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PAS 63100:2024 (Electrical installations – Protection against fire of battery energy storage systems for use in dwellings – Specification) 6.5.5 Batteries shall not be installed in any of the following locations: a) rooms in which persons are intended to sleep; b) routes used as a means of escape that are not defined as protected escape routes, including landings, staircases and corridors; c) corridors, shafts, stairs or lobbies of protected escape routes; d) firefighting lobbies, shafts or staircases; e) storage cupboards, enclosures or spaces opening into rooms in which persons are intended to sleep; f) outdoors (ground-mounted or wall-mounted in a suitable enclosure) within 1 m of: 1) escape routes; 2) doors; 3) windows; or 4) ventilation ports. g) voids, roof spaces or lofts; h) within 2 m of stored flammable materials and fuel storage tanks or cylinders; and i) cellars or basements that have no access to the outside of the building.

The typical roof window install is cut a rafter, double up the rafter either side of the opening and install double horizontal timbers to carry the cut rafter. Image from Fakro install doc attached. All of the installations I can find show installation in the middle of a roof. Our upper story has 1.6m walls. I want to install the window as low as possible, as close to the rafter wall plate as I can. Fitting the lower doubled up horizontal timbers right next to the wall plate takes up space which i'd like to avoid. Anyone installed a roof window low down in a roof, up against a wall plate?

Has anyone heard of Backyard Discovery? I'm eyeing up this https://www.backyarddiscovery.co.uk/products/2-7m-x-1-8m-bellerose-greenhouse?srsltid=AfmBOoqWCRTgaVCrhYBn4uvSMJGmTkG97VQOB6OdR0rom3ofu__MwLsI After the other half told me that unless I wanted a divorce the chickens had to go, there is now a concrete pad just waiting for something. Who knew that the second hand Omlet chicken stuff actually fetches a fortune... We are trying to avoid glass because the old railway embankment has lots of oak trees and whilst they are high up and the greenhouse wouldn't be shaded the acorns bloody hurt when they fall down on top of you and I suspect they would shatter and crack glass where this potentially may be a bit more sturdy and possibly looks a bit nicer.

Thanks all - the fit is pretty good tbh

Just did a comparison, the chart above reads slightly lower than a full calculation (500Pa less) 0.9m head, instead of 0.87m.

Literally did the exact same today. Antenna is sitting on a mound in the garden as we speak. This turned up today. Pretty happy with the quality. https://www.reichelt.com/ie/en/shop/product/satellite_wall_bracket_wh_60_a_double_pipe_aluminium-332349 I got this to go on top. It's cast aluminum and seems pretty robust too. https://starnetlink.uk/2024/05/17/unlock-ultimate-starlink-performance-discover-the-best-pole-mounting-adaptor-in-the-uk/?amp=1 I was suspicious of any of the Amazon offerings regarding corrosion and sturdiness. Hopefully this will work ok. I don't want it blowing off the roof.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352152X2501312X Quantitative fire likelihood assessment of battery home storage systems in comparison to general house fires in Germany and other battery related fires

Apologies... ignore some of the above; I think I was looking at the adjoining property. Last sentence still applies though!

Current client has looked into this and we spoke in depth about what's "coming next" for the regs surrounding domestic battery locations. Attics are apparently getting removed from the acceptable list, largely due to the logistics of fighting a fire up an attic; eg not having a fire-fighter getting into such a compromised position to fight what is a bloody horrible fire to extinguish. I always design electrical systems to have multi-sensor smoke & heat detection in all plant locations, and I always run a 3-core to the garage if it's quite near to the house as an early warning of a fire in the garage, to give the occupants an opportunity to tackle it before it became fully involved. I also put "locate / test / hush" buttons, positioned strategically, where someone woken by the omni-directional wailing of the smoke detectors can press "locate". This silences every detector except the one which has been triggered, so if in plant or attic or garage etc you can go straight to the source of the smoke / fire vs searching every room in the house in a panic. Not many people put the TD up the attic though, lol.

For anyone who comes back this way to ready this thread, I strongly recommend taking a look at and using the above calculator.

Fyi link:

Ask him to see the Regulation. Not just the Approved Document. 30 minutes in a house is more than enough.

Yes, but not me. I saved this screenshot from a thread on here (probably over a year ago). I think the top picture is just a marketing picture - it doesn't look very stable to me. @Russdl's work looks better.

I expect so. The difference in thermal resistance is not small, & the Thermoblocks aren't going to crack, either.

Loop length 95 x 90Pa, which s 8550Pa or 0.87m head. Have UFH flow meters open and pressure drop through manifold is small. Plus your pipe, filters and strainer etc.

Ah yes good point. In my head I'd just lumped pedestals in together with rails as: things that support slabs and (potentially) make my life easier. New question: anyone got experience of pedestals!

It will say that fire should not be allowed to spread. The rest is examples of how to do this. We can't expect the bco to know about battery technology and risk. So you need to know the fire risk and present this to he bco. But 120minutes may not be difficult. usually just extra plasterboard.

Was my immediate thought too. To have got this far and not resolved this issue suggests that they have had advice they don't like, and want to pass this problem on. presumably you think it is overvalued. Not everything has a solution. You would need a site inspection by an SE before proceeding any further at all. They will rightly charge but you can ask them for a verbal overview to minimise their charge at this stage. Their overview may be that they can't possibly know without lots of research, so allow £xk for a more formal report and a very large contingency for the works. Some SE's would love this as interest and others will keep clear. The best advice to the seller would be to explain the issue in good faith and to open the beam up for inspection. But first, ask the agent to explain it. They won't tell you the whole story of course. And then tell them this obviously needs an enormous reduction in the price and what will they drop to, or you won't be considering it. My thought on what it is? It looks like a barn. Farmers use whatever is available and this may have been a beam for an engine hoist. The builder has not used an SE, and expected to be able to remove it but been told not to.by the bco. I'm intrigued. please report back. If you do walk away, do please try to find out if it sells. Another thought. Google the property and you may find the original sales advert as a barn for conversion, with some clues. and the planning portal is worth a try to.

Really depends on what the OP wants

For a ground level patio I'm not sure they'd be much better than tile pedestals, which are probably quite a bit cheaper.

Battery - so only pay 15p max for electric. But air fryer most evenings instead of a big oven (only two of us)

Agreed as above. No need to stick them down or together. I think I would ignore any gaps up to 2mm, as the tape and over-sheeting of dpm will create a closed cell. In any bigger gaps i'd be wary of squirting in foam, for the reason you suggest, , and more comfortable trowelling some in. Or make some slivers and press in.

I have seen it done on top of a roof balcony structure. The rails, and feet were hard plastic though. Same principal.

Just ask him where in Part B this is mentioned.......

But ridiculously dear between 4pm and 7pm the exact time we come in and bang the oven on. have you found the savings at off peak times make up for that high peak time rate ? or do ovens not suck as much as I’m thinking they used to.