Leaderboard

I'm pleased to say finally we are insulated and have render. Credit to our plasterer who has been brilliant and done an amazing job. The colour is Ecorend marble white so is a very clean white looking colour rather than the yellow/grey looking off whites we saw but we like it. The plasterer came in the early hours before the sun as it was blinding trying to apply it in direct sun over the past couple of weeks. Once we have the aggregate round the house and plants etc I don't think it will look too crazy. Waiting for the anthracite guttering to be fixed on and some of the plastic work and roof edging needs some TLC and if I hear the word 'mastic' again - which seems to be the answer to everything cladding and plastic related I'll strangle the builder. Also need fan covers attaching and our lights putting on which should be next week. Thought I'd share these pics. We have started to apply Bitumen paint on the bricks below DPC and this has smartened up the area where the bedroom/dressing room is where it is the split level inside with steps and rooms are higher than the rest of the house. We haven't finished all the way around yet. Loving the front door now with the render. Despite it being black in a silver frame and the anthracite windows we think it looks fine. This is the back of the house into our utility with the stable door. The hose pipe isn't on the render it's fixed onto a galvanised post. Of course we still have lots of garden work to do, no double garage and no dressing room etc but prices so high we have shelved things for now. Probably the most exciting non-house related news is we bought a boat which took a chunk out of the house budget!

If you allow certain trees in your hedge to grow taller that are not joined up that avoids High Hedge regs. You don't say how tall you need it, or how wide the spots are. Bamboo and the other suggestions will take time to establish, so it is buy a big one or wait. For upstairs windows that is probably 5 years. Alternatives can be things like solar sails, sheds with pitched roofs, a gazebo or pergola, or even a covered way. So I'd start from what you need. And with planting draw a clear distinction between what you need to block, and what you want eventually. Blocking a smaller area to be hidden behind when being frisky al-fresco is a viable option.

You could try Pittosporum for quick growning evergreen hedging or even use them as strategically placed specimen shrubs as they come in many different types, many very attractive, with varying degrees of vigour. We took down our leylandii hedge as we couldn't stay on top of it and replaced it with pittosporum (3ft plants maybe 3 or 4 years ago) they are now easily 8ft tall. The advantage with them (and laurel as Jilly said) over leylandii is that you can cut them back quite hard without ending up with ugly dead bits. The other thing you could do for more privacy is to build yourself a pergola and then grow things up it - perennials to establish and come every year like; honeysuckle/ clematis / climbing or rambling roses / virginia creeper / grape vine or annuals (to just last the season) like; sweet peas, morning glory or black eyed susan. It obviously won't cover your whole garden but it would give you an area you can sit out and relax without being watched and you could even put a polycarbonate roof on it to extend its use through the seasons. Good luck, we all hate nosey neighbours!!

Flat panel LED lights are what you want, they literally fit in the width of a bit of plasterboard. You will need a bit of clearance for the mounting clip. Garages usually have plenty of height, so I would batten the ceiling with 25mm battens and then the plasterboard and that will give you plenty of clearance to route the cables and a bit of ventilation.

Be warned that bamboo can be very invasive. As others have said, you may be better screening the areas locally rather than attempting a high barrier at the boundary. A well planned layout with a pergola and some focal points and trees, shrubs and paths will be lots better. It can take a while to establish though. I did this one about 25 years ago and there is a very large building all the way along the left hand side.

Most quick growing plants are invasive, but laurel can be a good compromise. It doesn't grow super fast, but is very dense, and grows reasonably quickly in most soils and is controllable and not too expensive. Privacy can also be gained by having height close to the house, ie at eye level, rather than at the boundary. It can more cost and privacy effective to put taller specimens close to the house as you can experiment and move them. Pleached trees can make a good screen (like a hedge on stilts). Quick growing shrubs and trees can work, like buddleia or hazel. It can be really difficult to keep large expensive trees alive once transplanted because their roots have grown round the pot so they ted to rock. Most trees will establish best when planted small and chosen for site suitability. Fencing/trellis is the best way for an instant screen which will protect your growing hedge, best planted in autumn so it gets watered in by the rain. Otherwise you have to monitor constantly.

Bonkers idea. If you are making such an extreme alteration to a house to add an extra floor to make it full 2 storey, just jacking up the existing roof would give you the wrong roof for the property. I would take the opportunity to do the job properly, completely new roof designed for the new job and take the opportunity to detail it and insulate it properly. The best you could hope for is to re use most of the roof tiles on the new roof if they are in good condition.

The further it is the thicker the cable you need. As does type of charger(s) and how cable gets to charger. See: https://www.elandcables.com/cable-calculator We have 2 x 3-phase boards: - One in garage for PV, Batteries, Car Chargers, Garden, Outhouse, Front Gate etc. - One in plant room for house. Having the board in the garage is practical as Supply/PV/Batteries/Chargers are all close.

We used SolarEdge too and have a 12.5kW three-phase inverter. We didn't use enhabit for PV. I told them what strings to used after working out a scheme (using solaredge designer web tool) that I knew would work for both options.

we've actually gone the other way (DNO approval pending) and have decided to run our 10.2kWp PV array via a single phase inverter even though we have a 3-phase electricity supply. we are running the house on a single phase and didn't want the other 2 phases from the PV inverter just being 'lost' to the grid when we can use it in the house. A 3-phase inverter would've meant only a 3rd of the generated electricity being usable most of the time. At the moment we don't drive enough in our EV to make a 3-phase charger necessary and so hardly any of the PV generated 3-phase electricity will be used. if we have a need for 3-phase in the future we can make changes then but for now just running a single phase throughout the house and with our PV systems seems logical. the 3-phase supply was a trivial amount more than a single phase connection so it was a no-brainer to future proof.

The only bit about 3 phase that is significantly more expensive is a 3 phase distribution board costs more than single phase consumer units, and less choice. All the actual wiring will be identical single phase circuits same as if you had a single phase supply. If you choose a 4 phase PV inverter that will obviously be a 3 phase circuit.

You are on the right track! make the most of it and try and get 3phases worth of PV!

As did I but BC said that a sprinkler system would have sufficed also.

I paid less than £35 + VAT for type 3 virgin granite. not saying you need it as I agree than recycled crushed would probably suffice. but if you do want virgin type 3 then PM me and I'll give you the name of the company I used. but they are based in Kingston-Upon-Thames so shouldn't be hard to find if your Google skills are up to it. ?

Something like crusher run (25-100mm with fines) might be more suitable as it won't move around as much under load. We used a good 200-300mm thick layer around our site and it has barely sunk or moved. Definitely shop around the different quarries, go on to Google maps and find your nearest, closer generally means cheaper. My nearest is 3miles away and I was paying £10-£12/tonne on 16t loads.

Is that driveway coming out after your build, the first 18 wheel truck you take up that will turn that block paving into an obstacle course. Why not get your finished drive marked out now and get it dug out then fill it with crushed concrete. Limestone will compact nicely but will leave white smeary marks down the road when it rains. I buy direct from the quarry for everything, but the smallest load available is 10 tonnes, I pay £26 per tonne plus vat for nearly everything they sell. Find a local quarry and open open an account under self builder, try and find a large quarry that does ready mix as well.

Here is a start in answer. Random order. Stone is very much cheaper by the lorryload than in bags. The bags are single use and you pay for them, and to get rid of them, plus there is more handling. Yes you should remove the moss and topsoil, and put down a geomembrane that will prevent the stone and earth mixing. You do not need MOT I or II for your purposes, and you should find something much cheaper. Tell the supplier you are not in the industry and ask what alternatives can they suggest. (Never pretend or bluff knowledge. They will not fleece you for that reason: generally the prices are straight, and no discounts) It varies by location and availability. They will send you a full list of materials and prices if you ask. Beware tonnage to m3 conversions. You buy it by the ton, then compact it, and get quite a lot less by volume than you hoped. You can save money by putting weaker stone down first, and better on top of it. You can buy from merchants, direct from quarries, or via haulage companies.

Not sure how the prices will work out but you normally have aggregate either delivered in tonne bags via hiab or tipped - 10 or 20 tonne. I have only used a grab lorry to take away unwanted spoil. The crushed concrete is fine for a subbase but the crushed limestone type 1 MOT binds together much better and could almost be a finished surface after it has been rolled. For price, ring round a few places.

Ok so I planted very specific willow and it grew 14 foot in the first year, it will now slow down and the trunks will thicken up. It’s designed for fuel production as a crop that can be harvested within 6 years but it would be the perfect screen for curtain twitching neighbours ! Use it as the quick fix and then plant some slower growing more ornamental plants that will take over in 6 years time, you can then cut the willow down and poison the stumps or cut it and let it regrow. It’s non invasive and only costs 60p per cutting. Salix Viminalis x Schwerinii DRH Brown https://mammothwillow.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=24&products_id=88 if you want to see photos or need more information just let me know, I have no affiliation with the company just a very happy customer.

I'm going to be planting a Turner's Oak this winter. Is a semi evergreen variety. I'm told the multistem versions don't get too tall too quickly. Bit rare though. Otherwise plant what you like and ignore the neighbours. Walk around naked a few times and they will soon stop.

You could always buy a few 6m grown trees and plant them. It will cost a few pound but get the job done and dusted straight away. Well you'll have to wait till the correct planting season which is from October to Feburary ish for big trees like them.

Looks a bit laboured, perhaps. Try this page for a starter. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=79 Mine is in an old 'sparagus bed. I've never fed mine, so perhaps that would have made a difference. But it has had our (now ex-) cat.

For you to know this you must have spent a fair time looking back at them? Maybe they think the same! ?

Use different shrubs to form a screen around your seated area. So you have something growing up to 2m around 2/3 sides giving you and area which is totally private. You can use a pergola as a frame and have slotted sides using lath. Use the same idea along where you mainly walk. Small trees or large shrubs to form a thick screen. It will require quite a bit of planning to figure out which plant will grow to a specific height and put it in the correct position. Your never going to block out a line of site from a first floor window without planting something that will be huge but by concentrating on certain sections you could do it with smaller, 2m ish, planting.

One other very useful trick is to build a mound and plant it on top. OTOH I have a bamboo which has just about blocked nex door's upper windows, which was put in in 2014. Or you can spend semi-serious money ?.

This is immaterial to the decision to build a basement, surely? If they will put it there, great, but if won't put the meter there, fine, they'll put it somewhere else, and then you run a thick length of SWA from the meter into the consumer unit etc which can still be wherever you want it to be.

If your hedge is not growing quickly then put a watering hose along its base, this will speed things up quite a bit.

There is a bamboo that does not spread. I will try to look up the name of mine as it has been in its spot for nearly 30 years with only minimal spread.

Russian Vine aka mile a minute can be like bindweed to get rid of though (ie you almost can't!) I'm ultra fussy about sight lines. We parked a horse lorry strategically and it gives loads of privacy from the road. Also if you have any soil to get rid of, a bank can give a hedge a head start.

Screened off areas sound the best bet. Trellis and pergolas at strategic places. All very annoying when you want light into your house though. There is an ivy type plant known as "Mile a Minute" that is very vigorous and will ramble over a trellis or pergola in no time. I wonder if anything could be done with lighting? Perhaps some lighting that points towards the offending twitchers and so makes it uncomfortable for them to look in your direction?

Aspect Windows in Exeter and Devonshire Windows in Newton Abbot - both good to deal with tbh.

The more quotes you get the more you will learn what is good value. And quotes are free, your time spent will be worth it. And yes, different agents/distributors of the same product will provide varying quotes.

I'm using both the light rolls and the bigger mesh, mainly for anti-corrosion aspects, and plan to post about my perceived pros and cons when I get a chance. Previous posts: Quick comments: - 'Better than' glass fibre since doesn't degrade in alkaline environments (i.e. concrete) - Buy it in UK from Orlitech (who resell the Galen product) unless you want vast quantities in which case can go direct - Still very unknown in UK, and barely used, but more widely talked about/used in US and China. Perhaps because they have more of a culture with fibre-rebars - Plenty of published research on the properties, but it's heavy going, and perhaps some question marks over whether the stuff you buy always meets standards (I don't know...) - The bigger stuff is sanded so has a very good grip - Was at one point (and perhaps still is?) cheaper than 'equivalent' steel - Needs 'full consideration' e.g. use with non-metal spacers if going for a zero-steel approach, how it will be walkable on etc (this was a problem for us, but now solved) It will be interesting to see whether the Surfside collapse prompts further consideration of non-steel rebar such as BFRP. Even if rebar corrosion isn't found as the ultimate cause (e.g. if was a sinkhole) it was telling that a common reaction was roughly 'well of course the structure would be weakened because of rebar corrosion - that's what happens to steel rebar especially in coastal conditions or with poor design'. I.e. an implicit assumption that steel rebar can be problematic.

We approached two local distributors of Internorm: one came back at 22k and the other 32k. We pushed the former harder and agreed at a shade over 20k in the end. The latter then said they would match it if it fell through! Goes to show how much of a mark-up some of these firms expect to make. Pays to shop around...

So it will reduce hassle and cost with BC application, but will not remove the need for more insulation than planned 50mm. Unless of course you find a 'competent builder' happy to issue a certificate stating that the job is ok, even if it isn't.

I think it's worth adding there that some have used them OK, but found the relationship to be quite hard work and needing thorough supervision.

Simultaneous heating and cooling is very common in commercial buildings. My office is only a couple years old and has no ceiling tiles so very easy to see the M&E and get an idea how it all works. 4 pipe system circulates hot and cold to all rooms simultaneously and each fancoil can choice which to use. A central heat pump can move energy between the loops so literally pumping heat from the overheating areas to the places that need it more. Topping up from district heating in winter, or dumping excess to the roof air exchangers in summer. 4 pipe systems generally circulate refrigerant rather than water, I have no idea how the buffering works. In a domestic home I can see it being useful in a tall house with numerous floors, to pump excess heat accumulating in the roof back down into the UFH. More of an issue the more you keep internal doors closed. Getting cats has greatly changed our own patterns of use and impacts the idea M&E system design more than I imagined!

The Hot water cylinder is for DHW. ASHP are generally sized too small to provide instant hot water. The hot buffer is to reduce short cycling of the ASHP when driving UFH or rads with lots of zones. Eg when only one calls for heat it can draw it from the buffer and not have to turn on the ASHP. Being seperate to the DHW tank allows it to run at say 40C instead of 60C which improves the COP of the ASHP. What sort of cold buffer? Cold water accumulators are sometimes used to boost flow rates if the house is a long way from the main and the pipe is small/scaled up. They fill up with mains pressure water slowly then release it quickly when a tap or shower is opened.

I’ve emailed to see if they’ll do a one off favourable rate inc P&P for a single unit “as a sample” ? Let’s see what they say.

In my opinion, it would require a S73/VoC application as the resulting changes would alter the look quite considerably and therefore more than what would normally be considered non-material. Your other option is to submit a revised HH application, which may be free of charge.

We finally started our new build at the end of May after getting pp in July ‘19. We had plenty of time to select and price windows - one of the major costs. There is no substitute for visiting potential suppliers, leaving drawings and requesting quotes. We were staggered by the difference in quotes, we needed 15 frames of varying sizes plus two large sliders, 3m and 6m. Quotes varied from £18k to over £50k, In my experience the companies that travel the expos (or used to), maintain large showrooms and produce glossy brochures are the priciest - guess who pays for the marketing! We looked at them all - and ended up with Rationel TG alu-clad for the frames and Visioglide for the sliders from a local joinery company - about £23k including installation. We were pointed in their direction by Rationel. Been very happy with their service and attention so far, acid test will be delivery and installation scheduled for September. And have the supplier install the windows and take full responsibility, being local they should be available and willing to rectify any issues.

Members take from BH content what they will. We cannot make assumptions about content not read. Or read but not remembered.

make sure you notify the council (As Jap knot weed is a notifibiable weed) just so they can log it against your property, and make sure it comes up on any future searches and de-values your property accordingly... Or, Kill the bar-steward, and tell nobody. Had some at my daughters tiny garden 10ft x 10ft total garden size. i spent 2 years spraying the crap out of it on a weekly basis. ( Over the top, and a waste of weed killer). Then dug it out, took 12" of soil out, and stuck 6"of concrete over 6" of rubble, over a geotex membrane.......I've never seen it again.

Looks excellent!

Much more relevant problems with sealing to adjoining air barriers, all round windows, penetrations and joist/beam ends

I don't get this - you still need to ventilate your house - air needs to come in from outside irrespective of the means - smells and all. If one of my neighbours has a smokey bonfire, I turn off the MVHR for a few hours - same as I would have closed windows in the past. A friend has an 80's developer box and built a sizeable 2 story extension, added MVHR and says it has made an improvement to air quality and humidity (bathrooms & showers) but appreciates that the heat recovery element is probably not doing anything due to poor airtightness on the original fabric. This is a sensible approach - however you'll still need external vents for your kitchen and bathroom mechanical extraction to meet Regs so you can't completely eliminate them. I've also seen MVHR vents built into the roof so pretty much invisible. My system cost about £3800 all together (ExVAT) and I self installed - probably larger than most due to basement, 20 ceiling valves in total and 350m of internal duct. So not cheap but I do not see how I would have efficiently and effectively ventilated our house by traditional means without.

No need to think of it as one system at all. Especially the MVHR... It has nothing to do with heating and its sole job is to maintain good indoor air quality (whilst recovering some of the heat energy). So you can go to one of the many online companies that will do a design and supply you with all the components, BPC for example. You can then chose whether to fit it yourself. A lot of systems now just use semi rigid ducts that go back to a central manifold. Would just be a matter of pulling ducts through the house, hardly highly skilled. The units themselves are almost out of the box, screw to the wall, connect up and go. You'll just need somebody to wire it up, and you'll also have to commission it properly. Plenty here have done it and will give you loads of advice. Expect to pay anywhere from £2k for a supplied system for that size of house. Double that to £4k for supply and fit. Same goes for UFH... It's just pipes under the floor. Wunda will design your layout and sell you a kit. You can then install all the pipework yourself and have it terminate at the plant area. Let's say £1k for supply only. Then your left with the ASHP and cylinders etc... At this point it might be worth getting a plumber in to supply and fit. Fyi monoblock units are much simpler and cheaper than split, if a little less efficient. So, lets say £5k for 5kw ASHP and pipework connection to buffer tank and controls. Buffer tank, cylinder, controls, room stats etc, all traditional plumbing and you could get that all done for £3k or so. Maybe £5k if there are lots of pumps, manifolds etc required. But shouldn't be on a 100m2 house. I'd question the need for a buffer tank, but I'll defer to the likes of @Nickfromwales The supply and fit prices for all these new things are sky high as it falls under that new/different/eco category which means companies can charge a fortune. I've heard of people paying £15k for an ASHP... That's about £7k materials and £8k labour for a couple days of work. At a guess, if you did things seperately, and even paying for partial installations, no reason why you couldn't get that all done for about £10k-£15k. Edit: I've just spotted the post above and I swear I wasn't copying John!

As said buying direct from quarries are usually the cheapest route. Just to annoy the rest of ye I'm paying £6.50 a ton ?

My twatty neighbor did exactly this so they couldn’t see our build . Bamboo not in pots so grows manic and very tall . Pig to dig out . It spread from their side of the party wall to ours ( indeed even through and under the wall ) . Also , give your peeking neighbors a nice ‘ show ‘ . It’ll either stop them or they’ll be back for more