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What the forum posts don't tell you: fifteen years with a self-built heating system

April 2026 — on the gap between a well-researched plan and a wet crawl space The design article made it sound rational. The build article made it sound competent.

Replacing a gas boiler with solar, wood, and floor heating: the build

April 2012 — sixteen months, a lot of concrete dust, and one system that works The previous article covered the design. This one covers what it actually takes to build it in an Amsterdam apartment block with a flat concrete roof, existing floors that need to come up, and a flue that needs to pass through multiple reinforced concrete slabs to reach the sky.

Replacing a gas boiler with solar, wood, and floor heating: the design

October 2011 — on why doing something properly means drawing it first The Dutch gas grid is reliable, cheap by European standards, and completely outside your control.