Live self-Builds - mod warning in post no. 1

sunnysoutheast

sunnysoutheast wrote: »

hi Jollyman - looks good - take advice from one who's been caught - make sure you take the tape off the windows as soon as you can as it bakes on!!

But only on the outside! I made the mistake of removing it all and got paint etc on the inside of the frames.

anoble66

Hi,

First post, but have been reading through this thread and others with interest. I am about to sign contracts on a site in Clare. Already have FPP, but going to change the house type. We have some great plans done up, 3400sq ft, 2 storey house - in an L shape to take in maximum sun.

Current dilemma is can I actually build this house within my budget....I have 250k to play with. I am happy to accept that I cannot finish the house for that price, but would like to be in a position where we can move in and live comfortably. I would like to a build as close to passive specs as possible but i know i have to be realistic with my budget. Also if the budget permits i would like to go down the solar UFH route. I am busy getting quotations for timber frame, I like the low U-value of the Kingspan TEK system but not the price at 40e a sq ft. Also thinking about ICF but the architect has some reservations about it. I would love to hear your opinions about the TEK system vs Traditional Timber frame vs ICF....my head is spinning..

Anyway, just wanted to post on here, say hello and get some feedback.

Thanks

Villain

Block work moving swiftly along.

3 pics attached.
Front shows the front of the house.
Enter shows the entertainment room and the ope which will allow me to manage all entertainment connections from outside the room rather than reaching behind the dvd, sky, playstation etc
Window shows my large rear gable window which will be over 5m long

gummibear

Broke ground on thursday!!!! Thank God we have started anyway... now the real fun begins i guess.
Contractor rings me at 3pm on Friday evening to see if I can get the engineer to go out to site: there is a fall in the land on the site of about 3 to 4 feet from back right corner to front left gable with the higher corner being at 100m contour level. They wanted to know would the engineer be happy enough to sign off on things if they built up the lower end a bit rather than digging too deep into the slope. I know the planning stipulated a finished floor level of 99m so that involves digging down! Anyone ever successfully tried to contact a civil engineer at 3pm on a friday evening:D ah well monday will tell a lot! As I said tho .... great to be started...:rolleyes:

gummibear

foundations poured today. all well! savage amount of excavation done. will hopefully be able to spread all of it around site after!

smashey

gummibear wrote: »

foundations poured today. all well! savage amount of excavation done. will hopefully be able to spread all of it around site after!

You have a busy time ahead of you.

Good luck.

Villain

gummibear wrote: »

foundations poured today. all well! savage amount of excavation done. will hopefully be able to spread all of it around site after!

Jesus did you not watch the weather Forecast? I hope your not in the South or East because the amount of rain fall last night and today would most likely result in you digging them out again?

Hopefull your in a dry spot.

robertc4022

hi just finished the roof used natural slate.looking well
but seems to be staining slates under the dormer from the lead
is their any way of cleaning the lead residue from slates
any advice please

Villain

Was the Lead treated with Patination oil?

robertc4022

hi yes i thought i seen the roofer using it.but it still seems to be going white underneath the roof was only finished a week ago

thekooman

once the lead goes on you are supposed to wipe the lead with patination oil. it'll stop it from weeping but i ain't sure how would you go about cleanin it or whether or not is it too late to put the palanation oil on now.

i put the patination oil on around the chimney of our house and it hasn't weeped yet(over a year up now) but forgot to put it on the bay window lead and that has all weeped.

robertc4022

thanks i searched the internet for products to try and clean it.
it looks terrible on a new roof .if i replace the slates and use the oil will this stop it happing again our is there nothing can be done about it
thanks a lot for your help

LoopyBum

gummibear wrote: »

foundations poured today. all well! savage amount of excavation done. will hopefully be able to spread all of it around site after!

Be careful with this idea as the subsoil will grow nothing and the top soil will grow everything while you build so hopefully your groundworker has separated them for you... a while afterwards fill in up near DPC with the subsoil and broken blocks etc and then make your lawns and flowers beds/borders with the top soil...

cinny

hi recently got a quote from a plumber for a geothermal system, underfloor heating, and the basic plumbing of the house one bathroom, one ensuite and wc also plumbing for kitchen. it cam eto 28,000euro. is this average or ridiciously high? we've no experience of geothermal so dont have a clue what it should cost.

Slates

First floor conc slabs installed last Friday

newbuilder

cinny wrote: »

hi recently got a quote from a plumber for a geothermal system, underfloor heating, and the basic plumbing of the house one bathroom, one ensuite and wc also plumbing for kitchen. it cam eto 28,000euro. is this average or ridiciously high? we've no experience of geothermal so dont have a clue what it should cost.

Hi, was it a vertical borehole or horizontal system?

cinny

its horizontal, the price doesnt include excavation. is one better than the other.i believe the bore hole can be more expensive

LoopyBum

The bore hole would be more expensive...but 'they say' that the deeper you go the warmer it is.. who knows! But if you have not got the room for the flat one then you have to go down...

I think the price is a good one for all that you mentioned. Are you totally sure that all that you listed is included?? I'm looking at 14k-ish for ordinary supply and fit with standard rads for all rooms, 2 baths and kitchen and all internal and external tanks, burner, 'hooking up' of solid fuel stove etc...

My plumber is very good and local, so peace of mind is also being purchased!
He will not take any money even though his 1st fix was completed in April, so I'm keeping this guy!

up2myeyes

Hi All

Does anyone have an opinion on roof barges please?

I am about hire a roofer for a cottage type bungalow with roof barges. Getting all kinds of different answers from roofers re having the barges raised or down on top of slates. I like the old style look of them down on the slates but have been told not as good a job as raised - may result in leakage later.

I know more lead will be used if barges are raised so more costly. This is not a problem - its the look I don't like.

If the roofer is conscientous surely he will be able to seal it properly down on top of the slates.

Thanks.


Mod note: Please refrain from posting the same comments 17 minutes apart. Once is enough.

guihane

I am just at the very start of the process. Have my plans and just had my engineer out to do the site plan. Have been waiting ages for her. Hoping to get it in in the next 3 weeks.

Since ye all seem to be well into the process I would appreciate your advise as I progress. I really have no clue what I am getting myself into.

I read somewhere that all planning applications from July 1st need to have some element of bio energy installed. Does anyone know the approximate cost of solar panels and how much the grant is?

Villain

Don't let the Engineer mess you around, I know of far too many people who have been messed around by people getting planning permissions ready. It does require a certain skillset and you want someone who has that skillset to help make sure the process goes smoothly but there are plenty of people around with those skills.

Decent solar is about €6000 at the minute with about €1,200 back in a grant I think, someone may give more definite figures. Have you decided what type of build you are going to go with, i.e. Timber Frame, Block's or ICF etc?

gummibear

Anyone know how to stop the rain so we can start our footings????:o

cinny

dont talk about it, currently doing the footings, bailing out the water as the cement blocks are going in, looks like i might end up with a 2000sq foot pool!!:(

gummibear

gummibear wrote: »

Anyone know how to stop the rain so we can start our footings????:o

cinny wrote: »

dont talk about it, currently doing the footings, bailing out the water as the cement blocks are going in, looks like i might end up with a 2000sq foot pool!!:(

yep I feel your pain...
http://dolanbaker.info/SelfbuildDiaryphotos/itrainedabit.html

PS:I thought we could post images here??

Jollyman

http://picasaweb.google.com/jollyman24/SiteProgressArdmore/photo#5164157481559140482

Four or five nice pictures here too in January of this year! Photos 36 to 38!!!

Slates

Jollyman wrote: »

http://picasaweb.google.com/jollyman24/SiteProgressArdmore/photo#5164157481559140482

Four or five nice pictures here too in January of this year! Photos 36 to 38!!!

Christ ! I was very lucky, We striped the site on 25th April and did not get any rain until the end of May. Got base and ground floor walls done with only 1 day lost to rain.............plans for the weekend are fecked though, Plumber was ment to 1st fix the 1st floor today for conc pour on Sat but its lashing:(

What the story with banks and solicitors, they should all be tied together and shot .............

smashey

Slates wrote: »

What the story with banks and solicitors, they should all be tied together and shot .............

That would be too quick.

gummibear

Well got the footings done... so we have several small paddling pools now instead of one large pool. is this progress? build in the summer so you get weathertight before the rain comes.......:rolleyes:

fitzie79

just recently got our planning permission after lots of too-ing and fro-ing. Didnt get the 1.5 story we wanted but have a bungalow with sufficient ridge height to have a few upstairs bedrooms along with all the rooms we wanted to have downstairs.

picture shows the view on one of the sunnier days (not that there's been too many of those recently!). looking forward to the real fun starting soon

bauderline

Some new photos of my build on my blog. Roof starting tomorrow, stonework starting at beginning of August....

http://watergate-house.blogspot.com

Baud.