Mmore digging

Well... there has been a lot more digging onsite, retaining wall & materials have now been purchased. Setting out the sites took a lot longer than expected, was connect to where is the centre of a hedge etc... but that is nearly resolved.

Progress in mid sept - muck & walls!

Well the last few weeks have been all about digging & shifting muck. We have to put in a retaining wall & decided against straight concrete for aesthetic & cost reasons. In the end we chose a segmented retaining wall i.e. an engineered concrete block, that looks vaguely like cut stone - photos to follow once its put up next week. Final setting out of the road & services will happen shortly & the site is really starting to take shape.

Suppliers!

Maybe I've worked as a professional for too long & am used to meeting time commitments I make myself, but the amount of suppliers who make commitments & fail to deliver consistently is amazing

Is it irish people not wanting to say no , me being too pushy or many of the  people who work in sales & construction. I would understand if they were looking to pay me money & were being tardy....but its the opposite way around; I'm looking to buy from them. Putting pride aside, I need the best product / price mix.

Lesson learnt...just call them & hassle. Once this is build these petty niggles will be long forgotten...but its still a little wearing

Photos of site works - how do i post more photos?

What is a Passivhaus?

Well, there are so many experts out there, many of the selling something that the conclusion is that its a superinsulated house, very airtight with its own airhandling system. There are purists who say that no heating systems is required, it should be made of straw, etc........None of this is true and usually just reflects the opinions of early adopters of this approach in Ireland.  Doctors differ...... patients die, come to mind.

Unlike a normal house, the build is regularly inspected, calculations carried out , has triple glazing, usually is timberframe but can be block build, and is pressure tested before completion to proove it is airtight

Their is a publication from an irish government bosy which shows what this means in practice ( at a high level anyway) which has a good summary of how such a building stacks up against a house that meets Irish Building Regulations
www.seai.ie/Renewables/Renewable...for.../SEI_Passive_House_A4.pdf