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I know what you mean. We ended up using linear windows and eurocell sliding doors as the whole bill for this was 3x cheaper than just having the expensive sliding door options alone! Must say, no draught, and very warm!

Hi all, we have a little problem with a little water getting on the door trays mainly We have upvc windows fitted flush to the outside of a 9x2 timber frame. we have rendered reveals from the back of the stone work to the upvc windows and doors. (Around 3/4” worth of render pointed over the window / door frames 25mm ish. we have taped dpc around the windows and doors using butyl tape, tyvec tape below that. we have a small bit of water ingress in what we think the point where the render meets the cill. We think as we struggled to achive a good finish with dpc & tapes etc around this section - we are getting some water getting onto the tray underneath the window and door frames. unfortunately i didnt go to the expense of using lead trays so we have thick dpc home made trays instead, meaning i think we should do some remedial work. so my question is- is it worth hacking off the render and replace with a waterproof pre mixed render system? Keep exiting render, and add another 12mm of a water proof render over the top again? And or Use a permaseal type of product (masonry cream) onto the existing render. - then potentially add a thin layer of pre mixed waterproof render over the top? Thank you in advance, would like to hear peoples opinions. Thanks

I did consider Eurocell. They could do uW 1.1 for the sliding door and uW 1.0 for the window. It would have been very good value and given they have a showroom in Inverness, it would have been very easy. Ultimately, though, I spent a bit more money in order to get u values that are substantially better. And don't get me started on a certain 'big name' outfit who, now that they have my phone number, won't leave me alone. Their quote was laughably bad. The sizes bear no resemblance to what I asked for, the colours are wrong, and they won't give me u values for anything. These places operate as finance providers and don't seem to know anything about windows.

Thanks @Peaklander That is an interesting IET article

We have 3 eurocell upvc ones. Good doors, just make sure the drains in them are working correctly as ours is draining on the corner of the frame making the tray under the door wet.

Our original plan was to install a duct and swa and it could later be replaced by a bigger, permanent cable. But reality got in the way. Excavator on site for something else took ages and was gone. Scaffold went up over the trench line, and the filthy weather. Too much last minute thinking. The blue cable would not be trailing as I will have it in the air at 2m or more, with a central post if necessary. So it's safe from tripping. And it will be in an area inaccessible to plant. I might hang red and white tape round it. Any other pragmatic solutions are welcome. I can't see why we can't have 3 or 4 yellow cables from 13A sockets. Not ideal obv but if it works? In reality they have lights, a very powerful chop saw, a drill, and lots of battery tools. So one cable for saw, one for lights and one for other stuff? 13A mains socket through a transformer then 30m of 110V cable. How do we know what we can drive off that? OR HO7RN-F Ive looked this up. 25m black cable with blue sockets costs £115 so sounds easy. Therefore i must be missing an important "but". Is 16A enough? If I got 32A it apparently has a different plug.. is that an issue? Thinks.... the chop saw should be near the power source.. it isn't but easily could be. Such an obvious thing!

How uneven? 40mm screed should be the minimum and some slab layers are hopeless at levels..

I'm well aware of the arguments around thin and thick screeds. There are many excellent discussions on this forum covering the subject. We're going at 50mm (architect was pushing for 40mm!). The PIR is already on site and the first layer (120mm) installed so rightly or wrongly, we're fully committed. I would, in retrospect, have preferred 70mm to allow better tolerance of the uneven slab but we are where we are and I'm sure it'll work out. Everyones thoughts and recommendations have been much appreciated as always!

The reason I said in the first place was, that the flexibility comes from having a big energy store, then you can play tunes with how you heat your house. Pure weather compensation is fine with thin and thicker screeds, batch charge can only be done with thicker screeds. Batch charging can be useful with time of use tariffs. A few on here only heat on cheap rate periods. 40mm is more like a big radiator.

I would size heat pump based on a few criteria Over size ashp approx 1.2 to 1.4 for region of +5 to 0 to allow for defrosting. Make sure heat pump puts out a genuine minimum of 7kW at you design temp. Take note also of oversize to cover defrosting. Get a heat pump with good modulation. Size system volume based on 20L per kW output at minimum modulation of heat pump. Exclude in volume calculation any radiators with trvs and their pipe work. Exclude any UFH loops with actuators. Any volume needed, add by volumiser not buffer.

If this is a liquid screed then 50mm is fine, some are even 40mm

Hey, hi, my name is Marmalade (you may debate if this is my real name or not – it will be a quick discussion I’m sure) Looking forward to diving into this knowledge base on the friendliest and most helpful self-build forum in the UK. Currently in the midst of a self-build project, it’s been an interesting journey so far, especially as this is all new to me. (Thank goodness for the help of AI to save me from hours of searching through websites) My land purchase is finalised, waiting for the land registry documents, I’ve got my insurances, builder contract, building control, structural warranty and self-build mortgage partners all in place. Some specific topics, challenges and areas of weakness are mostly related to the actual build and verification we’re doing the right things: -Utility connection – specifically Drainage/Waste water -Insulation - My site wasn’t covered over the past few months while the cavities were open with insulation inserted – this has been the biggest source of stress and mostly why I’m here! If any one can suggest where I can start posting on these, that would be incredible Thanks for accepting me to join this community, Marmalade (not my real name 😉)

We are using a design and build company for the renovation. They are good and I have seen evidence of decent plumbing as our neighbours used them last year. I am happy to waive the grant as it looks as though I am going to have to pay for an oversized system if using MCS-accredited company. It looks as though I need a 7kW ASHP rather than the 14kW I am being offered. I have accounted for DHW production. However, as someone with no prior experience, I will have to be quite brave to source my own ASHP, design the system and ask them to fit it. How much faith should I place in the calculator? I am confident I have used the correct figures, according to my architect's tender package (so hopefully not a case of sh!t in, sh!t out). I am greatly reassured by the expertise of those in this forum, but it is still a little uncomfortable challenging the "experts" who have delivered the quotes thus far.

The car crash one is an important one as it’s a double joist. get him to install a bolt in the wall in the right bloody location 🤦🏻‍♂️ then sink the nuts in on the wonky ones so they are flush, then re fit the joist hangers correctly Fark me it’s not that hard. why are the bolts at a stupid angle.

Make sure your window supplier knows you're having stone chills if you want the frames to sit directly on them as you need to be sure any frame drainage will work. Quite often you'll see a stub plastic cill installed on top of a stone cill, which isn't quite such a clean look.

Thanks @JohnMo very helpful as ever - my lack of understanding on the ACH was fundamental!

Ask the manufacturer for an installation detail. Your stepped DPC is definitely approximately the right approach. Unlike plastic etc cills, stone or cast is porous so you need to prevent moisture getting through and behind it. This is a decent starting point and also emphasises you may need to accommodate expansion/movement between the cill and brickwork, that's another point on which the manufacturer should be able to help

Pretty rubbish in a premium price point ASHP!

This would be my thought as well, if you are running 230v around a construction site it really needs to be swa to fixed socket outlets with a couple of 5kva transformers plugged in or hard wired to a 10kva transformer.

Put in 0 rather than empty. Put 0.3 to 0.5 in the ACH. This figure isn't airtightness its ventilation heat loss calculation. Airtightness does have an impact but its small if you are doing airtightness detailing.

Struggling a bit with the heat loss calculator- trying to do my homework such that I can challenge the 14kW etc ASHP quotes I'm being given by various MCS suppliers. We have abandoned MVHR for our renovation on grounds of cost and practicalities. The trouble is, once the MVHR efficiency box is empty on Jeremy's sheet I do indeed come up with figures closer to the massive heat pumps being suggested! However, ACH of course has a massive impact. We will be building with attention to detail in terms of air tightness, but not PH design. Had been planning dMEV in wet rooms and humidity-controlled inlets. How, then, to estimate my ACH, for meaningful output from the calculator?! Short of doing an air tightness test. (We haven't started building yet) Apologies that much of this is repetition from my previous posts elsewhere, but I can't quite work out how to tie everything together.

Theirs a nailing schedule on the hanger. I.e 20 for face fix only. 8 for face and 4 top. The schedule doesn’t give a mix though although their are others ways around apparently without hangers but needed to know the best alternatives

Pictures? Doesn't building regs say to nail in every hole?

Agree, 50mm screed is absolute minimum and leaves no margin for variations