Leaderboard

Turning my attention to the MVHR service area I have, I need to decide whether to insulate the area of loft space which will house the MVHR unit and distribution boxes as a warm space (i.e. line the attic trusses with PU boards) or leave it as a cold space (i.e. earthwool insulation between ceiling joists, with MVHR and distribution boxes on a raised platform above. Insulating over the top of the ductwork and distribution boxes is easy enough in the cold roof scenario, so it's really a question of whether there are significant disadvantages to having the MVHR unit (Vent Axia Sentinal Kinetic Plus) in a cold space. Ducts to and from the MVHR unit will be insulated and would in the case of the air intake and exhaust have to pass into cold roof space at some point. Looking inside the MVHR unit itself, it's mostly an insulated box. A cold space would certainly be easier and cheaper (as I would need 6 x 100mm PU boards to insulate the space as a warm space), but that has to be set against the increased heat losses from the MVHR unit if it is in a cold rather than warm space. Looking through the manual, it suggests insulating the unit for optimum performance if installed in a cold space, but doesn't quantify what the losses may be / how the performance would differ. Anyone care to comment / have a stab at what the likely losses would be in a cold space?

Anyone with experience advise on best choice of mvhr unit would be best out of the 2 suggested by bcp airflow bv 400 or vent axia kinetic plus b i think the noteable difference is the fact that the vent axia has imtermal humidistat which should help in bathrooms any other selling points? i didnt even know i was supposed to have one of these until last week but am keen to get on an order it. The difference in price is around £600 air flow plus all fittings inc 200m ducting around £2100 vent axia plus fittings £2650 these are supply only our budget is getting swallowed so we will be self installing are their plans easy to follow i read somewhere that the posh ducting is not needed they have quoted for radial crush proof quiet vent, maybe i could downgrade this to make it cheaper? thanks

Have used Scottish larch and like you i wanted to avoid joints, however even when i carefully worked out the requirements and quantities i was very short and ended up using another sort of wood cladding on the back of the caravan / cabin, this came about because i pre laid the wood out on the feild to see what worked best, large boards at the base smaller at the top, but also tried to work the wainy edge to look "right" to my eye, i had boards left over but was not happy with the quality of the last 10% or the ability to make them look as good as the other three sides, so decided to do something different on the back. In the end i was very happy but would recomend either veiwing your product or over order and use the dross for a wood shed or something. I also did not want the natural efect and uses a common brand wood preserver / stain / weather sheild, i expect i will have to repaint before the 5 year "guarantee" but am ok with with that as i want to keep it looking fresh. I guess if your not using wainy edge it becomes a whole lot easier....... Will try and get a photo soon.

Looking good !! Like the use of the milk crate .....

We've just had our resin floor laid (107m2) - it's not been plain sailing but we seem to be there now. We used a firm who use the Sika comfortfloor system which has a 3mm rubber crumb mat under the resin and make the floor wonderfully soft underfoot. Substrate was two layers of ply (9mm and 12mm), cross laid and screwed and glued to the 22mm OSB floor deck. The first sub layer pour did not cure properly and neither did the second - lots of imperfections and a hazy matt surface both times - no clear reason why but some suspicion that the humidity may have exceeded tolerances or issues with the chemicals. The house is a MBC passive build so airtight and highly insulated but we ensured that the property was ventilated. Anyway, third time has appeared to work fine and they are now top coating it, I have been hugely impressed with their professionalism and determination to get it right at no additional cost to us - happy to share their details via PM if anyone is considering similar. We also looked a micro screed which, although 3mm thick, gives the appearance of polished concrete so that's an alternative for the OP.

Something for nothing ? The video about the Innotech which produced Hydrogen from natural gas is quite interesting, but he stumbled a bit when mentioning that biomass may end up producing the electricity required to support the conversion process Still makes me wonder where the Hydrogen will come from when the gas runs out / is too expensive! Thanks for the video link, I was too knackered the weekend to think of something so simple. Now I realise the ecogen isn't a Combi ( my assumption sorry ) and that makes it a bit more relative to your application. A quick browse sees average MCS installs at between £5k to £6.5k. A regular system boiler would be circa a grand, so about £1800 fitted ( retro fit price ). That leaves you the £2.5k you need for your genny, plus between £700 to £2.2k to run it. Dont forget that the CHP baxi only produces 1kw when delivering the full 6k of the primary gas burning side . Best to yank all your insulation out and drill a few vents in here and there to increase your gas usage . ( been a long day, sorry ). With a low energy house you may struggle to get any meaningful electrical generation tbh, and I was reading about this from 06:00 to 09:00 this morning so have researched as much as I could before replying ( still not long enough to realise it wasn't a Combi though. D'oh! ). With the stand alone genny you'll be able to produce heat and or electricity when you need it most, rather than have the boiler dictate when you get additional electricity. What is your design heat loss in kW?

I know the site pavingexpert.com was much recommended over on eBuild. With my boy driving soon (hopefully) need to think about extending the parking area. Just been looking at it and thinking what a cracking site it is. Posting here for the benefit of new members: http://www.pavingexpert.com/