Category: Phase 4

 Over the last couple of days, we have been receiving a number of quotes for our materials.

Today, we had a good price from our own local timber merchant (in Great Yarmouth) which is quite nice. They offered the cheapest price on the CLS timber, both treated and untreated. But they weren’t so hot on the 12mm plywood – they were £3 per sheet more expensive than the cheapest!!

Also we got more prices for our cement boards and another localish firm (in Newmarket) came back with the cheapest so far AND they included their delivery and crane facility in the quote too!

But one of the biggest shocks we have received (so far), is the price for the Cedar Shingle Tiles. Several years ago, probably about 5 years, we were getting a price of about £35 for British sourced Cedar tiles and Canadian prices of about $30. All these prices are for “bundles” and 4 bundles covers one hundred square feet (yes imperial measurements!) so one bundle covers about 2.28 square metres of roof area (and slightly more on walls). This works out that we would need about 235 bundles (including the garage) in total.

But the shocking discovery, is that ALL the prices has gone shooting up, even in USA and Canada! It is now more like £50 for British and $60 for American and the exchange rate is not good at the moment too!

But hold your hat again, these prices are for untreated ones! We need to have at least a third of the bundles treated for fire retardant to conform to the building regulations, and, wait for it, it’s doubled!! Yes the price doubles!! OUCH!!

Roughly, the cost would be running around £16,000 just to buy the Cedar tiles!! AND we were originally thinking of using fire retardant treated Cedar tiles for all our external covering, we felt happier with the house being better protected against the risk of fire nearby. This would now make the price nearer £25,000!! Oh WOW!

So, putting a grim face on it, we have resumed investigating alternatives. We had previously explored the possibilities several years ago of course and we rather liked the all timber approach but after that shock .. we are re-examining some other options!!

Roof Options as follows: (prices are approximate and for each square metre)

• Concrete tiles : £8
• Red interlocking clay tiles : £20
• Slates  : £25
• Treated Cedar tiles : £45

Wall Options:

• Slip Bricks : £15 to £20
• Solid coloured panels : £30 to £40
• Cedar treated tiles : £30 (less needed)

We are analysing all these options and talking among ourselves to get a sense of which one to go for! Phew!!!

Yesterday and early this morning, we carried on with the analysis of the Sky Light module and what it needs. We were discussing moisture control and making sure we can avoid condensation forming on the glass. We just wanted to make sure that it will be controlled to the lowest minimal levels so we don’t have to climb up two stories to reach these Sky Light windows too many times! For example, it is the case that naked timber breathe moisture so this can draw humidity from the air (both outside and inside) and eventually put water between the layers of glass. So we are coating the timber in waterproof paint that can survive for 25 years in the sunshine like two part resin.

Anyway, it is a complex area of the build because of the glass and we worked our way through each of the issues of dealing with the glass and waterproofing against rain and moisture etc.

The list below is a summary of elements in the Sky Light:

• 46 pieces (65 metres) of glazing aluminium bars anodised white and 13m of ridge cap.
• 126 metres of 100mm by 50mm planed timber
• 50 metres of 150mm by 50mm planed timber
• 50 metres of 63mm CLS timber
• 15 sheets (44 square metres) of 12mm plywood
• 6 sheets (17 square metres) of 10mm cement boards
• 5 litres of the non-creep structural wood glue

This concludes the big analytical task of quantifying the timber we need for doing the outer walls, the roof and sky light module. Also, we have some idea of what we need for the internal walls and flooring so we can present a single order to be priced on from various suppliers and get a better bulk discount we hope.

So below is a summary of the total numbers of the various items we will be ordering:
(standard lengths is 4.8metres)

• 600 lengths (1.79 miles) of 25mm by 38mm treated Timber battens
• 20 lengths of 63mm by 38mm treated CLS Timber
• 20 lengths of 100mm by 50mm treated Timber
• 900 lengths (2.68 miles) of 63mm by 38mm CLS Timber
• 350 lengths (1 mile) of 89mm by 38mm CLS Timber
• 32 lengths of 100mm by 50mm timber
• 12 lengths of 150mm by 50mm timber
• 100 meters of 200mm by 38mm structural laminated veneer lumber (LVL)
• 70 meters of Oak Planks
• 180 sheets of 12mm structural plywood
• 70 sheets of 10mm cement boards
• 150 sheets of 15mm cement boards
• 115 sheets of 25mm cement boards
• 150 sheets of 18mm OSB3 boards
• 250 bundles of Cedar shingles roof covering
• Lots Double glazing units of various sizes
• 125 litres of non-creep cross linked structural wood glue
• 120 tubes of MS polymer Structural glue
• and thousands of hot-dipped galvanised ring shank 50mm nails!!

This would be split into several orders as we don’t have enough room to store everything at once! It will be broken up into as follows:

• Outer Wall and Roof plus  Sky Light
• Oak timber for guttering
• Double glazing Glass for outer wall and Sky Light
• Cedar tiles for outer wall and roof
• Inner walls and flooring (both ground and 1st floor)

Now perhaps you can appreciate why it has taken 7 days so far to build up this order, just the sheer number of different pieces of building materials, and getting the logistics sorted out too! Phew!