The diary of a self-builder – Spring 2017

Week Eighteen: Bring on the Biodisc…

Our Klargester Biodisc waste treatment plant is being commissioned this week - it looks quite imposing in the front garden, but we'll landscape around it when the building is finished and it will hopefully not look so prominent.

We have had to install a phosphorous dosing system into the Biodisc on commissioning, as we live within the Loch Level catchment area, and any discharge has to be treated so that it doesn't provide additional pollutants into the loch. The dosing system is set inside the Biodisc itself, so it's not visible, but the dosing system was a requirement by SEPA when installing a private drainage system within this area.

​More plumbing problems with the discovery of a tiny hole on the top of the vertical kitchen radiator​. We've had to replace it​ as the hole is corroding with water leaking out of it, but luckily our plumber managed to get a super radiator which looks very stylish at a great price for us, and we had a refund on the faulty radiator​, so not quite the disaster it could have been!

Week Nineteen: Sorting the electricity…

Outside, there's lots of ducting going around the house this week with trenches going in to allow us to get BT, electric, garden lighting etc. around the house and plot.

It feels like we have little trenches everywhere, but it will save us so much time in the future when we need to run services into and around the house.

The blockwork on the house is​ now complete, and our builders have started putting the render strips on the outside blockwork ready for the renderers to start their work, and it's not long before they have rendered the front of the house wall by the garage and done the first coat for the banding around the front windows.

Work is progressing really well indoors, as well - wall linings and skirting boards are on, second fix plumbing and electrics are almost finished and we have a lovely warm house as​ the oil boiler has been commissioned and is working!

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