While we await the decision from Clare County Council we are moving along with costing the build of the house and have begun with the collection of quotes for suppliers of the various elements of the building.
We are looking at a possible Structured Insulated Panel construction with the main house structure constructed offsite and then assembled on-site. At present we are looking for suppliers who can provide this type of construction solution and to date we have contacted SIP (Structured Insulated Panels) manufacturers but we haven’t finalised on SIPs yet and still have to review the detailed costs.
Windows & glazing are a critical part of the house design and we are keen to find a supplier for the sliding doors from the dining room to patio area. We have a 4.8m opening and we want to get as much of the area to open while retaining a system that has good thermal performance and reliability. Ideally we want 3 panels with 2 sliding sections but have not found a satisfactory solution .. yet.
As our roof is pretty flat we are looking at some form of flat roof technology and we have contacted Bauder who have been helpful. We await quotes from suppliers on the roof system to see what is possible, affordable, functional, practical.
Other elements include concrete floors, home heating using geothermal and/or solar and/or something else, heat recovery & ventilation, rainwater recovery and wastewater systems.
Yes, the fun has well and truly begun.