Bungalow barn... get set go

[Snowbeetle]

Greetings everyone, 


Thought I may as well stop lurking and say hello so I can share the adventures, mine and yours.

We are living on site of our barn conversion, two kids, a dog and a snake in tow. We are currently in the site prep and demolition-of-unwanted-parts stage and soon to make a start on the floor slab. 

 

We are novices and have a silly low budget ( risks high, costs low, off we go) and I am currently trying to research the answer to the million dollar question of where the sweet spot is between best available technique and budget on our floor slab. 

 

Part of me feels a little sorry for the barn that it has ended up with us as buyers because someone with more money would be able to make a really stunning home. However, it is our dream home, we've made the leap, and we will do our very best to put all we can into the fabric of the building and skimp on the stuff that can be tackled again in future. 

 

I don't have any indoor pics to show at the moment, but the two I've put on show the East and West elevations. The roof is in good shape having been done only 20 years ago. The walls are pretty good too, not being in a state of collapse at least. ;D On closer inspection there are some woodworm-ey lintels to sort out and a a big re-pointing job awaits. 

We are currently debating back and forth over a limecrete floor or trad concrete - I have been disappearing down various rabbit holes of opposing opinion and am hoping to invite some on here on the basis that it is an interesting discussion, and lots of the online information I find seems to be more relevant to different circumstances.

We are doing breathable walls and roof, lime pointing, cork/wool insulation, woodwool board etc and were all set to go down the limecrete floor slab when a self-builder I respect suggested that a standard concrete floor may not in fact cause the rising damp in the walls as we feared/expected so we ought not to rule it out. Food for thought. His point was that if you create a trench around the building to get local surface run-off to flow away from it, thus keeping immediate ground water down, the sheer weight of the slab will keep the ground water level too low to cause a problem in the walls... 

We are learning as we go, so I will be very cautious about offering 'advice' to anyone, but, happy to encourage and willing to share my tales in the hope it will be useful to someone out there. We have leaped a good few hurdles to have got this far, so I am gradually shedding my utterly-clueless skin and am happy to have found you guys.  

[Redoctober]

Welcome aboard ! As you will be aware from your days of lurking this can be a fun and informative place to be!  Pleased you have come out of the shadows though as your project does look an interesting one. We like pictures so if you are able to upload some that would help. As for answers, well the more informed than I will no doubt pop up once they have dug themselves out of the snow wherever they may be.

Enjoy, but hold on tight. PW.

[Snowbeetle]

Thanks - nice to meet you! I have more pics I will put on asap. A blizzard is whirling outside here so I am online inside - thanks for being my excuse!