'Eco' building? Got questions? Need Answers? Offering a product or service? Visit our forum.

my barn conversion

Keep track of what's happening with my Progress Updates.

If you read only one book before designing your conversion or renovation, then I recommend that you make it this one. I love patterns!

Location, Location, Location! pah, that's old hat we all know that the new mantra of home-building is Insulation, Insulation, Insulation.

Read more about - Lime mortar, VAT on conversions and managing woodland for fuel.

Tiling tips - learn from my mistakes!

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.

rss feed

Subscribe to MBC

Add to Technorati Favorites

About | Shop | Privacy | Forum | Gallery | Contact Us
Custom Search
Latest Posts

Environment for Children

Whitewashing update 2010

Built in bed

Building Progress ~ February 2010

Step 8 = roof

Step 7 = high level design

Stoneworks

Downstairs tiled floor

Coppicing ash trees

Tree Planting - Winter 2010

Latest Comments

On White-washing? by Whitewashing update 2010 | my barn conversion on March 16th, 2010
[...] wall. After finding it was ‘infested’ with stalactites and stalagmites, I considered whitewashing the wall, then eventually it was...

On We have stalactites in our walls! by Whitewashing update 2010 | my barn conversion on March 16th, 2010
[...] do about the leaky, south facing gable end wall. After finding it was ‘infested’ with stalactites and stalagmites, I...

On Boxing Clever? by Built in bed | my barn conversion on March 12th, 2010
[...] of practicality and desire. Practical because part of the construction can be used to solve my tricky carpentry challenge...

On Travertine tiling - pictures by Downstairs tiled floor | my barn conversion on February 18th, 2010
[...] time and money in planning, sourcing and then fitting. It’s been completed for a while now (since August 2009),...

On Gas Pipeline Woes by The four new English “eco-towns” | my barn conversion on February 10th, 2010
[...] my first thought was ‘glad they’re not on my doorstep’ , but then I have a bloody big gas...

On Building Progress ~ August 2009 by Building Progress ~ January 2010 | my barn conversion on February 8th, 2010
[...] foray into the world of tiling can be quicker and more effective than the last one, the thought of...

On Insulation by Logs | my barn conversion on February 5th, 2010
[...] Location, Location! pah, that's old hat we all know that the new mantra of home-building is Insulation, Insulation, Insulation...

On Logs 2 by Future Fuel | my barn conversion on February 5th, 2010
[...] Logs 2 [...]

On The Healthy House by Green Business on February 2nd, 2010
Thank you for this checklist - I might use it in future when building a green house of my own!...

On Air Source Heat Pump by Feed-in tariffs … coming soon to a roof near you!? | my barn conversion on February 2nd, 2010
[...] On Air Source Heat Pump by Pete on January 12th, 2010I'm in a barn conversion with a GSHP supplied...


    follow me on Twitter


    Feed-in tariffs … coming soon to a roof near you!?

    Category: News February 2nd, 2010 by mbc

    The feed-in tariffs scheme certainly looks to be of great interest. For the unitiated, feed-in tariffs are the governments new scheme to encourage the takeup of renewable technologies through financial benefits. These financial benefits are two-fold, firstly in the form of savings made to on-going energy costs and secondly through a payment made through the scheme:

    Installing solar panels [2.5 kilowatt peak photovoltaic system], which cover a space of around 10ft x 10ft on an average sized roof, will cost around £12,500 but this will be paid back in 10 years because the households will be paid £900 per annum, plus making £140 savings on the yearly electricity bill.

    Telegraph article

    Given the feedback I’ve had on this site in relation to heat pumps and running costs I’m a little concerned that air source heat pumps are included in this:

    Mr Miliband also introduced a renewable heat incentive that will pay households for producing their own heat from woodchip boilers or an air source heat pump. A ground source heat pump, that costs more than £1,000 to put in, could be rewarded with £1,000 a year and lead to savings of £200 per year if used instead of oil.

    So a step in the right direction, as some financial incentive has to be good for the takeup of renewables and is well overdue - I’ve been moaning about this for sometime now.

    Given that this technology is already being sold by ex-used car salesmen who graduated from selling uPVC windows (i.e. sales over-whelmingly motivated by commission) I have concerns for the future morals of the renewables industry and will watch with interest the degree by which demand drives price rises following the introduction of the scheme.

    But putting my cynacism aside, one to watch and a step in the right direction.

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

    MBC Photos now on Flickr on November 2nd, 2008
    With the somewhat baffling success of our YouTube videos now playing on Channel MBC.

    category: 'News' (1)

    MBC goes Twitter on March 30th, 2009
    Seems everyone is doing it so why not MyBarnConversion.

    category: 'News' (1)

    My Barn Conversion Is Changing... on October 30th, 2008
    We'll be making a few changes to My Barn Conversion over the coming weeks.

    category: 'News' (1)

    Forum Competition on June 22nd, 2008
    I'd love the forum to become a useful resource for asking questions and getting answers related to 'healthy house', sustainable, ecological & environmentally aware building.

    category: 'News' (1)

    100th post marks Spring on mbc on March 19th, 2008
    Well this is my 100th post on My Barn Conversion and as my solitary clump of snowdrops is flowering (probably has been for a while,...

    category: 'News' (1)

    Posted in News |

    Leave a Comment

    Please note: Comment moderation is enabled and may delay your comment. There is no need to resubmit your comment.