Some days leave you wondering what everyone has been doing all day; fortunately others seems so much more productive. Today was such a day.
Carpet fitters from Kidderminster Carpet arrived just after 8 am and after battling to get the large 5m roll into the studio above the garage worked like beavers completing a superb job of all four rooms and the landing by early afternoon. Thoroughly recommended both for the value of the carpet and extremely pleasant and competent fitters.
The main oak staircase - a superb piece of work from Bernard Prickett Joinery near Stratford - is almost installed and the end of the main drainage is in sight. The septic tank should be in tomorrow.
The clouds cleared early today and spring sunshine brought the temperature on the roof into the mid 60s and raised the water in the 800L tank to 50 degrees C. The energy management system courtesy of Exergy Devices is now virtually complete and showed PV on the barn generating more than 7kW at midday and the temperature in the foundation slab at 16 degrees.
All very encouraging - and needs to be after 26 months including two winters in the old mobile home!
Hope to upload some new images by the week-end.
Monday, 4 March 2013
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Slow process . . . but we are getting there
No - we haven't finished and no - we haven't moved in!
Second fix electrics, plastering, painting and plumbing, hanging doors and fitting architrave and skirting- all seem frustratingly slow - but this is the penalty for building a largish eco-house with 24 corners, a house where the hemcrete walls were installed in the wettest June on record and where the magnesium silicate MultiPro boards used for the internal shuttering require a complex process of priming and special lime plastering.
But we can now see light at the end of the tunnel and friends who visit are suitably impressed with the progress. The discontinued rustic oak kitchen bought from Magnet at a substantial discount is now fully fitted, the Everhot stove is fully functional and the bathrooms are almost fully tiled.
The modest Morso Badger stove is supplying core heat. The 80 HP400 solar tubes on the garage roof are already pumping in heat at almost 40 degrees C on the (rare) days when we have a few hours of winter sun. Most of the lighting is complete and the new JCC LED downlighters are impressive consuming no more than 3-7 watts per unit. By the end of next week the bespoke energy management system courtesy of Exergy Devices will be monitoring and controlling heat in the foundation slab which will function as a giant radiator/energy store. Soon we will be able to tell exactly how much (PV) electricity is being produced, how much energy is being used, and the temperatures in the foundation slab, the outside temperature and the living area in the house.
The house is bright and light thanks to the zero VOC EcoSure paint from Dulux on the ceilings and the off-white Earthborn Clay paint on the walls.
Drainage work continues and if the weather is favourable, the BioPure septic tank and the 5000 L Stormsaver rainwater tank should be operational by the end of next month.
We will have been living in the mobile home for two years this week-end and it is beginning to feel like it. The first year was spent finalising plans, obtaining planning permission, and levelling the site. It was not until late May 2012 when the timber frame arrived so 9 months is probably not bad going.
Sorry there has been not time to take photos but some of these will follow with the next posting.
Second fix electrics, plastering, painting and plumbing, hanging doors and fitting architrave and skirting- all seem frustratingly slow - but this is the penalty for building a largish eco-house with 24 corners, a house where the hemcrete walls were installed in the wettest June on record and where the magnesium silicate MultiPro boards used for the internal shuttering require a complex process of priming and special lime plastering.
But we can now see light at the end of the tunnel and friends who visit are suitably impressed with the progress. The discontinued rustic oak kitchen bought from Magnet at a substantial discount is now fully fitted, the Everhot stove is fully functional and the bathrooms are almost fully tiled.
The modest Morso Badger stove is supplying core heat. The 80 HP400 solar tubes on the garage roof are already pumping in heat at almost 40 degrees C on the (rare) days when we have a few hours of winter sun. Most of the lighting is complete and the new JCC LED downlighters are impressive consuming no more than 3-7 watts per unit. By the end of next week the bespoke energy management system courtesy of Exergy Devices will be monitoring and controlling heat in the foundation slab which will function as a giant radiator/energy store. Soon we will be able to tell exactly how much (PV) electricity is being produced, how much energy is being used, and the temperatures in the foundation slab, the outside temperature and the living area in the house.
The house is bright and light thanks to the zero VOC EcoSure paint from Dulux on the ceilings and the off-white Earthborn Clay paint on the walls.
Drainage work continues and if the weather is favourable, the BioPure septic tank and the 5000 L Stormsaver rainwater tank should be operational by the end of next month.
We will have been living in the mobile home for two years this week-end and it is beginning to feel like it. The first year was spent finalising plans, obtaining planning permission, and levelling the site. It was not until late May 2012 when the timber frame arrived so 9 months is probably not bad going.
Sorry there has been not time to take photos but some of these will follow with the next posting.
Friday, 7 December 2012
Slowly but surely . . .
. . . the build is coming together.
Over the last couple of days we have kept the mud at by with 20 tonnes of local stone across the front of the build minimising the constant trail of sticky clay which finds its way into the house.
Solar ETs - 80 of them went up on Monday and on Tuesday their first day of operation - they had raised the temperature of the 800L tank to 24 degrees. The following day the electric extension lead to the system was accidentally turned off and in the (weak) winter sun on the tubes reached 118 degrees!
So all the early indication are that even in mid-winter, solar thermal will make a substantial contribution to space heating. Hopefully in a few days the grid connection will have been brought into the plant room and this heat can be pumped around the floor.
The modest Morso Badger wood stove - one of the few small stoves with a direct air supply - is performing extremely well and providing valuable core heat to the building.
Plastering the difficult multipro board is now underway using German primer and plaster though thanks to the appalling weather in June when the hemcrete was installed, there is still moisture appearing on the floor of a couple of the bedrooms. Definitely not the time to put any carpets down.
The traditional thistle plastered are now being painted using Dulux EcoPure on the ceilings and Earthborn eco clay paints on the walls; both are zero VOC and have excellent environmental credentials though they are more expensive than standard paints.
A couple of the wide oak (veneered) internal doors from Magnet have been fitted and today the stunning insulated oak front door was hung. By the middle of next week the house should be fully weather sealed.
Sorry there are no photos on this posting but there aren't enough hours in the day.
Over the last couple of days we have kept the mud at by with 20 tonnes of local stone across the front of the build minimising the constant trail of sticky clay which finds its way into the house.
Solar ETs - 80 of them went up on Monday and on Tuesday their first day of operation - they had raised the temperature of the 800L tank to 24 degrees. The following day the electric extension lead to the system was accidentally turned off and in the (weak) winter sun on the tubes reached 118 degrees!
So all the early indication are that even in mid-winter, solar thermal will make a substantial contribution to space heating. Hopefully in a few days the grid connection will have been brought into the plant room and this heat can be pumped around the floor.
The modest Morso Badger wood stove - one of the few small stoves with a direct air supply - is performing extremely well and providing valuable core heat to the building.
Plastering the difficult multipro board is now underway using German primer and plaster though thanks to the appalling weather in June when the hemcrete was installed, there is still moisture appearing on the floor of a couple of the bedrooms. Definitely not the time to put any carpets down.
The traditional thistle plastered are now being painted using Dulux EcoPure on the ceilings and Earthborn eco clay paints on the walls; both are zero VOC and have excellent environmental credentials though they are more expensive than standard paints.
A couple of the wide oak (veneered) internal doors from Magnet have been fitted and today the stunning insulated oak front door was hung. By the middle of next week the house should be fully weather sealed.
Sorry there are no photos on this posting but there aren't enough hours in the day.
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Twenty three months later . . .
. . . we are still in the mobile home. Patience and persistence are essential attributes for self builders if they are to remain sane!
" When the roof is on and you are nearly watertight you must be nearly half way" said my son-in-law more than two months ago. Very depressing at the time, but not far off the mark. As soon as the brickies and tiler left,carpenters, electricians, painters, plumbers, plasterers arrived to take their place.
The last three weeks have been a hive of activity and our 15 hr days continue unabated.
Having completed most of the first fix Charlie, Freddie and Ash - our highly efficient eco-plumbers - laid the underfloor heating a full day before the screeders came in to cover it all up again. Having carefully covered the piping with boards to protect it from large feet we failed to notice one had the remains of a projecting screw which penetrated the pipe causing a small fountain and a minor crisis as we had to replace the damaged loop in the dark.
Electricians completed their first fix leaving a maze of cables; only they know what goes where (of course they have a master map) even if some are hidden behind the freshly plastered ceilings. Steve and Debbie are painting the ceilings with EcoPure (white no VOC) paint on the ceilings and Earthborn (breathable) claypaint on the walls. Mario is laying end of line tiiles in the bathrooms and on the kitchen floor and the Everhot range cooker is in place having arrived last week.
Yesterday Mark and Adam from SolarSense fitted the 4 banks of 20 HP 400 thermal tubes on the garage roof though the light was fast failing as they finished..
Today the panels raised the temperature of the 800 litres in the thermal store from 4 to 24 degrees in the weak winter sun. Looking good.
Today Sam and Amber - the mechanical heat recovery team - also completed their MVHR installation which will be commissioned on Friday whilst Nigel and Paul completed the ground drainage in front of the garage.
" When the roof is on and you are nearly watertight you must be nearly half way" said my son-in-law more than two months ago. Very depressing at the time, but not far off the mark. As soon as the brickies and tiler left,carpenters, electricians, painters, plumbers, plasterers arrived to take their place.
The last three weeks have been a hive of activity and our 15 hr days continue unabated.
Having completed most of the first fix Charlie, Freddie and Ash - our highly efficient eco-plumbers - laid the underfloor heating a full day before the screeders came in to cover it all up again. Having carefully covered the piping with boards to protect it from large feet we failed to notice one had the remains of a projecting screw which penetrated the pipe causing a small fountain and a minor crisis as we had to replace the damaged loop in the dark.
Electricians completed their first fix leaving a maze of cables; only they know what goes where (of course they have a master map) even if some are hidden behind the freshly plastered ceilings. Steve and Debbie are painting the ceilings with EcoPure (white no VOC) paint on the ceilings and Earthborn (breathable) claypaint on the walls. Mario is laying end of line tiiles in the bathrooms and on the kitchen floor and the Everhot range cooker is in place having arrived last week.
Yesterday Mark and Adam from SolarSense fitted the 4 banks of 20 HP 400 thermal tubes on the garage roof though the light was fast failing as they finished..
Today the panels raised the temperature of the 800 litres in the thermal store from 4 to 24 degrees in the weak winter sun. Looking good.
Today Sam and Amber - the mechanical heat recovery team - also completed their MVHR installation which will be commissioned on Friday whilst Nigel and Paul completed the ground drainage in front of the garage.
And today the first batch of JCC 3W LED downlights werefitted in the hall ceilings.
Tomorrow the ex demo kitchen from Magnet will arrive - but that's another episode.
Sunday, 18 November 2012
Progress and problems
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| Photo courtesy Bethesda Backpackers taken Nov 17; looks much more finished than in fact it is! |
Problems are never far away on a new build - especially one as complex as this one. The windows have given us some problems - not the quality (which is excellent) - but the fact that two of them are (just) two small to jump out of. Current legislation requires every main room on the first floor to meet the latest health and safety legislation and have a minimum clearance of 450 mm as an escape route. Hopefully changing the hinges will enable us to get the extra 10-15 mm or so required by Building Control. All (three) external doors are now on site and should be fitted in the next couple of weeks.
Water draining from the adjacent fields continues to cause headaches making the whole area around the house like a marsh. Progress has been started on a retaining wall on the south side which will hopefully collect all the drainage water and (eventually) route it to a wild pond in the lower section of the garden. More work is required here before the septic and rainwater harvesting tanks can be installed.
Electricians and plumbers have almost finished their first fix and low energy lighting and efficient bathroom fittings are currently being sourced. Plumbers have just finished laying the underfloor heating and the screed will be poured this week followed by installation of the wood burning stove and solar thermal evacuated tubes. Tiling has been started in the bathrooms and the range cooker should be functional before the end of the month.
All this represents a lot of man (and woman) hours reminding us (if any reminder was necessary) that a great deal of detailed and often time consuming work remains even when external appearances suggest the house is nearing completion.
There is no doubt that this is proving a challenging and often very difficult build. To quote a popular TV programme "It's not easy being green".
Saturday, 13 October 2012
Windows arrive
It's now just over four months since the timber framers arrived; bricking and tiling are (almost) complete though there is still some oak cladding to do. The porch is nearly finished and the sun room is ready to be sheeted and tiled.
Much of the week has been occupied fitting windows. The build has been designed to optimise solar gain from the south and east contributing to natural space heating. All windows are triple glazed except for the sun room which is double glazed.
The large fixed windows have been sourced from, and are being fitted by, Black Pig Framing - specialists in glazing to green oak. Fifty two large glazed panes from Solaglas are being fitted individually with rubber seals which make the window airtight but allow the glass to cope with any movement as the green oak dries out.
The glass is held in place by oak cover pieces fixed by stainless steel screws which are hidden using oak dowels.
The triple glazed oak casement windows came from Calarel Developments joinery shop in Moreton. They have been spray finished and glazed by Devine Carpentry another excellent local craftsman just a kilometre or so down the road.
So far each has fitted perfectly into its allotted space thanks to the patience and skill of Steve and Debbie Savery - our "resident" carpenters.
This week also saw the arrival of Mark and Neil from SolarSense Bristol to carry out the first fix for the 80 solar thermal tubes being installed on the garage roof.
The 4 banks of 20 HP400 Thermomax evacuated tubes will supply hot water and underfloor heating via an 800 litre Sigma thermal store. Plumbing is being meticulously designed and fitted by Charlie, Freddie and Ash of Cotswold Green Energy.
One of the most satisfying aspects of the build has been the way in which local craftsmen (and women) from brickies to tilers, plumbers to electricians, and carpenters to plasterers have worked so well together.
Friday, 28 September 2012
Final pieces of the jigsaw
At last all the oak pieces have been incorporated into the house as the huge frames of the conservatory were all installed today.
First the three oak purlins were lifted onto the scaffold and inserted into the rear frame.
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Getting them into place required closely coordinated teamwork; Gary controlling the position of each piece within millimetres, Steve aligning the large mortice and tenon joints - securing them by large oak dowels - and Paul adjusting his special scaffolding setup as required.
Completing the conservatory will have to wait until the large window immediately above has been installed - hopefully towards the end of next week.
Meanwhile Cotswold Green Energy is making excellent progress with first fix plumbing. The central manifold, which enables all wet rooms to be easily isolated for maintenance is a work of art, though the situation (in the wardrobe of the main bedroom) might be a little unusual. I cannot recommend their work highly enough.
Wood stoves and log burners are being researched - always a little more difficult in an airtight house and the large (800 litre) thermal store arrived a couple of days ago.
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