Around an ongoing barn conversion project, this website draws together advice, information and references to aid all would-be and current barn and non-residential building converters and renovators.

Our approach takes on board 'healthy house', sustainable, ecological & environmental concepts to as great a degree as timescales and budgets allow.

my barn conversion
Latest Posts

BREEAM ~ Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method by mbc on May 11th, 2008

Microgeneration installations now 'permitted developments' by mbc on May 6th, 2008

Transition Town Llandeilo by mbc on May 4th, 2008

My Favourite Things ~ ‘Stone Wall’ by mbc on May 1st, 2008

Building Progress ~ April 2008 by mbc on April 29th, 2008

Latest Comments

On Peak Oil ~ what is it & what bearing does it have on green building? by Transition Town Llandeilo | my barn conversion on May 4th, 2008

On Where have all the builders gone? by mbc on April 28th, 2008
That's a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question miss dee ennis and obviously depends on location, the approach you take to the project (architect / main contractor / self-managed with sub-contractors etc.

On Where have all the builders gone? by miss dee ennis on April 28th, 2008
I am thinking of buying a barn for myself and would be gratfull if someone could give me a ballpark figure as to how much this is likly to cost .

On Project Management ~ Basecamp by Attention to detail… April 2008 update | my barn conversion on April 15th, 2008

On Heating & Hot Water - a solution? by Building Progress ~ March 2008, week 3 & 4 | my barn conversion on April 8th, 2008

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Rainwater Harvesting

March 29th, 2007 by mbc

Rainwater harvesting is one of those simple concepts that reminds us of old-fashioned sensibilities. Basically, it entails the collection of the rainwater that falls onto a roof, the storage of that water and its utilisation for domestic purposes.

The water is collected by normal roof gutters then passed through a filter to remove dirt, leaves and other debris picked up from the roof, gutters or down pipes. The filtered water passes into a storage tank.

Filtering is an important part of the process as any decaying organic material that remains in the water will consume oxygen through microbial action possibly making the water putrid. The storage tank should be sized to ensure occasional overflow. This will have the effect of skimming floating organic material from the surface of the water. Heavy particles will fall to the bottom of the tank where they will form a negligible layer.

Water is pumped from the tank by means of a submersible pump with a floating filter, thereby drawing the cleanest water from just beneath the surface of the water.

A mains water connection is also necessary to provide a top-up as and when required.

The harvested water can be put to many purposes. Through filtration it is particle free and is suitable for most domestic applications ~ toilet flushing, clothes washing and garden usage. Under certain circumstances it may also be suitable for human consumption although the water will require analysis and further filtration, pH correction or UV sterilisation may be required.

System maintenance is minimal, the filter will need to be cleaned 4-6 times a year. More complex systems that utilise pH balancing or UV systems will need additional maintenance.

If you enjoyed that post, then read these...

Ground Source Heat Pump on June 28th, 2007
The basis of heat pump technology is something that we are all familiar with as it is the same as that used in refrigerators or air conditioning units.

Super Insulation on April 18th, 2007
Through recent technological innovations it is now possible to insulate buildings to such an extent that no heating system is required to maintain comfortable temperatures.

Air Source Heat Pump on July 10th, 2007
The younger sibling of the ground source heat pump (GSHP), the air source heat pump (ASHP) is an exciting development in heating technology.

Photovoltaics on April 21st, 2008
Photo = light & voltaic = electricity Photovoltaics is a technology that utilises light to generate electricity.

Pellet Stoves - a current evaluation on March 5th, 2008
I feel like I've somewhat misrepresented pellet stoves in the past.

Posted in Systems of interest to barn converters | No Comments »

Brambling

March 25th, 2007 by mbc

With a big shed to convert into habitable accommodation, you’d think we’d have plenty to do without gardening. Regardless, we’ve spent the last few weekends clearing brambles and establishing footpaths through the piece of scrub woodland that we bought along with the barn.

Very satisfying when liberating trees from the brambles that have engulfed them - although I think we’re just establishing a breeding ground for stinging nettles.

Perhaps just a gentle start to our developments … ?

If you enjoyed that post, then read these...

Building Progress ~ December 2007, week 1 and 2 on December 17th, 2007
The first of the structural elements that will form a finished part of the building have been installed.

Building Progress ~ March 2008, week 1 & 2 on March 16th, 2008
We've now arrived at the stage where I need to get start getting services installed into the fabric of the building - first fix electrics and plumbing.

Oak Beam ~ The Movie on January 14th, 2008
Inspired by my first outing onto YouTube and dazzled by the 143 people who've so far taken the time to watch the minute long tour of the ground floor of the barn that I've subjected treated them to, I thought I'd give it another go.

Attention to detail… April 2008 update on April 15th, 2008
Being a fan of .

Lime Analysis on May 5th, 2007
Inspired to analyse the composition of my mortar, I improvised and placed a lump of mortar that I'd levered out of my wall in the strongest acid I could lay my hands on - white wine vinegar 8% acidity.

Posted in Journal of my barn conversion | 1 Comment »

Step 5 – project management

March 22nd, 2007 by mbc

Answer these:

Question: So once you’ve started, who will bring it all together?

Question: Can you handle the potential loss of control of the project of delegating some responsibilities?

Question: Do you have the experience to bring together such a complex project?

Question: Will the role be fulfilled by you or someone you pay (an architect or building project manager)?

Question: What professionals are available in your locality with the appropriate skills and experience?

I think by the time you’ve worked through those you’re going to have a pretty good idea of the way to go and the shape your project is going to take.

For us, as both of us have extensive project management experience we’ve taken the leap (along with support from a very competent designer) to manage the project ourselves.

Wish us luck!

If you enjoyed that post, then read these...

Step 2 - the root of all evil on July 7th, 2006
Money! Get financing agreed in principle, this will allow your to set you budget.

Step 3 - property on July 7th, 2006
Start the ball rolling Visit estate agents and search the internet for properties in your chosen area.

Step 4 – design on February 26th, 2007
We have some strong opinions about how we wanted the conversion to be.

step 1 - questions, questions, questions... on July 7th, 2006
First answer the following questions: 1.

Posted in The steps along the way to our barn conversion | No Comments »

The Great Outdoors

March 21st, 2007 by mbc

That’s what’s great about the outdoors you know, it’s like one giant toilet.
Jeff Goldblum, The Big Chill, 1983.
…dedicated to Cheryl, she knows why.
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Posted in Quotes | No Comments »

VAT for barn convertors

March 16th, 2007 by mbc

There is an update to this post at … VAT for barn convertors update December 2007
Having been confused by the VAT treatment around barn conversions for some time, I thought I’d better get the situation clear before going any further. This is a summary of the VAT situation currently:
Conversion of a building to a residence […]

Posted in Essential information for barn converters | 6 Comments »

Going Green

March 11th, 2007 by mbc

We never really had any great green aspirations when we started out on this project. Our design priorities were mainly aesthetic rather than practical. Our goal was to build a beautiful place to live.
As the design has taken shape, it has grown to incorporate many features that are considered green or ecological.

Highly specified insulation.
Underfloor […]

Posted in Journal of my barn conversion | No Comments »