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

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    #2132
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,020 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    Yeah we're motoring along now. Almost too fast for my liking as I have to keep up with progress so as not to upset the plan. Our house builder gets paid after handover, so they want to keep things moving and hand over on the appointed date.


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    #2133
    Bullocks
    Registered Users Posts: 5,890 ✭✭✭Bullocks


    murphaph wrote: »
    Yeah we're motoring along now. Almost too fast for my liking as I have to keep up with progress so as not to upset the plan. Our house builder gets paid after handover, so they want to keep things moving and hand over on the appointed date.

    I suppose that's understandable , it's all about cash flow for builders . Any idea what money tradesmen are making over there and is it hard to get them for jobs compared to here ?


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    #2134
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,020 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    Bullocks wrote: »
    I suppose that's understandable , it's all about cash flow for builders . Any idea what money tradesmen are making over there and is it hard to get them for jobs compared to here ?
    Trades are in demand here as there's a building boom in many regions (though not all). It's not easy to get a hold of them either around Berlin at the moment. We sidestepped some if the cost problems by going prefabricated from a company in a region where there's less happening so they have to keep their prices in check.


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    #2135
    mdilucia
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭mdilucia


    Hello there,

    We have an Amvic style icf built house & we have problems with our window cills leaking on the upstairs floors, we have water staining on the underneath of all the window cills 6 in total. We know its the window cills are the problem I sprayed one with water the other day & it came through to the downstairs part exactly where the rain comes in. There is DPC around the cill because I removed a window board & dug out from behind the cill. The problem is with the detailing of the plastering around the cill. Just wondering has anyone who has an Icf build come across this & how was it rectified....

    Would appreciate any comments on this...

    Thanks....


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    #2136
    Catxscotch
    Registered Users Posts: 371 ✭✭Catxscotch


    Windows in on Friday


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    #2137
    BryanF
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 10,140 Mod ✭✭✭✭BryanF


    Catxscotch wrote: »
    Windows in on Friday

    How are you achieving insulation continuity at the Window Cill, head and jams, particularly in the first picture of the flat roof extension?


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    #2138
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,572 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    Catxscotch wrote: »
    Windows in on Friday

    is it not very strange to have the windows installed before you finish the roof construction?


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    #2139
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,020 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    sydthebeat wrote: »
    is it not very strange to have the windows installed before you finish the roof construction?
    Our windows were in before our house left the factory lol. But our house was weather tight within 24 hours of them arriving on site so a bit different.

    Update from me...

    I'm knackered. The water board sub contractor cane today and I'd agreed with them on the phone that I could drop in my mains power line from our mini pillar (not sure about the ESB but over here that is the official handover point and from there on in it's my problem not the network operator's. The thing is I had no help after being let down at the last minute and the water board lads weren't up for getting involved in my electricity and phone lines so I had to pull them myself and I can tell you that 30m of 5 core 25mm² copper is savage heavy and awkward to manhandle into a trench. I also arranged with Telekom to pull in the phone line from the site boundary to the utility room to save opening the sane trench again on Thursday when they come.

    Also grouted the tiles in WC.


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    #2140
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,572 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    murphaph wrote: »
    Our windows were in before our house left the factory lol. But our house was weather tight within 24 hours of them arriving on site so a bit different.

    ???

    is it not a conventional block build?


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    #2141
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,020 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    sydthebeat wrote: »
    ???

    is it not a conventional block build?
    Nope. The cellar had in situ poured raft, prefabricated sandwich walls. The ground and first floors are a prefabricated timber frame.

    The only block work are the internal cellar walls, most of which bear the load of the ground floor.


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    #2142
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,572 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    murphaph wrote: »
    Nope. The cellar had in situ poured raft, prefabricated sandwich walls. The ground and first floors are a prefabricated timber frame.

    The only block work are the internal cellar walls, most of which bear the load of the ground floor.

    The inner wall of that sun space is clearly block coursing?


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    #2143
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,572 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    sydthebeat wrote: »
    The inner wall of that sun space is clearly block coursing?

    sorry....

    murphaph responded to my comment above when it wasnt aimed at him...

    i was asking Catxscotch about it being strange that the windows were in without the roof being on.


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    #2144
    Catxscotch
    Registered Users Posts: 371 ✭✭Catxscotch


    Hi All, It's a pitched roof going on that section. We have main roof complete, although the "sun-room" needed steel supports for the windows, which were only complete 2 days before window install-roof to be completed in next 2 weeks.


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    #2145
    893bet
    Registered Users Posts: 8,969 ✭✭✭893bet


    Date for moving in set! Last week of July!

    The two kitchens are currently being made and to be fitted hopefully in the next 10 days! Stone top to be ordered then!

    Stairs measured up and waiting on a price!

    Footpaths starting Monday week.

    Lots on!


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    #2146
    BarneyMc
    Registered Users Posts: 1,504 ✭✭✭BarneyMc


    Liquid screed floors are in a few weeks and hope to get the heat pump installed and get the UFH going soon. The painters are starting next Monday. For me the moving in date target is late August but not sure I'll make it. Nice though to be at this stage, so it is!


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    #2147
    delfagio
    Registered Users Posts: 376 ✭✭delfagio


    Good stuff 893bet and Barney, your both on the last leg now. Tis a great feeling to see everything starting to come together and get closer to finishing.

    This stage is great, as you start to see the money that's going into the house i.e. kitchen, tiles, floors, doors, mirrors, lights, toilets, showers, painting, where as before now all the money is going into things you never see, i.e. blocks, insulation, concrete, plasterboarding, plaster, wires and pipework for 1st fix,


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    #2148
    BarneyMc
    Registered Users Posts: 1,504 ✭✭✭BarneyMc


    delfagio wrote: »
    Good stuff 893bet and Barney, your both on the last leg now. Tis a great feeling to see everything starting to come together and get closer to finishing.

    This stage is great, as you start to see the money that's going into the house i.e. kitchen, tiles, floors, doors, mirrors, lights, toilets, showers, painting, where as before now all the money is going into things you never see, i.e. blocks, insulation, concrete, plasterboarding, plaster, wires and pipework for 1st fix,

    My very thoughts!


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    #2149
    PMBC
    Registered Users Posts: 1,111 ✭✭✭PMBC


    And the weather turning nice, for you.


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    #2150
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,020 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    Out digging out for the heat pump foundation. It's a big old thing weighing 180kg. The spec calls for 900mm of compactex gravel with a 350mm thick concrete slab.

    Electrician was here today too finishing off sockets in the cellar and starting the distribution panel (I ordered a larger than usual one for my planned home automation projects).


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    #2151
    Shanaknocker
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭Shanaknocker


    Hi to all..

    We have just been refused for mortgage until we sell our excising 2 bed home, bank believes that if we can get tenants (in the east cork area) that we will be unable to meet two repayments......
    This leads me to the question if we do sell in the coming 3-4 months and are ready for dig out by October (wishful thinking some might say) is it ok to build a concrete house coming into the winter and what are the effects if we dong get the house weather tight by the time of really wet and cold Jan and Feb (december probably too).
    I understand the problem frost will have on concrete while curing but outside of this what are the risks?????


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    #2152
    chillit
    Registered Users Posts: 110 ✭✭chillit


    murphaph wrote: »
    Out digging out for the heat pump foundation. It's a big old thing weighing 180kg. The spec calls for 900mm of compactex gravel with a 350mm thick concrete slab.

    Electrician was here today too finishing off sockets in the cellar and starting the distribution panel (I ordered a larger than usual one for my planned home automation projects).


    that's one serious foundation for 180kg


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    #2153
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,020 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    chillit wrote: »
    that's one serious foundation for 180kg
    Yeah it seems overkill but what can I do but build it. The drainage pipe for the condensate goes down through the gravel. Maybe that has something to do with the savage depth of it.


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    #2154
    Calahonda52
    Registered Users Posts: 12,407 ✭✭✭✭Calahonda52


    murphaph wrote: »
    Yeah it seems overkill but what can I do but build it. The drainage pipe for the condensate goes down through the gravel. Maybe that has something to do with the savage depth of it.

    Whats the soil like to work with, looks like play-dough:D

    What is more of interest is the size of the pad versus the footprint size of the pump.
    The frost line requirements will account for a lot of the depth.
    Ho are you restraining the gravel?

    Need to fill that broken EWI on the window reveal in pic 3:)

    “I can’t pay my staff or mortgage with instagram likes”.



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    #2155
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,020 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    Calahonda52 wrote: »
    Whats the soil like to work with, looks like play-dough:D

    What is more of interest is the size of the pad versus the footprint size of the pump.
    The frost line requirements will account for a lot of the depth.
    Ho are you restraining the gravel?

    Need to fill that broken EWI on the window reveal in pic 3:)
    The soil is actually sand around here. Tis good stuff for building on and drainage is easy. Rainwater just soaks straight into it. No need for soakaways. The pad is exactly the same depth and width as the heat pump according to the drawings I was provided with. I was just going to pour the gravel into the trench and compact in layers. Do you see a problem with that?

    Frost line is 1.2m deep according to our site investigation report.


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    #2156
    BarneyMc
    Registered Users Posts: 1,504 ✭✭✭BarneyMc


    Shanaknocker wrote: »
    Hi to all..

    We have just been refused for mortgage until we sell our excising 2 bed home, bank believes that if we can get tenants (in the east cork area) that we will be unable to meet two repayments......
    This leads me to the question if we do sell in the coming 3-4 months and are ready for dig out by October (wishful thinking some might say) is it ok to build a concrete house coming into the winter and what are the effects if we dong get the house weather tight by the time of really wet and cold Jan and Feb (december probably too).
    I understand the problem frost will have on concrete while curing but outside of this what are the risks?????

    Looks like you've a few ducks to line up before worrying about starting your build. If it happens to be October time then I would wait until the following spring. It just leaves it a bit easier(weather-wise) in my opinion.


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    #2157
    BryanF
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 10,140 Mod ✭✭✭✭BryanF


    Shanaknocker wrote: »
    Hi to all..

    We have just been refused for mortgage until we sell our excising 2 bed home, bank believes that if we can get tenants (in the east cork area) that we will be unable to meet two repayments......
    This leads me to the question if we do sell in the coming 3-4 months and are ready for dig out by October (wishful thinking some might say) is it ok to build a concrete house coming into the winter and what are the effects if we dong get the house weather tight by the time of really wet and cold Jan and Feb (december probably too).
    I understand the problem frost will have on concrete while curing but outside of this what are the risks?????
    Taken from the first post in this thread: Mod Note - 9/10/2012: This thread is for discussing the various aspects of building as they arise. Do not use this thread for "pre-building" queries. Such queries should be posted in their own threads.
    [/B]


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    #2158
    Calahonda52
    Registered Users Posts: 12,407 ✭✭✭✭Calahonda52


    murphaph wrote: »
    The soil is actually sand around here. Tis good stuff for building on and drainage is easy. Rainwater just soaks straight into it. No need for soakaways. The pad is exactly the same depth and width as the heat pump according to the drawings I was provided with. I was just going to pour the gravel into the trench and compact in layers. Do you see a problem with that?

    Frost line is 1.2m deep according to our site investigation report.

    Yep, nice loamy sandy soil

    If the gravel is 900mm deep and only supported against house wall and maybe right and front as you look at house, how will it stay on the 4th, right side.
    You will be making some kind of formwork for the concrete which at 350mm deep will be heavy and if its deeper than width on top will be inherently unstable.

    What size is the base?

    “I can’t pay my staff or mortgage with instagram likes”.



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    #2159
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,020 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    Calahonda52 wrote: »
    Yep, nice loamy sandy soil

    If the gravel is 900mm deep and only supported against house wall and maybe right and front as you look at house, how will it stay on the 4th, right side.
    You will be making some kind of formwork for the concrete which at 350mm deep will be heavy and if its deeper than width on top will be inherently unstable.

    What size is the base?
    It's 1200 x 820 x 350. I've Attached the doc they sent me for reference. I was going to backfill that big hole with gravel, even though it's bigger than the concrete Pad because well I have tonnes of extra gravel left over from the screed. They ordered way too much for that.


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    #2160
    Calahonda52
    Registered Users Posts: 12,407 ✭✭✭✭Calahonda52


    murphaph wrote: »
    It's 1200 x 820 x 350. I've Attached the doc they sent me for reference. I was going to backfill that big hole with gravel, even though it's bigger than the concrete Pad because well I have tonnes of extra gravel left over from the screed. They ordered way too much for that.

    First up: the extent of my German is zwei Bier bitte, since it takes them so long to pull them.
    2nd up, as its a pdf, can't cut and paste the german text.

    Big slab at least 300mm from the wall, with some pretty Germanic precision required for all the pipes:D which will need to be incorporated into the gravel base as well.
    However the document is silent on the vertical depths of the pipes:
    I presume one is into the house so is probably variable.
    On reflection, the attachment is in effect a schematic for pipes and pump location, it is not a design spec

    More importantly, the condensate pipe does not drain into the gravel under the slab but is shown going to the side and outside the base footprint

    just wonder where the compacted gravel (verdichtetem Kies) base idea came from?

    I just don't see it working as you describe with unsupported gravel in a column under the slab which will weight about a tonne in its own right. [ I just what follows is not deemed as over complicated.]

    If this was my gig, and I am ignoring any other services with which these ideas may conflict, I would cast a very lean mix of concrete in a slab with a foot print maybe 300 wider all round, in this case from the house 300 plus 820 plus 300. By lean I mean just enough to bind the sand gravel and cement together: when I was doing this with my late father back in the 60's, as cement was so expensive, we often used 16:1 as a lean mix.
    The top of this would be just at the level that has no pipework, which may be determined by the pipe into the house.
    You now have a base to work off for setting out the pipes.

    I would then use the same formwork as you have for the base, just slide it up, allowing for the condensate pipe outlet and house pipe and elec power pipe and use more lean mix until you are up to underside of slab level. [You can do the lean mix in small depth amounts, 100mm plus]
    Then reduce base size to what the spec and do proper concrete

    “I can’t pay my staff or mortgage with instagram likes”.



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    #2161
    PMBC
    Registered Users Posts: 1,111 ✭✭✭PMBC


    murphaph wrote: »
    Out digging out for the heat pump foundation. It's a big old thing weighing 180kg. The spec calls for 900mm of compactex gravel with a 350mm thick concrete slab.

    Electrician was here today too finishing off sockets in the cellar and starting the distribution panel (I ordered a larger than usual one for my planned home automation projects).

    It is some slab. I suppose they spec'd 40 N concrete; world gone mad. Remember when 21 N was used in the base of a water tower. Concrete cubes and cores failed. Design was 're-evaluated@ (!!!) and Consultant accepted 12 N.
    :rolleyes:


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