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

893bet

Lovely barney. I am a big fan of the oak/white look.

BarneyMc

893bet wrote: »

Lovely barney. I am a big fan of the oak/white look.

Thanks. Will post a pic when all painted up.

m1b2k3

Barney!! Looks beautiful!! We are only at the roofing stage! We are trying to finalise the heating system at the moment! We've been advised to go with Air to Water heat pump to meet part L as we would need to install so many panel to meet part L it wouldn't really be worth it. We are not the biggest fans of underfloor heating but it looks like that is the most efficient. Has anyone used Air to Water with radiators? Also if we do go for underfloor (I don't like going against professional advise) do we have to go with tile/stone floors? Has anyone used engineered wooden floors with underfloor?

mrsWhippy

m1b2k3 wrote: »

Has anyone used engineered wooden floors with underfloor?

We plan to do this. I know it won't transfer the heat as effectively, but I really don't want tiled floors in my living areas. I think it'll work provided the floors aren't above a certain thickness.

m1b2k3

mrsWhippy wrote: »

[We plan to do this. I know it won't transfer the heat as effectively, but I really don't want tiled floors in my living areas. I think it'll work provided the floors aren't above a certain thickness.

Ya I am the same hate the thoughts of tiles everywhere! They are not very child friendly for learning to walk or falling!!! Be interested to hear if anyone has done this!

eyeball kid

m1b2k3 wrote: »

Ya I am the same hate the thoughts of tiles everywhere! They are not very child friendly for learning to walk or falling!!! Be interested to hear if anyone has done this!

I have the air to water installed in my house with the underfloor heating.
Have tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms. Engineered wooden floors everywhere else. Works fine for me.

BarneyMc

I used tiles in the kitchen and front & back halls, toilets and laminates elsewhere. Laminate floors are much better than they were in the past and much more affordable and durable than engineered wooden floors.

a_noodle_jenny

This is something we are going through also at the moment. We have Air to water Heat pump and underfloor with rads upstairs... we also have heat recovery ventilation sys... was looking a lot since summer at using porcelain tiles all down stairs the wood look ones. Same floor continuous downstairs. Was thinking (probably foolishly carpet upstairs and on stairs too. We have enough rooms for our young family downstairs so carpet could be a long term dream.
So would anyone have any experience of this approach. Downstairs we have sitting room, living space with conservatory regular sized hall, bathroom, our room, en suite, WiW (small) and utility.
Seen a few lovely jobs on facebook.

Fayre

I have UF heating (GSHP) and the floors in the house are a mixture of polished concrete and Tiles.
Wood affect tiles in the sitting room and kitchen. The sitting room isn't grouted yet but will be grouted with the same grey grout you can see in the little bit of kitchen tile shown on lhs (same tile as sitting room just one grouted and one not)

In terms of not being child friendly I only chose tiles that have texture to them so no high gloss break-your-neck type, especially in the living areas and bedrooms. In fact I have no high gloss tiles on the floor anywhere

m1b2k3

Thanks Fayre! Fab floors!!!!

a_noodle_jenny

Wow that's amazing - what a job it is that concrete why have I not heard much about this!!!

Fayre

a_noodle_jenny wrote: »

Wow that's amazing - what a job it is that concrete why have I not heard much about this!!!

it's a bit of a headache to be honest.
And if you're doing it do it for the entire ground floor if you can. I only did it in certain rooms and the junctions where polished concrete room meets tiled room are a nightmare when pouring the floors (coz you have to guess the height of the tiled floor in advance and pour the PC floors higher) and continuing to give trouble now :eek:

Fayre

No septic tank, drains, heating system, kitchen, toilets, sinks, or internal doors but we have the front steps

THE DON FANUCCI

Fayre wrote: »

No septic tank, drains, heating system, kitchen, toilets, sinks, or internal doors but we have the front steps

fair sweet door. who did your stone work? unless thats a -snip-. then it will leak. stone is class

Bad_alibi

THE DON FANUCCI wrote: »

fair sweet door. who did your stone work? unless thats a -snip- door. then it will leak. stone is class

Don your always good for a laugh. Why pray tell would all doors other than -snip- leak ???

Fayre

It's not -snip-. It was meant to be though and the ope was built specifically for their signature door.
But they refused my business when they heard I wasn't getting the windows from them.
So I had to get a joinery in Mayo to custom make a door to fit the ope.
Stonework was done by an italian stone mason, he also installed the arch and the steps. He works for himself. He did a great job alright, delighted with him. Lovely fella too and didn't rip me off

BryanF

THE DON FANUCCI wrote: »

fair sweet door. who did your stone work? unless thats a -snip-. then it will leak. stone is class

Don, please read the forum charter. You've been asked before. No slanderous comments about companies please
If you have any remarks about a mod instruction please use the PM function

iwillhtfu

Fayre wrote: »

It's not -snip-. It was meant to be though and the ope was built specifically for their signature door.
But they refused my business when they heard I wasn't getting the windows from them.

Cutting off their nose to spite their face there. The boom is clearly back if they're turning away business. I've never heard the likes of it. :eek:

murphaph

First time for me doing either of these things (well I did a hang doors back in Ireland a couple of times but not the frames). I have to say, the German way of fitting internal doors is very easy and the result is a perfectly closing door.

The jambs and architrave for the opening side are a single piece. The architrave for the other side is another piece (you have to assemble them obviously from 2 uprights and the cross member). The way I did it was with a pro-fitting kit. You assemble them on the floor, clamp them at lock and hinge level so the jambs are exactly the same distance apart, insert clamped assemble into ope, adjust so level and hang door provisionally to test function before applying 2K expanding foam (foor door frames) to 6 spots where the clamps hold the jambs in place. Trim off excess foam and fit architrave, hang door and finished.

The doors come with lock mechanism already fitted. The jamb already has the striker plate etc. for the lock fitted to. Almost no carpentry required unless the jambs need a little trimming, which shouldn't happen too often.

bannerman2005

Some pics from our new build

chillit

very nice. I have a quick question about the graveled footpath type areas in the first photo. Is the gravel the final finish here or is it just a base for something else. 
I read somewhere that gravel around a house actually holds less moisture than the ground under a standard concrete foot path. The idea being that the gravel lets the moisture dry out but concrete footpaths keep it blocked in.
Was this a consideration for you or did you just like the gravel finish.

bannerman2005

I like the pea gravel finish. The lawns will be brought up to the kerbs to complete that look. I don't think it would have looked as well with concrete paths.

The limestone paving goes all the way around the other side of the house.

chillit

I agree. I also think the gravel looks much better than concrete footpaths especially when running up against lawn

bannerman2005

Painting going on this week so hopefully all going well be finished by Friday and house cleaned.

plenty of jobs for next year like landscaping

murphaph

A gravel path or just border around the perimeter walls prevents dirty splashing from rainwater dripping down which you get on paths. Everyone puts a 15cm gravel border around their house here these days.

893bet

893bet wrote: »

Kitchen booth is coming along! Just waiting for the upholsterer to do his thing!
The price of the V groove panels made me cry a little!

And now covered!

BarneyMc

Most of my doors, skirting, stairs, etc. are spray painted now and should be finished on Friday. I'll be straight in on the cleaning over the weekend and hope to be ready for moving in mid next week. Can hardly believe it!

FiOT

Delighted for (though a bit jealous of) of everyone moving in, congratulations!

Meanwhile, we're hoping to have our granite delivered from China next week after a 3 month wait :mad: Does anything happen quickly in a self - build?!

First fix electrics and plumbing to start first thing in January as well as stone masonry so hopefully it'll be all go then!

Fayre

bannerman2005 wrote: »

Some pics from our new build

Looks great.

What did you do for sealing around the wet room shower? I have two of these in my house and trying to decide what way to seal them. Decided to go with the classy seal on the shower tray but unsure with the 2 wet rooms

The gravel around the edge of the house looks great. I'd put a footpath outside of it though

Fayre

FiOT wrote: »

Delighted for (though a bit jealous of) of everyone moving in, congratulations!

Meanwhile, we're hoping to have our granite delivered from China next week after a 3 month wait :mad: Does anything happen quickly in a self - build?!

First fix electrics and plumbing to start first thing in January as well as stone masonry so hopefully it'll be all go then!

What's the granite for?

The invoices come in quickly alright!