Build Week 12 - Bring Me Sunshine

The weather improved slightly - enough to get the waterproofing done anyway. Before the final coat can go on the aluminium edge trim and drip were put on. The  powder coated aluminium drip sits over the edge of the oak fascia and is coloured the same as the windows externally. The aluminium edge sits slightly set back from the edge which looks good and although quite bright at the moment will dull down over time. Looking forward to the sedum going on the roof next week.

The suntube covers went on and the pipe installed to the down stairs bathroom. It twists in a helter skelter fashion down through the floor to the bathroom below to allow more light into the plant room. The tube channels light down to the bathroom very well although it has a green hue as the protective plastic over the cover still.The spaces within the house are feeling light and large just as we had hoped.

Build Week 11 - Dry Lining & Wet Roofing

Having been pretty good thus far, the weather is proving quite frustrating. It is neither wet nor dry just damp, meaning that progress is very slow with the roof. The company doing the waterproofing decides to change to another product which cures much more quickly to help the job progress. Inside things continue. The plumbing pipes are fitted and drylining of the walls is progressing but proving a labour intensive job. The electrical layout is finalised and the remaining wiring is put into place. The design for the MVHR is started so that we can make sure that the ducting is routed correctly and efficently.

Build Week 10 - Roof & Rain

 This week the roof started but due to the continual rain it was a bit of a false start. The roof is a liquid applied rubber which requires primer than a couple of layers of the rubber to seal it. To do this requires a dry surface and dry weather otherwise the materials start to run with the rain. Frustratingly the weather provided us with little dry time and when the roof did dry it promptly began to rain again. The Oak fascia board on the verge and eaves is on and looks (and smells) very good. The rainwater tank was lowered into position, assembled and backfilled with gravel.

The large bifolding window was installed - unfortunately two of the windows were broken when it was delivered to the shop so we await to see it in its full glory. However it has a very solid feel and easy opening action and is every bit as good as we had hoped. The opening gives a glorious view over the vale. It is particularly nice that it practically elimiinates any noise from outside but when opened up the sound of the river flowing is very prominent and tranquil. Work continues on the internal drylining and electrical & plumbing first fix. We decided that we would invest in sunpipes to get natural light into the plant room and downstairs bathroom. Although much more costly than just using lights, we feel the benefit of natural light in the long term and the feel it brings to the rooms is worth it.

Build Week 9 - Windows

This week saw the arrival of the much anticipated windows. These are the Internorm Edition version. We particularly chose these as they are timber / aluminium composite and have a very high thermal performance. They are triple glazed, with a thermal performance of around twice the requirement - for those in the know they achieve a u-value of 0.74. They are essentially timber windows but have an insulated aluminium facing externally, which means that they will require minimal maintenance and last very well.

Work continues inside with the dry lining of the walls, and the start of the electrical and plumbing first fix. The windows went in, looking and feeling great. The mechanism on the big window seat sliding window is both smooth and assured. We are pleased with the colour of the front door as it should complement the red colour of the sedum very well in winter. Unfortunately the big bi-folding door can not be put in as the scaffolding is in the way - that will have to wait till next week. The ply deck of the roof is finished, with all the upstands for the solar panel frames - giving an indication of the extent of PV that we will have.