Garden Room Workshop: Part 14. First fix Electrics & Plumbing

[@Hand-i-Craft]

The most comprehensive guide to building a garden room on the internet. Can’t ask for a better recommendation than that😀

[@AliDymock]

You really can't! Thanks 🤓

[@inimitableknight9791]

Agree, excellent series 👌🏽

[@AliDymock]

@@inimitableknight9791 Thanks so much, means a lot to me 🙌

[@inimitableknight9791]

Ali Dymock Im in the process of building my workshop. Very similar construction 3.6m x 7.2m, suspended floor, flat roof. I’m a Civil Engineer so was able to be more economical on timber however you saved me a lot of research/reading (eg. warm vs cold roof, Lux). Your project is looking fantastic. Well done.

[@andrewmason4004]

Inimitable Knight can you give any examples about how to be more economical? For those of us still hoping to follow this path? I appreciate I'd need to do own research and at my own risk, but a clue about where to look would help. I had already thought another row of piers would reduce floor joist spans, so could maybe allow smaller (cheaper) timber there?

[@mariah4451]

Once again, a super comprehensive guide. There's nothing out there that gives so much in depth information so wonderfully delivered. Anyone building a stand alone workshop needs nothing more than this series. Absolutely top notch 😀😀😀 Thanks Ali 👍

[@AliDymock]

Always so good to hear from you Maria. Love your support, thank you!

[@mariah4451]

@@AliDymock 😃😃😃😃

[@Smithb83]

Such great detail, I love all of the calculations, the whys and hows because I too, like to know everything. This series is unparalleled. Great job!

[@olivermansfield8341]

I have not slept waiting for this video

[@AliDymock]

😂you've not slept for 4+ months? Yikes ;)

[@olivermansfield8341]

@@AliDymock I don't think I've slept in the past year

[@porshenn]

this video is sooooooo useful for me. Ok, the whole playlist with building is utterly helpful. Thank you very much!

[@jamesgallagher4655]

A quality build from start to finish well done Ali.

[@gordoncalder7223]

I built an 8m x 4m garden room about 10 years ago. My wife uses it all year round as a Pilates studio. I added electric under floor heating (for comfort as Pilates all on the floor)and my main heating method is an air source heat pump inverter that both heats and cools. This is one of the most energy efficient ways of heating as my system gives 3.8kw of heat for every kw of electricity used. In winter the room is really warm in about 15 minutes. Floor, walls and roof all insulated with 100mm Kingspan. The heat pump was theorised by Lord Kelvin (Kelvin temperature scale) in the mid 1800s. The heat pump is also used in fridges and freezers. The original name for a fridge was a Kelvinator. My building cost me about £10k in total and I recently configured the same spec on one of the big name garden room suppliers and their price was £46k including vat. It took me just under 2 years to construct the building. That was a long time, but I worked abroad a lot and the first year I was abroad 146 days and the second year 142 days so in reality it was about 6 months of weekend and evening work. I did the entire job single handedly, apart from mains and second fix electrics, and the A/C installation. Also got a professional to do the plastering and to lay the vinyl flooring. Some jobs I don’t think are worth attempting yourself. During the first lock down last year I also built a 6m x 3.66m workshop. It’s uninsulated and bleeding cold in the winter, but now I finally have space for all my tools and garden stuff as I built in 60m of 600mm deep shelves.

[@pkini99]

Yay ! Two videos in quick succession ! Christmas has come early !! Thank you for the latest installment Ali. Can't wait to watch it and learn 😁

[@laurenheadley189]

Really appreciate you posting this. Planning a garden room. You've covered all the calculations I was looking for. Cheers.

[@AliDymock]

You're welcome. Glad this one is helping as it took me ages!

[@doptimist]

This series really is a god send! It just shows me how much stuff I would have had to work out if you didn't do it for us?! Legend Ali, thank you.

[@AliDymock]

Glad you like it Patrick! When I started I had to pull all this info from all over the internet to figure it out. Felt it must be shared :)

[@derekt7606]

You and Greg Virgoe are fantastic presenters.

[@AliDymock]

Had to look that guy up, pretty cool. Hopefully I'm getting better, still a bit camera shy though!

[@gman1087]

Good morning Ali....great vid series...in fact u have been compleatly instrumental and inspirational in me making a similar build in my back garden...finished now thank goodness...just need to save up to furnish it now..thanks again

[@AliDymock]

Yeh, I reckon a sofa would be good in mine but that's pricey. I'll probably build a desk etc myself though :)

[@gman1087]

@@AliDymock you may recall me asking about the 0 rated fire cladding...u sugguested magply....in the end i used cement board....cheap as chips....it was £8 for a 10 x 4 sheet though managed to get it for £4 a sheet.

[@AliDymock]

@@gman1087 I remember - tell me more! What was the cement board called? From where did you get it? What thickness? How did you attach? Did you paint it? Did it need priming? How did you handle the seams where the boards met? 😛

[@gman1087]

@@AliDymock i was watching another chanel where they build garden rooms to meet permitted development specs....they were talking about cement boards if with in 2 meters of the boundary for 0 rated fire thingy. Well it just so happened that heathrow fencing were selling them. £8 for 10 x 4 sheets and actually only paid £4 / sheet. They are 8mm thick very heavy....mmmm considerably cheeper than magply which was coming in at £25 a sheet...ouch! Seems were jointed using a silicone adhesive also water proof and the joint overlapped with some flat pvc trim also cheep as chips...cutting drilling and screwing to timber frame was no bother and similar to plasterboard in this respect. The boards came primed in grey which meant it was easy to paint. I used johnstons paint for it, they could mix up just about any colour, its expensive at £70 for 5 ltr, i was lucky as they had them on sale with i think 60% / 65% off so i got 2 tins! Excellent product great as no need to prime the bare wood cladding used for the front. I didnt run water gas or waste as you did though so no need for planning permission. I also went for led lighting ....ebay at £1 a bulb pack of 10 and 30 min fire rated flush mounted holders. Im not a fan of leds i much prefer the halogen ones but increasiingly difficult to source. Id like to send you some pictures but not sure how?..any how thanks so much u did all the hard work i just followed ur lead re specs for permitted development. Ive made 2 rooms total 27 sq meters one a bigger home office and the other set out as a 9.3.4 dolby atmos 4k projector come multi function space great for when the lads are over....i think it will be about a year before we get if furnished as we would like...well once we have built up our depleted bank account!! Thanks again Ali Glen x

[@jagu7004]

Superb… came as blessing for my DIY work

[@johnandrews4186]

What a fantastic series Ali ! Well done on great content, and great skills !

[@AliDymock]

Thank you John, glad you like it!

[@chrisrajek7958]

Just watching you again Ali ,done my dormer roof with the rubber 4 u stuff and followed your advice turned out to be easy as ,had a peek at your plasterboard taping vid ,just started that 👍,your vids are top notch for guys who want to give it a go , your garden house looks great 👍

[@AliDymock]

Thanks Chris and congrats on your progress. Send me a pic when you're done 👍

[@M00seL00seAb00tH0use]

Another great video, well done Ali

[@hijackstudios]

We're currently going through the planning application phase (with some of the pillar/ ground work in progress) and given the structure is around 50 meters from the main property, they suggested adding in a toilet. I dropped by here to re-watch your earlier utilities video for some tips and was thrilled to see another one! Yay! Can confirm the short pipework section was certainly useful to at least one build :) Thanks Ali - your series is absolutely fantastic and I can't wait to get stuck in to the woodwork and share what we're up to.

[@AliDymock]

Fab! I look forward to seeing some pics!

[@gbenduro]

I love the sneek peep pictures at the end, must be from the 2nd fix video coming up! Great job looks amazing Ali

[@simonr6793]

Thankyou for the video! As I'm going to be building a new workshop this summer I appreciate the time you spent on making this video it's definitely going to be used as reference for the armour cable and electric power that I shall need. Great for the lay person!!!

[@AliDymock]

That's great to hear. This was the hardest video I've made as I knew nothing about it electrics and it doesn't come naturally to me either.

[@willahmad437]

I recently decided to build a garden house and watched all parts of this video guide (good job!). And I watched dozens of other DIY for beginners. I started to think or highly doubt if all those who uploaded videos claiming the project was the first ever they did, is very hard to digest. The reason I am saying, the technical language, where and how to drill a hole, or how to install the gutter or fixing a window, or how to calculate the space or electric wiring. As I am a beginner/first-time building something, I got no idea or technical knowledge whatsoever, I am not sure if these folks who upload videos claiming it's their first project is true or not. Or how much time they spend to understand all this before starting the project. I spoke to several folks within the family and friends who want to start a project, but not even one person got the knowledge or even the names of material and parts like you can hear in this video or many other videos. If these folks learned it before (some handyman courses) and this was the first project, then yes, it will be a different story, understandable.

[@JoeyBozify]

Extremely well done!

[@SparkyNinja]

Your maximum demand calculation's are well explained. The application of diversity, as you mention, ,is really just an assumption of how the installation will be utilised. As an end user you may have been able to engineer the demand a little lower as you would have a much firmer understanding on how the installation will be used. We often use these formulas as a method of over compensating - we get away with it most of the time, but sometimes even that is not enough.

[@AliDymock]

That's brilliant, great to know that's correct from a professional.

[@garryegerton952]

Great video Ali can't wait for the next one. Thanks for all your useful info

[@asztapaszta9]

Good stuff. Never done this before but plan to get into it and found the video very interesting. You explain things very well and I am looking forward to your house reno series which should be epic! I just hope you can go on being a full-time youtuber so we can get a video every week. (and two on Christmas) :)

[@AliDymock]

That would be awesome and I’d love that too. Time and money being the limiting factors at the moment!

[@woodworkingsparky2571]

Thanks for all your help. Mines coming on nicely now. Frames up 😁

[@AliDymock]

Good stuff Gareth. Shame the clocks have gone back. If I had it my way we'd stay on BST all year round

[@woodworkingsparky2571]

Ali Dymock I know. I hear rumours they might cancel it...... who knows. Cheers again.

[@AliDymock]

@@woodworkingsparky2571 We need a referendum 😝😄

[@alfredtrower1217]

Brilliant Hats off and Thumbs up

[@danielcave48]

Great video, thanks! Did you need to add any sort of vent or air admittance valve to the waste system?

[@cragly8759]

Excellent videos keep the great work. I’m looking to fit an air con unit and wondered what site you were on when looking at the units 7:33mins. Could you please provide me with a link as they look exactly what I’m looking for, thanks.

[@AliDymock]

Gosh, I can't remember, I think I just googled around to grab something to demonstrate the point. Air con unit is a good option though, planning on it for my next build.

[@keefykeef]

Superb video as always! 👌

[@AliDymock]

cheers matey :)

[@colinmiles1052]

Very good information - thanks.

[@AliDymock]

*PLEASE READ:* Get your calculators out for this one! Sorry it's taken so long, the good news is that next week's video is ready to go too! Before uploading this video I sent it to a couple of electricians who pointed out that usually you would use 230V rather than 240V. So for example my 9.5kW shower calculation should be: 9500W / 230V = 41.3A I’ve done all my calculations again and put the end number of 84.7A (rather than the 82A in the video) into the Doncaster Cables calc and the result was still a 16mm2 cable over my 25m run so there's no actual difference. They also told me that there are loads of houses on 10mm2 cables so 16mm2 for a garden room is more than sufficient. Changing the video would have been too time consuming but just use 230V rather than 240V :) HOWEVER, just as I explain in the video about how there is voltage drop along the armoured cable, the same principle occurs for houses depending on the distance from the sub station and your house's voltage may vary anywhere from 220V-250V. Mine is 240V (as tested by Andrew, my sparky) so the calculations are right for mine but generally you would use 230V as a happy medium. Further info on size of twin+earth cables in circuits: Lights - 1mm Alarm - 1mm Sockets - 2.5mm Radiators - 2.5mm Sink tap water heater - 6mm Electric shower - 10mm *I'll admit I was nervous to post this video as I suspected I might get some flack in the comments from those in the know. These calculations should be taken to provide some underlying understanding and what to expect but I'd highly recommend getting in a qualified electrician to do all the calcs and work* 🤓

[@tresslerj1985]

I'm an Electrician and we'll done. 32A ring final is abit old hack. 20A radial for general power would have done and 20A radial for the heaters would have sufficed. Edit. Ring finals were used to save on copper. You would sling a ring upstairs and spur one cable through the floor and down the wall for down stairs sockets. Rings are generally used for kitchens or high earth leakage (computers) now.

[@abdullahalsyabe662]

what about cooling calculation how many A/C unit for 27 m2 room livig area out side temp reach 50 c in sumer time we need to keep at least 25c

[@richardhogben3776]

Awesome, thank you for the video

[@AliDymock]

you're welcome Richard! I'm so glad to have this one done, very heavy going with loads of research required.

[@bitTorrenter]

This is a quality video.

[@CarlosArruda77]

It's called diversity. Not all appliances will be on at the same time. I'm loving your built. Curious how much it cost. Hope to see a breakdown of all costs. Thanks.

[@AliDymock]

Ah yeh, I learnt that afterwards. Thanks, I will get to that at the end

[@MarcusT86]

Hello Ali. Fantastic series and invaluably helpful. I’m going to film my build and put it on here and will give a massive shoutout to you. Regarding controlling temperature, I notice you said you didn’t bother with an air con unit. How does this fare in summer? My room will primarily be a gym. Does it get too hot in summer to be lifting weights? Or is that taken care of by the insulation?

[@philcaine1818]

I know you are/were moving and therefore a) are probably completely absorbed in that and b) perhaps don't now have the same enthusiasm for updating on the Workshop in the old property. I just want to say that I have found your series of videos on the work very informative and helpful and was wondering if/when you might get around to posting the final(?) 2nd fix video as am at the stage of work on my own outbuilding where I would find this very useful indeed. Thanks

[@AliDymock]

Hi Phil, my goal is to finish the garden room series as a first priority so the videos are coming. It might be a while until I get to second fix though, do you want to email me any particular questions you have? An electrician will be able to tell you more than me, that's for sure, but I'm happy to help! [e-mail]

[@philcaine1818]

Thanks for the response Ali. To be honest I don't really have any specific questions at the moment. To be honest it is just that your videos and detailed descriptions of what you have been doing is very informative and interesting and I was thinking it might contain some info or pointers that might possibly ensure I avoid a few issues. You know the kind of thing that with hindsight you thing why didn't I consider this, or why didn't I do that in such a way to avoid some problem etc.

[@AliDymock]

@@philcaine1818 I guess the only thing I can think of is consider what bulbs you will use - perhaps you want warmer light or cooler blue light which is determined by the kelvin of the bulbs. Most of the decisions will be done at first fix stage so second fix there's not a lot to go wrong 👍

[@vitol88]

Hi Ali, your videos have been very helpful when planning my garden office. One question I have which I think you've mentioned somewhere but can't find now is, is there a reason why you've used metal backplates for the sockets instead of the plastic alternative?

[@eyeswideshut2800]

Put a nail plate everywhere you don't setback wires but set them back always when possible to middle of the stud like he said.

[@AllenGoldsmith]

you can apply diversity to most of that, you won't be pulling all that off a 100amp single phase supply bearing mind you have the whole to serve too! :")

[@DreStev]

Excellent videos. Very inspiring. Any news on the next video. Would you compile an episode about total costs please? So was the house sold along with the garden room ? Many thanks.

[@AliDymock]

Part 16 this week. Yes I will at the end of the series. Nope, house still belongs to my mum so have full access for future vids :)

[@zedman442]

Great job. What soffit lights did you use in the end? We’re they just IP rated lights as I couldn’t find any external friendly Dow lights suitable. Even the IP rated lights say in the instructions not be use externally!

[@AliDymock]

I was looking through all the stuff my electrican left behind (boxes) and I think they were just IP rated ones but not 100% sure. They shouldn't get wet, but there may be better alternatives.

[@russellroberts480]

Another great vid - was hoping your next would be the cladding though as I've built my garden office entirely by following your series and now need to clad it! Got a sparky in for electrics and plasterer to skim internally. Could you add the link to your blog on youtube to the video description? I came across it and saw a few pics on there but can't find it again

[@AliDymock]

You'll beat me to the cladding video but if you have any questions I can try to help-feel free to email me. The link should be viewable in the description. If not it's: www.alidymock.com - easy to remember!

[@cjhification]

Went to 25mm², as I was keen to take up welding, also means the table saw and extractor are happy running at the same time. 😁

[@AliDymock]

Nice! Good choice. There'll be no limits with that

[@cjhification]

@@AliDymock I figured it would let me have 100amps to garage if needed.

[@gmarabese1767]

Hi Ali, These really are fantastic build videos and it's very clear you have put the time in to your research and planning. I've been scouring the internet for the last 3 weeks to find something as extensive as this series. The only thing that I have read a lot into that I don't think had been mentioned was the matter of ventilation. I pretty much have the same foundation, structure, and insulation (warm roof) in mind, but was going to leave the void in the roof joists completely open and install soffit with holes and mesh backing to allow a flow of air from the back to the front of the building. I saw you filled all of the voids with PIR, so did you figure that ventilation was not an issue with the warm roof, or did you install another means of ventilation. I'm not asking because I think it should, but purely because I don't know!! You read so many conflicting points of view and your head gets scrambled. Great videos once again

[@AliDymock]

Thanks, really glad you like them. So I wouldn't do that personally as that will under all the good work you've done insulating elsewhere as essentially all you'll have between the room and the outside will be a bit of platerboard and soffit - I'd also worry about insects getting in even with meshed vents-not such a big issue in the soffits but you don't want them in your above the plasterboard. A warm roof doesn't need to be ventilated but having SOME ventilation in the room is important so mine comes through the trickle vents in the windows and doors - hope that helps!

[@154electrician]

Nominal voltage in the uk is 230v , the DNO can supply as low as 218.5v legally so you should use that voltage for calculations

[@AliDymock]

Yes, I put that right in the pinned comment at the top though I discovered today that my house has 240V - every house differs apparently depending on distance from the sub station but yeh, 230V is the normal V to calculate from

[@KDC_Electrical]

I love your project as im doing something similar but I knew I would struggle with this episode lol As an electrician of 20 odd years I do think you've very much over complicated the electrical installation. I haven't done a lux calculation since tech and its really not necessary but I get what you're trying to show. Im sure you had your electrician tortured 😂 Ive loved your videos and your attention to detail. Top job 👍🇬🇧

[@AliDymock]

haha. I actually let him go at it and then asked some questions and figured out the rest afterwards. You're absolutely right but you know I do like a good, clear explanation! Knew nothing about electrics before and still don't know much lol, but I did my best :)

[@aman113]

Domestic supply is restricted to 100amps so assuming the usual appliances in main house amount to 50amps, that leaves only 50amp breaker for the summerhouse. How on earth did your electrician allow the summer house 80amp breaker?

[@Family-Kitchen]

Morning, love your project! Thanks for taking your time uploading such an interesting & informative vlog. May I ask the cost of the project please? Thanks

[@AliDymock]

I don’t have a figure right now, I will at the end when I’ve added everything up but I try to give an idea here: www.alidymock.com/start-here/

[@rodgerq]

Great video, as is the whole series, but I love the calculations and stuff. A question, do you know if the electrician exported the PME(earth) or if they created a new earth point at the new building using a ground stake?

[@AliDymock]

Oh Rodger, you're pushing my knowledge there but I believe that it was done at the house end rather than the garden room end.

[@rodgerq]

@@AliDymock cool, thanks for the reply. In not an electrician I feel I should point out, merely an enthusiast with a lot of KZbin experience under his belt. There does seem to be some debate over what method should be used, some sparks saying it's a big no no to export the PME, opting to instal an earth stake, while others are happy enough to just export it.

[@timmade]

Hi. With the lighting. Have you found that you have enough light. I just watched another video by Gosforth handyman and he just installed lights that were 4000 lumen each and he has 8 of them In a pretty small shop. Just wondering whether you think your lights are enough for a workshop?

[@AliDymock]

It really depends on what you want. For a workshop I'd recommend going brighter, maybe 500lux but as mine will now be for general recreation 250lux is fine. The beauty of LEDs is that you can always up the lumens without using too much power. A white bulb will produce more light than warm bulb and white painted walls and ceilings will also help reflect light around your workshop but if it's all wood and OSB then less so. Andy's choice looks good for its purpose.

[@mikeprice2498]

Great series of videos, out of interest what size cable was used for the sockets? Was it a ring circuit?

[@ОляП-д4х]

this super great video! This super! Good!

[@redseantlworld]

Big thanks for sharing

[@AliDymock]

You're very welcome 😀

[@sadiewatkins92]

Hi, I'm building a garden room from your videos. They are full of helpful information so thank you for taking time in doing them.. Can I ask... When electrics are going in, can you put them through the king, Jack and cripple studs under the window or would that compromise the structural aspects of it? Kind Regards

[@AliDymock]

That should be fine, your electrician will be able to tell you where the electrics can go and how wide a hole or notch can be made for the cables.

[@sadiewatkins92]

Thank you for the reply 👍🏻 great work.

[@222rich]

ANOTHER PERFECT VID.

[@AliDymock]

🙌

[@speedyrazor1]

Very nice sneak peek at your decking. Can I ask how you did the decking base, same as your build base, concrete blocks?

[@AliDymock]

This time I went for posts in the ground, about 60cm deep, postcreted in (I've done a whole fencing series showing the process). The joists are then attached to the building with joist hangers. The reason I didn't go for blocks is that they are pretty wide so catch the rain which will then sit on the block rotting the wood. Not a problem under a building when they stay dry :)

[@AminAmin22]

Ali, I'm building a simple room, nothing elaborate. Going to use it as a gym, Concrete floor and timber frame etc. Can I just ask, at what stage in the build would be most economical for me to get the electrics in? I just want a couple on sockets and lights. Is it when the frame and joists are up? Im planning to run the SWA through the garden myself and just get someone in to put it together. Also can you just confirm 400mm spacing for wall and roof would be suitable for both the outside 8x4 ply and better for the inside plasterboard? Thanks mate

[@AliDymock]

Electrics -probably after battens to outside but while the internal wall are empty of insulation would be my recommendation. As for 400m centres - they won't fit 8 x 4' ply, no. So either cut the ply or go for metric sized OSB.

[@azznoble]

Hi, I have really enjoyed watching through your project. As an electrician this was a particularly intriguing section. Where did you get the height of the consumer unit from? 18th Edition regs stipulate the switch height (of the breakers) to be between 1350-1450mm in a new build. The only time I would position a CU at 450mm is if it was to replace an existing installation.

[@AliDymock]

This was by far the toughest Part for me to make as I knew sweet FA when I started - i still don't know much as it doesn't come naturally to me. That height came from my electrician so I presumed it was correct! Good to know though, I may have to correct that in a future video. Does a garden room count as a 'new build' in regards to b regs? Maybe that's why... Other questions: - If a new house only has a low under stairs cupboard, does it mean you need to site the CU elsewhere? - My armoured cable when it comes through my floor comes out of the wall and into the consumer unit - is that normal and could it not have been put in the walls or is the current carrying capacity impeded like the other cables if it were to do so?

[@azznoble]

Ali Dymock the armoured cable probably comes out of the wall before entering the CU in order to correctly terminate it. Your electrician needed to put a gland on the end which wouldn’t be done from the rear. Another way would be to gland into an adaptable box then joint it to PVC twin and earth in order to bring into the rear of the CU but that needs to be accessible, hence why it’s been done the way it has been. In the past I have worked alongside joiners who have boxed in the CU (allowing access) so the SWA isn’t an eyesore. I would deem your garden room as a new build as there wasn’t previously a CU, it’s a new installation as opposed to replacing/upgrading an existing one. For your other point, new builds are generally designed to allow for the services to meet current regulations (part P for electrical), all new builds I have worked in recently have had CU mounted at 1300-1400mm from ground level.

[@AliDymock]

Great info, thank you. I'll bring that point up then. Good to know armoured cable was correct - ended up boxing it in with some painted mdf :) If you work in the South east, let me know.

[@themanof83]

Great feed, great video as usual. Having just begun wiring up myself on the basis of a 450mm CU height per your video the 1300-1400mm height in Part M is concerning me. Would you expect it wouldn't get signed off if it were at 450mm??

[@mrb9830]

Ali, did you supply the internet (via cable) to your garden room? Interested to know how this can be done, and if it can be done by myself or if it needs to be done by the supplier (e.g. BT/Virgin). thanks

[@AliDymock]

I mis-spoke in the video. It's actually an ethernet cable, not fibre-optic so the ethernet runs to the router in the house.

[@albertonoriega8472]

£0.15 x kWh sounds like a dream today

[@floriangoldschmied9231]

Yeah, I pay 0.60 €

[@peterhannaford460]

Did you consider electric UFH?

[@flippop101]

Great channel. Nice job!

[@davecroden9793]

Brilliant

[@ArifUK]

Wow! Amazing

[@LluisTheWoodWorker]

Super duper video i can't wait to see a tour of it at the same time that gets me really exited for my new workshop. Quick question would it be okay to put rockwool insulation on exterior walls i found a water proof one

[@AliDymock]

Hey, do you mean in the walls? Yeh definitely a good place to use rockwool though it's u-value isn't as good but much cheaper and easier to fit. Or do you mean on the outside of the walls?

[@LluisTheWoodWorker]

Ali Dymock i mean between timbers but extririor walls

[@LluisTheWoodWorker]

Ali Dymock so walls faceing the outside

[@tonydickerson999]

What about earth bonding?

[@MS-yy2dh]

Thanks for the interesting and informative video. Can I ask - did you install an earth rod at the shed (as I think this may be needed given the water supply to the shed)?

[@AliDymock]

Hi Mel, it's a great question and not something i know a bunch about but I believe this was done at the house end. I left it up to my electrician. Definitely something i'll have to delve into at some point to clarify.

[@MS-yy2dh]

@@AliDymock Hi Ali, did you every clarify this?

[@Madmonk272]

Hi, could you tell me what size batterns you used for your cladding please, I'm stuck between 38, and 50.

[@AliDymock]

Either will do the job but I believe I went for 50

[@Madmonk272]

@@AliDymock great, thanks. And keep the videos coming, really great stuff 👍.

[@kieronholden]

Great Job as always Ali. Can I ask where you got that soffit you used on your overhang? I like the look of it, would like something similar for my garage. Thanks for the update.

[@AliDymock]

Hey Kieron, it came from Fascia Expert, like my fascias. Really easy as it all slots together but I cut it in short pieces so the lines run perpendicular to the building rather than running the whole 5m length parallel.

[@kieronholden]

@@AliDymock can't get my head around this, have you got any pictures or anything you can share showing how it attaches and stays in place under the fascia? I know there is a lip under the front face, but what about the back edge against the building?

[@Chingy8]

Which downlight did you use for the outside?

[@AliDymock]

Good question. You know, I'm not sure as I left my electrician to choose but looking through the boxes I think he used the same as he used in the bathroom (not bulbs though). So they are water resistant but the soffit never gets wet so all is well. They may be better choices that I'm not aware of though.

[@Chingy8]

@@AliDymock thank you for your response! Might be best if I get some sort of IP rated downlights for outdoor use.

[@JamieBettison]

And here is me with my shower room! I'm the only one??? hehehe!

[@piyush3549]

As always great video, very informative and helpful. 👍🏼 Well done for putting it all out for us. I will send you details about my garden studio which I have built using Wikihouse open source technology.

[@AliDymock]

Sounds great

[@CharlieChapling]

fantastic!

[@AliDymock]

Thank you Charlie!

[@SirCharcoal]

Cost of my local council for non part p registered electrical works was £300 inc VAT, all in. I'm just starting the process :)

[@AliDymock]

Yup, sounds about right!

[@Bulla666]

Ali have you got a vapour barrier between your insulation and plasterboard ?

[@AliDymock]

Yeh in the last shot of the video you can see my green polythene vapour barrier

[@Bulla666]

Ha yes apologies ! I'd stopped as you were wrapping up ! I look forward to the next video. I'm starting to fret that the OSB I've used externally on my build is going to act as a vapour barrier and therefore trap moisture and a vapour barrier internally !

[@AliDymock]

@@Bulla666 I think it's pretty permeable to water vapour and will allow any to escape. Use the vapour barrier inside to help slow the entry of moisture into the walls and you'll be fine

[@davidsteele3037]

The UK supply is not 240V as the UK harmonised the voltage across Europe (including the UK) to 230V in 2003. It doesn't really matter as there is a wide tolerance of 230V -6% +10% (i.e. 216.2 V - 253.0 V) but it could affect your calculations.

[@AliDymock]

Your absolutely right David, I made that amendment in my pinned comment. As it so happens this house has 240V but as you say the standard is 230V 👍

[@eyeswideshut2800]

Electric is easier too in US but thanks for that switch tip.

[@SirSamuelVimes]

How did you connect your house supply to the garden room?

[@AliDymock]

It's on a separate consumer unit in the house next to the main consumer unit. I think you can have it on the main consumer unit, I'm not sure why my electrician did a separate one though

[@AccountantDoesDIY]

My sparky friend has just been round this morning as I’m now at the first fix wiring stage. He also said a separate consumer unit in the house would be best. Didn’t understand why though! I’m happy to defer to my friend on this one!

[@tobysherring1369]

@@AliDymock as you have such a large supply calculation and cable, the internal domestic consumer unit, whose internal rating is usually 100A, can't take the expected load of your additional building, especially with the shower, water heater and electric heaters. The incoming supply therefore gets split after the meter. A more general point is you have used the circuit protective device (breaker/CPD) rating for each circuit, rather than the expected demand, to calculate your load. Even with the diversity factor (ie you wouldn't use everything all the time) the figures are very high. The 6A breaker protects the 1mm2 cable (which could catch fire if loaded above 6A for a length of time, eg a short circuit or faulty lamp) but the load isn't 6A. The alarm draws next to nothing (1A or so) and could have been connected to the 32A power circuit with a FCU and 3A fuse. It's not a 6A load for your calcs. The 32A socket circuit is unlikely to draw anywhere near 32A especially as heating is on another breaker. What gets plugged in? You don't add up the breaker rating, but the expected load, then do the diversity calcs. Your 10mm2 supply seems much more realistic than the proposed 16. Has anything ever tripped? The main thing is that the CPD back at the house is the right rating for the size and length of cable run installed. I rate your building skills very highly and love the series. Electrics are the only bit I actually get...

[@iainhammond4320]

What program did you use to design the garden room?

[@AliDymock]

I used Sketchup, there’s a free version and quite a few tutorials on KZbin to get to grips with the basics

[@iainhammond4320]

Ali Dymock cheers mate I tried emailing you but not sure if you got it

[@ErtsenPlayGames]

heat pump is better becouse from 1kw input you can get 4kw heating power or more (depend of quality , temp in and out etc) and you can use it as a conditioner ....after a year you will want one :)

[@AliDymock]

You know I've been thinking about a ground heat pump for our new house and get rid of the boiler. Any info you know on what's involved would be great to hear.

[@ErtsenPlayGames]

@@AliDymock if your local temp isnt under -10*C in winter just buy air to air heat pump Of course ground heat pump is better under 0*C but still its cost 10x the price od air heat pump But if you have under -10*C ....-15 maybe -20*C from 1kw it make maybe 2kw of heat....so it wont generate enough heat (max input power work like limitter) If you want to build your own ground heat pump ....you cant if you dont have enought space , they need to drill few holes as deep as possible (until specific temp) If you have enough Space you just dig 2 or more meters and lay pipe with anti freeze liquid. Air heatpump is cheaper ,easy to instal , and until there isnt -10*C or lower it will work great :) Ps. With air heat pumo its always better to have second heat source (with ground too) if it will fail ,there isnt electricity or its to coold to generate enought heat Ps If someone say to you induction water heater is better ...it isnt (around generate 98% from input vs 400+ % for heatpump :)

[@AliDymock]

Very helpful! It never gets colder than about -2 or -3C here and usually higher than that so it sounds like an air heat pump is the better choice. If it runs off electricity how does the cost compare with heating with a gas boiler? Sounds like I need some solar panels and then a air heat pump with the gas boiler for backup!

[@rhyswilliams1998]

Yay!

[@fleabag72]

How much did this project cost ??

[@AliDymock]

I haven't totalled it up yet, but I try to answer the question here: www.alidymock.com/start-here/

[@chrisbubbles4246]

Did you need planning for this build?

[@AliDymock]

Yes because mine is 3m tall and less than 2m from a boundary but generally it can all be done without planning permission. See Part 3 of this series for what you need to adhere to.

[@Mr-T123]

That wasn’t an electrician - he was cleaning up after himself... 😁

[@AliDymock]

Sign of a good electrician I say! I think that was his apprentice doing the clearing up

[@Mr-T123]

@@AliDymock great videos Ali, only just found your channel. Look forward to potential future projects you might have in the pipeline. 👌😁

[@Eggnog3000]

No such thing as 22mm2 SWA, plus you can't apply diversity to your water heater. Other than that it's a good overview.

[@AliDymock]

Thanks for clarifying Lazlo, that's useful to know on both counts. Thought I saw 22mm2 available but obvs not.

[@Eggnog3000]

@@AliDymock I think the SWA armour is measured at 22mm2 on certain sizes of cable. This can be used as the cpc.....

[@eyeswideshut2800]

Take pictures of your wiring and plumbing diagrams and reflectics(foam board) can insulate that crawl space, maybe you just square off around plumbing but rodents don't like it either.

[@jsouto77]

Worth saying that if this is going to be a continuous living space, you are much better off just adding gas and a boiler as this workout much much cheaper and make life easier as it will provide cheaper more efficient heating plus hot water for bathroom/kitchen taps and shower thus make for a simpler installation. Also, being that this is being spured from another single phase supply that will top out at 100A fuse and has its own appliances etc. This is not a very clever idea (at least arrange a separate Meter/supply). This could be mitigated by installing either three phase at the main supply or solar panels and a powerwall or the likes to the garden living space but that is allot of cost indeed.

[@dancinggorilla7]

I think you get too into it. Put as many lights you want. And I’m sure 1 radiator would be sufficient as you have adequate insulation throughout

[@AliDymock]

You may well be right Matthew. Sometimes though it's quite good to go deep when you're learning and then make judgement calls as become more experienced.

[@antonygilbey8068]

Bloody Hell thats a house,,,lol

[@timsampson2941]

82A? Our entire house has a 60A supply!

[@AliDymock]

Yeh it varies quite a bit I hear, distance from sub-station i think!

[@tresslerj1985]

Than God you didn't say amperage.

[@r3dm4n3601980]

Instant click pal

[@AliDymock]

Cheers John, I really appreciate the support

[@neilchapman337]

So far I have enjoyed your videos, as a lighting and electrical designer, your lighting calculations are good and well explained, but your electrical calculations are terrible and what makes it worse you quoted a 10 year old version of the BS7671 on site guide. Calculating cable size is far more in depth and should only be carried out by a qualified electrician or electrical designer.

[@AliDymock]

Hi Neil, I'm sure you're right and I wish I had your knowledge. As you suggest I had my electrician do all of the calculations and everything and had it explained to me afterwards. Nearly everyone will use an electrician but I hoped the video would give some understanding behind it and would help when it came to insulating the walls. I knew I would get a bit of flack in the comments with this video, I did my best with it :) If you fancy emailing me with how you would do the calculations that would be awesome!

[@nickyork8901]

Obviously he's not an electrician, this is KZbin and nobody (at least nobody with any sense) expects it to be definitive. Still an excellent channel with far more detail, carefully explained, than one can easily get anywhere else.

[@NickTheHunter]

Are you an INTP? :3

[@IKnowBestest]

Sparky here. Everything your said about lighting and fuses was absolute nonsense