Preparing for plasterboard

Well it's been nearly 5 weeks since the last blog and this has been a result of slower progress on the build as things are being are being tidied up prior to plasterboarding and also being very busy coming towards the end of financial year in work (www.oldfieldsgarage.co.uk). I've also been back to the 90's on a friends Stag do. We also visited the Homebuilding & renovating show at the NEC last weekend, but I will write about that in another blog - some interesting ideas gained (some we wish we thought about earlier) and we've also found a few finishing products.

The slower progress I've just mentioned however, might not be as slow as I thought because I've just scanned through the last blog photos and actually we have done quite a bit (it has just felt slow).

We are very pleased with how level the screed finish is - which is exactly what we were hoping to achieve! It still won't be completely dry, but you wouldn't know from the how it feels on the top.

The external weatherboarding is completely finished - and we love it.I did underestimate the number of board slightly and we were 3 boards short. Fortunately because we used a local supplier (Powell & Co, Kingsland) we got it delivered as we needed it so it didn't hold us up. The only downside is that it isn't painted so we'll need to do this when we touch up the rest of the boards.

 Weatherboarding finished!

Oops a few boards short

We've also had the handles fitted on the windows and doors - again we are very happy with the look of them. The only drawback is that fitting the handles has uncovered a problem with some of the handles catching the frames (but this is going to be resolved middle of next month and then they'll be re-finished to rectify the paint finish issues straight after).

 Pewter door handles

Matching window furniture

In the last few weeks we've started and completed the insulation downstairs (a lot easier than the roof, which still isn't quite done) and it's now ready for the vapour barrier to be fitted. We've again used 100mm Kingspan Kooltherm, with the exception of a few areas where wiring made that difficult to get a good coverage and we've used Knauf frame insulation. Wherever possible we've topped the Knauf with  40mm Kingspan Kooltherm - it might be a bit over the top but as I've said before we aren't planning on ever moving so don't want to skimp on insulation.

If me doing any work makes it on't telly those 4 panels were what I was doing when it was filmed - anyone would think I saved some easy ones for filming purposes??!

My workshop by night

We've also taken delivery of the kitchen, not ideal timing - it either means we're a little bit behind where I thought we would be now or I was a little over enthusiastic on timescales! We'll need to work around it until the plasterboard is done, which isn't perfect (but at least a delay isn't going to hold us up when we need it I suppose?!). The kitchen delivery man told me "our house looks sick" which is a positive!

Kitchen in the bedroom

We've got the plasterboarding and drylining scheduled for the fortnight from 28th April, so just need to finish the insulation upstairs (I've left the worst bits until last), make sure all the noggins are in place ready for plasterboard and anything we need a good fixing for on the walls (like wall mounted TVs). We've also got to fit the sound deadening between the floors and in the stud walls. The stairs are due to be fitted on the 10th May - which is really exciting as well.

In the next week though the internal brick wall will be built, we've loaded the bricks out ready to go and we'll also have the plumber doing the final bits of first fix. We are also starting to organise the external waste/drainage and a bit more moving soil around in the garden. 

Windows, doors, boards, heating, screed, more insulation and paint

It's been 2 weeks since my last blog and there has been some pretty big changes in that time. 

We've now got windows and doors fitted (albeit with some paint issues, but I'll explain that later), the weather boarding preparation has started (and a few boards are on), our paint factory has been de-commissioned after the 2nd coat of paint on the boards being complete (with most of them stacked around the outside of the house ready to go on). First fix electrics are done (barring a couple of little bits now the boards are out of the way), we are awaiting the next delivery for Kingspan Kooltherm Insulation for the floor and walls, we have confirmed a date for the underfloor heating to be installed and also for the flowing screed to go on top of it. 

Windows and doors installed!!

A view from the inside

It's hard to believe that the weather during the 3 days prior to this picture whilst the windows and doors were being fitted was awful - wind & rain!

Fliss and I are both delighted with the windows and doors, we're just waiting for the pewter handles to finish them off. The colouring against the Oak, bricks, tiles and the weatherboard is exactly what we were hoping it would look like when we were planning! The delight of them going in has been a little muted because of an issue with the paint finish on them. We ordered pre finished timber windows so we didn't have anything to do on them once they were installed, but there are patches on all the windows which are lighter grey to what they should be. Whilst it is disappointing the resolution has been quickly dealt with and they are going to be re-painted on site.

We had a visit from my niece on the weekend, it was only right she helped out with a bit of sweeping up... it only cost me a packet of buttons! A fair swap I thought as the minimum wage isn't applicable?

Fliss finally gets the saw out to help with some insulation...

As I mentioned all the boards are now painted with 2 coats, which means that we should only have to do a little bit of touching up once they are on the house. It has amazed me as to the amount of preparation required before the boarding even started. Damp proof course was used to close the brick cavity, lead has been dressed around the top and bottom of all windows and doors, timber finishing to frame the windows were fixed, lead has been dressed on the top of the brick work and batten was put on - before it even got close to putting boards on. Upright finishers on the corners and end of boards around doors and then to boarding could start to go on.

Corner posts, lead dressing, window finish frame and first weather board on

Batten and blue skies

Normal skies resume...

This week we've got our next Kingspan delivery coming and we've got the architect coming to do his next certification visit. The under floor heating in being installed early 4th & 5th of March, which gives me just over a week to put the insulation in the floor and the DPC on top so the pipes can go on. Luckily it looks a lot easier than the roof so we should be fine for time... famous last words!

Finally we have decided to go with Flowing screed through Acorn Construction rather than semi dry. It is a bit more expensive, but it has better thermal value for the underfloor heating and it will also have a smoother (more level) finish. I'll come back to that once it has been done!

Thanks for reading, Tim 

First delays... a new experience for our build

The build has been moving along so well, in terms of timing and things being done as expected, but this week we have seen our first real setback.

We were due to have our windows and doors fitted next week, but due to flooding in the factory there has been a delay that is likely to mean we will fall several weeks behind where we thought we would be on the external side of the build. I realise it isn't anyones fault, but that doesn't mask the disappointment Fliss and I felt on Monday when we found out. We'd been really looking forwards to getting the windows fitted! It's the first date on the build that hasn't been met, which is a new experience for us.

The consequence of the delay will impact on other work, we had scheduled the remaining brick work to be completed this week (which is still on track), following on with windows and doors next week and then first week in February the external weather boarding to be done - which would have meant by mid February the house would be completely water tight... hopefully the delay won't push us too far back into worse weather.

The scaffolding is now completely down internally and externally, which revealed the house more fully on the outside and gave a sense of the space inside. We are both delighted with how it is taking shape and pleased with the colour we've been painting on the exposed softwood timbers. As well as Fliss and I painting weather board (52 down, just another 32 to go), I've been quietly carrying on with the insulation in the roof over the last week or so. It's coming along but is a slow process when your are doing it around a normal working day. I had Dad helping again last Saturday, which has made a big difference.

I've got a day off on Friday to help start to do the downstairs stud walling and a bit more on Saturday so we are ready for first fix plumbing  last week in January and then moving on to electrics.

So, by the end of this month we should have all the house external brick work completed, all the internal stud walling in place and the first fix plumbing done. We will also have done a bit more filming for our mentor visit to another house!

Finally I just wanted to thank you for reading, since the blog started we've now had over 4000 views!

Weather dodging into the new year...

As the first blog post of the year, I'd like to start by wishing you all the best for the New Year. This is one of the most important years of our lives to date. Somewhere towards the middle of it we will be moving into our new home and in September we'll be getting married. Nothing like cramming a couple of major life events in, in a few months!

We've had some pretty awful weather over the last 2 weeks, when it's rained its really RAINED, it's been windy - VERY WINDY, but we've actually had quite a few dry days or afternoons complete with blue sky and the upshot of that is that we've managed to dodge the weather to do some work on the outside of the house that we weren't necessarily expecting to be able to do.

So it's been all hands on deck over the Christmas break, with no trades on site we've been busy ourselves and have had some help from my Mum & Dad and also the kids when they were up with us.

With the weather being kind in patches we've painted both the gable ends of the house (3 coats of paint, so that's finished), the front of the house under the eves, with 2 coats and the rear of the house 1 coat. Considering the time of year that's pretty good going! We've also managed when dry to move 85 x 6meter feather edge boards inside the house to dry and shifted most of the Kingspan K7 Kooltherm Roof Insulation upstairs, in the dry. Maneuvering around the scaffolding proved tricky, but we managed to do it. Keeping as much of the materials as possible dry at this time of year is critical to being able to get on to the next stage...

Kingspan K7 Kooltherm in the dry

75mm & 100mm K7 Boards laid out for easy access to cut and install

85 x 6 meter Larch Feather Edge Boards inside, laid out for painting or drying

I sourced 6 meter Baltic grown, Larch Feather Edged Boards from local Kingsland timber merchants Powell & Co. Excellent service and very helpful staff and being just 5 mins down the road from our home very handy! Once we'd moved all of the feather edged boards inside, we set about giving them a coat of paint. We had plans on doing them all, but due to a technical issue (um I spilt a tin of paint and when I tried to replenish it found out that the supplier was closed until January 2nd) we only managed to get a third of them painted and dried. Josh & Liv spent a day over Christmas mucking in and helping us paint a few of the boards. Giving them a coat of paint (or 2) now means that if and when they shrink on the outside of the building we won't be left with unpainted wood showing through (that tip was from John at Border Oak). We've now got more paint though so can crack on with those over the coming weeks. Our deadline for getting this done is the end of January. Weather permitting, the external timber cladding is scheduled to be fitted early February.

The first piece of Kingspan K7 Kooltherm insulation in place - quite a few more left to do!

We managed to get started on insulating the roof, but from what I've seen so far it's going to be a long process! Dad and Mum helped out and we've managed to make a good start, but with 175mm of insulation going into the roof (between the rafters), before the plasterboard on top - it means cutting every section twice. Something I've learnt from speaking various insulation buffs is that the aim of the game with insulation is to keep it continuous and free from gaps. Any joints between the front boards and the rear shouldn't be the same, overlapping and taping joints. The big and straight sections aren't too difficult, but the small intricate sections are time consuming and tricky.

Insulation taking shape.

If anyone else reading this is planning on Self Building, I'd say that you need to be flexible with your approach to the jobs you plan to do yourself - when it's dry, do as much of the outside work as you can, because once you've got the house in the dry you can always revert back inside.

Over the next week, we'll be carrying on with insulation, painting more boards and Boyd Scaffolding will be on site to take down the scaffolding - so we'll be able to see the house properly!

Thanks for reading this blog!

Tim 

Note to self: lights on in a caravan at this time of the year only means one thing...

...daddy-longlegs will invade!

With the exception of some soil being taken away as mentioned last week, my main physical activity this week has been removing daddy-longlegs from the caravan - there have been loads! It's been quite while since we lived in an actual house now, but I don't remember it being this bad before. Needless to say, I won't be leaving doors open and lights on in the evenings on any more! One thing that is useful to know though is that there is a common myth that they are highly poisonous but cannot bite humans, according to the University of California this isn't true...

With a big week looming, over the course of the weekend, I have mostly been me looking up at the sky and checking the weather forecast every hour, hoping that the weather will be dry for next week! The forecast is good, so we'll have to wait and see! While there hasn't been too much visible activity this week, there has been quite a lot that has been sorted and organised.

We've ordered the bricks from Travis Perkins ready to build the lower part of the building, to sit the frame onto. I wasn't too sure what time this needed to be done, but MGL builders have really helped to prioritise what to do and when. It's a god job too, because there is a local shortage of bricks and blocks - something I wouldn't have even thought could have been a problem. I am not sure if this is right or not, but I am lead to believe this is because of the regeneration of the old Hereford Cattle Market site. I don't think it will pose a problem for us, but it is another thing I would have expected to be very straight forward. 

We also managed to finalize insulation. It won't come as too much of a shock to those of you who are from Herefordshire, but we have chosen to use Kingspan Insulation. As I have said previously, wherever feasibly possible we will try to use local products/suppliers/trades and with Kingspan Insulation based just down the road in Pembridge, they were always on our wish list of products we would have preferred to use. That said, we looked at lots of options before deciding to go with them because with our limited budget and limited (but ever expanding) knowledge & understanding, we couldn't afford not to check and compare. When you add in the fact that due to an oversight on my part, I hadn't properly priced insulation as part of our original budget plan (we have a contingency built in to the plan, but insulation shouldn't be something that is a contingency)!!! With the budgeting we have tried to allow for worst case scenarios, but we might have had a real problem that could have held up progress and our budgets may have been seriously affected.

The Kingspan website, http://www.kingspaninsulation.co.uk contains a wealth of information regarding product options, properties & performance values and we utilised their technical expertise in planning what to use to give us the most suitable insulation solution. Using there recommendations along with some original suggestions by Jim Hicks/Border Oak, we have decided to go with the Kooltherm products. For the floor we will be using the K3 Floor insulation, to insulate the walls we will be using 100mm K12 Timber frame Insulation along with 37.5mm K18 Insulated plasterboard. For the roof, we will be using K7 Pitched roof insulation. We don't ever intend moving from Forty Acres, so long term planning is an important part of our decision making. Combining the Kingspan products will mean that the building will be very efficient, helping keep the long-term energy costs down.

I have spoken to several local companies this week to make preliminary enquiries about the stairs. We have a wish list, but depending on how the budget stretches we may need to make compromises with this one. We are also hoping this week to tie up our choice on roof light suppliers. 

Both Fliss & I are off work next week, which coincides perfectly for the start. We've got quite a lot we want to look at and MGL will be here Monday to make a start.This week will definitely be a BIG one for us!!!! By the end of the week we should have foundations in place. I can't wait to see that first digger bucket enter the ground as the foundations are started.

Weather permitting, by the next Blog installment we will have some visible progress!