If I was putting an extension on Id try to do everything with hardly any wet trades. I used to work in an office that worked for self builders back in the early 90s and ran a few courses with volunteer labour. Mostly we built things using stick build, timber panel frames. That way with a few carpentry skills, you can do it all yourself. Dry, apart from footings and plasterboard seams (taper edged is easier). Cheap. Easy to run services. Burn offcuts. Standard details. Loadsa insulation. Could even do a floor void. A sprung floor. Who wants to get covered in Cement and muck? but I'm an architect, so I don't know very much about the real world!
used the standard stuff - it wasn't to be used for walking on and we laid it straight onto the OSB roof. Call them up - I explained what we were trying to achieve and they put together a kit for us.
Have you designed any alternate roof lighting systems ? I have put a velux in the roof ,because the hall is dark ,i dont want to see the window (to clean) from the hall ,also I want light in the attic... So making a tunnel is'nt the solution ,I was thinking of some kind of stain glass window ,i am just thinking will it produce enough light...? Unless you can think of something better ,btw I need to do it soon all the heat is escaping through the roof... Sorry for crashing the post ,I could have built yours by now...
For a good bottle of Cognac I'd design anything! Best light always comes from directly above, each pane of glass will take around 12% of the light. So transmission through double glazing is down by 24%. Still a lot of light in southern France. Maybe a light well from the attic window, with a secondary glazed frame, at ceiling level? The secondary glazing could be opaque. And would keep heat in downstairs making the attic is a big double glazing gap? Savez vous plantez les choix?
wow I never knew that ,thing is I don't want to see into the loft ,the insulation does'nt really matter ,the flat ceiling hight is about 6 metres... can you come for a look?
This is the future. Not T5's. I have built so many extensions and a couple of houses and always wanted to put my previous training into building a green home. I have a property I could adapt, but truthfully I would love to knock it down and design something completely new using alternative building techniques such as non wet, recycling and alternative energy sources. I know it isn't very radical these days, but I have had the dream since 1979 when I first studied building.
Do it in Italy mate , I will come over and give you a hand .. Plus I have about 3 million sedums for the roof....
Chance would be a fine thing! Was in France last week, near Perpignan for the inauguration of a 'four solaire' in the mountains there. This...pretty amazing watched it smelt obsidian, destroy aluminium/lead, cut through 3 mm plate steel in the focus. I always liked timber frame cos its easy to work, renewable material, smells nice and I can get away with using almost no plastics/petro-chemicals if its a breathing wall. needs good detailing to work well, in a wet climate - but lasts for centuries if done right.
Is it possible to trim out some ceiling joists, then form a frame (flared) to the velux. you would plasterboard the inner face of the frame. If you cannae be 4rsed to make the frame just trim out the ceiling joist and put in a frame holding some opaque sheet material, obscure glass or ..stained glass..if you got any. or just stick a mirror on the ceiling and an uplight, job done :0
