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

LoTwan

mendel... good news on the windows. I hope you make your deadline.

I am still holding my breath that my bases will be finished by Christmas. I am starting to get a little light headed from holding my breath though

Technophobe

Well done Voodoo..

welcome to the "just moved in" club.....:D

JuniorB

Congrats Voodoo. Well done.

We're nearly there.
Since last post ...Plasterers finished a few weeks back. Stone mason finished last Monday.Heat has been on a couple of weeks. Stove installed. Undercoat and ceiling paint spaying done. Balustrade for stairs and gangway measured and ordered...due next week. Steps and risers being measured tomorrow. Most of electrics done. Septic tank,percolation and rainwater run offs all done. Landscaping\Groundworks ongoing. Lawns seeded by early next week. Steam room due to be tanked tomorrow. Door for same ordered after long drawn out search. All ceiling speakers installed. Frames and internal doors due to be hung on Monday. Skirting and architrave being designed this weekend. Carpets ordered this week - fitted next. 90% of tiles etc on site. Tiler started today.Plumber due back Monday to start fitting sanitary ware. Kitchen measured and ordered - due Tuesday week. Kitchen appliances ordered and due same day.

Have the removal vans booked for Monday week Nothing like deadlines to concentrate the mind! Will get all our stuff in anyway ... might have to borrow a bed or 3 for a few nights B&B with the folks next door...or dump the kids there for a while at least!

Thanks to everyone here for all the advice, help and suggestions during our build. The C&P forum has been an invaluable source of information....

Comic Book Guy

Great thread folks, makes for great reading.

Congrats junior B, cant wait to get to that stage myself but am at the very opposite end of the scale at the mo!

We started last week on our 2600 sq foot dwelling, radon barrier and floor insulation went down yesterday. Underfloor materials being delivered for ground floor tomorrow around lunch time and should be fitted by saturday morning. Will be pouring the floors first thing monday morning, all weather permitting of course!!
Great to see progress being made after a long time tweaking original plans and then going thru the planning permission process, only downside is that the cheque book is starting to get hot!!

muffler

Comic Book Guy wrote: »

Great thread folks, makes for great reading.

It is and it does

Its a great thread filled with loads of information, advice, discussions and even tinged with contrasting emotions on occasions. But it would never have been possible without the input of those who shared their experiences with us and we are most grateful for their contributions.

With over a thousand pages to date it has to be a "best seller"

Thanks folks and keep the posts coming.

JuniorB

Some more up to date photos added....
http://carrickaneha.blogspot.com/

On the phone constantly these days, hard to get any 'real' work done. Good to be getting closer to D day anyway.

SARAH ANNE

well all.
The membrane is on the roof, but today it rained a lot of drips coming in cant seem to see any real nail holes, no slates on yet, some of the rafters seem to be getting wet. is this a normal thing to happen a lot of ridges and three dormars in the house plus one inverted dormar. (dont ask). I am a little concerned since i thought the membrane was water proof, also the lead work looks a little shoddy. Carpenter hasnt answered his phone in two days.
Any advice to relieve my concerns.
Thanks.

newhouse

SARAH ANNE wrote: »

well all.
The membrane is on the roof, but today it rained a lot of drips coming in cant seem to see any real nail holes, no slates on yet, some of the rafters seem to be getting wet. is this a normal thing to happen a lot of ridges and three dormars in the house plus one inverted dormar. (dont ask). I am a little concerned since i thought the membrane was water proof, also the lead work looks a little shoddy. Carpenter hasnt answered his phone in two days.
Any advice to relieve my concerns.
Thanks.

hi sara anne
hire your own engineer that answers to nobody elce only you, it will cost you but any concerns you have, you will be able to bounce any aspect of your build off them, builders and tradesmen straighten up if they hear the engineer is around + you can with athority and knowelege question your tradesmen, dont get an engineer that wants to take over too as they will break your heart, trust your gut feeling and get a person that you feel you will get on with, best of luck and yes the membrane no matter how many ridges and dormers you have should be waterproof

SARAH ANNE

Thanks new house that is exactly what i thought, contacting my engineer,but i have to make the decision that the carpenter although good at timber work is not a slater and i may have to hire a competant slater, cant have a leaky roof, i think a p 45 has to be handed out as much as i hate to do it.

sas

Been a while since I've had something meaningful to post.

Roof underway at the moment. Very straight forward. Main Roof is a straight 'A' with a step out on the rear at the right hand side.

We clad the outside of the rafters in 80mm of softboard insulation. Beautiful product to work with apparently. The carpenters (3 of them) clad the entire 240 m2 of roof in a day. Granted that didn't involve fixing it but it's a massive amount of progress for 1 day.

The following day they got the membrane, counter batten and tiling batten installed for about 3/4 of the front side of the roof.

I'll be very glad to get the roof watertight as it will keep 90% of the weather out until the windows arrive.

Was really surprised at the space in the attic, will be able to hoard alot more crap up there than usual!

sinnerboy

Great pics sas thanks for posting them . 3 queries if you please

1. €/m2 cost for softboard
2. what are you placing between the rafters ?
3. what are you placing under the rafters ( i.e. for AT line ) ?

Poor Uncle Tom

Good pics sas, nice to get the roof watertight before the winter.

newhouse

SARAH ANNE wrote: »

Thanks new house that is exactly what i thought, contacting my engineer,but i have to make the decision that the carpenter although good at timber work is not a slater and i may have to hire a competant slater, cant have a leaky roof, i think a p 45 has to be handed out as much as i hate to do it.

I suppose to be fair to carpenters (would you believe) they are not trained to do the lead, In FAS the plumber is the guy that gets trained to do that job, carpenters just pick it up as they go along and most of them are ok at it, if you are happy with your carpenters timber work i'ed keep him (devil you know) and refer the lead to the plumber, at least have him involved, who knows they might work well together, Carpenter knows he is not trained to do lead!!!!!!!!!!

freeze4real

to those building their house by themselves .

i want to build mine by myself.

it seems that watching grand designs have influenced me in alot of ways.

im thinking of buying an old derelict house and rebuilding it so as to save me cost instead of me buying a land and applying for planning permission.

ah well i will see what happens.

Any more pics?
lol

sas

sinnerboy wrote: »

Great pics sas thanks for posting them . 3 queries if you please

1. €/m2 cost for softboard
2. what are you placing between the rafters ?
3. what are you placing under the rafters ( i.e. for AT line ) ?

1. Approx 32.90 per m2 for materials including vat. (80 mm gutex + 170mm fixings). In terms of labour, the roof will be ready for slating with 3 guys working together for 4 days. Naturally labour rates vary.

2. Pumped cellulose is the most likely. From my limited experience it's very difficult to get a full fill using a roll\batt material. If there is any type of compression (between the rafters), the material sometimes collapse at the centre leaving a void.

3. Intello is the current plan. My only issue with OSB is the blind fill of the cellulose. There's only 1 installer I'm interested in using and he has no issue doing the blind fill, but still prefers the visibility you benefit from if Intello is speced. I am concerned about the hassle of fitting the membrane. For example, it's a hell of a lot easier to tape the joints in 18mm OSB than lining up the overlaps in a membrane over a rafter. There is also the added moisture protection provided by the smart membranes.

JuniorB

Still pushing along. Last Friday was the original but highly optimistic move in date. We're looking at Friday week (12th Nov) now.
Big hold up has been the glass balaustrade for the stairs and landing. That is due next Monday and should be fitted in a couple of days.
Tiler should be finished today - absolutely delighted with his work, our tiles and how it's all turned out.
All sanitary ware is fitted.
Frames, doors and ironmongery fitted last week - very happy with them.
Solar being done today - that'll be all the plumbing done.
ESB connected yesterday. All electrics nearly done.
MDF skirting and architrave being made/produced with bespoke(ish) profile yesterday and this morning - then sprayed, sanded and sprayed again over next couple of days (€350 ... anything for an easy life!) and fitted on Thurs/Fri.
Final Air Tightness test planned for Friday - that'll be interesting to say the least. 3 or less result required - It's in the contract with builder as a deliverable so I'm not stressing too much. If we don't hit it then he gets no more money until it's rectified
Kitchen fitting starting today. Will be done by Thurs - kitchen counter guy to measure up Friday and fit next Weds.
Central Vac to be finished and commissioned tomorrow.
Carpet to be fitted next Weds.
Window supplier due back next Weds to give the once over and fix any outstanding issues.
Satelite and all TV stuff ordered.
Wireless broadband in the pipeline.
Timber steps, risers and landing to be fitted next week after the glass....
Then we're done... simple as that!! What's the chances ??!!:)

sas

JuniorB wrote: »

Then we're done... simple as that!! What's the chances ??!!:)

Slim, but I'm so jealous I could burst

LoTwan

sas wrote: »

Slim, but I'm so jealous I could burst

My feelings exactly

I wish I could get a groundworks contractor who would quote without presuming I am a complete idiot. QS "estimated" ~€8k for the job (labour only). Last night I got a quote of €14.5k +vat! Hello?

irishshadowfax

Hi, I'm doing groundworks at the moment also, i cant seem to find a supplier of a sewer gas trap anywhere.

I have a blocked off mains connection i want to link to my waste collection area, the only thing i'm worried about is the main smell coming back thru the pipe to the house, my groundwork man told me there is such a P-trap (i think) but he doesn't know any supplier in Ireland, and out local hardware outlet (rural area) doesn't have anything like it.

Can anyone point me in the right direction. Thanks!!!

IS

Brookie123

I'm starting my house in a few weeks. It's 2300 sq ft downstairs and 1000sq ft (not aprox) upstairs. We're hoping to get it built for €170,000 as we're doing a good bit of the work ourselves (all carpentry work, raft, digging out, landscape, tiling & painting) Is this realistic?? Are there good deals to be got now??

thekooman

Brookie123 wrote: »

I'm starting my house in a few weeks. It's 2300 sq ft downstairs and 1000sq ft (not aprox) upstairs. We're hoping to get it built for €170,000 as we're doing a good bit of the work ourselves (all carpentry work, raft, digging out, landscape, tiling & painting) Is this realistic?? Are there good deals to be got now??

we did ours back in 2007-2008 for about 80-85 euro a square foot (no builder, but family did a lot of work and ourselves). We're still in the process of finishing around outside, stone walls, etc. hope that gives you some idea of cost.

mendel

Well done Junior B thats great. stick to your guns, keep the shoe down and hopefully you will make it.

We are hoping to move in 6 weeks tomorrow.

plasterer halfway through downstairs inside. upstairs done, painted first coats. door frames up, skirtings ready to go on.
heating on, bathrooms started tiles half done.
2nd fix electric started
fascia soffets week after next.
sewer pipes after that.
floor tiling week 29/11
kitchen week 6/12
stairs 13/12

all going well...........move in on the 17th!!!!!!

JuniorB

Thanks Mendel - tough going ...

Air tightness test completed on Friday - 2.5 - happy days.
Says we can get it down a bit more with a few small alterations so need to discuss with the tester further and look at implementing recommendations.
Spent Friday removing a swimming pool from our driveway - drain, soak hole and 2 loads of stone required. 4 or 5 loads of 804 due tomorrow to put some shape on the drive way.
Kitchen is in - counter being measured up today.
Was short on skirting so that's held us up. Won't get the rest in until Weds - that's held up the carpet guy who can't come till next Monday now. My own fault for measuring up wrong - 3 times!
Got the frames and architrave painted for half the doors yesterday - tough work - deceptive how much time it takes.
Bought and installed all LED downlighters. Delighted with the quality.
Central Vac was installed last week - used it over the weekend and it's a mighty job.
We're getting there...

Brookie123

thekooman wrote: »

we did ours back in 2007-2008 for about 80-85 euro a square foot (no builder, but family did a lot of work and ourselves). We're still in the process of finishing around outside, stone walls, etc. hope that gives you some idea of cost.

Thanks for that. We're hoping to get ours done for about 70 euro a square foot (I hope I'm realistic) as prices have fallen for labour and some materials in the last few years.

paolosnapid

Havent posted in a while but we're getting there,esb connected,waiting for tiler,plumber in turn waitin for tiler to finish,kitchen bein fitted at the mo too,water connected too,startin to put down floors this wk,still have to insulate the pitched roof though,thinkin of using 4" foilback cut to size & fitted between rafters,has anyone done this & is it sufficient to meet building regs? Waste treatment plant & tanks goin in this wk and sewage & waste pipes going down next wk. Hoping to move in on Dec 17th-will we make it???

JuniorB

Didn't make it in on Friday. Glass balustrade on stairs/landing that was supposed to take a day to install is taking a week ... and they're not finished yet!
Carpenter is ready to finish steps, risers and casing on stairs when ever they finally finish - hopefully today.
Carpet due tomorrow.
Kitchen install getting drawn out too. Due to finish today. Looks good. Quartz counter top measured and due on Friday.
Plumber and electrician due tomorrow to finish off bits and pieces.
Should be ok for this Friday.... famous last words...
Stresses and strains of last few months starting to evapourate gradually - I might be over this experience by this time next year!!

LoTwan

It is incredibly sad to be this excited about the fact that I am filing my commencement notice on Monday! Soon, if nothing else, I will have a driveway that isn't a swamp

Poor Uncle Tom

LoTwan wrote: »

It is incredibly sad to be this excited about the fact that I am filing my commencement notice on Monday! Soon, if nothing else, I will have a driveway that isn't a swamp

That's the focus you need young sensai....:p

tfer

Excited !! I will have ground floor walls up tomorrow. I'm not gonna be able to sleep tonight

Wolfhound14

Alu-Clad Windows arriving today. Cant wait to see them.

I'm stuck at work and the windows are now onsite.
Thinking about feigning illness to get out of here.