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Da Dahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Feeling pretty pleased with myself as I have been dreading making this door. video-1558292016.mp4

Well that went well, Steamy Tea and me running round with joss sticks, found an ASHP pipe that I had forgotten to silicon up but a few windows leaked where the timber had shrunk away from the plaster a little, which will be sorted on re decorating after the house has settled. The tester said it was better than he was used to. Will get the official figures soon so will post them (if they are good enough to hold my head up here on the forum). We also opened the loft hatch to see if the warm roof was as airtight as we thought (hoped) and it looked good.

Get the grim reaper to do it ?

While I wait for postie to delivery the new spikes I think the birds are taking the Micky building their nest on my home made bird protection system!

OK. Try these for size. The best I can do without impinging on client time this week. Here is your original. Here the one with what I said above. In particular: - The lounge is now 6m x 6m, with the dining bit bitten out of one corner. Enough space to play with. - Kitchen turned into a C plan. Plenty of storage with an island the same size as a normal kitchen table = 1200 x 900. I would make the island suitable for 4 or 6 x bar stools for more formal dining ( @jackdoes this kind of thing). I have used the "sit in the 'corridor'" trick; if you are sitting on the stool you do not need the circulation space. There is still 600mm to walk past anyway when the stools are out. I would also make it a surface suitable for major cooking sessions. - Hob on peninsula unit for social cooking. Peninsula 900 wide so space for 4x breakfast bar should you need. under 300mm overhang. Keep 4 stools there, and 2 under island. Sink round corner for fridge -> worktop -> sink -> worktop -> cookers layout. - Store has gone. I cannot see the point of having secure paper files in the same space as a huge water tank and umpteen water pipes. The water gubbins can be in the utility, the secure cabinet is under the stairs in the middle of the house. - All the other spaces are functionally the same size, so no losses there. - Put the utility room and hall door where you like. - The angled wall with the full height mirror is important for making the entrance interesting - so you get a glance out of the big window. - I have flipped the stairs so that the understairs can be in the porch for bikes and gubbins. Also improves space in lounge. Secure store is under stairs - I would make it 750 deep with bifolds, to fit a filing cab or custom unit inside. - The layout around the porch and hall is still a little clunky - needs some playing with. - Windows need reorganising. And a blank for anyone else to play with. Just a few more things to say later. Ferdinand

Before automating anything you must do due diligence and read https://twitter.com/internetofshit

I found joss sticks worked OK when I was tracking down air leaks in our old house. The smell did result in me being asked a few searching questions about what I'd been doing, though...

Can you use one of the smoke detector tester cans they make smoke....or maybe its not enough smoke. Otherwise there is always the faulty hairdryer method as used (accidentally) by me last year.....that makes a lot of smoke!

Unless you cannot afford to do the work, need a second loan / refinance etc, I think you can take the email on face value and go ahead. It is up to your lender to make sure their advisers give clear and accurate information to customers. I still can't work out how the lender found out in the topic though...

I wouldn't assume that everyone who works in client services doesn't know what they are doing anyway as many of them are very experienced. I actually wrote something related in an earlier thread and on the basis of what you have done I think you are covered. I think you have taken reasonable care and not misrepresented yourself so job's a good un . It's mortgage rather than insurance but I would assume that similar disclosure clauses apply.

As I want all-gas and it has to be LPG I get a very limited range of choices... But I'm sure that Rangemaster/ Leisure/ Belling will all be just fine for us, the current Cannon LPG cooker didn't break the bank and still performs well twenty years on.

I'm trying to cut the overgrown grass in the church yard next door... We need a robo powered scythe.

Our architect did a nice job of the design of our house, but failed spectacularly to grasp the concept of low energy requirements. He was arguing in favour of a log burner almost until the timber frame went up!

I had a range in my last self build, went to eye level and a hob in the cottage which I hated so now back to a range again, both have been belling, last one was still in excellent order when I left it after 9 years so hopefully this one will be as good

I found this recent survey 7% Claim reduced bills . 9% Claim increased bills. 23% Said main reason for fitting was to reduce bills. 47% Unlikely to have SM fitted in the next 12 months. 20% Fairly unlikely. 5% Very likely. 13% Fairly likely. 61% Had no issues with SMs 45% Found no benefits from having a SM . 29% Claimed more accurate readings . Any actual saving is small and lost in the noise. I doubt many people these days are particularly wasteful of energy so have little scope for turning stuff off. I have said before, I don't dispute the need for peak rate charging and hence the need for half hourly metering, it just incenses me that they are being "sold" on a false claim of saving the planet. In fact I was so incensed I have just fired off a complaint to ASA about that advert. The first time any advert has annoyed me enough to do that.

There is an example at PYC’s new offices in Wales. (They are an importer of WarmCel). The ceiling of their high-ceilinged open-plan office is fully coated with it. It’s a rather unusual and pleasing texture and they intend for it to remain on show. Good for dampening echos too I would think.

I'm so far impressed with my Z-wave based Fibaro setup. By going with a "standard" like Z Wave you can, to a degree, swap out components like switches and sensors. I'm trialling this in my current house to check for stability etc before the new build and so far so good. Turn off the central component, no problem light switches still do their thing, even light switches that actually wirelessly control a wall socket which has a regular table light plugged into it (simple remote logic is stored locally). It feels like a good balance between a high end lighting control system where you need an external programmer and a custom/hard for future owners to maintain heath robinson affair. Also have some sensors and a simple scene to turn on radio over Sonos in the mornings and all has worked though did have 1 system crash after about 6 months. Bought some different brand (smaller than Fibaro) plug in socket adapters that are great. I'm not going anywhere near automated / remote door or window controls based on proximity etc. Though may consider a top floor roof light opener linked to internal temp and rain sensor! The "programming" for this is largely via a graphic interface + you can get into some basic coding if you want to but I will try and avoid this to ease future maintainability. In case it's not obvious this is a local setup with no requirement for constant internet access - though of course to get updates etc you will want to have this from time to time. Another nice feature of this approach is that for light switches you can choose pretty much anything (best with retractive switches). You can also of course have key areas as part of the "system" but others with simpler requirements just operating on their own as regular light switch controls - BUT still use the same switches on these as well so it all looks the same. I did start another thread on a very similar topic just a few down the list here which may have some additional helpful info. Wiring - this type of approach can either be "regular" where you have the wireless comms/control unit fitted behind the light switch or have 1 or more central wiring points where the switch control units all sit together - that allows easier maintenance of things if needed.

With you there Lizzie Grew up with Range so seem very old fashioned My wife was quite specific Two high level Neff ovens Induction hob I quite like the ovens up high in a bank At 6”4 I don’t have kneel on the floor to get at the oven Like I did at our previous home

First of all, welcome. The answer in brief is leg work. You cannot read enough. You cannot network enough. You cannot ask too few questions. You already have two of the most valuable possessions: A trade. And all trades people have connections. A partner. Without one, its all so much harder. Connections mean answers. A partner means - at the very least ; oiled wheels, a sympathetic ear, another perspective. Vital. Good luck Ian

Personally I hate range cookers (grew up with an aga) but it should be the choice of the person who is going to be using the equipment not what fashion dictates.

For me, I'd start with the light. Morning light from East, evening light from West, constant light from South and 'flat' light from north. The current design does not have much East light, mainly in the porch and some in the dining window, However there is a lot of North glazing. Means your living / kitchen area could be a bit dull in the mornings but brighter in evenings.

Obviously. However the foam could be a perfectly good air barrier but still off gas horrid stuff so your assertion that off gassing being a problem implies a crap air barrier is a bit tenuous.

I think one problem is short cycling, this could lead to premature wear and tear. There is also the start up current needed, but I think most good quality ones soft start to stop this. Shortened URL to that Panasonic model. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Panasonic-Aquarea-air-source-heat-pump-mono-block/123766732587

ASHP seem to run more efficiently if not at max, however a scroll / inverter generally means it cannot run below 30% of max. So a 10kW HP (nominal output) would run at 3kW (nominal) lowest. In a low energy house this is quite a lot and HP will be cycling when demand in below 3kW, which you can reduce by using a buffer tank.

I am off to buy a packet of Marlboro, see you later.

We used a manifold to split the main trunk (metal) to multiple flexi ducts. The manifold was quite close to the MVHR, the flexis were long. Insulation inside the warm space is essential for the 2 runs between the MVHR and the external cowls else you will get condensation. After three attempts with the supplied foil-backed fibre insulation and aluminium sealing tape I finally resorted to armacell sheets that are stuck to the metal duct - this is excellent stuff. I used the non-self adhesive stuff and purchased a tin of adhesive with it. For runs between MVHR and internal vents we did not insulate - not needed as air is not very hot or cold relative to room temperature.

Fibaro for sensors indigo for Mac as control software . vera and fibaro own controllers I found to be pants - though of course may be good now . Get a 2nd Hand Mac mini and install indigo ( you have to pay for updates ) . Mac is reliable hardware , indigo is solid software . I tried every other permutation . Not keen on any apple or google solution as you will be bound to their eco system.

Assuming in England Appr Doc C gives maximum exposure zones for a range of cavity wall details - fair faced or render? full or part fill insulation? cavity width? etc.

Just don’t..!!! They are disgusting and will make stuff smell ..!!

Good tip!!! The lawns may survive but sadly the heritage of the buildings most of us are spending so much time and money lovingly constructing will in the main be one great blob of polystyrene in the ground. The Time Team of it's day in 100 years or so will look at it in amazement that we could have used so much environmentally unfriendly stuff......the 21st century equivalent of Saxon post holes on timber framed buildings just not as kind to the planet.

There's a lot to be said for running separate switched radials, from a single central location, as an electrical installation topology. It allows for anything from dumb switching with conventional switches, to any one of many possible automation systems, either giving full or part control. It also allows an easy future upgrade path, with minimal disruption to the decor etc, as pretty much any future changes would be made at one central location. By the same token, I've long felt that the UK should get rid of its obsession with ring finals, and return to the radial system used pretty much everywhere else in the world.

But aren't these foams intended to be the air barrier?

I've been playing with this plan, and it could imo be greatly improved by questioning a couple of the more fundamental design decisions. How constrained are you to 6m on width? Is that a genuine hard constraint (eg is your plot 7m wide?)? Let me try and explain. I know what I mean, but we think in different styles. Your plan is 6m x 12m inside, and that is a sod of a slightly awkward shape to work with for a modern design without getting quirky. That is the classic proportions for a small play-school house - a door and 4 windows, entered from the middle of the long side, with a hall in the middle and room each side, with a kitchen and staircase and other bits where they fit round that. But, you are trying to get a modern "wide at the back" style layout into it sideways. So you have ended up with service rooms that feel relatively large, and a lounge-diner that you are concerned may be cramped. And the symptom is that it feels too tight for a island, and you are here for a reassurance check. (It is good to be checking.) It is all made more difficult because you have divided your plan into 2 even narrower spaces by having a de facto corridor 1.2m wide all the way down the middle - so *all* of your spaces, except for one, are automatically limited to being 2.4m (8 feet) deep. And that is a heck of a limitation, and imposes a grid feel, from the start. That is why, I suggest, your utility feels long and narrow, rather than square. The long and narrow feel of the whole plan is exasperated by the lengthways island. Not, I think, the impression it needs in the current layout. Classically in garden design, for example, you would divide a long, thin garden into garden-rooms across the plot - not put a straight path down the middle. Same issue. You feel as if you can't fit an island in, because it won't fit without heavily compromising everything else ! But the underlying issue is not the size of the island or lounge; imo it is the limitations imposed on those by the basic size and layout of the floorplan. Essentially as I see you are trying to get a Oliver Hardy into Stan Laurel’s trousers, and the best solution is either to change the trousers, or change the person. Or something will chafe. For a specific example, 6m (lounge) is not wide enough for 2 equal activity zones; it is one space. And if there are 2 people you will always need the possibility (otherwise you will end up with a repurposed spare bedroom or a garden room or lose your upstairs snug to an office/hobby). eg If you have a TV end or a study end, that will need at least 2m (eg small Ikea 2 seat sofa), and your other half of the room then becomes cramped as a relaxing area. How to get around it? If it is a genuine hard constraint, then it can be worked with, but I think the easiest way to improve the liveability of the plan would be to make it say 7m or 8m x 10m, rather than 6m x 12m , or perhaps wider in part. Everything would then become a bit more relaxed to plan. And you would have more space for an island and a more generous (and flexible) lounge. Can you, for example, make it wider (if only in part) by building up to a boundary? Otherwise we are imo into playing with disrupting that central corridor to give you more practical spaces, and thinking carefully about the lounge. Which can all be done, but I needed to ask the fundamental questions first. And finding ways to create spaces deeper than 2.4m. hat is normal for a refurbed house, but new ones are better with the constraint designed out. Sorry. Around here questions often turn into cans of worms . They sometimes even turn out to be useful cans of worms. (If you confirm that 6m x 12m is a hard constraint, I will add a few notes later). Ferdinand

Start a new thread and put light and proximity sensor on it. Always a good start that is.

Ask 100 engineers for a solution to a simple problem and you will get 100 right answers.

We couldn't have the sink under the window as they are european style and open inwards, therefore the tap would be cleaved off So we nudged it along about half a metre and it works great. Was at my mates place the other day, he'd just had his kitchen done and had a similar arrangement - looked fine. Agree with many of the comments above. Your utility does not need a window and a door. Suggest flipping the sink to the wall to its right, make the window the external door and moving the kitchen wall to the right. I think it would be nice to walk into the kitchen from the porch door vs having to execute a series of 90 degree turns to drop off shopping etc.

The later photos show the damage caused by removing the white shell. I have no idea how they were successfully removed at my place given the 4 latching points inside the white shell. Note damage to the grey actautor too. My £18 test has failed. For now I'm following ProDave's line of living with it as it's working but will keep any eye on the forum should anyone be able to offer advice.

Mate has one and he's built it a "kennel" where it goes back to bed & charge. An astro turfed table lift that sits level with the lawn is on his wish list.

In regards to the Topic, I can just assume that it partly isn't more popular because of Health issues. Maybe not a problem for many, but it definitely put me off. It is just not tested long enough, specially the icynene type, to tell the long term effects. I was looking into it for quite a while because I found it a very good idea to sprayfoam the entire house, but there aren't any independent studies for long term effects out yet. University of Toronto doing one at the moment but this is to be released in the further future. There are chemical analyses of the foam which suggest that its PROBABLY alright, but I wouldn't want to rely on a probably. Asbestos used to be absolutely brilliant, one of the best materials you could imagine. Until a few decades later. And now it's just official poison. Might be just overly cautious but I didn't want to risk it.

Lowcostheatingsupplies.co.uk have it at £28 so shop around. It’s a Geberit waste for use with RAK feelings shower tray. I have only ever fitted two shower trays and just used a low profile waste from my local merchants so the line above is the first result from A google search?

We replaced the traps that came with each of our trays with a Mcalpine traps Though we have no access I think they are about 50 quid

Have you considered disconnecting at the heat exchanger and blocking the ducts there?

Why is this thought to be unusual? Cities are full of them due to eg neighbours or conservation areas or overlooking. The Healthy House in Grand Designs last year S18 Ep3 had this arrangement, as you could also say for the early Passive Haus in the Cotswolds built under that barn etc. The design key is to put it in a big enough landscaped hole to give a two level garden, such that it does not feel as if you are a shrub being planted in a flowerbed ..rather than use a conventional basement. https://www.granddesignsmagazine.com/grand-designs-houses/397-grand-designs-third-episode-2018 But doing one for the sake of doing it would seem a little eccentric. If it is for privacy reasons then there are probably better above ground ideas such as the interesting parallel view windows invented for the GD chap who built his house in Southwark in the ‘inner space’ of about 30 houses in a block of streets, and around an inner courtyard. If you are talking earth sheltered then that is a different type of ballgame. Ferdinand

@vfrdave Yep thats correct @pocster I was using Indigo previously - super simple to use, I only gave up as I got fed up paying for the major upgrades (cheap skate me). Much easier to set up complex automations tho via the Gui rather than writing scripts in Home Assistant (although its getting better all the time)