We are now over half way through and bang on schedule. The beauty of building with a timber frame kit is that the trades can work on the house, inside and out, in tandem. As such we have had the carpenters, the plumbers, and electricians working inside, while the roofing and the block work has been going on outside. (The roof, by the way looks fantastic! Just what what we wanted. Those tiles really make the house look as though it has been standing for over a hundred years.)
In between these jobs, to save money, we have been doing as much as we can to help. As one of the points we need to achieve the Lifetime Homes element of the Code Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable homes, we have had to sheet out all bathroom and utility room with plywood. The idea is that there is a wooden structure on the walls that is strong enough to cope with reinforced handrails should an elderly or disabled person need them.
In addition, before all the plasterboard could be fitted, we needed to go round all the external walls with extra 30mm insulation and fill all the walls. This was a weekend job which we managed to get done by the skin of our teeth thanks to the help we had from our son in law, Nick. After that, we went around and took photographs of the inside of the walls to remind us where all the cabling and pipework had been laid, so that there are no unpleasant surprises when shelves or pictures get put up once the house is built!!
Throughout the house the electrician has laid cables for low energy lights, another feature we have opted for to achieve Level 3. We may also be able to get points for the quality and quantity of natural light in the interior under the ʻHealth and Wellbeingʻ section which, given the size and number of windows throughout the house, is entirely feasible. So far so good. The house looks great. The roof is nearly on and now that the dryliners have finished, the rooms have all been defined properly so our house is really beginning to take shape.
