New Build Advice - Which green technology works ?
Discussion
On the Grand Designs house of the year program a chap built a very sustainable house:-
https://www.jesticowhiles.com/people/board-directo...
He basically designed it with overhangs which allowed the sun to stream in during the summer months and shaded the interior in summer - due to the angle of the sun. I have a similar experience at my home and it gives free heating. His design made complete sense to me. I'd be partnering up that design approach with water based solar panels to heat underfloor heating and hot water throughout the property maybe if the roof space allows backed up with electricity producing PV panels on the roof too.
I reckon this approach would be fairly economical to run and combined with a heat recovery system it would be a great place to live!
https://www.jesticowhiles.com/people/board-directo...
He basically designed it with overhangs which allowed the sun to stream in during the summer months and shaded the interior in summer - due to the angle of the sun. I have a similar experience at my home and it gives free heating. His design made complete sense to me. I'd be partnering up that design approach with water based solar panels to heat underfloor heating and hot water throughout the property maybe if the roof space allows backed up with electricity producing PV panels on the roof too.
I reckon this approach would be fairly economical to run and combined with a heat recovery system it would be a great place to live!
MagicalTrevor said:
Incidentally, Emma's blog massively swayed us towards using SIPS for our extension and our plans have just been submitted for planning permission. Thanks Emma 
Broadly speaking, we'll be doing/using:
8.5x5m downstairs
7.5x5m upstairs (this is due the neighbour's extension)
SIPS throughout
Triple glazed, near PassiveHaus spec windows
UFH heating
Mechanical ventilation (not heat recovery)
Windows are all west facing so we might have to do something about the solar gain but may consider external shutters and/or an aircon unit.
Why "not heat recovery"?Broadly speaking, we'll be doing/using:
8.5x5m downstairs
7.5x5m upstairs (this is due the neighbour's extension)
SIPS throughout
Triple glazed, near PassiveHaus spec windows
UFH heating
Mechanical ventilation (not heat recovery)
Windows are all west facing so we might have to do something about the solar gain but may consider external shutters and/or an aircon unit.
Wouldn't south facing be more concerning than west facing?
Wouldn't shading be more logical than aircon?
Vroom101 said:
One thing that puts me off though, is that when I drill into a wall to put something up, I like to drill into something solid like brick or block. Drilling into wood or partition wall does doesn't sit right with me. Just my own hang-up, I know...
Not just you, I didn't consider SIPS for mostly that reason.I didn't want an airtight house either.
herewego said:
Why "not heat recovery"?
Wouldn't south facing be more concerning than west facing?
Wouldn't shading be more logical than aircon?
Only from speaking to people in the trade:Wouldn't south facing be more concerning than west facing?
Wouldn't shading be more logical than aircon?
- A friend of mine is in the UFH/MVHR and advised that it wasn't worth doing on my property.
- The window company I'm planning to use advised that the wall where the windows are will be in the sunlight quite a lot and solar gain will be something to consider
- shading will be something we'll try but it'll have to shutters or something like that
I'm not speaking from an authorative position here, I'm regurgitating advice I've been given so happy to listen to other views
Re the hanging stuff on walls, Rich (captain of DIY, not) has the same issues, especially as our last house was made of horsehair. We put sterling board on all the likely walls. Actually, he finally put a heavy mirror up at the weekend, and a clock. He only made one hole for each, I was delighted!
Glad some people went with SIPS after our house blog, it's a great way to build. Google Clays LLp - you won't get discount (being from Yorkshire) but their prices were best I found and Kingspan backed. Speak to Ian.
Glad some people went with SIPS after our house blog, it's a great way to build. Google Clays LLp - you won't get discount (being from Yorkshire) but their prices were best I found and Kingspan backed. Speak to Ian.
Have to say all the input on this thread has been incredibly helpful....we're still in the relatively early stages of planning the house (design is a long way from finalised) but I am going to have an hour's meeting with the architects when all I want to talk about is there experience of MHVR, SIPS, Solar Gain, Thermal Stores, GSHP vs ASHP, Wet Solar, PV etc etc ! I still know very little about these things but I want to know that they know...I'd rather not find that out six months down the line. Be interesting to hear what they have to say.
There's one thing designing a house (which they seem pretty good at) it strikes me that it's almost another thing entirely specifying how its built and making sure things like solar gain are not an issue.
There's one thing designing a house (which they seem pretty good at) it strikes me that it's almost another thing entirely specifying how its built and making sure things like solar gain are not an issue.
Some architects (and builders) run a mile from the new technologies. Our architect has very few non-SIPS projects on the go right now and fortunately we found a local builder who absolutely loves building SIPS so we're sorted.
OP, your profile doesn't mention where you live. My architect travels all over but is based in the SW, happy to give you his details if you want them?
OP, your profile doesn't mention where you live. My architect travels all over but is based in the SW, happy to give you his details if you want them?
MagicalTrevor said:
Some architects (and builders) run a mile from the new technologies. Our architect has very few non-SIPS projects on the go right now and fortunately we found a local builder who absolutely loves building SIPS so we're sorted.
OP, your profile doesn't mention where you live. My architect travels all over but is based in the SW, happy to give you his details if you want them?
Thanks very much for the offer but will wait and see how the meeting goes first! They seem to be relatively "up" on these things but discussions in the past have focussed much more on design. We've already spent some level of fees with them so don't want to throw that away unless we have to. They mentioned ,for example, using some elements of Passivhaus design/tech without going for full accreditation....something that makes sense to me. I just want to get a really good feel for their experience. OP, your profile doesn't mention where you live. My architect travels all over but is based in the SW, happy to give you his details if you want them?
I think we also need someone relatively local who has worked with the planners before. We''d be demolishing a de-listed house (de-listed mid 90's) but the planners may still feel it's a "local heritage asset" which means it needs to be replaced with something with a good/strong design element. Having a local architect with a track record of building houses like that in the area should help. Looks like we're going to have to apply for planning in three stages to get what we want!
Have a look at Geocell Glass Foam for your slab/footings. Very interesting and something I'm hopefully going to use on our extension this year.
https://www.mikewye.co.uk/product/foam-glass-insul...
https://www.mikewye.co.uk/product/foam-glass-insul...
Whilst these meetings are happening be sure to get the architects views on the costs- and then research it yourself to be sure it's affordable.
My architect originally specified sliding windows that he estimated at around £15k. My research discovered the true cost to be nearer to £50k!
My architect originally specified sliding windows that he estimated at around £15k. My research discovered the true cost to be nearer to £50k!
Lots of good advice here, though as always opinions differ. I am at the final detail stage for a new build in Devon, going out to tender very soon and it's a similar size to what you are planning (410m sq), contemporary design with lots of glass to bring in light and maximise river views.
Started with the intention of being as future proof as possible but at some point practical and cost considerations got in the way and to give you some perspective my budget is @£2300 per sqm. We decided against ground source as we have gas, the payback, need for a secondary heat source and questions over replacement boilers meant it was not as viable as we hoped. Similar story with PV, as grants have been slashed and sell back rates are poor, though we will put in the basics should we change our minds in the future (you should check out the Tesla storage stuff).
I didn't want passive, though it will be well insulated (we went block and timber frame for one section), the cost of SIPS was similar but block looks like offering the best thermal balance, you have to consider staying cool in the summer and we will install MVHR, with triple glazing. We would like a log burner or gas fire as a feature but the M&E bloke reckons that in a fairly airtight house a log burner will pose a health risk and a flue will compromise air tightness. Given the heat performance (UFH on both floors) he also thinks it will be a white elephant, though I'm still waiting for final calcs. Still thinking over harvesting and there's a good thread on this elsewhere.
My final piece of advice is that if you are going to put the project in the hands of professionals (as I have done) then be prepared for eye watering fees, which are not zero rated. I've engaged an architect to oversee, QS, Structural Engineer, M&E Consultant and home automation/av people as I am only doing this once and want to get it right, but it hurts! If you want to PM at any stage feel free.
Started with the intention of being as future proof as possible but at some point practical and cost considerations got in the way and to give you some perspective my budget is @£2300 per sqm. We decided against ground source as we have gas, the payback, need for a secondary heat source and questions over replacement boilers meant it was not as viable as we hoped. Similar story with PV, as grants have been slashed and sell back rates are poor, though we will put in the basics should we change our minds in the future (you should check out the Tesla storage stuff).
I didn't want passive, though it will be well insulated (we went block and timber frame for one section), the cost of SIPS was similar but block looks like offering the best thermal balance, you have to consider staying cool in the summer and we will install MVHR, with triple glazing. We would like a log burner or gas fire as a feature but the M&E bloke reckons that in a fairly airtight house a log burner will pose a health risk and a flue will compromise air tightness. Given the heat performance (UFH on both floors) he also thinks it will be a white elephant, though I'm still waiting for final calcs. Still thinking over harvesting and there's a good thread on this elsewhere.
My final piece of advice is that if you are going to put the project in the hands of professionals (as I have done) then be prepared for eye watering fees, which are not zero rated. I've engaged an architect to oversee, QS, Structural Engineer, M&E Consultant and home automation/av people as I am only doing this once and want to get it right, but it hurts! If you want to PM at any stage feel free.
Blue62 said:
My final piece of advice is that if you are going to put the project in the hands of professionals (as I have done) then be prepared for eye watering fees, which are not zero rated. I've engaged an architect to oversee, QS, Structural Engineer, M&E Consultant and home automation/av people as I am only doing this once and want to get it right, but it hurts! If you want to PM at any stage feel free.
Interesting post and thanks for the offer of more advice!The wood burner point is interesting. We have one currently and wouldn't be without, I think they're great. How that integrates with the house is you have MVHR or similar I don't know. I saw a programme on TV recently where they had one set into concrete with a chimney that I think rather than going straight up had a few bends in it to maximise the time the hot air spent warming up the concrete. Result is that the concrete stays warm for up to 12 hours after the fire is out so keeps the house warm on cold nights/next morning.
Can I ask how you're structuring the relationship with the Architect/Sub-Contractors ? Clearly a house build is a hugely complicated project especially when you're dealing with some of the newer technologies. God forbid something goes wrong but where does responsibility lie for making sure the house performs as intended ? i.e. Who do you go after ? Builder/M&E Consultant/Architect ?!?! Clearly it depends on what the problem is etc
We refurbed our home in London about ten years ago which was nothing too adventurous. AV Contractor dropped the ball a few times, luckily I had the spec etc on e-mail as they'd failed to get things like cabinet ventilation correct.
I've learnt in my day job and some investments I've made over the years that it's important that you understand what happens/who is responsible when things go wrong before they do.
I can see I wrote a whole load of stuff on the thread that was referenced earlier, but as it's a few years and we're still in the same house, I might as well do an update:
Quick summary - we're pragmatically 'eco', built our own house: SIPS with double skinned plaster to give (a) air tightness (b) some thermal mass. We have MHRV, wet underfloor heating downstairs, no heating at all upstairs (except towel rads in bathrooms). Solar thermal, log boiler and a thermal store. We're on a septic tank, and backup heating is LPG. We've been in the house for eight years now.
The temperature is perfect and bills are very low. We have no drafts in the house and it opens up nicely in the summer. Damp, dust and other stuff is kept to a minimum. The heating system is efficient enough that on the odd occasion that it stops working it can take a couple of days before we notice. Thermal stores give mains pressure showers, and we use digital showers so you press a button and the water comes out at the same temperature every time.
If you are going for a mixed heat source system, don't under estimate the space needed for plumbing, and the complexities of linking in 'uncontrolled' heat sources such as log burners. Unlike conventional systems, you need to put some thought into where the various parts of the system live relative to each other. We have a large airing cupboard, but could have gone for a shed - it's like the inside of a nuclear submarine in there. The plus side is very low bills, mains pressure water without messing around with pumps and a system that can cope with a dozen people coming to stay and all wanting hot water and comfortable rooms. Find a plumber who knows his stuff or things get expensive and don't work - and don't design the house first and then try and fit the heating system around it. Our underfloor heating is in thin poured screed, so it's reactive and works fantastically well - warm stone floors are just lovely.
MHRV is great but not a magic wand. It keeps things from going stale, but by itself it doesn't move heat around. The point is that it lets the rest of the house be airtight, which is estimated to save about a third on your heating bills alone. We have an open 'core' to the house, so when we get sunshine we can open everything up and the house keeps itself cool and fresh. Ground source heat pumps made no sense to me - they're only really much good if you have no choice but to heat by electricity. I've lost track of whether solar electric is worth it yet, but other than the subsidies, it didn't make enough of a difference to running costs to make it worth buying when I last looked (probably three or more years ago). Triple glazing doesn't pay back the added cost over decent double glazing unless you have absolutely monumental window areas - and then you pay the price in darker glass. I've not met a single person who's done well out of wind turbines or water recycling systems, so unless you like fixing things, steer well clear.
We flooded the house with Cat5 cable and barely use it. WiFi all the way, plus some embedded HDMI cables for AV stuff. We planned our joists so we could fit a ceiling projector screen and projector lift - if you build that sort of thing in at construction time, the cost is minimal and it looks very neat. The same goes for speaker connection points, so all our AV gear is tucked away in a cupboard rather than sitting in a rats nest under the TV. Talking of joists, we went for OSB-based I beams which made for a narrow floor depth, but makes running services a pain in the proverbial - I would choose lattice beams these days, but still pay attention to getting runs in the right direction for obvious services.
We also went for a home lighting solution which has been a bit hit and miss. The latest trick is to be able to turn all the lights off by talking to the Amazon Alexa dongle, but it's a lot of money for a party trick and it's non-trivial if you want to make changes. On the other hand, we do benefit from good lighting schemes in our rooms. A good architect knows how to work with light - both window placement and lighting make a world of difference so make sure you don't end up with rooms lit from a single direction or unnecessary dark corners.
Oh, and finally. You cannot have too many built in cupboards. Good storage space is a minor miracle in modern homes, so make sure you build in places to put stuff throughout the house.
Quick summary - we're pragmatically 'eco', built our own house: SIPS with double skinned plaster to give (a) air tightness (b) some thermal mass. We have MHRV, wet underfloor heating downstairs, no heating at all upstairs (except towel rads in bathrooms). Solar thermal, log boiler and a thermal store. We're on a septic tank, and backup heating is LPG. We've been in the house for eight years now.
The temperature is perfect and bills are very low. We have no drafts in the house and it opens up nicely in the summer. Damp, dust and other stuff is kept to a minimum. The heating system is efficient enough that on the odd occasion that it stops working it can take a couple of days before we notice. Thermal stores give mains pressure showers, and we use digital showers so you press a button and the water comes out at the same temperature every time.
If you are going for a mixed heat source system, don't under estimate the space needed for plumbing, and the complexities of linking in 'uncontrolled' heat sources such as log burners. Unlike conventional systems, you need to put some thought into where the various parts of the system live relative to each other. We have a large airing cupboard, but could have gone for a shed - it's like the inside of a nuclear submarine in there. The plus side is very low bills, mains pressure water without messing around with pumps and a system that can cope with a dozen people coming to stay and all wanting hot water and comfortable rooms. Find a plumber who knows his stuff or things get expensive and don't work - and don't design the house first and then try and fit the heating system around it. Our underfloor heating is in thin poured screed, so it's reactive and works fantastically well - warm stone floors are just lovely.
MHRV is great but not a magic wand. It keeps things from going stale, but by itself it doesn't move heat around. The point is that it lets the rest of the house be airtight, which is estimated to save about a third on your heating bills alone. We have an open 'core' to the house, so when we get sunshine we can open everything up and the house keeps itself cool and fresh. Ground source heat pumps made no sense to me - they're only really much good if you have no choice but to heat by electricity. I've lost track of whether solar electric is worth it yet, but other than the subsidies, it didn't make enough of a difference to running costs to make it worth buying when I last looked (probably three or more years ago). Triple glazing doesn't pay back the added cost over decent double glazing unless you have absolutely monumental window areas - and then you pay the price in darker glass. I've not met a single person who's done well out of wind turbines or water recycling systems, so unless you like fixing things, steer well clear.
We flooded the house with Cat5 cable and barely use it. WiFi all the way, plus some embedded HDMI cables for AV stuff. We planned our joists so we could fit a ceiling projector screen and projector lift - if you build that sort of thing in at construction time, the cost is minimal and it looks very neat. The same goes for speaker connection points, so all our AV gear is tucked away in a cupboard rather than sitting in a rats nest under the TV. Talking of joists, we went for OSB-based I beams which made for a narrow floor depth, but makes running services a pain in the proverbial - I would choose lattice beams these days, but still pay attention to getting runs in the right direction for obvious services.
We also went for a home lighting solution which has been a bit hit and miss. The latest trick is to be able to turn all the lights off by talking to the Amazon Alexa dongle, but it's a lot of money for a party trick and it's non-trivial if you want to make changes. On the other hand, we do benefit from good lighting schemes in our rooms. A good architect knows how to work with light - both window placement and lighting make a world of difference so make sure you don't end up with rooms lit from a single direction or unnecessary dark corners.
Oh, and finally. You cannot have too many built in cupboards. Good storage space is a minor miracle in modern homes, so make sure you build in places to put stuff throughout the house.
Edited by Tuna on Tuesday 7th February 14:19
Hi
This sounds a very exciting project and completely agree it often makes sense to demolish and start again.
I am about to build of a similar size (and a second one afterwards) and I am a full time developer.
In no particular order:
1. Before you go too far down the line with eco heating systems, triple glazing etc, I would look at your estimated energy consumption on a new build house. The first house I mentioned above has forecast utility bills of around £1200 per year. That is just building to current regs in Scotland.
Heat pumps generally don't save money (you won't get any of the subsidy on a new build). The reason is that whilst they generally have a coefficient of performance around 4, i.e. Use 1kwh of electricity to get 4kwh of heat, electricity is 4 times the price of gas so the cost saving is wiped out! Also their efficiency declines in cold weather so the coefficient of performance declines at the time of peak heating load.
If you go beyond current regs on a house of this size you could easily spend an extra £100k on GSHP, triple glazing etc. Once you allow for obsolescence / depreciation this represents a very poor return. The key is to compare what it would cost to run a new build (which is very different to an old house) with a new build eco house.
2. Construction method -
I. Brick and block is great but slow and it's hard to get good teams of bricklayers. One of my contacts is paying bricklayers £400 per day to keep a project on track.
II. Timber frame - sounds good and some good airtightness figures given. However the reality is that the frame moves as the temperature and humidity change, it also compresses when it is loaded up / settles leading to cracking in plasterwork. It also breaks the vapour barrier (which provides air tightness) so the house performance deteriorates - there are a few examples I know of in the social housing sector that are now subject to disputes.
The timber is chemically treated with formaldehyde and in an air tight house, these can build up. There is a whole industry in the US undertaking litigation for people who claim their houses have made them ill.
III. SIPS - quick and easy but rely on glue for their strength i.e. they gain strength from sandwiching insulation between sheet timber, and it is glued together.
You can have the same issue with timber frame regarding gas release.
IV. Insulated concrete formwork - essentially large polystyrene blocks with rebar and then filled with concrete.
This does work well but you need a skilled crew as the blocks can blow out if there's too much pressure in the concrete.
V. Light gauge steel frame - this has been used in the U.K. for about 25 years in commercial projects but only recently for houses. However the Australians and New Zealander's have been using it for years to build houses instead of timber frame due to termite resistance and earthquake activity respectively.
It's quick and easy to erect on site as the panels are delivered pre-formed with bolt holes where required, and an erection plan as to where each panel gpes. It's also light so there can be savings on foundations. Because the steel is strong you can get long spans (useful for large rooms) without using RSJs. If required you can also put in a composite concrete floor as you would in a commercial building.
The design life is 250 years plus and it's cheap. Probably £40-£50k for the house kit if there aren't any curves.
Once I'd seen it in action I came to the conclusion that for us it was the way I wanted to build all our projects going forward.
3. Ground floor / foundations
We've looked at this extensively and we're now using Spantherm by Creagh Concrete on all projects. It's an insulated concrete slab that sits on strip foundations. They supply and fit so it takes away a lot of the tricky work in getting out of the ground. They charge about £50 per square metre installed so the price is cheaper than beam and block.
Because the concrete is insulated from below it means the floor provides thermal mass (stores heat) which helps to maintain stable temperatures. Temperature variation can be a problem in non traditionally built houses. Effectively the mass of concrete acts like a battery - charges with heat in the summer and releases it in the winter - this principle is the reason old stone houses are cool in the summer.
4. Home Automation
I am far from convinced this is a great idea as this kind of technology moves on so quickly.
That said Lutron light controls have been around for a while so you can turn lights on and off remotely.
For AV, a lot of links together seamlessly over wifi, and when it's time to replace you just buy new stuff off the shelf.
For example central vacuum cleaning systems used to be popular in bigger houses - people now realise they're useless.
So in summary I would look closely at promised utility bill savings on the green tech and I would think very carefully about the build method.
Regarding costs the key is to stay away from anything too specialist and the last thing you want to do is spend hugely on the fabric and find the budget is tight for final fit out as SWMBO won't be happy if you have a fantastic AV system and she has to compromise her kitchen / curtains / carpet!!
Feel free to PM me if you want to talk further. Otherwise best of luck and hope to see the build thread soon!
This sounds a very exciting project and completely agree it often makes sense to demolish and start again.
I am about to build of a similar size (and a second one afterwards) and I am a full time developer.
In no particular order:
1. Before you go too far down the line with eco heating systems, triple glazing etc, I would look at your estimated energy consumption on a new build house. The first house I mentioned above has forecast utility bills of around £1200 per year. That is just building to current regs in Scotland.
Heat pumps generally don't save money (you won't get any of the subsidy on a new build). The reason is that whilst they generally have a coefficient of performance around 4, i.e. Use 1kwh of electricity to get 4kwh of heat, electricity is 4 times the price of gas so the cost saving is wiped out! Also their efficiency declines in cold weather so the coefficient of performance declines at the time of peak heating load.
If you go beyond current regs on a house of this size you could easily spend an extra £100k on GSHP, triple glazing etc. Once you allow for obsolescence / depreciation this represents a very poor return. The key is to compare what it would cost to run a new build (which is very different to an old house) with a new build eco house.
2. Construction method -
I. Brick and block is great but slow and it's hard to get good teams of bricklayers. One of my contacts is paying bricklayers £400 per day to keep a project on track.
II. Timber frame - sounds good and some good airtightness figures given. However the reality is that the frame moves as the temperature and humidity change, it also compresses when it is loaded up / settles leading to cracking in plasterwork. It also breaks the vapour barrier (which provides air tightness) so the house performance deteriorates - there are a few examples I know of in the social housing sector that are now subject to disputes.
The timber is chemically treated with formaldehyde and in an air tight house, these can build up. There is a whole industry in the US undertaking litigation for people who claim their houses have made them ill.
III. SIPS - quick and easy but rely on glue for their strength i.e. they gain strength from sandwiching insulation between sheet timber, and it is glued together.
You can have the same issue with timber frame regarding gas release.
IV. Insulated concrete formwork - essentially large polystyrene blocks with rebar and then filled with concrete.
This does work well but you need a skilled crew as the blocks can blow out if there's too much pressure in the concrete.
V. Light gauge steel frame - this has been used in the U.K. for about 25 years in commercial projects but only recently for houses. However the Australians and New Zealander's have been using it for years to build houses instead of timber frame due to termite resistance and earthquake activity respectively.
It's quick and easy to erect on site as the panels are delivered pre-formed with bolt holes where required, and an erection plan as to where each panel gpes. It's also light so there can be savings on foundations. Because the steel is strong you can get long spans (useful for large rooms) without using RSJs. If required you can also put in a composite concrete floor as you would in a commercial building.
The design life is 250 years plus and it's cheap. Probably £40-£50k for the house kit if there aren't any curves.
Once I'd seen it in action I came to the conclusion that for us it was the way I wanted to build all our projects going forward.
3. Ground floor / foundations
We've looked at this extensively and we're now using Spantherm by Creagh Concrete on all projects. It's an insulated concrete slab that sits on strip foundations. They supply and fit so it takes away a lot of the tricky work in getting out of the ground. They charge about £50 per square metre installed so the price is cheaper than beam and block.
Because the concrete is insulated from below it means the floor provides thermal mass (stores heat) which helps to maintain stable temperatures. Temperature variation can be a problem in non traditionally built houses. Effectively the mass of concrete acts like a battery - charges with heat in the summer and releases it in the winter - this principle is the reason old stone houses are cool in the summer.
4. Home Automation
I am far from convinced this is a great idea as this kind of technology moves on so quickly.
That said Lutron light controls have been around for a while so you can turn lights on and off remotely.
For AV, a lot of links together seamlessly over wifi, and when it's time to replace you just buy new stuff off the shelf.
For example central vacuum cleaning systems used to be popular in bigger houses - people now realise they're useless.
So in summary I would look closely at promised utility bill savings on the green tech and I would think very carefully about the build method.
Regarding costs the key is to stay away from anything too specialist and the last thing you want to do is spend hugely on the fabric and find the budget is tight for final fit out as SWMBO won't be happy if you have a fantastic AV system and she has to compromise her kitchen / curtains / carpet!!
Feel free to PM me if you want to talk further. Otherwise best of luck and hope to see the build thread soon!
ELothian said:
3. Ground floor / foundations
We've looked at this extensively and we're now using Spantherm by Creagh Concrete on all projects. It's an insulated concrete slab that sits on strip foundations. They supply and fit so it takes away a lot of the tricky work in getting out of the ground. They charge about £50 per square metre installed so the price is cheaper than beam and block.
Because the concrete is insulated from below it means the floor provides thermal mass (stores heat) which helps to maintain stable temperatures. Temperature variation can be a problem in non traditionally built houses. Effectively the mass of concrete acts like a battery - charges with heat in the summer and releases it in the winter - this principle is the reason old stone houses are cool in the summer.
I've not seen that before. Neat solution: http://www.creaghconcrete.co.uk/spantherm/ho-it-wo...We've looked at this extensively and we're now using Spantherm by Creagh Concrete on all projects. It's an insulated concrete slab that sits on strip foundations. They supply and fit so it takes away a lot of the tricky work in getting out of the ground. They charge about £50 per square metre installed so the price is cheaper than beam and block.
Because the concrete is insulated from below it means the floor provides thermal mass (stores heat) which helps to maintain stable temperatures. Temperature variation can be a problem in non traditionally built houses. Effectively the mass of concrete acts like a battery - charges with heat in the summer and releases it in the winter - this principle is the reason old stone houses are cool in the summer.
TA14 said:
I've not seen that before. Neat solution: http://www.creaghconcrete.co.uk/spantherm/ho-it-wo...
Their picture shows 200mm foam insulation under the floor but less than 50mm in the walls. I hope nobody is thinking of building like that.herewego said:
TA14 said:
I've not seen that before. Neat solution: http://www.creaghconcrete.co.uk/spantherm/ho-it-wo...
Their picture shows 200mm foam insulation under the floor but less than 50mm in the walls. I hope nobody is thinking of building like that.Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff