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I've just received the first draft of a more thought-out UFH layout. The designer has gone for 300mm pipe centres. It looks (worryingly) simple! I've raised concern about heat striping, I don't really want to risk that. He has gone for 3 manifolds, one on each of the 3 ground floor levels. 2no 2-port manifolds and 1no 6-port. I've proposed and idea for 2 manifolds and have fed that back. He has suggested that 20mm MLCP for each manifold is sufficient, something I've probed on because it seems very small. I'll share the design once I have it, but I am minded to want closer pipe spacing as I'd prefer some headroom. Not least in case I can't hit my desired ACH. I'd rather have more pipe and have to control the flow temp than find it's just weak performing.

With the integrated fittings, if they are discontinued or you alter the kitchen you may not be able to get the right lengths. Make sure they are able to switch from the same place as the rest of the lighting.

I have seen these where they are bolted together on site. One of the lintels has some tube / chs welded and the 2 are bolted together. Needs SE design. If the cavity is 150mm or less you can use the HiTherm lintels. Expensive and long lead time on some, but good psi / thermal bridging characteristics.

Nah, Pedal Electric is... and 15 minute urban planning.

When planning LED lighting under kitchen cabinets, there are a few details that seem worth getting right before the units and worktops are finished. For a neat installation, how do people usually plan the driver location, cable routes and access for future maintenance? Hiding the driver inside a cupboard can keep things tidy, but it still needs to be accessible if it ever needs replacing. I’m also interested in the practical differences between fitting LED strip in an aluminium profile with a diffuser and using ready-made under-cabinet light fittings. Is the profile approach worth it for better light distribution and heat management, or do integrated fittings tend to be simpler in the long run? It would be useful to hear what has worked well in real kitchen installations, particularly when planning everything before the cabinets go in.

I have asked the SE for her PI insurance and have finally managed to get her to answer the phone and agree to a site visit. Builders are not happy with the arrangement of the separated internal (C section) and external (Non equal angle) lintel specification. The two sections are not jointed together (yes, it mitigates cold bridging), but builders have told me that when they recently did the same thing on another job, the brickwork above the lintel all cracked. Having been outside to look, it's quite easy to see how the external L lintel just wants to topple backwards into the cavity.

You might consider asking for evidence of her Professional Indemnity Insurance...... maybe things have got past that stage - just a thought

Power can generally be injected at an intermediate point, provided the correct pads are used and voltage drop and current are accounted for. The data line is different, though: most addressable strips pass data in one direction, so feeding data into the centre won’t automatically control both halves outwards. That would usually require splitting the strip into two separately driven sections and configuring the pixel order in WLED. For the recessed aluminium profile, a centre connection should be workable if there’s enough room for the cable exit and the solder joints aren’t strained by a tight bend.

Even more so. What do they call themselves? Change the name of course. Be precise with capitalisation. Then we can advise better without assumptions. Eg J. Bloggs, Structural Engineer and Building Technician, BSc MIStructE. It is a question their insurer must have asked.

Inward.

Good call on the INCA guide @MikeGrahamT21 but, @EinTopaz don't necessarily expect the 'blokes on the tools' to be keen on what some see (and some avoid) as 'sub-DPC work', to be avoided in case of future dampness claims... Agree with @SimonD re EPS sometimes being suitable for the plinth layer. Some system providers insist on XPS, while at least one (Possibly Back to Earth? - 'twas a long time ago) used a denser grade of EPS for the plinth. The rationale is that XPS being completely impermeable could, theoretically at least, cause capillary movement of moisture from the plinth (below DPC) to above. The next bit mixes concepts of 'Breathability' and porosity, but bear with me... The thinking, as I understand it, is that using EPS increases the chances of any sub-DPC moisture being wicked away *through* the EPS and ('somewhat breathable') render rather than rising and breaching the DPC. (Normal stuff re 'softening' the layer below the base layer, and French Drains etc. in order to deal with potential moisture before it can even *think* of rising...) As for the insistence of some on using the metal (thermal bridge?...) or plastic base-rail as well as a plinth layer... Last time I did EWI I tried, so that no-one in future could quibble on any claim ('You didn't do it according to 'the system'...') but the plastic base-rail distorted and gaps resulted. In the end I ripped it out, pointed up the adhesive at the bottom of the 'above DPC layer' and simply butt-jointed. (This, BTW, was on a wall where the 'above DPC' was done first on the rail, and the base layer 'retro-fitted'. By far the better way was that used by a colleague in the NW, to lay the 'below DPC' base-layer first, and then build off that. No wibbly 'tray' required). In the OP's case, where there is to be no EWI above the 'Plinth layer', there are 'capping details' (usually seen at eaves and verge level). I would strongly suggest using an 'Upstand Capping Detail' with a flashing over than a 'Downstand Capping Detail'. The 'Downstand' one is mechanically fixed before the insulation goes in (?gaps?) and sealed with Silicone mastic, which in site conditions almost certainly has less of a life than we'd wish.

Many thanks @JpManning this is really useful, much appreciated.

Yes they should definitely know what you are talking about. This is an updated Best Practice Guide which I followed when i did mine: https://www.inca-ltd.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/INCA-EWI-Best-Practice-Guide-RENDER-V1B-01-10-24.pdf Gives all the detailed drawings showing relevant detailing for just about every situation you're likely to come up against during EWI installation.

To be fair, passivhaus specifically is not a renewable/net zero institution. They're a club of building physics geeks making a club for energy efficient/ low energy loss buildings. It's like expecting the "human powered vehicle" racing club to realise that engines are the real answer

Always wanted to. Wasnt to be. Unaffordable, and would never(well highley unlikely) get planning for my massive toy shed. Buying existing solves that issue. If all i needed was a house, then it might have been possible.

Yes, thats correct, dry ice. Much less aggressive on the timber. Didnt really want a sandblasted look, just wanted the many layers of soft paint gone. And filler as it turns out. Lots of filler.

Change the rad for fecks sake 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ Screwfix do free valves atm iirc. We eagerly await news of how the rad swap went 👉 💳 ✅

Option 1 will see the basin empty a little faster, as it’s got gravity before the restriction, but a bit wobbly perhaps if using that space as storage. Both solutions are fine though.

Yes.

Think you need contingency regardless, otherwise as soon as some problem comes up you are stuck. I doubt the market will value a half complete project at much more than an unstarted project. How would you phase the work ? If you run out of money what is best - a whole unplastered house, or some rooms complete and others not started ? Are you going to sell it or live there forever ? No Electrics or plumbing ?

Ah got it. If each strip get's it's own control pin then anything is possible. Maybe the pre-built patterns don't work as expected but you could create custom ones. (Or have ChatGPT do it). Still if it's not off the shelf supported it's a hassle to make work. Anything is possible. Work out the required power and then you can minimize cable size within the profile. Could even look at using insulated copper tape (layers) to run the connection. Thinner wire comes with it's own limitations but it's a viable trade off for short runs. Assume you have 24v strips and not running more than 2-3m?

I am just wondering how feasible it is to run wires inside the profile next to the strip itself. I plan to use 10mm strip and profiles only 12.6mm wide internally and wires would need to be kept from blocking light from the COB somehow.

Yes understood, but two different GIO's from the controller could be used with two data wires, one connected to each half of the LED strip at the centre of the combined run. Each half would then effectively be a separate strip running in opposite directions. Combining them in WLED means logically reversing the direction of one strip in WLED and then having WLED concatenate the two strips. Chat GPT thinks this would work for some light patterns but not for others.

The signal wire definitely doesn't need to be that thick. But I'd be cautious about running the power from centre (test it first on a spare length of strip). If you can feed power from centre then you could easily get a thinner strand of wire for the signal. Having said that, be careful about the overall length of the signal wire. These signals are prone to interference and don't like long cables. Controller needs to be fairly close by. I wouldn't call it a known limitation as such. It's not going to get fixed, it's a fundamental part of the design of how the signalling works. If you feed two strips from a single signal the strips will be an exact copy of each other. ie. if you fed from a central position then a traditional chaser would result in the chase being from centre outward. There would be no physical way of having a chase from one end to the other.

Skirtings, architrave, flooring, plumbing, wiring, heating, ventilation. It is a huge house and a massive amount of work. Make sure you have not missed anything and you are not wishful thinking. How long do you think it will take you?