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

ThePiedPiper

Best of luck with it JuniorB,
You've put in a lot of research, so hopefully all will go well for you over the next few months. don't forget to keep some money aside for furniture, your ESB connection (2k approx), well drilling and pump if needed.
It's amazing that the price difference between hightest and lowest was almost 200k. It sounds like you've picked a good builder.

JuniorB

Cheers RunforestRun ... exciting times ahead.

I knew the 2k misc PC Sum was for something ... ESB !
Have a well and pump already that we will be sharing with the folks, tender price includes connection to that.

We've budgeted a fair few quid for over-runs (10% ish) in our finances but hopefully that wont be required and we can draw down less of the mortgage. Doubt we'll get the electric gates either so that will allow for a bit of leeway on some of the other PC Sums.

mr_edge_to_you

best of luck JB! glad to hear you're kicking off.

the electrician finished his first fix today. plasterers/slabbers arriving on monday. off to look at more toilets in the morning.

the OH is on window duty now. god help the first guy who leaves a mark on them. "unleash the fury!". on a similiar note -we got a ral colour (101) on the timber inside of the window frame. does anyone know where we can get ral code paints to match it as we want to paint the window boards to match the window frames.

NaturalWood

Hey best of luck with the build ! So jealous!! Starting to prepare a planning application myself for a "straw House" ! Will update for you all as I go - <SNIP>

Moderator Edit: NO TOUTING FOR BUSINESS ON THREAD. Read the Charter. Infraction given

griffk

hi

Just poured foundations between all the bad weather we got it done, have a builder doin all the site work and bringing house up to wallplate level, direct labour from there on. concrete slabs on 1st floor with block walls upstairs,doing underfloor heating downstairs and rads upstairs and solar panels,im having a dilemma between geothermal ,wood pellets or condenser boiler,swaying towards oil condenser boiler at the moment because of price.

Prices iv got so far

house to wallplate- 42k-agreed
plumbing uhf oilcondernser boiler & solar 20k??
electrical 8k
plastering est 15-20k??
roof 10-15k??
windows 10k??

the only price agrred is the house to wallplate, I would appreciate some feedback on other prices

plunkettrebel

Hi Griffk,
We are building a 2050 1.5 storey house at the moment. We are starting the blocks on Wednesday. Our house sounds very similar to yours. The only difference we have with your is that we have underfloor upstairs as well. I have asked a few people about what route to go including our BER assessor for the heating, (he spec'd out our hosue so we can get an A2 house) he says to put in a condensing boiler for starters, If you have enough room, ie a garden shed look at wood pellet boiler. Our BER assessor has one, he says it costs him about €300 per year to run it but he did say there is some bad makes around. He said there is 2 makes that are very good, I can find out the names of them if you want. You will still need a boiler for the air to water system. I presume you need a boiler for geo thermal as well. Does your plumbing estimate include ware? An electrican who I have asked for a quotation said the geo thermal units are getting smaller and more efficent and that they cost less to run than the older units. What county is your house in?

minerbhoy67

just out of the ground,,,,,pricing around lookin for cheapest 4in blocks,,,any ideas

griffk

plunkettrebel wrote: »

Hi Griffk,
We are building a 2050 1.5 storey house at the moment. We are starting the blocks on Wednesday. Our house sounds very similar to yours. The only difference we have with your is that we have underfloor upstairs as well. I have asked a few people about what route to go including our BER assessor for the heating, (he spec'd out our hosue so we can get an A2 house) he says to put in a condensing boiler for starters, If you have enough room, ie a garden shed look at wood pellet boiler. Our BER assessor has one, he says it costs him about €300 per year to run it but he did say there is some bad makes around. He said there is 2 makes that are very good, I can find out the names of them if you want. You will still need a boiler for the air to water system. I presume you need a boiler for geo thermal as well. Does your plumbing estimate include ware? An electrican who I have asked for a quotation said the geo thermal units are getting smaller and more efficent and that they cost less to run than the older units. What county is your house in?

We were going to go uhf upstairs but was advised against it because you would melt up there in bed if you didnt have it set a certain way,and for the uhf to work it has to be on for a while to heat the slab,considering the heat from down stairs will travel up aswell,plus im not a big fan of heat! I would love to put in a wood pellet boiler but im getting too many bad reviews on them,on the up side my sister has one installed for the past 3 years and only prop she had was that she got a bad batch of wood pellets which were damp, i still cant decide what to go with!!I would appreciate the names of those wood pellet boilers and i can check them out, My plumbing price does not include ware but i do expect ill get that price down more, we are building in limerick.

plunkettrebel

I was sceptible about the wood pellet stoves as well, because heard so much bad press about them. Our ber assessor said that there was alot of crap boilers came on the market at the peak a couple of years ago which shagged up the market. TBH I wasn't mad about underfloor either at the start but I saw the plumbers work and spoke to people that had it already that changed our mind. Our plumber did say though that there is no point putting in an expensive plumbing system if the house isn't properly insulated and no drafts.

Seanbec

griffk wrote: »

We were going to go uhf upstairs but was advised against it because you would melt up there in bed if you didnt have it set a certain way,and for the uhf to work it has to be on for a while to heat the slab,considering the heat from down stairs will travel up aswell,plus im not a big fan of heat! I would love to put in a wood pellet boiler but im getting too many bad reviews on them,on the up side my sister has one installed for the past 3 years and only prop she had was that she got a bad batch of wood pellets which were damp, i still cant decide what to go with!!I would appreciate the names of those wood pellet boilers and i can check them out, My plumbing price does not include ware but i do expect ill get that price down more, we are building in limerick.

I have a pellet boiler with over a year now and my brother fitted one around 6 mts ago. Both of us are very happy with it even though neither of us have the 3 tonne silo option fitted just couldnt afford for now. I will admit my brother takes better care of his and is actually burning less than me even though his house is nearly twice the size. He is on UFH and his house is well insulated. Self Build is Better Built.

mr_edge_to_you

Ended up having to go vertical for geothermal. Going to cost about 5k more but it'll probably be better in the long run. The drilling will be finished tomorrow. Plasterers will be setting started in earnest tomorrow. The builder hopes to get the outside all cleared and finished this week. Floors and heating will be finished in january. Have to start looking at tiles now!

Outkast_IRE

griffk wrote: »

We were going to go uhf upstairs but was advised against it because you would melt up there in bed if you didnt have it set a certain way,and for the uhf to work it has to be on for a while to heat the slab,considering the heat from down stairs will travel up aswell,plus im not a big fan of heat! I would love to put in a wood pellet boiler but im getting too many bad reviews on them,on the up side my sister has one installed for the past 3 years and only prop she had was that she got a bad batch of wood pellets which were damp, i still cant decide what to go with!!I would appreciate the names of those wood pellet boilers and i can check them out, My plumbing price does not include ware but i do expect ill get that price down more, we are building in limerick.

Lots of bad advice floating around about underfloor ,
yes if not set right with right controls it can lead to a very uncomfortable house , however underfloor done right with the correct controls and different temps for different room usage there is nothing like it .
You create a comfortable ambient temprature in the entire house , of course good air tightness and insulation will help immensely.
Im dead against the idea of underfloor downstairs and radiators upstairs .
The two systems operate at two different tempertatures , if your system is to run correctly you need mixing valves etc on the underfloor , whilst maintaing a high temp to rads to get the best out of them.
To me they heat the house in two differnt ways, i know alot of people have done it this way but to me, as a plumber and future building services engineer i would advise against it

sas

2 weeks ago we got 1 afternoon dry so we got the radon membrane in and sealed along the joins. No service penetrations closed or corners though.

Had to wait until last thursday for another dry day. However, the raft actually had held about 1/2 inch of water already which was frozen solid that morning. So we spent 2.5 hours breaking it up and shovelling it out. That was fun!

Anyway, we got the corners sealed up and the all penetrations except 1 (I miscounted the Hats I needed) sealed too.

See IMG_6402.jpg

Then spent 2 days lifting in A393 mesh and another 1 day tying in u bars on perimeter. Fortunately cable ties were deemed sufficient by the engineer given that we weren't tying loose rebar. 2 of us spent 5 hours yesterday bent over the edge of the raft tying 600 odd cable ties.

The final installed steel is IMG_6424.jpg

Got final sign off from the engineer this morning which was deeply satisfying. Neither of us had ever fitting steel before, let alone for a structural raft.

The frost however has beaten us. Had planned on pouring tomorrow but after discussion with the engineer we are not going ahead. I could have gone ahead if I had a commitment from the concrete company that all of the concrete be on site in under 2 hours and if I obtained a frost blanket.

So for now we're held up.

morning delight

sas wrote: »

Hi,

After 2.5 years of planning\changing minds etc we started on 27 Oct.

The aim is to have a certified passive house built using direct labour at the end of this. I am working with a member of the PHI as regards the calculations and detailing. All with an unrealistic budget...

The house is 3256 sq foot 2 storey. Relatively compact shape.

My architect is our very own Sydthebeat.

First job was to remove existing footings and rising walls. If I ever get around to setting up a blog I'll tell that story there. In summary though my "changing minds" remark above is very relevant to this.

Anway, at the end of week 1 you can see the progress. The site is fully cleared back (Excavation.jpg)

Next job was to prepare the stone base for the insulated raft. This involved a layer of 2 inch clean stone compacted in layers to a minimum total depth of 300mm. That became 500mm thanks to the weather filling the excavation and the need to excavate further.

The stone base then had all the service pipes, grey water, soil etc. installed in the stone. Unfortunately due to thermal bridging everything has to be put in now through the base. We added a few extra 4 inch pipes from one 1 room to allow for future needs e.g. phoneline to the garage etc.

Finally a thin layer of washed 6mm chip was used to form a perfectly level base for the insulation. This had to be as thin as possible because we couldn't compact it and also it had to be levelled in the same manner as concrete i.e. screed it and don't walk on it again.

This is the final job the day before the installation (PreparedBase.jpg)

Finally the insulated raft had to be put together. We did this last friday. We were steeped with the break in the weather because an installer from the suppliers flew in thursday lunchtime and was leaving again
friday lunchtime. No wind or rain. It was warm at times. Took 4.5 hours to unload all materials from the 40ft container and put them together. That was 4 of us in total. (CompletedRaft.jpg)

Next step is to install the radon membrane. I need 1 dry day with very little wind. Not having much joy on that front yet.

Still progress at last...

Hey sas,

Congrats on getting started!

Your project sounds similar to my own, except the house has now been designed and PP granted before I really grasped passive house design. I'll be really interested to follow your build though.

One question on this entry. The raft looks interesting. I know you've probably covered it else where but can you explain the pink bit?!

sas

morning delight wrote: »

Hey sas,

Congrats on getting started!

Your project sounds similar to my own, except the house has now been designed and PP granted before I really grasped passive house design. I'll be really interested to follow your build though.

One question on this entry. The raft looks interesting. I know you've probably covered it else where but can you explain the pink bit?!

Thanks. The Pink bit I think is the insulated raft. If you wander back a few weeks on this thread a previous post has a photo and some info.

Quack13

Started our Build in August. Progress going fairly well.
We are a couple of weeks behind schedule which is not too bad.

I don't have time to post up all the specs etc at the minute, but I will do at a later date.
On paper we are hoping to achieve an energy rating of around A2.

First fixes just finished.
Am in the process of doing the airtightness, internal insulation at the moment. So hopefully ready for internal slabbing at start of January.

Sorry my photos are a little scattershot, I hope to post some more internal shots soon.

http://twitpic.com/photos/trunko

mr_edge_to_you

after 3 and a half days we finally got our bore holes for our geothermal sorted. duncan stewart never tells you about all that hassle!

render is on on the outside and plastering on inside will commence tomorrow.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99019&id=679399117&l=f7882892b5
Pics at the link above.

Technophobe

Electrician started and has finished chasing etc on relevant walls so getting internal of external walls plastered over next few days....means it will have all over Christmas hols to be drying out..:)

MikeKenn

Mr Edge, wher did you get your windows from? they look just like what i will bw looking for.

mr_edge_to_you

Mike, I've sent on a few pms that I've already sent in relation to our window supplier.

The link below is one the more helpful threads that have used in recent months for windows.


http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055588542&page=3

morning delight

mr_edge_to_you wrote: »

after 3 and a half days we finally got our bore holes for our geothermal sorted. duncan stewart never tells you about all that hassle!

render is on on the outside and plastering on inside will commence tomorrow.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99019&id=679399117&l=f7882892b5
Pics at the link above.

Looking good Mr Edge, the render gives it a finished look.

mr_edge_to_you

the builder removed his storage container off site this morning. foundations poured for drive way entrance. the beginning of the end!

dropper79

Hi,

We've just finished a renovation job - which was quite large - almost like a rebuild.
I use boards.ie for to search for recommendations for all sorts but haven't submitted many posts, but I felt compelled to put something up on the builders we used as I've been steered in the right direction so often on this forum.

We have a three bed semi built in 50s that had very little done to it since it was first built. So we were looking to do a complete rewire, full plumbing, dry lining insulation, knock through some walls, then tiling and installing a kitchen.
We tried seperate quotes but I really wanted someone who could take full responsibility for the whole job.

It was just lucky that a flier came into my mam's house for a building company that claimed it could everything from foundations to roof and everything in between at the most competitive prices.

We took a chance and used the company and I couldn't recommend them highly enough- they were great, from beginning to end including the after service.

If your in a similar situation you should try them for a quote -
<SNIP>.

Hope this helps someone out there!

Edit: If you have used Boards.ie as much as you infer above you will know you should read the charter before posting and you shouldn't post up names or mobile numbers, infraction given.

mr_edge_to_you

well a week back after the Christmas break and the house is plastered. UFH and screed next to go in. was hoping to have started on the tiling/flooring decision but unfortunately with the weather we've not been able to travel too far. hopefully it'll break soon enough.

rebelontour

Hi guys, long term reader, first time poster. great thread. We started building in October and have pretty much lost the last month due to weather. Build is at first floor level and I have been picking up some great bits and pieces on the forum. Currently having to make decisions regarding internal doors and floors etc which is not as straightforward as I's have thought! Will post a pic at some stage as I am finding it fun to follow many of your post and blogs etc...

muffler

rebelontour wrote: »

Hi guys, long term reader, first time poster. great thread. We started building in October and have pretty much lost the last month due to weather. Build is at first floor level and I have been picking up some great bits and pieces on the forum. Currently having to make decisions regarding internal doors and floors etc which is not as straightforward as I's have thought! Will post a pic at some stage as I am finding it fun to follow many of your post and blogs etc...

Yes keep us updated and dont be shy about sharing your experiences

dropper79

Edit: If you have used Boards.ie as much as you infer above you will know you should read the charter before posting and you shouldn't post up names or mobile numbers, infraction given.

Sorry, I've gotten numbers from the site before so didn't realise it was against the charter! Just thought I was being helpful!

muffler

dropper79 wrote: »

Sorry, I've gotten numbers from the site before so didn't realise it was against the charter! Just thought I was being helpful!

You were being helpful overall and its appreciated but we do take a very dim view on business names being posted.

We try to keep the forum "neutral" for obvious reasons so please dont be offended by the "mod edit" - its there to remind others as well as yourself.

mr_edge_to_you

well guys,

we ordered our kitchen this morning. we are going for a solid walnut kitchen with a cream quartz worktop. we have gone for a full ramped draining board on the worktop. there is an island as well on which we will the hob. we were going to go with a cream high-gloss but reckon that this could just be a fad. solid wood is fashionproof.

we also met the joiner this morning. we are going to go with a stairs with painted cream risers with walnut steps.
http://flooruinstallation.com/Stairway.jpg
something like that but with all straight cut edges. the hand rail will be walnut too.

the ufh is going in this week and the screed will be poured. i'm looking forward to getting the heat up and running. fingers crossed it goes smoothly!!

mr_edge_to_you

We have our kerbing in on the driveway. It's going to be good old fashioned tarmacadam at this stage as the budget gets tighter. All the paths around the house are done too.

We have all the ground and duct work for the vertical geothermal done. Looking fairly neat.

The electrician is getting the house ready to go live!

Deciding on door styles now. We were originally going with a full oak finish throughout but have arranged with our builder to go with red deal/pine skirting and architrave which we will paint and get walnut doors.

Kitchen is on the way. Sanitary ware is ordered and getting the tiling sorted now. Busy few weeks ahead.