One the key benefits of creating a bespoke home is adapting the design to suit your taste and lifestyle.
It’s not unlikely for self builders and renovators to find themselves having to overcome an array of challenges – whether they come in the form of planning constraints, building regs approval, site issues or mishaps during building works.
However, being in charge of your project means having the advantage to find the right solutions without giving up your comfort or style – a little compromise could be required.
With this in mind, we’ve taken a closer look to innovative approaches taken by Build It readers to compile this inspiring list.
1 Hempcrete walls
Paul and Nicola wanted a wall system that offered low embodied energy, had high U-values, avoided toxin-emitting substances and could be produced locally.
After researching their options, they chose hempcrete – a composite material that mixes the woody core of the hemp plant with a lime based binder – to build a solid wall around their timber frame.
Highly insulating, breathable and non-toxic, this green building material met all of their criteria; it requires about one-third of the energy to produce as a brick/block wall.
2 Rubber cladding
Mark took a hands-on approach to building his home. Image: Paul Ryan-Goff
EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber is typically used for flat roofs. Mark and Jane, however, were keen to use it to clad their home, inspired by a contemporary house in Dungeness.
The couple could only find one UK firm that would take on the challenge – AAC Waterproofing in north Wales, which also worked on the Dungeness project.
To meet Building Regulations, the team had to come up with a way to make the EPDM fireproof. The solution was to encase the timber frame with fireboards, file down all the nail holes and fill them in, creating a smooth box ready for the rubber to be applied.
AAC Waterproofing took all the measurements and made the rubber off site, before spending three weeks adhering the bespoke membrane to the house shell.
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Article reference 9 Nifty Design & Build Solutions From Readers’ Projects
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