Grand Designs, yeah, no, maybe ?

[demographic]

I used to like it years ago but its just artichokes advert houses nowadays and I can't stand them nor their bland dreams.

Over the years there's been a few that haven't looked much but have been properly efficient homes that I really liked but theres a low ratio of wheat to the chaff.

Oh and the fake drama? Its shite. Youtube has a lot of peoples projects and I don't have to watch the melodrama.

[Noggin]

I used to catch it occasionally but I hate the drama of the relationship issues/money problems/stress

Quite often I like the idea and finished project - wouldn't always want to live in it though!!

[Claude]

Seems all the neighbours who were notified and some who weren't have objected lol.

I guess we'll see what the borough council planning have to say.

[Pseudonym]

We intend to build later on, for when we retire (that's the plan anyway), but when it comes to grand designs, errr nope. Every single person/couple who are on that show usually have ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ at their fingertips, and it kind of defeats the purpose for us. It's more a *ooh, look at us with all our money*. It's grandstanding!

We much prefer shows like the ones that make you think about how your money is being spent, and coming up with good alternatives, shows like *the house that 100K built*.

We go to numerous home building shows to stay up to date with emerging technology and different ways of building. We're looking at a SIPS construction rather than block and brick (far more expensive, and takes ages too, unlike SIPS).

[Mr. Dazzle]

A little ironically, a big part of the reason I'd build my own home is that I'm always surprised how cheap the houses on Grand Designs are!

They're not cheap in absolute terms of course, but the amount they generally pay for what you get seems pretty good to me. As you would expect with any self run project when you're not paying a middle man's profit.

[Horse]

We go to numerous home building shows to stay up to date with emerging technology and different ways of building. We're looking at a SIPS construction rather than block and brick (far more expensive, and takes ages too, unlike SIPS).

Are you anywhere near Swindon, the National Self Build Centre? (If open now) might be worth a visit.

A mate had a 6m x 4m garden building done in SIPS, about the same time this place was built using them:

https://earth.app.goo.gl/?apn=com.googl ... bHFyZXcQAg

TBH I chickened out when building our extension. The builder is good with solid stuff, so I went traditional.

Main things that pushed up costs were underfloor heating and electrics (sockets and lights).

[Pseudonym]

We go to numerous home building shows to stay up to date with emerging technology and different ways of building. We're looking at a SIPS construction rather than block and brick (far more expensive, and takes ages too, unlike SIPS).

Are you anywhere near Swindon, the National Self Build Centre? (If open now) might be worth a visit.

A mate had a 6m x 4m garden building done in SIPS, about the same time this place was built using them:

https://earth.app.goo.gl/?apn=com.googl ... bHFyZXcQAg

TBH I chickened out when building our extension. The builder is good with solid stuff, so I went traditional.

Main things that pushed up costs were underfloor heating and electrics (sockets and lights).

We went there earlier on last year, when peeps were still allowed out, although we did have to wear masks. Potton had a show house there. It was huge, with lots of wasted space.
We like very very modern, none of this traditional malarky for us.

A SIPS construction typically takes 6 weeks once your foundations are in, and set. Saying that, there are so many more new methods now that have sprung up, which look interesting.

[Horse]

We went there earlier on last year, when peeps were still allowed out, although we did have to wear masks. Potton had a show house there. It was huge, with lots of wasted space.
We like very very modern, none of this traditional malarky for us.

A SIPS construction typically takes 6 weeks once your foundations are in, and set. Saying that, there are so many more new methods now that have sprung up, which look interesting.

We visited a few years ago. The big show house seemed more to showcase the technology solutions.

Mate's garden room was mounted on gabion-type foundations rather than traditional trench and poured concrete. The area was cleared to the correct depth so that the floor was level with the patio (with a drainage between). Also, he had the exterior sprayed with a dyed render material which wouldn't require subsequent painting.

[demographic]

We intend to build later on, for when we retire (that's the plan anyway), but when it comes to grand designs, errr nope. Every single person/couple who are on that show usually have ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ at their fingertips, and it kind of defeats the purpose for us. It's more a *ooh, look at us with all our money*. It's grandstanding!

We much prefer shows like the ones that make you think about how your money is being spent, and coming up with good alternatives, shows like *the house that 100K built*.

We go to numerous home building shows to stay up to date with emerging technology and different ways of building. We're looking at a SIPS construction rather than block and brick (far more expensive, and takes ages too, unlike SIPS).

You'll still have to put an external decorative skin on the house.
Timber, brick, even stone if you want.
Also its worth counterbattoning the insides of SIPS so you can do the cable runs between the plasterboard and the SIPS.
Theres other ways to run cables through the panels but if its behind the plasterboard in counterbattoned runs its dead easy to do and alter if you want later on.
SIPS are easy to get nice and airtight as well.

[DefTrap]

I've done renovation but I think I'm over it now. Too may other things to tinker with.

[Pseudonym]

We intend to build later on, for when we retire (that's the plan anyway), but when it comes to grand designs, errr nope. Every single person/couple who are on that show usually have ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ at their fingertips, and it kind of defeats the purpose for us. It's more a *ooh, look at us with all our money*. It's grandstanding!

We much prefer shows like the ones that make you think about how your money is being spent, and coming up with good alternatives, shows like *the house that 100K built*.

We go to numerous home building shows to stay up to date with emerging technology and different ways of building. We're looking at a SIPS construction rather than block and brick (far more expensive, and takes ages too, unlike SIPS).

You'll still have to put an external decorative skin on the house.
Timber, brick, even stone if you want.
Also its worth counterbattoning the insides of SIPS so you can do the cable runs between the plasterboard and the SIPS.
Theres other ways to run cables through the panels but if its behind the plasterboard in counterbattoned runs its dead easy to do and alter if you want later on.
SIPS are easy to get nice and airtight as well.

We like the charred wood external cladding.
We're aiming for ground source heat pump too, as well as utilising as much Green energy as possible. We'd rather not pay for energy if we can avoid it.

[Mussels]

We like the charred wood external cladding.
We're aiming for ground source heat pump too, as well as utilising as much Green energy as possible. We'd rather not pay for energy if we can avoid it.

I liked the idea of a ground source heat pump but Googling it brings up loads of ads about how wonderful it is and little about long term effects. I found a study that says only the top 10m is heated by the sun and anything below would need another way to replace lost heat, it's just a set of slides so not great.
https://uk.comsol.com/paper/download/18 ... tation.pdf

I get a funny feeling that this will be like the big drive to install cavity wall insulation, loads of companies will see it as a way of making easy money and the problems won't be found until years later.
As well as the long term efficiency I also wonder about the long term effects of chilling the land next to my house. As it appears to rely mainly on solar energy heating the soil I think something on my roof would be much better.

[Horse]

IIRC One ground source option is to include the pipes into foundations, deeper the better? Then use solar to power the pump.

[Pseudonym]

I did say *we're aiming for......... and this is the dream* but but but, we'll have a small budget compared to a lot of others.

We'll see.

[demographic]

IIRC One ground source option is to include the pipes into foundations, deeper the better? Then use solar to power the pump.

One of the very few Grand Designs that wasn't an architect doing a showhouse was a bloke who did commercial pilings for a living.
He drilled the holes, then the torpedo shaped re-enforcing cages were fitted with pipes so when they were dropped down and concreted in position they were dual function. Support pilings and ground source heat pump piping.

To be honest, if SIPS panels are done right you hardly need any heating anyway.

Most people really have no idea just how bloody inefficient their homes are and don't even get me started on country cottages. Bloody disaster zone.

My house is far from perfect but at least when its frosty the frost on my roof stays there longer than on any other house on the street.

In fact, while its winter thats a good one for people buying a house to look at, see how frosty the house is compaired to the rest facing the same direction with the same amount of sun on them.
Its not the whole picture but its a part of it.

[Horse]

IIRC One ground source option is to include the pipes into foundations, deeper the better? Then use solar to power the pump.

One of the very few Grand Designs that wasn't an architect doing a showhouse was a bloke who did commercial pilings for a living.
He drilled the holes, then the torpedo shaped re-enforcing cages were fitted with pipes so when they were dropped down and concreted in position they were dual function. Support pilings and ground source heat pump piping.

To be honest, if SIPS panels are done right you hardly need any heating anyway.

It was that GD that made me think of it.

If a bix is well-sealed, it'll need one of the systems that heats incoming fresh air.

[Mussels]

IIRC One ground source option is to include the pipes into foundations, deeper the better? Then use solar to power the pump.

One of the very few Grand Designs that wasn't an architect doing a showhouse was a bloke who did commercial pilings for a living.
He drilled the holes, then the torpedo shaped re-enforcing cages were fitted with pipes so when they were dropped down and concreted in position they were dual function. Support pilings and ground source heat pump piping.

To be honest, if SIPS panels are done right you hardly need any heating anyway.

Most people really have no idea just how bloody inefficient their homes are and don't even get me started on country cottages. Bloody disaster zone.

My house is far from perfect but at least when its frosty the frost on my roof stays there longer than on any other house on the street.

In fact, while its winter thats a good one for people buying a house to look at, see how frosty the house is compaired to the rest facing the same direction with the same amount of sun on them.
Its not the whole picture but its a part of it.

Done right is something else that concerns me. I've seen complaints on new builds that the builders don't know/don't care about fitting eco friendly features correctly. More bodgit and scarper hoping nobody notices, I guess if you have work done you need to pay a specialist surveyor to check it before handing the rest of the cash over.

[weeksy]

That was a nice one... Nice back story and a lovely big barn out of it... I approve

[Noggin]

Most people really have no idea just how bloody inefficient their homes are and don't even get me started on country cottages. Bloody disaster zone.

This!

I am not keen on double glazing and central heating (I have the heating turned right down in my apartment and have the window open at night!) as it makes a place quite stuffy, IMLE!!

But here I can see that it is so darned inefficient for those that have the heating up full blast!! Sitting by the window, I can feel just how much cold air comes through the glass - there is also a decent draft of cold coming under the radiator from the outside wall!!

If the place was bigger, I probably wouldn't notice so much as I wouldn't be sat right next to to the window.


I was brought up in an old farmhouse that had been derelict that my parents 'did up' - we had a small Aga and a woodburner for heat and no double glazing. So I was brought up to be a bit hardy!! LOL (Didn't work for my sister tho )

[demographic]

It was that GD that made me think of it.

If a bix is well-sealed, it'll need one of the systems that heats incoming fresh air.

You mean a heat recovery unit? Basically an air to air heat exchanger. They're not that hard to put in though.

Thing with super efficient homes is, you are still alowed to open windows in summer.
Just means you're not warming Jackdaws feet and paying a fortune for it during winter.

If your builders aren't dead keen on the technology, you need another builder cos they won't give a shite.

Oh and to Noggin? Yeah, I grew up in a farmhouse as well. It was a fucking millstone. Chopping loads of wood just so it didn't freeze inside the rooms was just no way to live. None of this is hard, its all just good building practice and allows people to do stuff like save up and life just takes less work.