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Cut hardwood shims and smack them in until they won't smack any more Make the shims for each gap, in a large mitre saw, and have the open gap as the start size of the shim, and then the shim doubling in thickness over the depth of the purchase point. Apply some resin based wood glue to the two mating timber faces, immediately prior to fitting them, and job's a good 'un

I have a https://pcengines.ch/apu2e4.htm which claims "6-12W depending on load". It runs my whole online presence, not just the home automation. It'll even do docker if that's your thing ^^.

But that's not the way a TRV operates, at least not a "dumb" one. My understanding is that they are much more analogue than digital so they reduce the flow as they reach their set temperature and open up a bit if they drop below their set temperature. If they keep open just enough to maintain their set temperature then they are doing exactly what a manually throttled radiator would do, maintaining just enough flow to give you the room temperature you want.

I can’t believe a BH thread would go off topic

I have a client installing Loxone and he's come up against exactly this issue with his builders heating engineer. Naturally he wanted to use Loxone to control his heating system but no amount of discussion or logical arguments would sway the heating guy from his ASHP design and installation approach. I offered to explain Loxone control to him and work with him to implement a comprehensive solution for my client but it was the proverbial head and brick wall. Kept insisting that only his designed system could be installed and if any changes were made to controls after install then my client would lose his £5k grant. Worse than that for me is that he intends to use a single room thermostat downstairs to control the UFH heating and upstairs rads will all have manual TRV's.............the guy must be a time traveller as systems like that were being installed 20 years ago!!!! Final comment - I definitely think the MCS monopoly just means installers are fleecing consumers by adding £5k to what they would have quoted pre-BUS. Another example of the government getting it completely wrong!

I'm renovating my house so its going back to brick so have the opportunity to go all SMART. I am willing to spend money on 'infrastructure' now knowing that I can change most other things later on. I was originally going to DIY the solution with Shelly relays and openhab but realised it may make it harder to sell or pass on if necessary... I contacted a company about a KNX and control 4 solution but the cost was eye watering and there were ongoing maintenance fees.... I can see a few ways forward but they all seem to be not ideal: 1. Wire everything as a standard house but add some PIRs for lighting and neutrals to light switches for smart switches. This feels like it could be done to any house so am I making the most of the opportunity I have? 2. Wire all the light zones and switches back to a central point where it could be changed later. I think this would be massively complex and lots of wiring as the house will be a 5 bedroom with multiple light zones in each room. 3. Wire in a KNX setup by DIY to be added to later. I think I have the skills to do this myself if I buy the software, but the switches are expensive and if I don't go down add to it I have overcomplicated what is a pretty simple system 4. Wire in Shelly relays to the lights that I want to control by alexa etc so that it can all be simplified when I leave the house I've read everything I can find around this subject and keep switching back and forward about what the best thing to do. I only get this opportunity once... What flexibility has everyone else put into their wiring?

add £14k to that!

In that case I would expect the OSB to have a better compression strength due to the mixed grain and the impurities, like bits of metal, found in it.

Pay cash 👀👀👀👀

0.75 will be more than sufficient for control

I don't know - but i do know the HMRC has a helpline. 03003227073 . Its a simple enough question - hey, you might even get an answer out of them

I had a go at routing / fitting worktop together. (all the underside of the front edge is routed out with an aluminium channel ready for the next lot of Philips Hue Light strips. Then making a cut out for sink / taps. Not plumbed in yet, only for the pics. I need to take the work top off a few more times yet for other stuff.

I spend all weekend removing the Philips Hue light strips from the protective rubber (so that they fit in my new aluminium profile/diffuser) no more warranty for me... Top section above kitchen wall units done... I now need to learn how to solder to continue the next parts.

I imagine a motorised ball valve would have been the weapon of choice if I had to install something like this for a paying client, which the Water-safe unit is by the look of it. A paddle doesn't seem like a good option for this afaic, as the cold mains may be too high ( static ) for this to not pass a little maybe. Also may be good to check if Telford specify a 3bar PRedV on the incoming cold mains to allow their 2PZV to function properly.

As your cooling will be indiscriminate, you will need to choose the cold flow temp well. Eg the fan coil would like much colder water than the screed / slab could tolerate, but you wont have a means of getting true ( linear ) control over that. My current project has a Stiebel Eltron ASHP and all of its ( bloody expensive but bloody good ) controls and mixing stations, so I can choose the cold temp for the slab and a much colder temp for the Brink AHU ( heater / cooler to MVHR ). Keep an eye on condensation, and super insulate all the joints / valves with pieces of self-adhesive neoprene tape and then a very thick ( 25mm wall ) Armaflex neoprene pipe insulation over every piece of pipe that will be doing cooling. A length of much larger ( 54mm or more ) Armaflex can be used to make jackets for the isolation valves, with a small slot made for the lever handle to still be accessible.

Thanks Gents, insightful as always. I've fed this back into the design guys and he's going to move some things around. Particularly the duct cooler also coming off the LLH/buffer. He didnt appreciate previously that I will want it running at the same time as UFH - assumed it was for cooling only and that I wouldn't cool through some of my UFH (he's not a fan). Will also be ditching some of the pumps as unnecessary so close to the ground floor manifolds.

Just let the brickies sort that out. They will put the window where it's meant to go and using a combination of bricks or even cut a bit of a block will make the dimensions work. Only really important if your building facing brick but your not so nothing to worry about

make the windows work brick, adjust them a few mill either way so you end up with a half brick. One of the many things architects are clueless on, specifying widow and door sizes that dont work brick.

Afraid my sympathies here are with the installer. They have to follow a path defined by MCS so are limited in terms of design. They will be expected to ensure that the system heats the building effectively (probably why they oversize heat pumps so often) and will have to return to fix things if the system doesn't work as expected. Some random HA system interfacing with a heating system is going to make their life much more difficult (and it probably won't work very well). Using a single zone actually sounds as if he might be designing a reasonably good system. Having spent many hours reading the good info about heat pumps here and elsewhere randomly turning rooms on and off is not a way to operate a heat pump system efficiently.

If a stone dyke look suits you this is what I am currently building/ nearly finished. Luckily I had loads of stones on site so no material cost.. Though probably overkill I did put in perforated pipe too within chuckies and covered in landscaping fabric. Needs some tidying up and soil backfill but you get the jist.

I think this may have gone off topic.

Anywhere you want to put it, don’t have a cut smaller than a quarter block, don’t put slithers in, cut two blocks to make up a run rather than one small piece. Keep half bond by adding a quarter at the corners, then continue with half bond, don’t let this slip to less it looks amateurish and looses strength. Mark window position on floor and do a dry run of blocks to test it out.

Hi Everybody I have been doing odd building renovations over the years on my own properties (live in) and have decided to make some alterations to my current property to modernise and create the environment my wife is hoping for without the hassle of moving house again. This isn’t planned to start until next year so I’m using the time to see what’s possible, what’s not and to put some savings in the bank before starting any work. An extension was possibly the easiest option (less disruptive) but with the cost for a double storey and the fact that we just don’t need extra space but just better use of the space we have, the remodel is considered as the best way forwards. I have already roughly worked out the layout dimensions etc so next stage is to verify if I need to consider any structural issues. I will be asking a few questions later in the relevant section. cheers

What you REALLY need to find is a GOOD local gas safe plumber and an electrician. Then you know who to call when you have a problem and you only get charged a fair price when you have a problem.

interesting. from my understanding, brushing a sloppy sand/cement mix over them prior to dabbing ensures any tiny shrinkage cracks are sealed. Agree they should be gagged properly anyway but it doesn't take long to brush a slurry over them for belt and braces.

No need for a parge coat as this build is in NI so with block and block it will have a scratch coat and then skim on the inside and scratch coat and whatever finish is going on the outside, k-rend dash etc. How they build it will depend on the height, bungalow or 2 storey. Most self builds here use trestle and plank to get to wall plate height, first floor joist height and build overhand which means they build the outside skin first then the inside skin, insulating as they go. What size is your cavity and what are you doing for insulation??

Is it just me, or is there a pattern developing there? 🙁

Thank you for saying this, as I think it's the last option that I would choose if building myself. I am pretty much now sold on either Nudura ICF or MBC TF PH offerings. Just fantastic results without really trying, and sound deadness to die for.

Congratulations. Now the fun begins. Why SIPs, have you considered other build methods? I can see the advantage of SIPs to volume builders, combining them with a masonry skin, but I feel there are better options for the self-builder. I can understand that, but it's worth making sure you've considered all options for the big decisions.

You need to work out the area that the feet it sits on and then the total mass. Convert to MPa (Mega Pascals) then see what the compression strength of OSB is (I am sure a bit of googling will reveal it). Then wish you had a bit more oak. Higher quality ply wood may work i.e. marine or birch faced. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Performance-of-OSB-in-Compression_tbl1_319095057 Stress-strainconstitutiverelationofOSBunderaxialloadingAnexperimentalinvestigation.pdf

If neighbours don't complain you will almost certainly get away with it. But if neighbours complain about noise the first thing the EHO will do is check if you have planning consent. If you haven't then quite likely EHO will issue a noise abatement notice and planning a planning enforcement notice. If it went to court then you would have MCS on the side of the LPA defending their monopoly. Most likely the upshot would be a requirement to be 10dB below background, as that seems to be quite a common demand, albeit a stupid one when background is anyway so quiet that it can't be heard indoors. In many cases it's a risk worth taking. I can't see however that the get out of 'equivalent' would fly unless it's a recognised standard. I wish I could, but I can't.

https://www.changeplan.co.uk/u_value_calculator.php If you register an account you get the graphics too.

Still think the equivalent bit,is vague enough to not require MCS installer. That's my interpretation and I will be sticking with it, as many on here have previously done. So will self install, follow guidance within MCS where required and equipment manual where that give specific instructions. Complete a commissioning certificate etc.

Bugger. Apologies for my hit-n-run reply. Just very busy atm with about a billion new enquires. I doubt you are alone. Let me explain. With 3-4 bar of incoming pressure, many folk would be jealous of you. Having stonking showers off an unvented hot water cylinder ( UVC ) is easily within your grasp. If you have multiple occupants then you may want / need to consider fitting a cold mains accumulator, but if you are just yourself and the better half then you can discipline yourselves to avoid this cost / space requirement ( for another cylinder the same size as the UVC ) by choosing when to shower / run the dishwasher / washing machine etc.

I have said this before but I seem to be a lone voice. I don't give quotes. I give estimates, am open with my hourly rate and materials cost. Most jobs turn out lower than my estimate. If i am forced to give a quote (usually commercial customers) i have to think of absolutely everything that can go wrong to make the job take longer and price on that. Almost always the job takes less time than what I have allowed. But it is a quote so that is what they pay. People on here tell me customers don't like paying by the hour because they then expect you to just sit and drink tea while charging your hourly rate. Some might, but surely they would never be recommended? I don't and all my work comes from recommendations, I don't advertise.

An interesting subject. Having been Engineer, estimator, architect with small e, and contractor, sometimes all at once, I have knowledge of this. A. 1. they don't shop around. Well no, they won't. They are preparing an estimate, using a lot of time without payment, so generally they will use the going rate at the moment, or perhaps what is expected in a few months. A small builder usually only has a few accounts with merchants so can't shop around anyway, unless paid in advance. Adding 10% waste is the norm, through mistakes, offcuts, damage and being bothered to spend the time making best use. 2. They have a cut on it. Yes of course they do. They will be buying, involving admin, then handling, and taking the risk on damage or shortages. Imagine somebody asking you to get them some bricks. You would charge something I expect. You can offer to buy the materials, and save this margin, but you are then responsible for it turning up, being suitable and for all waste. 3. adding a healthy margin in their own role. That is business. they otherwise might as well sit at home or work as a charity. What is healthy? B. On top of all this, there are layers of cost. Cheapest of course is diy, if you have the time, resources and skill. Let us call this best price. =£1 per hoojamaflip. Next level you hire some specialists, on a series of small fixed price contracts. If you can remove their risks, and they work fast and well, then you only pay for their time. Say £250 /day. which you pay them from your taxed income. Next are packages of work. Contractors have to quote for these jobs, getting perhaps every 5th one. This takes time. If successful, they then employ workers and have admin and overheads. and they will add a percentage on everything. Probably about 20%. Then there is the full project by a main contractor. They need an additional level of overhead and profit, and a lot of management. Their margin is on top of margins already applied by others. Your job at £1 is now somewhere about £1.7. Add for risk. who is paying for unforeseen problems? If you want the contractor to take it then add 5% if he likes you and the designer. More if wary. And every 10th client , or so, doesn't pay the last bill; not because of faults but because that is how they behave. Unfortunately everyone else ends up paying some of that. C. If everyone had the same ability and cost structure, then you would need only one quote. But they don't, so some will be genuinely better at a particular project than another. Do they charge less, or more? It varies. Combine A, B and C and your £1 can become £2 or even more. There is no right answer. then there is D, how good / flash is the design? and E: weather and F, G , H : inflation, competition, access.... On the £/m2 issue. I could tell a potential client the approximate cost of a project, based on known £/m2 from experience. I didn't always because they might pass that on, or think it was too cheap. And then that was for our price, with our own control of everything. But any involvement from outside, such as inefficient design, fancy features, nasty contract terms, would likely add. So the advisors are rightly cautious on the question, until they know you, the project and the current market. The RICS and some other bodies publish tables £/m2 for different types of building. But , as C, they all need to be well designed and go to tender. If you think I have left out any issue do remind me. Edit: of course this all assumes that we have already decided the method of construction, and have made the right choice.

Not doing an airtight test before boarding out. We still got 0.92, but the only major leak we could find was into a service void that was by then fully boarded.

I've two of the WiFi models. Be very wary of the connections on the solar panel and the usb in to the camera, I destroyed one because the rubber grommet wasn't tight around the usb port and water got in and corroded the usb port and board. I also had the bracket on the solar panel snap off in a storm.

T met Hannon steel

Other options. Lagan valley steels Barrett steel Wray engineering Hillsborough

Previously used CASC, they weren't bothered pricing the steels for our balcony. Walter Watson have been OK but pricy. Plan to sepak to McComb steel in Bally oney next week as they have come reccomemded from another steel fabricator that's too busy. Be prepared to be the bottom of everybody's priority lists....

https://www.walter-watson.co.uk/

Hi Russel , it depends on the application. The ASHP should have a weather compensation on it , therefore the flow temp will be determined by the ASHP. Having a blending valve installed won’t reall change anything as long as you keep it set to the maximum temperature of the ASHP. If you have an ufloor design it may be based on a flow temp of 45 degrees for example . It could be useful as a high limit so I’d install it regardless, it won’t do anything if the temperature from ASHP is lower as it will operate fully open.

Swing-check non return valves after the LLH would kill most issues off, but the low volume of water in it ( <15L typically ) may not solve any short-cycling issues. I'd use a 50L or 100L buffer in place of that. I'd then move that to front of house, instead of the last component before the UFH manifolds, so the duct heater / cooler also didn't promote short-cycling eg all of the downstream heating applications benefitted from it. DHW needs to go around the buffer / LLH of course, and not via it. Not a good idea to have no hydraulic separation between the ASHP and the duct heater / cooler as it looks like it's all set up so the heating loads can run independently.

Not quite sure why the LLH is where it is if you’ve not got blending valves as it’s there to provide a balancing point - as it stands you are using the manifolds as isolation points by the looks of it ..? Not quite sure why you have a pair of pumps off the LLH - could easily get away with a 28mm circulation loop and single pump between all manifolds from LLH and returning back to LLH with each manifold pulling from it. Not sure who specced or designed the UFH though as you run the risk of pulling cooler water into each floor manifold as the closest / least resistive loops may scavenge the hotter water first with no blending valves. Could be a candidate for auto balancing actuators but how many loops do you have..??

What are you trying to find out? Our last house was subject to building control inspection, internal doors had round knobs, no comment from them. This time we have lever handles, not expecting any comment on them either. If there is no defined regulation, you just fill your boots and do what suits the application.

We didn't install any Cat cable in our timber frame new build and didn't regret it. We used WiFi without any problems.

If you had installed just one, would it have been in that room?

As part of installing IWI to our house, we're thinking about what we can do with the first floor joists that are currently pocketed into the external walls. We're considering shortening them by fitting a wall plate and hangers to bring them within the thermal envelope. Something like this; From what I understand the new plate should be bolted through the wall to the outside, which I'd rather not do. Are there any other options?

Probably a fair few more bolts than that. Your SE will need to look at the load rating for the fixings when put into the wall type you have. I'd happily bolt a ledger plate direct to the wall - but I assume in that photo they had internal wall insulation to run down behind.