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Making it up as we go along....


evelar

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Hi all,

 

We bought a plot last year and have been merrily plodding along with our self build.  Not doing it the most efficient way and have made many mistakes, ignoring lots of rules (not serious or build related ones though) and generally making it up as we go along. :)

 

First rule broken was not to use an architect. Second rule broken to use the lay of the land - nope, completely changed the landscape (sloping plot) but this resulted in a great front facade and a south facing front garden so even though that earth removal went waaaaaaaaaaay over budget (around £20k just on earth removal) it was worth it.... (hopefully)......

 

Then we wanted an oak frame house but didn't want an oak frame so we've gone (again) more expensive and used icf structure and stuck some oak throughout the house.  

 

So we're changing our minds every 3 seconds - moved a window to suit internally and forgot about the outside so it now doesn't match up with the gable so moved it back again and other such silliness (hmmm possibly should have used an architect???) 

 

Now we're almost to roof, done everything ourselves with 1 extra labourer and its going well.  We're starting on the complicated stuff that we don't know about which is heating requirements, windows, airtightness and all that jazz.  Hadn't planned for any renewables because I can't work out whether they'll be worth it or not but we designed the house so all the glazing is south facing living areas and the smaller windows north facing are out the back for bedrooms, plus the icf will be super insulating but keen to reduce the heating load as much as we can so next step windows I think!

 

Here's a pic...

 

 

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Welcome to BuildHub - looking good!

 

With all that glazing and insulation, have you given any thought to reducing solar gain during the hotter months? People here have used things like solar screening films, brises soleil, and external blinds to help keep the sun out. Worth thinking about now before windows and cladding are installed.

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Welcome!  Definitely looking very nice and why bother with an architect when you've done a good job yourself?

 

+1 on the solar gain thing, particularly as the lead time for these things can catch you out a little.  I'm using a brise soleil and external roller blinds, and these are both first fix before the cladding.  The lead time is generally 4 - 8 weeks, depending on what you want and from where.

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6 hours ago, evelar said:

[...]

So we're changing our minds every 3 seconds -

[...]

 

There be dragons. Lots of them. And they bite you right in the bank balance.

6 hours ago, evelar said:

[...]

Now we're almost to roof, done everything ourselves with 1 extra labourer and its going well. 

[...]

 

Gold dust. 

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6 hours ago, evelar said:

but we designed the house so all the glazing is south facing living areas

 

Looking at your elevation, you are going to have major issues with solar gain for 3 seasons a year. Better to design your thermal solution now.  Lots of discussions on the forum of the issues and approaches.

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We're  another one who got caught out by too much solar gain.  I spent a year designing and thermally modelling our house before we started work, including carefully working out just how much glass we dare put in the South elevation, yet we still ended up with a house that overheated in Spring and Autumn.  Heating is virtually non-existent, and rarely comes on, but solar gain, coupled with incidental gains from stuff in the house, and especially having visitors around, adds a fair bit of heat to the house. 

 

I've spent far, far more time and effort trying to keep the house cool than I have on heating; in fact I'd go so far as to say that heating is a non-issue, as so little is needed.

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Hi @evelar 

Welcome to the forum. Great looking project.

 

18 hours ago, evelar said:

Then we wanted an oak frame house but didn't want an oak frame so we've gone (again) more expensive and used icf structure and stuck some oak throughout the house.  

 

I'd be really keen to see how you've incorporated timber into your build. Have you got oak internally and externally?

 I'm planning to stick an oak facade on my ICF porch

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  • 1 month later...
On 22/11/2018 at 04:57, willbish said:

Hi @evelar 

Welcome to the forum. Great looking project.

 

 

I'd be really keen to see how you've incorporated timber into your build. Have you got oak internally and externally?

 I'm planning to stick an oak facade on my ICF porch

yes oak internally and some external but it's not an 'oak frame' as the structural integrity is from the icf rather than the oak.  Our gable ends are structural oak though - see below in the picture.  We'll also have an oak porch on the side.

IMG_1985.JPG

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On 21/11/2018 at 17:17, JSHarris said:

We're  another one who got caught out by too much solar gain.  I spent a year designing and thermally modelling our house before we started work, including carefully working out just how much glass we dare put in the South elevation, yet we still ended up with a house that overheated in Spring and Autumn.  Heating is virtually non-existent, and rarely comes on, but solar gain, coupled with incidental gains from stuff in the house, and especially having visitors around, adds a fair bit of heat to the house. 

 

I've spent far, far more time and effort trying to keep the house cool than I have on heating; in fact I'd go so far as to say that heating is a non-issue, as so little is needed.

Do you have a sips house though JSHarris?  We're currently in an icf house and is really cool in the summer due to the concrete so am hoping this will help somewhat.  

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On 21/11/2018 at 13:23, Onoff said:

A thread here ref cooling first link. It's @NSS who has glass that tints / darkens automatically (electrochromic?) linked to solar gain etc.

 

 

Then the Sageglass thread:

 

 

Thank you! Will have a read....

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2 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

What are you doing for heating and hot water? Wont be far off needing to start provisioning for 1st fix services / penetrations etc.

 

Nice sloping site there...artificial lake...water source?

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13 hours ago, evelar said:

 

Do you have a sips house though JSHarris?  We're currently in an icf house and is really cool in the summer due to the concrete so am hoping this will help somewhat.  

 

 

No, our build was designed to have a long decrement delay (as long, probably longer, than a normal ICF build) and has a thermal time constant that's way longer then the diurnal period, so there's not noticeable variation in temperature from day to day.  It's also designed to passive house standards, so needs very little heat to maintain a comfortable temperature, which is a good thing in terms of heating bills, but not such a good thing when there's a bit of solar gain.  The house only needs about 1.600 W of total heat input to maintain 21 deg C when it's -10 deg C outside, and around 1/3rd of that will come from the occupants plus incidental heat gains from appliances. 

 

The thing I overlooked was the deep penetration of low angle sunlight in Spring and Autumn, which dodged under the shading that I'd designed in and penetrated deeply into the house, warming up the concrete slab and causing it to radiate/convect heat into the house.  The problem was fixed by adding reflective film to the outside of the big, South facing, glazed gable, though.

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