Visit

Cambridge Carbon Footprint are arranging a visit to look round our house on 1st October, details can be found on their website.  Click here for more information.

Day 470 - more studwork and reed mat test

Rather than using plasterboard on the internal timber stud walls, we are trying out reed mat.  It works in a similar way to laths (as in traditional lath and plaster).  We were quite impressed how easily it went up - so far so good!

We progressed more of the studwork upstairs today (excuse the mess!).

Day 463 - Ground floor studwork progressed

We have not done much work on the house this month - partly because we have been allowing the screed to dry and partly because we fancied a break!  We are now back into it and have made good progress on the ground floor studwork today - just the doorways and noggins to do.  I think we are finally getting better at studwork!

Day 451: Lime screed complete

The rest of the lime screed was completed today.

Day 444 - Screed aftercare

The weather was very hot and sunny yesterday (33 degrees).  To prevent the screed from drying out too fast we will hose the slab down for about 3 days.

Day 443 - Laying the lime screed part 1

The first bay of screed is complete after about 1/2 day.

A piece of timber is used to form a temporary edge to screed up to, where there will be a movement joint in the screed.

The scaffold pole removed and screed being filled in.

The screed progressing...

Leveling out the piles...

The mix is laid very dry.

Loading up with the screed - mixed by the big green limecrete machine!

Scaffold poles are set level with the top of the finished screed, these will be used as a level.

The Limecrete Company are back today to start laying the lime screed.  First step is wetting down the limecrete slab.

Day 437 - Underfloor heating pipes pressure tested

Underfloor heating pipes connected up to the manifold and pressure tested.

The pressure has settled at 1.5 bar.  It was pressurised to more than this but as plastic tubes give a little bit it causes the pressure to drop.  The pipes will remain under pressure while we lay the lime screed.  If the pressure drops to zero then the pipes have been punctured - we hope to avoid this!

Under floor heating pipework is now laid and ready to be pressure tested.

Pipe is sleeved with conduit for 300mm either side of all movement joints (such as in this doorway), to prevent the pipe from being put under stress as the different bays of screed on either side move differently.

We took extra time when we were laying the clip track, ensuring that it was all in the right place and was in line.  It paid off today - laying the pipe was quite straightforward!

It was a bit like doing dot to dot!

We finished laying the clip track for the under floor heating yesterday and are making a start on laying the pipe today.

Day 424 - sliding doors completed

Double sliding doors are now completed and glazed.  It seems very light inside now!

Day 422 - Underfloor heating clip track

Bits of blue edge insulation were really good for marking where the pipes will go!

Next task was setting out and fixing down the clip track which we will clip the underfloor heating pipe into.  Self tapping wood screws seemed to do the trick, although the harder bits of limecrete we did have to drill first.

Day 420 - preparing for the underfloor heating

The underfloor heating manifold is put up in the utility room.

The edge insulation is fitted around the timber plates which will form the internal walls.  It will stop the timber drawing the moisture out of the lime screed too quickly when it is laid, and also provide an expansion gap around the edge of the screed once it is dry.  It is also fitted around the external walls, (along with additional insulation), against the blockwork, to try and reduce heat loss.

The edge insulation supplied with the underfloor heating.

Day 414

We finished the threshold under the utility room door today - its amazing how long all these little jobs take!  We tried out using recycled plastic timber, as this will not rot, is recycled and will prevent a cold bridge.  It claims you can treat it exactly like timber - saw it, drill it, fix it etc.  We managed most things, however we did not have any success trying to nail it with the nail gun!  It is also heavier than timber.

Day 407 - Internal walls set out on GF

Sole plates for the internal walls downstairs set out and fixed down, in preparation for the underfloor heating to be laid.

The utility room/ plant room is behind the plywood wall, there is a small WC and then a study / sitting room on the right of the photo.  The entrance lobby can be seen in the back left of the photo and the hall / stairs will be on the left.  The photo is taken from the main living space which will be used as the kitchen, dining and sitting area.

Day 396 - Cladding complete!

Cladding complete!!

Day 395

Cladding almost complete!

Street view...

Day 393

Some more studwork completed upstairs - in the back right of the photo there will be a bedroom, and the landing is on the left, on the other side of the studwork.

Day 391

Day 387

Day 386

Carrying on with the studwork today - started the main wall along the landing - it is a bit difficult to see in the photo!

Day 385 - Internal studwork started on FF

We started the internal studwork upstairs this weekend - this will be the family bathroom!