven said: oh wow that is beautiful!!!!!! Look at those views! Hi @Vision Of Heaven Thanks very much. Yes we are incredibly lucky @recoveringacademic, tough going but knowing we are one of the few with the chance makes all the difference doesn't it?@epsilonGreedy In hindsight I wish I had engaged with a builder for the blockwork stage and let them handle it all! The footing wasn't too bad but the super slow progress of the structure was rough. Cue me sorting out tressles and scaffolding, loading blocks onto the tressles and scaffolding and being a laborer after work everyday and at the weekends...exhausting! The views are really something, can't put a price on those lol. When I was 4 lifts high erecting scaffolding and shaking like a leaf they helped haha. Hi @vfrdave Yes the roof in this weather is a disaster lol. Sure theres a quare stretch in the evenings these days lol! Can't wait for the longer evenings for the light. Site lights don't cut it really. Hello @dpmiller we're outside Newry! Just up the road sure @divorcingjack You're doing well. I'll be happy when it's water tight. The slaters are starting next week, weather permitting. Can't wait to get to first fix lol Thanks very much for the welcome everyone 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan52 Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Yeah there are quite a few from NI here now but a bit too many from co down!!! Another member @DeeJunFan is nearly finished his house in mayobridge. Nice looking house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alphonsox Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 11 hours ago, stratman90 said: Hello@dpmiller we're outside Newry! Just up the road sure Welcome from another "just up the road" self builder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 11 hours ago, stratman90 said: I'll be happy when it's water tight. Watertight ? Most would be happy with weathertight ! Ignore me, I'm the class idiot Welcome aboard ! How are you heating it ? Having solar PV ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divorcingjack Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 To be fair @Nickfromwales, a lot of the weather in NI is predominantly water based. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 13 minutes ago, divorcingjack said: To be fair @Nickfromwales, a lot of the weather in NI is predominantly water based. Move to Wales, the sun never goes in ?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divorcingjack Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 1 hour ago, Nickfromwales said: Move to Wales, the sun never goes in ?? I'm half welsh, and I can vouch for this statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratman90 Posted February 20, 2018 Author Share Posted February 20, 2018 Hi @Nickfromwales sorry just getting around to replying now. Lol weathertight would be perfect right now! We're heating it with Oil. We're using UFH throughout the house too. It has a 150mm cavity and we're putting the bead insulation in. I'm currently pricing the spray foam insulation for the roof too. Any thoughts on whether it would be worth my while putting insulated plasterboard on external walls? I've had a few people tell me its the business and quite a few others telling me its completely unnecessary with the size of my cavities and the beaded insulation. Hard to know lol. I'm currently deciding (quite rapidly at this point) on whether we want a MVHR system or not...the decision is killing me! Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratman90 Posted February 20, 2018 Author Share Posted February 20, 2018 Hi @Alphonsox and @Declan52 thanks for the welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan52 Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 51 minutes ago, stratman90 said: Hi @Nickfromwales sorry just getting around to replying now. Lol weathertight would be perfect right now! We're heating it with Oil. We're using UFH throughout the house too. It has a 150mm cavity and we're putting the bead insulation in. I'm currently pricing the spray foam insulation for the roof too. Any thoughts on whether it would be worth my while putting insulated plasterboard on external walls? I've had a few people tell me its the business and quite a few others telling me its completely unnecessary with the size of my cavities and the beaded insulation. Hard to know lol. I'm currently deciding (quite rapidly at this point) on whether we want a MVHR system or not...the decision is killing me! Any thoughts? Get a price from bpc in larne for mhrv and see where you stand. I look on the whole heat saving aspect as a bonus. The nice clean fresh air in the house is it's real benefit to me. As far as doing the insulated sheets on the inside, it is a lot of work and money and the payback would be long considering you already have a lot in the cavity. There is a spreadsheet on the forum somewhere that Jeremy done that would let you compare the two options and see how much it would take your u value down compared to the cost and then you could see if it's worthwhile. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratman90 Posted February 20, 2018 Author Share Posted February 20, 2018 @Declan52 Thanks for this. Yeah I think I'll give BPC a buzz tomorrow and see what they recommend. Thanks for sharing your opinion on the boards, thats what I'm hearing a lot, the payback will be very longterm and a bit overkill when we have the cavities the way we do. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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