Author: stephen (Page 21 of 61)

Plastering

We resumed plastering in the older part of the building just before Christmas and I think by the end of this week we should be ready to make a start on the extension.  Fingers crossed the electricians should have finished the first fix electrics by then.

All of the walls and ceilings are (plaster) boarded and then plastered.  The ceilings are a bit of a challenge since all the old roof trusses are old and bent.  It makes cutting the boards difficult and then plastering around them in more difficult.  Particularly when you consider this all has to be done off tower scaffold as ladders would not reach.  The ceilings in the new extension are easier as the timber is a little straighter, however, the increased ceiling height will make things a little more interesting!

Ian and Mark (the plasterers) are making some great progress.  However, it is difficult to do it justice in photos.  And here is one photo to prove it!

This is Jo's study with the balcony into the kitchen and the parapet wall overlooking the stairs.  Most of the ceiling and half of the walls have been boarded.  They will be plastered before the end of the week.

This is Jo’s study with the balcony into the kitchen and the parapet wall overlooking the stairs. Most of the ceiling and half of the walls have been boarded. They will be plastered before the end of the week.

Progress on the home automation

While work is progressing on the first fix electrics in the extension, we are starting to terminate the cables for the lighting switches.  All of the cables of the lighting and data will terminate in patch panel.  This allows us to easily test all of the connectivity as well as being able to reconfigure the cabling at a later data.

There are 19 lighting switches in the older part of the building.  The cables will terminate in a single 24 port patch panel.  Patch leads will then connect the relevant port to the correct connection on the lighting computer.

The data connections will terminate in two 24 port patch panels since there are more than 24 data connections in this part of the building.  These will be connected to a Netgear network switch that will be connected to the broadband route to provide wired Internet access into each of the rooms.  There will be a second Netgear switch in the extension and the two switches will be connected together.

It will probably take a few days to get all of this connectivity working!

The top two consumer units house the Loxone kit - a server, 2 extensions and a dimmer unti.  The bottom consumer unit contains the breakers and RCD.  Underneath this there is a small data comms cabinet.

The top two consumer units house the Loxone kit – a server, 2 extensions and a dimmer unti. The bottom consumer unit contains the breakers and RCD. Underneath this there is a small data comms cabinet.

All of the Cat5 cables from the lighting switches terminate in this patch panel.  There are 19 in this half of the building.  There will then be a lead from the patch panel to the Loxone lighting computer which is housed above.

All of the Cat5 cables from the lighting switches terminate in this patch panel. There are 19 in this half of the building. There will then be a lead from the patch panel to the Loxone lighting computer which is housed above.

First fix electrics in the extension

We are progressing well with the first fix electrics in the new extension.  These will need to be completed before the plasterers can start in this part of the building.  I reckon the first fix will be finished by the end of the week, leaving the building clear for the plasterers to start next week.

Although it was only a couple of months ago that we did the first fix on the older part of the building, I had forgotten exactly how much cabling is involved.  The answer? Lots and lots.  I was going to start counting exactly how much, but it was just too difficult.

There is Cat5 cabling for all the light switches, mains cabling for the sockets and power to the lights, cabling for the alarm PIR sensors, Cat5 (again) for the telephone and data points, co-axial for the TV and some Cat6 for satellite.  There are also some odd cables around the place for things such as electric door latches, luminence sensors, temperature sensors (both indoor and outdoor) and some cables for thermostats (one in every room).  Phew!  That is a lot!

The other half of the lighting computer will be in the plant room along with the ground source heating pump.  Hence all of the wires end up terminating here.

The other half of the lighting computer will be in the plant room along with the ground source heating pump. Hence all of the wires end up terminating here.

Bundles of wires waiting to be connected.  Cat5 for all the light switches, mains cables for sockets and power to the lights, cabling for the PIR sensors for the alarms, Cat5 (again) for the telephone and ethernet.  We haven't pulled through the co-axial for the TV and the CAT6 for the satellite yet.  It all adds up to a lot of cable.

Bundles of wires waiting to be connected. Cat5 for all the light switches, mains cables for sockets and power to the lights, cabling for the PIR sensors for the alarms, Cat5 (again) for the telephone and ethernet. We haven’t pulled through the co-axial for the TV and the CAT6 for the satellite yet. It all adds up to a lot of cable.

These cables are waiting to be pulled through into the plant room and connected to the main distribution boards and the lighting computer.

These cables are waiting to be pulled through into the plant room and connected to the main distribution boards and the lighting computer.

Door furniture

We are getting to the stage where we need to start sorting out the finishing touches.  There are a lot of decisions to be made here – doors, handles, lights, tiles, etc.  This is also the stage of the project where the costs start to mount up quickly – often on items that you might not have thought about.

All of the door furniture was delivered today.  This included all of the door handles, hinges, latches and bath room locks.

We are using a brushed stainless steel finish through the house.  This means not just the door furniture, but also the electrical sockets and switches.  All of these components are from the Schneider Get Ultimate range – screwless face plates in satin stainless steel.

We are using engineered oak internal fire doors throughout the property.  We don’t need to use fire doors to meet building regulations, however, these doors are thicker (44mm) and heavy than normal internal doors. These heavy doors have more of a quality feel for only a small additional cost. These have been bought from Oakwood Doors in Huddersfield.  They are going to be pre-finished (with a sation matt lacquer) and should be delivered before the end of January.

Due to the size and weight (around 30kgs) of the doors we are using 3 hinges per door (each hinge is 4″).  We have 20 doors in total, so we need 30 pairs of hinges.

The handles are from Zoo Architectural Hardware.  They are called Florence and we have already used them on the 2 pairs of external doors to the property.  It turns out that this model is end of life.  This is good news as they can be picked up very cheaply – £8.50 pair rather than £20 a pair.  I have bought a couple of spare handles since they are going out of production, but still a great buy.  We could have easily have paid twice as much for an alternative.

We have selected bathroom thumb turn locks so that they match the Zoo handles above.  They aren’t from Zoo, but the finishes are a good match.

We are using EuroSpec latches on all the internal doors – the latches are larger for the bathrooms to accomodate the bathroom lock in the same machanism.  All of the latches are 3″ latches – latches come in a variety of sizes with 2.5″ and 3″ being the most popular.

All of the door furniture came fromt the Door Handle Company who were extremely helpful in finding all the rights bits.  The delivery was very quick – taking only 4 days from ordering over the phone and the items being delivered.

 

Handrail for the parapet wall

There is a small parapet wall that overlooks the staircase from Jo’s office.  The studwork has been in place for a while, however, we have yet to fix the handrail.  The oak timber arrived for the handrail a few weeks ago.  The timber is fairly chunky at 150mm x 150mm.  It has been languishing on the floor of the study since it arrived.  Today, we decided that it was about time that we had a look at it in situ.

It looks great, particularly when viewed from the stairs as the handrail matches the beam below.  We need to get the handrail fixed before the outside of the studwork can be plasterboarded.

These pieces of oak timber arrived a few weeks ago.  They have been on the floor in my office.  They look a bit big for a handrail!

These pieces of oak timber arrived a few weeks ago. They have been on the floor in my office. They look a bit big for a handrail!

From this side of the parapet, the handrail looks the right size.  The panel between the oak timbers will be plastered.  We can only get this plastered once the handrail has been fixed in place (using screws from underneath).

From this side of the parapet, the handrail looks the right size. The panel between the oak timbers will be plastered. We can only get this plastered once the handrail has been fixed in place (using screws from underneath).

Progress on the kitchen

The shell of the kitchen is now more or less complete.  We are ready to start plastering in here.  It will probably be a week or so until we get into here since we still have some plastering to do in the old part of the building.

It is difficult to take photos in here and convey the sense of space.  The photos below are from a number of different angles in an attempt to provide an overall impression.

This is looking from the kitchen towards the older part of the building.  This wall used to be part of the old barn.  The upper opening is the balcony from Jo's upstairs office into the kitchen.  There is a doorway (but no door) between the kitchen and the hall as well as an internal window (probably no glass) that looks along the line of the staircase and the upper landing. We have rendered this wall with sand and cement since parts of it were loose.

This is looking from the kitchen towards the older part of the building. This wall used to be part of the old barn. The upper opening is the balcony from Jo’s upstairs office into the kitchen. There is a doorway (but no door) between the kitchen and the hall as well as an internal window (probably no glass) that looks along the line of the staircase and the upper landing. We have rendered this wall with sand and cement since parts of it were loose.

This is the view from the balcony into the kitchen and lounge.

This is the view from the balcony into the kitchen and lounge.

This is the view from the balcony looking down into the kitchen.  The doorway in the distance is into the utility room.

This is the view from the balcony looking down into the kitchen. The doorway in the distance is into the utility room.

You can see into the lounge (and the beginnings of the new fire place).  As well as a doorway into the lounge, there is a large internal square window.  The roof trusses are exposed throughout the kitchen and lounge.

You can see into the lounge (and the beginnings of the new fire place). As well as a doorway into the lounge, there is a large internal square window. The roof trusses are exposed throughout the kitchen and lounge.

This is the view from the top of the stairs.  You can see the internal window into the ktichen (the edge of the opening is lined up with the edge of the kitchen units).  You can also see the balcony in Jo's office which overlooks the kitchen.  There are a couple of props to camera left where we have made the new opening between the porch and hall.

This is the view from the top of the stairs. You can see the internal window into the ktichen (the edge of the opening is lined up with the edge of the kitchen units). You can also see the balcony in Jo’s office which overlooks the kitchen. There are a couple of props to camera left where we have made the new opening between the porch and hall.

Water leaks!

We have had a couple of problems with water leaking into the building – one from under the floor and the other through the roof.

When the new concrete floors were laid in the extension, a 75mm insulation board was put down first and then 75mm of screed on top.  The underfloor heating pipes are fixed to the top of the insulation boards and the screed is laid on top.  The hot and cold water to the bathrooms, along with the heating for the towel rails, is run underneath the insulation.  We pressure tested all of the pipework before laying the screed, but unfortunately it looks as if we have a leak in one of the downstairs bathrooms.  The underfloor heating is fine since it is maintaining pressure (if there was a leak the pressure would drop) and the floor seems to have started to dry out now that we have turned off the water to this part of the building.  Next job is to dig up part of the screed to find the leak.  This shouldn’t be too bad as the wet marks in the floor are giving us a clue where the leak is!   The last place to dry on the floor is probably where we will find the leak!  A job for this week.

It looks as if the leak is under the floor in the bottom right hand corner.  As the floor dries out (we have turned the water supply off to this area), it slowly reveals the location of the leak.  The water has travelled along the gaps in the insulation boards under the floor and then soaked through the concrete screed.

It looks as if the leak is under the floor in the bottom right hand corner. As the floor dries out (we have turned the water supply off to this area), it slowly reveals the location of the leak. The water has travelled along the gaps in the insulation boards under the floor and then soaked through the concrete screed.

The next problem is in my study.  Rain appears to be getting in the joint between the roof and the wall.  The roof here is a simple mono pitch roof.  We have increased the height of the lead upstand on the outside.  This has improved the situation, but rain is still clearly getting through.  We believe that the rain is soaking into the exterior stonework and then running down behind the lead.  One way of solving this is to treat the exterior stonework with waterproofer – something like Clear Cladding from Belzona.  Unfortunately, all of the suppliers have been closed over the Christmas period, so we will have to wait until the new year before addressing this one.

It looks as if rain is penetrating the joint between the roof and the outer wall.  The roof here is a mono-pitch.  Putting an additional lead upstand has helped, but the rain is still soaking through the plasterwork.

It looks as if rain is penetrating the joint between the roof and the outer wall. The roof here is a mono-pitch. Putting an additional lead upstand has helped, but the rain is still soaking through the plasterwork.

This has dried out a bit over Christmas, but clearly rain is still penetrating this part of the roof joint.

This has dried out a bit over Christmas, but clearly rain is still penetrating this part of the roof joint.

What happens if you drive over a hose

Yep, another hose bites the dust.  One way or another, they don’t seem to last very long.

At least this one is connected to an outside tap!

Mmmm...this is what happens if you repeatedly drive over a hose pipe!  I am not sure how many hose pipes that we have damaged during the build.  We normally cut the damaged end off before it becomes too short and it is thrown away.

Mmmm…this is what happens if you repeatedly drive over a hose pipe! I am not sure how many hose pipes that we have damaged during the build. We normally cut the damaged end off before it becomes too short and it is thrown away.

Weather station

It has been quiet over Christmas, so I have taken the opportunity to move our online weather station.  Although it has been up and running since January, it has been in the back garden of our house in the village rather than down on the farm.  However, now we have a broadband connection and power, it seemed like a good idea to move it.

I am still not quite sure of its final resting place, but for now I have put it at the far end of the sunken garden.  Longer term, it is likely to be placed in the back field.  I have put power and an ethernet connection there, so this is easily doable.  However, that connection is currently being used to power the builder’s cabin, so it might need to wait until they leave site (probably in 3-4 weeks time).  For now, the edge of the sunken garden will have to do!

The weather station is a Weathereye WA-22 bought from Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Weathereye-Outdoor-Electronic-Weather-Station/dp/B001FXICF6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1388403071&sr=8-2&keywords=weathereye).  At under £100, it seems like a really good buy.  It was also easy to set up too!  The weatherstation connects wirelessly to a console unit.  The console connects via a USB cable to a PC.  The PC then uploads the data (via customised web pages) to an internet location of your choice.  To be honest, I gave up with the software that was included with the package and use Cumulus software which works a treat and is free.  You can download it from here: http://sandaysoft.com/downloads

My customised webpages will be found here: www.haggleysfarm.co.uk/weather.  You can also use the “live weather” button at the top of this page.  The data is updated every 15 minutes.  The wind speed and wind direction data on the gauges page are updated every 60 seconds.  Obviously you need an internet connection to be able to do this, but the data that it is uploading is very small, so don’t worry about bandwidth limits.

The cumuls software also allows me to upload data to the Met Office.  This is done via the WOW (Weather Observations Website) site.  This allows you to access the weather data from other personal weatherstation.  You can find the Hagg Leys Farm site on WOW here: http://wow.metoffice.gov.uk/sitehandlerservlet?requestedAction=READ&siteID=388746002

I am using a small format PC based on a mini-ITX board to upload the data.  It has no screen or keyboard, but I can log into it via Remote Desktop.  This means that I can log into it from a remote location. This allows me to reset the weatherstation on reboot the PC without physically having to be onsite.  One of my frustrations is Windows Update – it updates the PC and then reboots it in the middle of the night.  I have now set up Cumulus to autostart on reboot, but it still occasionally needs a nudge.  It is running on an Intel Atom processor and although a bit on the slow side, it works perfectly for uploading the weather information. It also uses only about 70W and is very quiet.

The weatherstation is temporarily sited in the far corner of the sunken garden.

The weatherstation is temporarily sited in the far corner of the sunken garden.

I have had this weather station connected to the internet for the last year, but it hasn't been on the farm.  It has been at our house up in the village.

I have had this weather station connected to the internet for the last year, but it hasn’t been on the farm. It has been at our house up in the village.

Problems installing the heat pump

The ground source heat pump (and associated paraphernalia) was delivered last Monday.  Over a week later and we are struggling to get it working properly.

While it only took 2-3 days to get all of the pipework in place, it has taken the same amount of time again to try to get the air out of the system.  If there is an airlock in the ground loops, the fluid will not circulate into the pipework under the field and we won’t be able to extract any heat.

Through rather convoluted process, we managed to get all the air out of the system.  This included flushing the ground loops with water to drive the air out, venting the ground loop manifolds and running the ground loop pump with no pressure (allowing the air to work its way out of the system).  Once the air was out of the system, we checked the strainer only to find that we had picked up a lot of dirt while flushing the system.  I guess this is what strainers are for!

With the strainer removed, you can see the amount of grot that has been captured while the system has been flushed. We thought that this would have been the cause of the "low pressure" alert on the heat pump, but sadly not (or at least, not the entire cause).

With the strainer removed, you can see the amount of grot that has been captured while the system has been flushed. We thought that this would have been the cause of the “low pressure” alert on the heat pump, but sadly not (or at least, not the entire cause).

Our plan was to run the system with water in the ground loops rather than a mixture of water and anti-freeze.  This seems to be our next problem – the temperature of the water is reduced to a point where it will freeze in the heat pump without anti-freeze.  Unfortunately to get the anti-freeze into the system, we need to hire a pump.  In the meantime, the heat pump displays a “low pressure” alert after 20-30 seconds of the compressor starting.  Due to the Christmas break this is going to have to wait until the end of the week.

Top marks to Neil and Ricky from Sol-Air Renewables (www.solairrenewables.co.uk) who have really put some long hours in this week to try to get the heat pump up and running.

In the meantime, we are using the heat pump’s immersion heater to slowly raise the temperature of the water in the underfloor heating.  We have put the heat pump into “floor drying mode” and this slowly raises the temperature over a two-week period.  Even though the ground loops aren’t working yet, we will be able to dry out the floors.

Hopefully we will get some more progress towards the end of this week (most likely Friday).

The ground source heat pump is the fridge/freezer to camera right, the large round tank is a 500 litre hot water tank and the smaller tank is a 300 litre buffer tank (it stores excess hot water produced by the heat pump).  Ricky has done a great job of installing all of the pipework.  The guys installing the gutters at the weekend referred to it as "the engine room on the Titantic".  Mmmm.  I might see the funny side of it once it is working!

The ground source heat pump is the fridge/freezer to camera right, the large round tank is a 500 litre hot water tank and the smaller tank is a 300 litre buffer tank (it stores excess hot water produced by the heat pump). Ricky has done a great job of installing all of the pipework. The guys installing the cast iron gutters at the weekend referred to it as “the engine room on the Titantic”. Mmmm. I might see the funny side of it once it is working!

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