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This reads like AI. Usually the beams are bowed upwards and you use SCC for the floating concrete top with insulation in-between. The concrete levels the surface out so its thinner in the middle, thicker at the edges. Has the floor moved since the concrete was poured? Do you mean you surveyed a 5x5m square, seems a big room but 500mm square seems to small to judge anything.

Hi all, I’m looking for some advice on a badly uneven ground floor in a 2020 new-build. The floor construction has been confirmed by the developer as a proprietary suspended system consisting of prestressed concrete beams, EPS/Jablite infill and approximately 75mm of reinforced structural concrete topping. There is no conventional floating screed. Glue-down LVT was installed over roughly 3mm of smoothing compound. After lifting the failing LVT, I surveyed the floor on a 500 × 500mm laser grid. Both main rooms are distinctly bowl-shaped: high around the perimeter and low in the centre. Living room: 25mm total variation over approximately 4.5 × 4.5m. Kitchen/dining room: 27mm variation over approximately 5.5 × 4m. Calculated departures under a 2m straightedge reach approximately 6.9mm. There are particularly steep ramps near the patio doors. The same pattern appears to continue into the rest of the ground floor. I’m trying to understand the likely cause. Possibilities I have considered are: curling of the reinforced topping from differential drying shrinkage; the topping having been struck out incorrectly; deflection of the beams; incorrect topping thickness or reinforcement position. The biaxial bowl shape seems less consistent with simple beam deflection, but I am not a structural engineer. The remediation options I have considered are: Mechanically remove the old adhesive and smoothing compound, then install a bonded deep levelling compound (unsure about extra weight) Use Fermacell dry levelling compound and dry-screed boards, possibly with Therm25 UFH. Install an adjustable low-profile raised floor such as SubFloor steel rails with a structural deck. Limited grinding of the highest areas combined with levelling material, subject to reinforcement cover. In the worst case, structural removal and recasting of the topping, although this would be highly disruptive. The intention is eventually to install wet UFH and a floating engineered-wood floor. Added weight and finished-floor height are important because of the entrance door and bottom stair riser. Has anyone encountered this kind of deformation in a beam-and-EPS floor with a reinforced structural topping? What investigations would you carry out before choosing a repair? And which remediation approach would you regard as the most technically sound and proportionate? PS: I guess I could attempt to raise a claim with NHBC, particularly seems it was mention in the first 2 years as well to the developer, but I have a feeling it won't go anywhere

Aye I've got my screws all ready. Just seems a mental amount to put in but I've already drawn the grid now, looks like a Sunday afternoon job. Ran a few tests, think I'm ok with the depth and 25mm screws, takes a lot to get it to go through the other end of the chipboard to be fair.

Also just to mention, our timber frame supplier (no insulation provided) is a member of the STA and our warranty provider (and B regs) just asked for their calculations etc.

If you ventilate it well to keep it nice and dry then unless you heat it at times it will be flippin freezing. If your solar batteries are the main issue then is it worth just insulating them? I presume they need a bit of ventilation to keep them from overheating in summer? So maybe throw a blanket over them in winter?

I'm with G on this. Match the show tray. And I also know my pay grade 😀

We have had Ed keep telling us the only way electricity prices will come down is more renewables. BUT what he does not tell us, is the more renewables we have won't make any difference while we have the ridiculous market set by the highest cost generator, usually gas. So until gas is only used occasionally the prices will remain much the same., A change to the market system could bring prices down sooner, and in a way that gradually reduces as more renewables come on line. Does our next PM have the balls to stir up the market and actually do something?

I imagine it would be quite difficult to get a reliable cost comparison between factory fit and on site fit. I get the convenience, erection speed and possible quality improvement over on site PIR fit. But until such things become the norm and competitive pressures push down prices I’d worry about the extra cost. But then, I’m a tight wotsit.

I have, and i know its at the upper end compared to most of our peers. Especially non domestic. Which is probably actually causing more harm than the domestic price. That is, however, a diversion, because it was you that keeps saying it will get cheaper, but given the market structure, i cant see how. Im still waiting for that explanation.

It may show that electricity is not that expensive in reality. But you have to do your own research, you will not believe it otherwise.

Thats historic, not future. My question remains. Specifically about what will happen in the future. And we all know the answer, ie, it will keep on going up.

I've found that some of the TF vendors factory fit the (PIR) insulation. The argument being that factory installation is going to have better tolerances and quality control.

😁🤣 I doubt an increase of around 30Twh in a world using 40,000 Twh a year is going to do much!

@Alan Ambrose What are blue squares on the roof and walls

Isn't that the norm - i.e. what they always do. Buying pre-insulated cassettes is not the norm.

But pretty unlikely to drive oil and gas prices either way, as they are set globally by the markets.

Well they are going to allow more drilling and extraction, so should be next Tuesday. We will see unquestionably next tuesday if it happens.

Tools rusting is more related to lack of ventilation than insulation. Ideally add one on the inside wall, behind the ply. I would add a mineral wool insulation.

When gas prices fall. And when they do, they'll eventually go up again the next time some geopolitical cluster fork disrupts gas supplies again. But so far this year renewables have displaced just shy of 2/3 of the gas we would have had to buy which has cushioned the blow to electricity prices. The most recent energy price cap raised gas prices by 25% but electricity by only 5% partly because of this displacement.

I have an outbuilding that I'd like to insulate to make it useable as a workshop and to keep my solar batteries warm! I'd also like to reduce the rusting of tools etc stored there The visible sides are all loglap but the rear is a combination of old brickwork and (currently) sterling board I have some Versarend render board left over, enough to completely cover/replace the sterling board. Do I need a vapour layer and where? Regards Tet

What's the thinking around STA assured wall build-ups? I'm thinking if you were to piecemeal the wall -- TF co supplies uninsulated frame, insulation is fitted on site separately... Would you run into issues with mortgage-ability or structural warranty going down that route?

Pretty much left it to the electrician. As a side note: Scottish BR are way more prescriptive than English and much easier to implement a good design.

I’m trying to make sense of the BR and what I can see of BS5396-6. We’re installing the electrical first fix and have a circuit for fire alarm covering the required areas shown in Approved doc B. What have people done here for their fire alarm design & installation? The BR guidance seems very straightforward and clear about what we install and where, but then Approved Document B, Volume 1: Dwellings, Section 1, under “Design and installation of systems” also states: “Fire detection and alarm systems must be properly designed, installed and maintained. A design, installation and commissioning certificate should be provided for fire detection and alarm systems.” Is the mention of fire alarm commissioning certificate (which has a section for ‘designed by’ required for self-build residential homes (I.e. not HMO, not especially large - no single floor over 200sqm etc)

When Susie was a striper, s stripper Susie was She said "Oh Ah, I lost my bra, I left my knickers in the car"

Yup. Stick a bag over the shower trap to keep it clean.