Underfloor Heating from Nuheat

Can't praise the system from Nuheat highly enough. Fantastically simple. Don't know what all the fuss is about on UFH, of all the jobs we have done on site this was by the far the least skilled and quickest. We could have done the whole house (80m2) in about 5 hours. In the end we used two mornings with some work on the flashings and chimney in between.

All the pictures are for my records (to remember where the pipes are).

Slump Test and the Slump Cone

The wonderfully beautiful slump cone used in a slump test:

Description:

The slump test is a means of assessing the consistency of fresh concrete. It is used, indirectly, as a means of checking that the correct amount of water has been added to the mix. The test is carried out in accordance with BS EN 12350-2, Testing fresh concrete. Slump test. This replaces BS 1881: Part 102.

The steel slump cone is placed on a solid, impermeable, level base and filled with the fresh concrete in three equal layers. Each layer is rodded 25 times to ensure compaction. The third layer is finished off level with the top of the cone. The cone is carefully lifted up, leaving a heap of concrete that settles or ‘slumps’ slightly. The upturned slump cone is placed on the base to act as a reference, and the difference in level between its top and the top of the concrete is measured and recorded to the nearest 5 mm to give the slump of the concrete.

When the cone is removed, the slump may take one of three forms. In a true slump the concrete simply subsides, keeping more or less to shape. In a shear slump the top portion of the concrete shears off and slips sideways. In a collapse slump the concrete collapses completely. Only a true slump is of any use in the test. If a shear or collapse slump is achieved, a fresh sample should be taken and the test repeated. A collapse slump will generally mean that the mix is too wet or that it is a high workability mix, for which the flow test (see separate entry) is more appropriate.

Source

Insulation always takes longer than you think

100mm of kingspan insulation throughout, 1000guage DPM above.
Started this and then Neil finished on his own. Took three times as long to lay the insulation as expected. Installed 2 electronics ducts and an electric circuit.

Sliding door base

I have to say I am very happy to have finally solved the sliding door base detail/ Neil and I did this on site today - deciding on a blockwork base that would take a recessed stainless steel 162mm wide strip with the door runners installed flush. Should be much more buildable than what was previously proposed.

Dustroofing concrete

The image above is of Sika dustproofer, sadly Sika Pro Seal pro doesn't have such a garphic explanation but the data sheet is here

Broken into

The site was broken into and we lost about £300 worth of stuff mostly nails. Amazing how much the nails actually cost, had we known we would have been locking them away - 1,000 stainless steel 51mm paslode nails = £54! Damage to the electricity cupboard shown above. The biggest problem though is all the paperwork we now have to do to claim on our insurance. eek.

Flue installation

Installed the stove flue, tricky but mostly for design/building regulations reasons rather than technical difficulties. Not quite finished at the moment as we need to bring it further out from the wall and install the connector piece for the stove and of course the stove itself. The annoying thing about the flue is that it has to be boxed above the room in which the stove is in, apparently people could burn their hand on it as they won't not know what the flue is (In a house!). Another example of what I think is state control of our lives surreptitiously through the building regulations.

Poujoulat flue supplied by the excellent George Christie & Sons in Edinburgh who I hereby thank for their patience and helpful comments. Great system.

External images

Internal images

Now the outisde is more or less finished I am reminded that the interior is really where my hopes for the quality of this house lie - the outside was so restricted in terms of form and materials. I was playing around over the weekend with photographing the interior spaces, not sure if these really express it but the horizontal and diagonals in the house might end up be the best thing about it.