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Build the cavity to suit 150mm and get the beads blown in. Will be cheaper than the full fill insulation and you will end up with a better real world result as it's very easy to leave gaps in the boards ESP at corners and doors & window reveals.

My view is that this thread has now run it's course, and that the summary that @recoveringacademic has carefully compiled here: should be considered to be the definitive source of information for self-builders. For those who are not self builders, but who are building as a part of a business, and so are bound by CDM 2015, as they are not domestic clients, then I would suggest that it is very unsafe to rely on information from an internet forum when it comes to getting legal advice. I'd also add that relying on any legal advice obtained from someone not practising law is also inadvisable. I've seen several accident cases where individuals made assumptions as to their liability based on advice obtained from the media, friends and even consultants, that proved to be wrong and ended up costing them dearly. Self builders are, by definition domestic clients as far as all building-related legislation is concerned, and the guiding principle to be remembered is that legislation aimed to improve the safety and welfare of workers on construction sites, in whatever statute, is not intended to apply to someone who is a domestic client. The sole exception to this is the law that covers each and every one of us every day, with regard to the reasonable duty of care we each have to each other. It is worth remembering that the word "reasonable" has no definition in the law of England and Wales (not sure about Scotland and NI, but I think it's the same). If you are an ordinary citizen, with no specialist training or knowledge, then what is considered "reasonable" in terms of your actions or inactions will be judged on that basis. As soon as you seek to acquire recognised skills and knowledge that means that a court may consider that you have an enhanced duty of care your liability increases. As an example, I used to teach electricians at technical college many years ago, and for years held a ticket myself. Even though I no longer hold a valid chit to work as an electrician today, I would still be considered by a court to have a higher duty of care to others in terms of electrical advice than someone with no such experience. It's the reason I spent a great deal of time clarifying certain points in my blog, after making a typo here that was picked up on and used to condemn me as giving dangerous advice. I felt strongly enough about making sure that my own liability was reduced as to not only quickly correct the typo but also to spend three days writing two articles to clarify things. Those articles were not written from the goodness of my heart, they were written to reduce my personal liability!

I'm not really sure what's going on here. Whether you are getting a firm in to fit new windows or install a new roof, or build you a house, if you are DIY or Self Build, you are not responsible for CDM 2015. Whoever you bring in, whether a main contractor, one single contractors or a variety of contractors is responsible for ensuring they operate in a manner compliant with CDM 2015 and any other safety standards. If self builders start trying to 'appoint' people to roles incorrectly, not only are they going to confuse things but could create a legal mess should an event occur. It's the job of contractors, builders, joiners, decorators etc to ensure they work safely first and foremost. It's not our job to try do their job.

Rendering and all cladding completed. Couple coats of paint on the render and we'll probably give it another towards the end of the summer when we hopefully finish the build. Also Cecil the Lion is in place, this stone lion head is on every house that my family (my Grandad, Dad and now me) has self built, 4 in this town currently, 3 of which are still owned by the family. The story of how this tradition began is a little lacking in detail, but I did enjoy placing it 50+ years after my Grandad did the very same thing just a mile or so up the road.

No they will offer up to a grand, just type the value into the box then it will ask if you want extra cover, will cost a bit more but if you want it for peace of mind then it is worth it.

Get yourself over to Interparcel, basically a broker: https://uk.interparcel.com/ I have business accounts with TNT and UPS but actually find these guys to be cheaper. I probably use these guys on average of once a week - never had an issue yet and you can deal directly with the courier you then choose to book with. Just get the sink well boxed up and send away - if sinks are on some list then say it is ceramic components. I don't know the dims and weight but I just got a price as an idea for a 25Kg package 500 x 500 x 500 from one end of the country to the other and it was about £12 with tax. These guys are brilliant for eBay sales. I send gearboxes and differentials and all sorts with them - heavy heavy objects.

I used full fill boards but as i built it myself i took a lot of time and made sure everyone was perfect. No Brickie will take that much care as he will be on price work so has to go fast to make his money. I also used lightweight blocks on the inside to improve the u value. Done all my working out near 3 years ago so wouldn't have the specific details to hand. Generally whoever you get will have a standard bead with a k value of 0.04 and then a premium version maybe a plantinum bead of 0.032. Take a cavity of 150mm and from that you get: 0.15/0.04=3.75. 0.15/0.032=4.69 1/3.75 = 0.27. 1/4.69= 0.21 This is a useful calculator. In the cavity section pick the mineral wool as it has the same values of 0.032 and 0.044 as the beads. Play about with it and see how using different types of blocks improves the overall u value. After that then it's working out the costs and see what suits the budget. https://www.cba-blocks.org.uk/u-value-calculator/ The solid boards are better in a lab but if they aren't installed correctly then they are useless. That's what you are doing by going the beads route. You are eliminating the risk of boards being pushed out by mortar it wall ties and creating cold spots on the walls. It's very easy done.

So where is a sink on the prohibited list? Try getting a quote from a man with a van on shiply.com

Started on the CADCAN! (As opposed to CADCAM....) Who knew? When you stack 150mm high 440ml Fosters cans you lose 2mm as they interlock:

To be honest for the cost of a staircase you would end up making a lot more work for yourself and probably end up costing more unless you have a free supply of angle. By the time you work out all the geometry and start drilling for angles to be mounted and all sorts you will wish you had just bought a staircase.

Thanks all for the replies I'm in Cardiff at the moment but understand I won't be finding a plot here anytime soon. South Wales somewhere would be great id even go as far as Swansea for the Sun.

..... and if you do it before January 2019 I'm sure @Nickfromwales would even travel over and install it....

Very good advice from Nick !

Sell all these things and put the money towards an UVC or TS. Ever heard the phrase "good money after bad"?

I'm trying to change the least amount possible from a standard install, but to still allow Loxone to control UFH recirc. Here's what I have being installed at the moment (not yet proven) I wish to exclude the buffer when I recirc so I've added a Normally Closed valve in between UFH pump and buffer plus a Normally Open valve between that and the return. Loxone will ultimately control what the heating system is doing via Modbus comms into the heating controls, but in recirc mode, called by a delta between two slab temperature probes, Loxone will switch on the GP10 pump. If heat or cool is called then Loxone will power the NC & NO valves.

Sorted a £6 150W car fan heater and a few old batteries. Nicely balanced at 12 Amp in and 13Amp out (when its sunny) (Though 12A @ 12V is only 144W so long way down on the 285W the panels are supposed to generated - assuming input current measured at 12V and not the open circuit 37V)

The Moderation team has decided to lock this thread, principally because it has run its course: no new argument was being advanced. Thanks everyone for your interest and - if you did - your contribution.

hello @Gorlando, foil works as an insulation because it has a low emissivity of infrared (heat) radiation. For this to work there must be an air gap (of at least 25mm) in front of the shiny surface,. If the foil is in contact with a solid the heat is transferred by conduction. as mentioned by others the foil used for this is vapour impermeable and should not without careful consideration be used on the cold side of other insulation as there is a danger of interstitial condensation

Make an upside down U shape out of 50 x 100, stand it on the temporary stairs so the bottom of the U is about level with 1st floor and then batten over the biggest drop area. The remainder is safe because of the handrail and you should still have access by walking through the supports.

@Gorlando did you mean foil faced polyurethane? E.g. Kingspan, Celotex, etc. The need for a gap isn't so much about what insulation you use, it's about the breathability of the wall or roof buildup itself. There needs to be a pathway for any moisture within the structure to get out, either by passing through a breathable material or via a vented cavity.

Products such as Celotex CF5000 allow this with pir, but Foil Faced EPS seems very rare. https://www.celotex.co.uk/products/cf5000 Ferdinand

Hi Sarah. Yes Bricklayer will do all of that, a. depends on building control requirement for an extension and just how air tight the rest of the house is. Essentially you need to make sure that you don't reduce the overall airtightness of the whole house and preferably improve it to make the insulation in the extension work that bit harder. If you are plastering the inside then this will usually do much of it but making sure you get a good seal around the windows and any doors will also be useful, if you have any pipes / services running through the walls then these need to be sealed well. Ensuring good air tightness needs to be in all the sub contractors' contracts as it is no good if the plasterer does a great job and then the plumber just punches a great hole through and does not make good. b) you will need some sort of detail around the windows in brick / block construction this is usually done with a cavity closer - such as here. The window fitters will then seal the window to the specification you set for them. There are loads of standard details for this out there, such as here. Singles lift means just one surface at the level of / suitable for the roof by the sounds of it. The bricklayer probably won't need it if only 2.5m high but the chippy, fitting the roof structure and cutting into the exiting build probably will and the roofer also. Work with the scaffolders to make sure that their scaffolding does not interfere with other trades' work such as the roof structure chippy, down pipes (rainwater), any service penetrations and windows and doors as you will get those trades moving the scaffolding and that is a big no no and you don't want to keep paying for the scaffolders to come back and move it out of the way of the window fitters. Although they will probably work from verbal instructions you will find yourself answering loads of questions and paying for changes that could have been avoided as even a simple sketch will help you work through your thoughts and be clear with each trade where you want things. Agree it's not simple but it will save you loads of questions and clarify things - sections are not required other than for details not the whole building. Given the cutting in with the existing roof you may want to leave that a bit open because you won't know what is under there until you get it open and if you are knocking out a big opening you should seek a Structural Engineer's design as building Control will require this.

We were in a similar position - though without PP, just an old bungalow. I held off demolition until we had all our ducks in a row. My logic was that if something changed (e.g. PP was going to be a major compromise against our requirement) then we still had the option to not proceed and could sell the existing house off and not have lost too much. Compared to spending money on demolition and then selling the land. Once PP is granted, you will probably need a few weeks or months to get quotes in, select and book your groundworkers. This period can be used to demolish - there is a notice period we had to give our council (I think 6 weeks), however my demolition contractor forgot to give notice then called them and they granted it straight away, of course on payment of the fees. Our 3-bedroom bungalow was down on day 1, footings dug out on day 2 and site cleared on day 3. This was all with a single man in a big digger-thingy. Other things to watch out for: Bats - can need surveys etc which could take forever - tied to seasons. Asbestos - survey and specialist removal and disposal Services disconnection - gas, electric, water, telephone. We had Thames Water and it took forever to sort that out.

Welcome - Sequence and interfaces between the trades becomes everything in this sort of project - being clear of everybody's scope and knitting the scopes together is vital. Covering up is not difficult if needed but probably the knock through can be done once the extension is actually part built and perhaps largely watertight. Have you a drawing that might help us understand what you are doing? Otherwise a typical sequence might be (Not exhaustive): Get design including specifications for materials / finishes etc. Get planning permission. Get building control on board. Ground works - including any soil pipes, electric / gas / comms ducts etc. (Usually the ground worker) Foundation formation - fitting any insulation, laying DPM and pouring the concrete of a particular specification to a tolerance in the ground works. (Usually the ground worker) Walls including damp proof coursing, insulation, window apertures and airtightness. (of whatever construction - sounds like timber frame in your case). (Chippy) Roof timbers, sheathing - wooden surface, Vapour Control Layer if required, air tightness and link work to existing roof. (Chippy) {Rainwater goods probably needed here as well to take water from roof} Cut into existing roof and cover up. (General builder type work but chippy might to it) Roof covering including VCL if not in chippy scope, EG membrain, and refitting / making good any tiles from sloping roof to meet new flat portion. (Roofer - they usually want a flat, boarded / sheathed, surface to work from and connect roof to rainwater goods) Brick infills, required damp proof courses, associated insulation and structural connections(Bricklayer) Cut through existing building including fitting structural steel if needed. EG Lintel / RSJ (General builder) Fit windows and maintain / continue airtightness (Window company or general builder) Complete outer surfaces EG render or whatever. (General builder or specialist depending on finishes} Internal fit out EG second fix etc, without damage to airtightness. (General builder / Electrician / Plumber) Plastering / Drylinning (Plasterer / dry liner) Kitchen fit (Kitchen fitter) Decorating (Decorator, significant other - if persuadable or yourself!) Kitchen warming party. Each one will need a clear scope and check that there are no gaps and minimal overlaps (no point in paying twice) between the scopes. Hope this helps.

If you want to cool the slab, an ASHP is probably the only viable off-the-shelf option. I suppose you could provide the wiring and plumbing for such a unit and decide after you'v lived with it for a while whether you actually need/want slab cooling. In my experience, the only places that I've wanted cooling during the peak of summer is upstairs. Downstairs was always perfectly comfortable, but after long hot spells the bedrooms did get warmer than desirable at times. One thing I'd absolutely build in if I were doing this again is provision for insect screens on bedroom windows. At times last year it was a choice between being too hot and being eaten by mosquitos. Another option would be a fan - I lived in Sydney for years, and found that a simple pedestal fan was fine to make the temperature tolerable enough for sleeping, even during very warm weather.

This post is summary of the Principal Designer thread. The purpose of this summary is to assist members and guests decide for themselves how CDM2015 impacts their build project. The summary is offered as is and should not be interpreted as authoritative advice. As is normal in asynchronous online discussion, the thread sometimes changes its focus a little. Where those changes occur, the content has not been summarised. Discussion of this issue is particularly relevant to us because we are a self-build forum, whose members are assumed not to be professional builders, or -in relation to building- have any technical understanding or capability beyond simple DIY . To be clear, the following assumptions are made; · A client is a Domestic Client. The distinction is central to all that follows · The Domestic Client can choose to apply for VAT relief in due course, whereas a Client cannot · The Domestic Client is not engaged, or about to be engaged, in a business related to the build (because they will then be a Client, not a Domestic Client) The thread started with a question about the role of Principal Designer. The examination of that question inevitably lead to discussion about how the role related to other key aspects of the legislation. There was some reference to the history of Health and Safety legislation, but it was pointed out that over time, the general emphasis had not changed. If you qualify for Domestic Client status, then a contractor working for you carries the main responsibility for Health and Safety. It was in the detailed examination of the term ‘responsibility’ that a good deal of discussion arose. Several members agreed that the legislation was poorly drafted for our sector of the market. And in the context of a self-build forum, where many of us will be doing things for the build on our own (DIY) as well as employing contractors, it is easy to see a rich source of confusion. For example, self-builders might be tempted to become involved in the build in a way which implies technical competence and so enhanced H+S responsibility. A strong warning was given to self-builders to avoid becoming involved in technical aspects of the build to the extent that they might be considered ‘ a responsible person’. And that includes the self-builder being trained in a relevant build subject to the extent that he or she might be assumed by the courts to have more responsibility than a Domestic Client would be expected to have. Perhaps the simplest articulation of how CDM responsibilities can be operationalised was in this post (@jamiehamy) ‘… We have only used contractors for the steel frame, lifting in floor beams, ground works/drainage and electrics - and each time I've made it clear that the contractor is responsible for operating safely and I do not dictate how they complete the activities. I don't supervise on site and most certainly do not manage their work or how they work - they have a deliverable and it is their responsibility to complete that. Where required, I offer safety equipment, ask what they need me to provide to work safely and healthily, I find out if they are dependent on me for anything and let them get on with it. Maybe I should do more in writing but I choose reputable contractors and all work is fully invoiced…’ In terms of prosecution for H+S breaches, providing the Domestic Client has fulfilled their duties (not covered in detail in this summary) prosecution is highly unlikely. Domestic Clients should make sure the site is safe and secure, tidy and clear of obvious hazards. There was some discussion based on the meaning of a series of CDM-specific terms; Project Manager, PD, PC, Client, Domestic Client, Business or Business Activity, Contractor, design, designer as well as others. Please refer to the full discussion for a more detailed discussion. But it was convincingly argued (with supporting evidence, and some unevidenced dissention) that a Domestic Client cannot be either a Principal Contractor or Principal Designer. Additionally, there was some discussion of official legal documents related to CDM2015. In summary: be sure to understand the meaning of the term Domestic Client, and to maintain that status throughout the build. Any competent person with whom you have a contract to complete work on your site should be capable of working safely. Offer support to fulfill H+S requirements, but never offer advice or direct work or manage the process. If, after reading this summary you feel you need to, take care to seek advice from more than one reliable, authoritative source. Paying for advice does not guarantee its accuracy or authority. Source url forum.buildhub.org.uk/ipb/topic/2376-principal-designer-role/ Bibliography. HSE (2015), Managing health and safety in construction. Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, HSE Books downloaded 04/05/2017 http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l153.pdf See especially Appendix 6. HSE (2015), How CDM 2015 applies to Domestic Clients Appendix 6, Figure 1, in Managing health and safety in construction. Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Download the flow chart (from our server) here HandSforDomesticClients.pdf HSE Construction Discussion Forum (accessed 04/05/2017)

Jason, knock the house down and start again. OR.... a small -tiny even- bead of lead which encourages the water downwind, downhill, before it gets to the edge of the roof (and thus invisible form the location from which the photo was taken.)

What are you trying to achieve? We fitted ours so we could comfortably look out and take in the view when seated. In our case the bottom of the window is 800mm off the floor.