Self-Build Story

What a difference a month can make. Over the last year, I must have fallen in and out of love with the property on more than a dozen occasions, but with the finishing line almost in sight, the love has definitely been rekindled.

Anyone who’s been heavily involved with a self-build will understand the range of emotions you go through during its construction and how, at times, you just wish you’d never bothered. Mostly thanks to the professionalism and expertise of Jon Day (07918 736198) of Passivhaus Ltd, and his multi-skilled team, the build is now flying along and there is a real feeling of urgency on site. What is so nice about Jon and his lads is that we genuinely feel they are as passionate about the project as us, and this comes across in their work ethic. The site has been kept immaculate, materials are treated with respect and, more importantly, the quality of their work is exceptional.

ABOVE LEFT: One of the staircases is installed ready for finishing with steel and walnut. RIGHT: Electricity is finally supplied to the property.

With both Yvonne and I hooked again and the project running smoothly, we have excitedly begun ordering curtains, blinds, floor finishes and paint to complement the stunning ideas from our interior designer, Emma Kirby (emmakirbyinteriors.co.uk 01865 820935). Emma’s attention to detail and vision has made planning the interior so much easier and has taken away one of the most stressful aspects of a self-build. Besides the external cladding and the electrics, Jon and the Passivhaus team are now responsible for every area of the build. In just three days, a whopping 360m² of underfloor heating went down, and the pipes were pressure tested and then buried beneath 53 tons of sand and fibre-cement screed. Outside, on the first floor level, there were 120m² of Marshalls’ Perfecta Paving slabs (marshalls.com) to lay, which have formed the terrace and patio areas outside the lounge, kitchen and day room. The pavers, 600 in total, also have a secondary function of protecting the flat roofs from damage, including ultra-violet degradation and extremes of temperature. As water will still have to pass under the pavers, we could not risk using the traditional method of laying them on sand and cement. To achieve this, we had to use one of the most ingenious little gadgets I’d come across, in the shape of a Caro Paving Slab Support (carosystems.co.uk).

ABOVE LEFT: Underfloor heating pipes are laid. RIGHT: The Caro Paving Slab Supports raise the paving slabs 15mm above the roof membrane to allow water to run beneath.

Each support raises the paving slab a minimum of 15mm above the roof membrane or supporting surface, with levelling shims then used for fine adjustment to heights. The integral spacers also ensure there is a constant 5mm gap between each slab so that water will drain away immediately, leaving an ever-dry paved area. What I really love about the system is that all drainage outlets are concealed below the finished surface, leaving a flat, safe, unobstructed area. It will also make replacing slabs easy and give us instant access to the surface below in the unlikely event of a leak or blocked drain.

With the stone walls surrounding the terraces completed by Jon’s team, the outside is really starting to come together with the high-quality paved areas and walls complementing the stunning iroko hardwood cladding. Another milestone was reached when the electricity was finally connected and, on exactly the same day, our glass balconies arrived. Steve McKay, of A&S McKay Sheetmetal Fabrication Ltd (0151 652 8082 steve@asmckay.co.uk) was there to oversee the offload and installation of each of the 13 sheets of 12mm heat-soaked toughened glass which will give us unobstructed panoramic views from each of the bedrooms on the second and third floors. His attention to detail on the cappings and other bespoke features led us to entrust Steve, along with John Crofts, of MPE Interiors Ltd (0151 653 8331), with the manufacture of our high-spec steel and walnut staircase. With our Siematic kitchen (zestkitchens.co.uk) due in the next fortnight, the main focus now switches to finishing the inside before it arrives.

ABOVE: The view from the roof.