Things I wish I had done when building?

sheff the ref · 02-08-2014 8:53pm

I presume I can stuff both ends of the pipe to minimise heat loss

4Sticks · 02-08-2014 8:58pm

Cables run from outlet points back to a distrution board (fuse board) or they are supposed to anyway. I see no advantage to this propsal.

sheff the ref · 02-08-2014 9:00pm

It facilitates the easy installation of newer type cables in 10, 15, 20 etc. years time for data, TV etc.

Skerries · 02-08-2014 9:05pm

what do you guys think about the American way of having a utility room on the first floor where your clothes are going to ultimately end any way?

4Sticks · 02-08-2014 9:15pm

sheff the ref wrote: »

It facilitates the easy installation of newer type cables in 10, 15, 20 etc. years time for data, TV etc.

if you like the idea well it is your house

sheff the ref · 02-08-2014 9:19pm

4Sticks wrote: »

if you like the idea well it is your house

I know what it is like to install new Sky boxes and have to drill holes in walls to bring in new cables. Likewise when hard wiring the house with network cable because the wireless wont go through old thick stone walls

sheff the ref · 02-08-2014 9:21pm

Skerries wrote: »

what do you guys think about the American way of having a utility room on the first floor where your clothes are going to ultimately end any way?

Great in theory but unfortunately the lifespan of washing machines are getting shorter and shorter, perhaps 5-10 years in some cases. Easier to haul clothes down the stairs than to haul washing machines up the stairs!!

gctest50 · 02-08-2014 9:21pm

Skerries wrote: »

what do you guys think about the American way of having a utility room on the first floor where your clothes are going to ultimately end any way?

be grand if you tank it a bit so when the washing machine leaks it won't wreck the place

drop the floor a bit, weld the vinyl and put in a floor drain thingy
.

Villain · 02-08-2014 9:46pm

Enough cat6 and some single mode fibre should be enough to future proof for 20 years.

gooseygander · 05-08-2014 12:53am

Outside tap at front and back of house,
If going with tarmac drive at front, and sides of house, consider tarmac right up to house, hence no need for concrete footpaths that will be expensive to install and will turn green in time needing powerwashing.
Keep living area as open plan design as possible.

kkelliher · 05-08-2014 10:15am

gooseygander wrote: »

consider tarmac right up to house, hence no need for concrete footpaths that will be expensive to install and will turn green in time needing powerwashing..

IMO not a great design choice as the footpaths will generally direct water away from the house which you cant easily do with a porous material like asphalt.

sydthebeat · 05-08-2014 10:54am

gooseygander wrote: »

Outside tap at front and back of house,
If going with tarmac drive at front, and sides of house, consider tarmac right up to house, hence no need for concrete footpaths that will be expensive to install and will turn green in time needing powerwashing.
Keep living area as open plan design as possible.

^^ completely agree with the above... its absolutely horrible to have tarmac to the house with no foot path. The path and plinth helps 'ground' the house.

i would go further actually and say that you should try to keep the pathway away from the house in some areas (recess etc) and introduce planted areas here to integrate the house better into the landscape.

personally i prefer pea gravel paths any way, much nicer visual, textural and audible.

mdolly123 · 05-08-2014 11:27am

Like earlier post, black tiles are a nightmare, shows up every scratch, mark, dirt. Only have them from my doorway through the hall and all over my large kitchen, utility room and downstairs loo. constant daily hate

BarneyMc · 05-08-2014 1:38pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

i would go further actually and say that you should try to keep the pathway away from the house in some areas (recess etc) and introduce planted areas here to integrate the house better into the landscape.

personally i prefer pea gravel paths any way, much nicer visual, textural and audible.

This is what I'll be doing with the front and one side of the house. Tar all around the house is not at all traditional.

randombar · 05-08-2014 4:05pm

gloss tiles in the hall, what a dose. Can see every bit of dirt.

Actually made a list there recently.

1) Concrete floors.
2) UFH
3) Geothermal (Not sure of costs, maybe just UFH so I could install easily after)
4) Bigger windows in kitchen
5) Bigger sun room
6) Storm porch
7) Carpet with flec in it so don’t see dirt
8) Piping for hoover (Probably not now we got the dyson hand held thingy)
9) Bigger downstairs storage
10) DS toilet not in hallway
11) Plans to have exact furniture sizes in them
12) Fiberglass around shower, tanking.
13) Shelter/ Lean to at the back outside

I have Cat 6 throughout the house, fantastic. I also ran speaker wire but with sonos etc. there was probably no point.

A few from my list are if I had a spare 20K ideas so not sure how practical they are cost wise.

sheff the ref · 09-08-2014 10:39am

In the past 10 alone years the following has happened

1.Around 2003 or 2004:
Ordinary Sky box needing one coax cable and a bit of butchering to get the cable in and run through the room. Butchering

2.Around 2006/2007
Sky Plus box upgrade in the room where the ordinary Sky box was. The old Sky box was being retained so it meant 3 cables now entered the room from outside. At the time necessities meant that both boxes were kept in the one room with the Ordinary Sky being fed to the room via coax cable and operated via a magic eye. More butchering

3.Around 2007/2008
Broadband brought into another room via wireless signal on the roof. More butchering

4.2013
Broadband supplied to other rooms in the house via cable because wireless would not protrude through walls. More butchering

5.2014
Both Sky boxes upgraded to Sky+ HD. New Sky boxes wont work with coax cables. Box in each room, so the cables had to be brought through the room into the second room from the dish. Might as well bring saorview cables as well.

I think my easy access plan makes sense??

Villain wrote: »

Enough cat6 and some single mode fibre should be enough to future proof for 20 years.

sheff the ref · 09-08-2014 10:57am

gctest50 wrote: »

be grand if you tank it a bit so when the washing machine leaks it won't wreck the place

drop the floor a bit, weld the vinyl and put in a floor drain thingy
.

A lot to be said for putting a floor drain under the washing machine downstairs as well, at least if it leaks, the water has somewhere to go

sheff the ref · 09-08-2014 11:00am

sydthebeat wrote: »

^^ completely agree with the above... its absolutely horrible to have tarmac to the house with no foot path. The path and plinth helps 'ground' the house.

i would go further actually and say that you should try to keep the pathway away from the house in some areas (recess etc) and introduce planted areas here to integrate the house better into the landscape.

personally i prefer pea gravel paths any way, much nicer visual, textural and audible.

Aesthetically very pleasing to have a recess like that, but in terms of maintenance with falling leaves around the site etc. it can be hard to keep 'new'. With footpaths up against the walls of the house, it is easier to keep the place tidy and powerwashed

sydthebeat · 09-08-2014 11:11am

sheff the ref wrote: »

Aesthetically very pleasing to have a recess like that, but in terms of maintenance with falling leaves around the site etc. it can be hard to keep 'new'. With footpaths up against the walls of the house, it is easier to keep the place tidy and powerwashed

very few things that are "easy" are worthwhile.......

Boaty · 12-08-2014 2:15am

Mains sewage..The bottom of the garden is underwater half of the year
When the water comes out of the tap it comes out of the pipe down the bottom of the garden 20 seconds later.
The septic tank is useless.

theoptimist · 13-08-2014 6:18pm

This is a great thread, thanks!

slanleat wrote: »

Most double up as laundry rooms and if you have kids, size does matter..
The more storage you can fit into your utility room, the more chance u have of keeping the kitchen free of clutter.
Apart from what the units can take (cleaning + laundry products, shoe polishes, dusters, cloths, black bags, plastic bags, paper bags, bulbs, batteries and all those other bits that just have no obvious home), it’s the place where the washing machine and drier go, as well as the iron, ironing board, clothes horse/s, wellies, mucky shoes, school bags, handbags, work bags, shopping bags, hats, scarfs, gloves, possibly the hotpress, Then theres the sweeping brush, clothes pegs, clothes line basket, mop, bucket, first aid etc etc..
Make sure its off the kitchen and has a sink.
Im a mammy with 3 kids, so maybe Im bias, but ask any woman u know with a util room, would they like a bigger one..utility room that is.;)

I reckon its less a case of a bigger utility room and more a utility room that's divided in two if you have the space for a it. I hate mine and put a lot of thought into its design for the new house.

The things that happen in a utility room are completely incompatible with one another.
-(pet food,muddy boots,dogs, shoe poslish + clean laundry= nightmare!)
-You drop a sheet as it comes out of the washing machine ..and there it goes straight back into the wash again!
-The sink used to wash your delicates is also being used for washing the dog bowls!!

Muddy room + laundry room: two separate rooms...much better than a giant utility room...if we're talking wish list!

Also as previous poster said, longer narrower room gives a lot more storage space. So it may just be a matter of adding a small amount to the overall square footage

And on that subject, I made all corridors 500mm wider to allow bookshelves both sides or deeper storage one side. Huge gain in storage and makes me feel a bit happier about the amount of square footage I had to give to getting from A to B.
There's a great book called 'The Not So Big House' that has a lot of food for thought. It focuses on what you NEED TO DO in your house that traditionally did not have a space designed for it (sorting mail, recycling)
If you can think about them early and make a space for them (even if it is a small space) you may not end up with your dining room table covered in mail and your laundry room full of overflowing recycling!!

But then I'm not in my house yet so ask me in a few months how it worked out in practice!!

I'm now going back to the beginning of the thread to take notes......

Syracus · 20-08-2014 1:57pm

Skerries wrote: »

what do you guys think about the American way of having a utility room on the first floor where your clothes are going to ultimately end any way?

You might want to run your appliances at night so noise close to the bedrooms might be an issue. Otherwise a real labour saving idea!

Syracus · 20-08-2014 2:02pm

GaryCocs wrote: »

gloss tiles in the hall, what a dose. Can see every bit of dirt.

Actually made a list there recently.

1) Concrete floors.
2) UFH
3) Geothermal (Not sure of costs, maybe just UFH so I could install easily after)
4) Bigger windows in kitchen
5) Bigger sun room
6) Storm porch
7) Carpet with flec in it so don’t see dirt
8) Piping for hoover (Probably not now we got the dyson hand held thingy)
9) Bigger downstairs storage
10) DS toilet not in hallway
11) Plans to have exact furniture sizes in them
12) Fiberglass around shower, tanking.
13) Shelter/ Lean to at the back outside

I have Cat 6 throughout the house, fantastic. I also ran speaker wire but with sonos etc. there was probably no point.
QUOTE]
Nice list....
1) What issues are you having with timber floors, ground and first?
10) Why DS toilet not in hallway?
12) Love this idea!!
13) What do you want the shelter/lean-to for?
Also, what do you use your CAT6 for?
Cheers.

randombar · 20-08-2014 2:13pm

1) What issues are you having with timber floors, ground and first?
First floor timber joists, a lot of movement, grout in the bathroom loosens because of it, the odd sqeaky floor and noise insulation from the kitchen below the master bed.

10) Why DS toilet not in hallway?
Smells

12) Love this idea!!
Tanking, it's all the rage.

13) What do you want the shelter/lean-to for?
Timber, coal, stuff that doesn't have to be indoors but you want to keep dry ish (maybe a washing line at some stage)

14) Also, what do you use your CAT6 for?
Streaming movies from my server to other rooms, security camera, set up wireless easily in other places.

Syracus · 20-08-2014 3:29pm

GaryCocs wrote: »

1) What issues are you having with timber floors, ground and first?
First floor timber joists, a lot of movement, grout in the bathroom loosens because of it, the odd sqeaky floor and noise insulation from the kitchen below the master bed.

10) Why DS toilet not in hallway?
Smells

12) Love this idea!!
Tanking, it's all the rage.

13) What do you want the shelter/lean-to for?
Timber, coal, stuff that doesn't have to be indoors but you want to keep dry ish (maybe a washing line at some stage)

14) Also, what do you use your CAT6 for?
Streaming movies from my server to other rooms, security camera, set up wireless easily in other places.

Food for thought, cheers!!!

Villain · 20-08-2014 3:44pm

Syracus wrote: »

Also, what do you use your CAT6 for?

One to note that many people don't seem to know, you can easily send HDMI over CAT6, i.e. run Sky HD Box etc in full HD over a good distance

randombar · 20-08-2014 5:30pm

I think you need 2 cat 6 for this but I could be wrong?

Villain · 20-08-2014 5:58pm

GaryCocs wrote: »

I think you need 2 cat 6 for this but I could be wrong?

With the correct product you can actually send a HDMI signal and 100mb via one single Cat6 cable. Older dongle type units required two cables.

galwaytt · 22-08-2014 9:55am

GaryCocs wrote: »

1) What issues are you having with timber floors, ground and first?
First floor timber joists, a lot of movement, grout in the bathroom loosens because of it, the odd sqeaky floor and noise insulation from the kitchen below the master bed.

10) Why DS toilet not in hallway?
Smells

12) Love this idea!!
Tanking, it's all the rage.

13) What do you want the shelter/lean-to for?
Timber, coal, stuff that doesn't have to be indoors but you want to keep dry ish (maybe a washing line at some stage)

14) Also, what do you use your CAT6 for?
Streaming movies from my server to other rooms, security camera, set up wireless easily in other places.

my 0.02 on some of those:

1) should be no movement in timber if done correctly. It's not the timber, it's the way they were fitted (nailed, instead of screwed... ??) Are you tiles then laid on ply ? - if so, it'll never work. There should be a non-expanding layer over the timber deck, under the tiles, e.g. cementitious board, Fermacell, Hardibacker etc.

10) moving the toilet won't move the smell. Shouldn't be any smells if piping and venting is correct. Is the room not ventilated anyway ??

My list is fewer rooms, and make them bigger.

randombar · 22-08-2014 10:07am

Ply was screwed down all right and perfect in every place bar one, and that one place drives me mad

Good to know about the non-expanding layer.

Ya toilet vents piping etc. are fine, it's just the odd time guests could arrive at a bad time.

Bluesky008 · 16-12-2014 11:19pm

In the middle of our build at the moment...

- if getting big refurb done yet a quote to knock & rebuild (was suggested to us but we were v offended by it but might have been easier)
- have someone who knows electrics v well come meet electrician & ensure electrician knows basic thinks like don't run power & coax cables together (we had lots of rework)
- ask to see boxes for cables (back of socket) & ensure adjustment facility (ours don't & not all level)
- before electrician starts get detailed spec for type of cables - provide your own cables prob best solution
- as soon as tender docs ready go get your own quotes for windows ... Don't just accept one supplier architect may specify (this was stressful in terms of build schedule)
- wish our utility was bigger
- check cavity wall insulation when build happening - was sloppy work requiring remediation for us & was while before we copped on
- wish we had wired for CCTV in future

Things I'm glad we did:

- Lived in house before we renovated
- Had open mind re layout of house - view it as a blank canvas
- Nearly got caught out with rubbish extractor fans in bathrooms - supply your own
- Negotiate hard with window suppliers
- be very detailed in specific of sockets, CAT6, TV points etc - go for more than you think you'll need
- be able to turn off main light from your bed

Will update again in a few weeks :-)

sky6 · 16-12-2014 11:43pm

I'd colour code the Cables running through the Attic. Lighting, Sockets. Outside lighting Circuits makes it easier to identify if and when needed,

randombar · 17-12-2014 11:58am

I'd run an extra "live" wire to all outside lights for sensor lighting. It gives you the option to turn on using a switch or leave as sensor.

GraceKav · 01-02-2017 10:49pm

In love with this thread. Hoping posting here might bump it up and we might get a few more updates of what people wish they had done differently.

Villain · 01-02-2017 11:10pm

Seen as I started the thread I'll throw one in, I would put more ducting in pace from edge of site to house, rodent proof of course, to allow for fiber to the home or other future services delivered.

Nekarsulm · 01-02-2017 11:17pm

Really really wish we had put concrete slabs upstairs. Very little difference in cost, 6 inch block in the inner leaf or the exterior walls and some internal walls, instead of 4 inch.

Quieter by a multiple of ten, and fireproof. What was I thinking at the time?

Villain · 01-02-2017 11:22pm

Well related to that I stapled rubber underlay to top of joists before before laying plywood, no squeaks or footstep noises below, very cheap and pretty good effect.

Shaunoc · 01-02-2017 11:32pm

Hot water tap on outside

Shaunoc · 02-02-2017 12:55am

Put a light switch in your master bedroom to turn off all lights you forgot before going to bed

Oral Surgeon · 02-02-2017 1:24am

Shaunoc wrote: »

Put a light switch in your master bedroom to turn off all lights you forgot before going to bed

Ah, just put the fuse board in your bedroom, its easier!!

Fozzie Bear · 02-02-2017 10:02am

Bought, gutted and renovated our house 2 years ago.

If I was doing it again ~ Outside plug/wall socket. One at the back and one at the front of the house. Pain in the ass running an extension lead in through a window and have the wife give out because its cold, spiders are getting, child is climbing out etc etc...

More radiators. Hallway is large and cold we find. I am going to add an extra rad in the main hallway and another at the top of the stairs. Also due to the design of the house we have our own private hallway into our bedroom. Off it are our ensuite and walk-in wardrobe. Again this hallway can be chilly so another rad in there too.

Extra rad in my main bathroom. Its large and has a metal free standing bath and is tiled floor to ceiling. There is a large towel radiator but its lost in there because of the size of the room. It gets bloody cold in there, don't think the metal bath helps with that either.

Also would have put an extra skylight in above the stairs. It gets dark in the evenings/early morning because there is only a small window letting in light at the bottom. Its a throw back to the previous owners sh1te design.

I would have put in a back boiler with the new wood burning stove I fitted in the sitting room. It would heat the rads/water as well as heating the room.

Finally we measured up and ordered our Kitchen before the works were done. The builders discovered the door into our kitchen was too narrow and advised we widen it. As it happened the sparky had done his wall chasing to one side of the door for light switches. So we took a couple of inches off the other side of the door and thought nothing more of it until we fitted the kitchen.... The cabinets over lapped the door frame by about an inch. Total pain the the ass!

Begs · 02-02-2017 12:07pm

Instead of a building a large single storey double garage (c.50m2), I would have included a double storey/dormer garage, and lived in it during the build. Whilst being an additional build cost, it would be met somewhat from the saved rent, but I would have the benefit of a "granny flat" once the build was complete.

fergal85 · 02-02-2017 2:37pm

I would wire all outside lights, sensors and light switches independently back to a junction box beside fuse board, that we if you want to change orientation of how lights work it's easy after words. Also could run outside sockets back and could be put on a switch for Christmas lights etc.

Some ducts ran room fuse board to upstairs and outside also very handy in future.

Sausage dog · 02-02-2017 7:59pm

In the middle of renovations at the moment so the following are fresh in my mind: take lots of photos before scaffolding goes up around house as it can be hard to judge/ visualise when surrounded by green netting & scaffolding. Buy replacement or salvage material when you see it as it isn't always available when you need to get it. If you want to save on cost of windows buy them before the opes are made & make opes to fit window. Much more difficult to find windows to fit already made opes.

randombar · 03-02-2017 3:44pm

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Really really wish we had put concrete slabs upstairs. Very little difference in cost, 6 inch block in the inner leaf or the exterior walls and some internal walls, instead of 4 inch.

Quieter by a multiple of ten, and fireproof. What was I thinking at the time?

Snap, not sure if there's very little in the difference, maybe 10k but ya would do that.

phantom_lord · 06-07-2018 12:04pm

galwaytt wrote: »

some houses have their laundry on the 1st floor.......why can't we do that ?

I've seen this mentioned a few times.

I was thinking of bedrooms and utility on ground floor. Min distance for moving items.

But bedrooms on ground floor seems very rare in Ireland?

Shaunoc · 06-07-2018 12:59pm

have a good size garden. wish i had put a tap at far end of garden as it would have been very doable at the time when as that is where water connection is

randombar · 06-07-2018 2:47pm

phantom_lord wrote: »

I've seen this mentioned a few times.

I was thinking of bedrooms and utility on ground floor. Min distance for moving items.

But bedrooms on ground floor seems very rare in Ireland?

Further to bring the clothes out to the clothes line?

Boss in sweden had a laundry chute to drop the dirty stuff down. Handy out.
and fairly easy to put in.

Paul4As · 06-07-2018 10:52pm

Put a heat dump in my solar hot water system. Stagnation has cost me repairs to the pipework, refills of gycol and the extra cost to retrospectively fit a heat dump.

blinding · 07-07-2018 7:56am

Shaunoc wrote: »

have a good size garden. wish i had put a tap at far end of garden as it would have been very doable at the time when as that is where water connection is

Sure do it now if you can afford it .

An auld fella once told me that if regret not doing something and it still is a good idea....go ahead and do it , if you can afford it .

Things I wish I had done when building?

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