PART 2 THE BUILD PHASE

Self builders Ryan and Emily Breslin have opened up their site to give us a unique insight into the ins and outs of creating a bespoke home. This month, we explore their choices and learnings from the main build and first-fix stages of their project

Ryan and Emily Breslin are currently on site with their first self build project – arectory-style home on an acre plot in a picturesque Cotswold village. Last month, we looked at the design process and some of the key decisions they made prior to starting the works in earnest (you can catch up online at www.self-build.co.uk/breslin). In this second update from our site visit to the couple’s project, we get into the nitty gritty of the main construction phase.

Specifying the basement

As part of their final planning application, Emily and Ryan included a full 160m2basement, adding a considerable amount of space to their forever home. Not only does it host the all-important plant room – the beating heart of a modern house – but also a utility, games room, wine cellar, home cinema and ensuite guest bedroom.

Many self builders succumb to expensive on site changes, and this is one of the biggest causes of going over budget. Indeed, Ryan admits installing a sophisticated climate-control system for the wine cellar was something of a last-minute indulgence. He’d initially assumed the MVHR system would be able to provide sufficient climate control for the wine, but discovered the experts don’t consider this ideal.

The basement walls were constructed with Nudura’s 8” (203mm) core ICF blocks, filled with Sika waterproof concrete. These deliver a U-value (a measure of thermal performance, where lower numbers indicate better insulation) of 0.16 W/m2Kwithin an overall wall thickness of 337mm (before finishes). The outside of the ICF is finished with a stick-on Nudura membrane. Combined with the Sika concrete, this specification meets the insurance requirement for two types of waterproofing protection. City Remedial is providing the waterproofing warranty, which is a requirement to supplement the main house’s 10-year structural warranty. Ryan also specified a Passive Purple membrane, which is normally installed externally when acting as primary waterpoofing. In this case, it’s been spray-applied to the inside of the ICF “as one last product to make it bullet-proof,” says Ryan.