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Just to add to the wealth of knowledge on here. We have just completed our insulated raft using xps with concrete 250mm thick at 100m2. Installed the foul drains and surface water out to a soakaway. All in, including labour it's come to £26K and a bit. Hope this might help with others budgeting.

Phone the gas board and advise of smell. might be meter, supply pipework, underground pipework serving house. flue gases are been blown back in?

Yes keep on keeping on, grind the buggers down.

In winter, during a prolonged cold snap, it's not unreasonable to assume you could be consuming 20kWh a day. And your PV could only be generating 1 or 2kWh. 2kWh (based on my 5kW producing as low as 200Wh on a dark day in November and December.) You'll need an alternative power source. Re the mortgage issue. You'll potentially run across this every time you remortgage, and will not get the best rates. Also, what if you want / need to sell in the future? How many people are prepared to pay full market rate for an off-grid house? Finally, you'll be way, way, way over producing in the summer with all that electric going to waste. If it were me, I'd still go for a decent array, but get the grid connection as well. I hope you can get the price down.

There is a vast difference in a digger driver and a guy who can drive a digger. To learn that quick to undertake the actual footings is a massive risk. It's a lot harder than you think to dig a straight line and have the bottom flat. That takes a lot of experience. The cost implications of being out of line are massive. Hire a digger driver with his own machine in and give him a hand. Mark the site out and peg the corners and do all the dirty work and let him dig and earn his money. Help with the concreting and the other jobs he needs a hand with. If you really want to hire a digger in do it later on for tidying the place up and putting the road, paths, drainage etc in. There is a lot more scope here to not be as accurate as you need to be when doing the foundations.

Ah those photos came to me late. IMO (others may disagree) 5mm foam under engineered flooring won’t cause a problem because the engineered flooring will spread the load far more than that ally profile would, 200mm screws into the glulam with steel washers will be suffice. Am I qualified as an SE, NO, but years of practical knowledge and a tendency to over engineer has stood me in good stead. I would be interested in other opinions.

I sold one to my friend for £1000 plus VAT and my friend paid £1200 plus VAT for the purchase. I was quoted by one firm between £4 and £6 k. It’s a minefield out there.

I’ve not had time recently for updates. Getting there now. Slowly but surely. The roofer is supposed to be coming back this week to finish off.

If you have the digger there, dig a 1 cubic metre hole in the ground, and then in the bottom of that dig a 300mm cube hole. Fill that small hole with water and time how long it takes for the water to drain away.

My architect had the saps recalculated and we have to have a 4kW system as a minimum to be able to get our as built certificate and complete. The MCS financial blackmail is a joke, I’m all for doing things correctly and safely but come on

8kw via g99. Did it myself all went smoothly. Approved after about 3 weeks. UKPN.

We called them and BT confirmed that there is a definite fault on the line, so when the engineer comes out we will also query the way it's been wired as well, hopefully that will at least be a step in the right direction!

Ideal just rebadge cylinders so not likely to make one off. Try these https://www.cylinders2go.co.uk/

I do have some 160mm M12 coach screws left over from fitting our external brise soleil. I was originally going to use those but the chippie said probably excessive and had potential concerns about the amount in to the wood and structural integrity of the timbers. But I was thinking 160mm is only just over 50% of the depth so still plenty of depth below them.

Additional information: red lines show where the channels will be and the timbers they’re going in to.

I agree that buying a plot is more work but good luck finding a conveyancer that will do that extra work. I wasn't able to find one familiar with conveyancing a plot and had to do all the due diligence stuff myself.

Are you sure you want to use either? Both have exposed heads rather than countersunk if that matters. Timberlok and similar tend to have thinner shank and sharper threads. Coach screws tend to be fatter and more crudely manufactured. I'd suggest drilling a pilot hole with either. Make a test on scrap wood to avoid shearing off a bolt in the actual workpiece. Could go into screwfix or toolstation and ask to see some.

Christ on a bike - just use the tables from NI in TBD.

Yes there is someone else who posted recently on the same subject. Here it is...

It should be the same matting on all joins - both surface and upstands etc. For the upstands and wall abutment our roofer put down some pre-formed bends (of rigid fibreglass?) too but I think that was as an alternative to wooden angle fillets that you might normally see. I don't know if there's a benefit to this (e.g. more gradual angle transition) or whether it was just quicker/easier for him (probably the latter knowing him).

I thought he meant take all his roof off... Now I understand with the additional photo.

Years ago my wife and I bought a plot at the end of a narrow road. The owner of the house opposite opposed our planning application on the grounds that deliveries would inevitably use his drive to turn around as there was limited space. We of course explained to the planners that it wouldn't happen and not being a planning issue we got approval. The first thing we did was to get some concrete barriers delivered to prevent a certain demographic from using the plot as a caravan site. The lorry had reversed so it demonstrated that it could be done! However, the blocks had not been placed as per my drawing and they projected onto the highway. I asked them to move them and the driver reversed the tele-handler onto the neighbours drive to get a swing and hey presto it stalled and couldn't re-start. So, within an hour of starting I had a very irate neighbour complaining loudly - "I told you so" !! and filming it all with a promise to complain to the Council. You could not make it up. That was one of the longest half hours whilst they fiddled with the machine.... Eventually, once it was going again the blocks were quickly moved and we all scarpered. We decided that going through with the build after all was going to be too much so we sold the plot on and even made a little bit of profit!

Do you have ridge height restrictions? What is your current ridge height? Vaulted ceilings can be achieved many ways so I wouldn't worry about that. Raised tie trusses. Exposed tie trusses, scissors trusses ,A central ridge beam are all options. As to the roof you can now get tiles to go to 12.5⁰ pitch. https://www.marley.co.uk/roof-tiles/concrete-roof-tiles/mendip-double-pantile However........for durability more is better than less, overhangs also help with a buildings durability. Avoid complex shapes, valleys and flats roofs if you can. They're expensive to build and maintain properly.

The windows need to be sealed externally. If the outside is yet to be rendered they won't be properly sealed.

Call it what is it, thermal effusivity. e = (kpc)0.5 Then just to complicate it, the the temperature differences decrease, the power transfer decreases. T = e(-kt) The e are has different meanings in each formula.

Yeah, keep pushing. Keep walking up the organisation to the CEO if it's not tiny - often the juniors won't want to admit mistakes to their bosses and the bosses might take the longer term customer service / reputation view.

The fact they’ve come back out is a positive sign. You just need to persevere. So far I’ve had almost £10,000 written off/discounted for shoddy work on my build.

Really zero need, UFH can do all the heating you need. If you have a thick screed, circa 100mm you can charge the floor like a storage heater on mostly cheap rate (E7 or similar). This takes a hit on CoP, but the electric is cheap. You can get cylinders in just about any shape you want, or get it made to the size that suits you. Get one with a 3m2 coil.

Natively it does HW priority (like most other HPs) which de-powers all heating circuit valves. There is a Parallel Cylinder Charging mode which you can engage if you particularly want to do both at the same time. But why would you? IMO best time to heat the water is in the small hours on cheap tariff, this utilises the stored water for timeshifting and interferes minimally with heating. Top up in the afternoon if reqd as the OAT is typically higher then so you get slightly better CoP.

Yeah, all good as far as I know! It's been down five years now (where does the time go?!).

Standard tactic would be for them to swerve / ignore / delay until you tire of chasing them.

That is really shit and I feel for you. I would be pissed off too.

Your not likely to find a simple diagram with the correctly sized components for your installation. But let us start at the beginning. You have a Sun, the output, once rays hit the ground, at your location, will vary during the day, week, month and years. This variation, usually measured in kW/m2, but often shown as kWh/m2 over a set time period i.e. a month. The difference is the mean instantaneous power delivered, or the total energy delivered over a period. Now as instantaneous power is very variable, the electricity that the modules (PV panels) is also variable. Modules are generally fixed voltage devices i.e. produce no voltage when it is dark, once a threshold light level is reached they 'jump' up to a fixed voltage (usually around 0.5V per individual cell). This voltage stays the same until there is extreme light when the voltage may either increase slightly, or decrease slightly (not worth worrying about those extremes). The individual cell voltage is irrespective of the physical size of the cell, a 1 mm2 cell will be at the same voltage as a 1 m2 cell. But we don't make a few large cells for reliability reasons, we make several relatively small cells and join them together in series. You may have noticed that manufactures often specify the number of cells in a module i.e. 60, 72, 96. This translates to a modules output voltage i.e. 30V, 36V, 48V, 12V modules will have 24 cells. So when photons of light hit a cell, a voltage is produced (0.5V), if more photons of light hit a cell, more current is produced. Current is measured in amps (A). Current can be thought of as the thing that does the work. Say you are chapping down a tree, one swing at it every 5 seconds. To cut it down faster you can chop every 2.5 seconds, or get a heavier axe. As the speed (the voltage) is fixed, the only option is a heavier axed. To make a module 'heavier' it is just a matter of increasing the surface area so that it catches more photons. It really is that simple. Larger area, more amps. Now getting back to a real system and why a 'charge controller' is used. A basic charge controller does two things, controls the voltage and limits the maximum power. This has to be done in all PV systems because of the varying sunlight levels which react a 'wild' DC current i.e. unregulated. Now you are worried that the electronics is all a bit voodoo and therefore unreliable. Like a car, they can be unreliable if the wrong one is used for the job. Get a small car, fill it will people, stick it in second gear and redline it, it will not last long, get a large car, fill it with people use the gears appropriately, and it will last a very long time. So think of a charge controller as a gearbox, it varies the fixed voltage (the RPM) that is delivered by changing 'gear' with varies the amps (the torque). As voltage multiplied by amperage is power, V x A = W (watt). But what comes out is a fixed voltage supply i.e. 12V, 48V, 230V, 600V, but with a varying power that is correlated to the amount of sunlight hitting the modules. This output power is direct current (DC). Posh charge controllers have got sophisticated and can be set up to limit the amount of power they deliver, this is important when charging batteries, very good charge controllers can also sense the type of batteries and the state of charge those batteries are in, and vary the power delivered accordingly i.e. more power when battery is flat, less power when it is reaching full charge. They can also 'search' for the point, at any time, that will deliver the most power, this is called maximum power point tracking (MPPT). A charge controller is not the same as an inverter. An inverter, in its most basic form, just converts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). Most PV inverters have a charge controller built in, which is why you can wire PV modules into them directly, they also have sensors and circuits in them that can detect the the grid voltage, the grid resistance and the load resistance. This is done for safety and reliability. Unlike a teenager in a car, they are designed to work nowhere near the ultimate limit of the components (actually most teenagers only think they are at the limit, they would shit themselves at the real limits of their cars, then hit something). So basically, a charge controller takes varying power from the modules, changes it to generally a higher, more useful voltage, and lets the current vary. That power is then fed into an inverter which makes it AC, at 230V (or whatever is appropriate), which then drives the load. If the load is too high, it tries, via the MPPT to deliver, but if that fails it disconnects for safety and reliability. Getting back to your question a while back, 'how big a battery is needed to start a heat pump'. Not very big at all as it only needs to deliver a high current for a few seconds. The right sort of battery is needed though. A lead acid battery basically comes in two sorts, a cranking battery or a leisure battery. A cranking battery can deliver a very high current for a few seconds, that is how it can turn over a large diesel engine, but a leisure battery is designed to deliver much lower current, but at a more steady voltage, over a much longer period. Lithium batteries generally can deliver a high current and at a steady voltage. This is because the chemistry is different (the number of free electrons and how far they are from the protons). Now I know the above does not 'specify' which components need to be bought, and which order they need to be put in, but I am just trying to explain what each major component does and how they work. To help specify, you need to know the maximum power that will be drawn i.e. heat pump starting current, and the length of time it needs to run off a battery.

Just the same as house conveyancing, we paid around £1200, but then a few extras (indemnity policy, extra searches) brought it closer to £2k

There is too much 'not in my back yard' accepted in things like turbines. I'd rather see a 50 in one area, and compulsory purchase any houses where people object. If that means a few people upset rather than facing another energy crisis, so be it. As for trump, fingers crossed he'll be in prison before he's elected.

Does your ISP provide speed history stats? Might make interesting reading. We had, what turned out to be a branch rubbing against the cable about 10m away. Speed got worse and worse and eventually stopped altogether. OR man came with quite a comprehensive test set-up. I think he measured the distance to the break with a tdr type setup. He called in another man with a cherry picker and a ‘bandage’ kit and all is good now.

As an ex BT engineer that’s an odd one, perhaps an engineer doubled up because of previous problems, however it should not compromise the signal. You could try un crimping one end and test the loop to the crimped ends with a multimeter to prove continuity. In rural areas cable length to the cab/exchange has always been problematic and you only need damp in one of the many joints to cause problems. Call them out, they will do a test from the exchange to prove cable continuity.

I am heating 195m2 bungalow (3kW max) and a summer house (1kW max). Why does a new build need 12kW? Unless 500m2? If it does you should really concentrate on insulation and airtightness, moderate PV and battery. When the sun isn't out no matter how much PV you have, the production is rubbish. Plus Dec and Jan when heat demand is highest you have the lowest yields from PV and shortest production time.

Fitted the big feature wall tile and the island pendant lights. Bit of centering issue so had to move two of them by 7cm to fix so some holes to fill. Also finished the first room (utility room) apart from final paint and sealing the edges of everything.

"Load" is traditionally the term used in electrical engineering to describe anything that absorbs power. So the house is the load for your heat pump. "Output" is the term for quantifying a source of power. They are both measured in kW. In an HP installation the control system ensures the HP output is matched to the load by modulating the compressor and fan speed to maintain (typically) a 5C temperature difference between the flow and return pipes. If the load is greater than the max output, the HP will run at max but achieve less than 5C delta T. This is OK for the HP but the heating circuit will not reach the design temperature so the emitters will not reach their rated output and the house will be too cold. If the load is less than the minimum that the HP can modulate down to then it will cycle on and off to maintain an average output figure that matches the load. Provided there is sufficient system volume for this to happen not more than 3 cycles per hour it is OK, more cycling than that is inefficient and also bad for compressor lifetime. Zoning the house into a large number of individually controlled areas is likely to result in more frequent cycling so is discouraged. The minimum output figures are on the data sheet immediately below the pictures. So the 12kW model will modulate down to 3.4kW. But the 8kW will go down to 1.7 which is a significantly wider range and the 5kW down to 1.1 which is about the same ratio. With this spec you can see from this cheat sheet that you should be thinking in terms of a HP in the 4 - 8kW range. So the 8kW model is almost certainly going to be big enough for you and it is likely you could get away with the 5kW. Overspecifying it in terms of high room temps, low OAT (Ireland is mostly quite temperate) or caution on the part of the builder will result in higher capital cost, higher running cost and possibly a shorter lifetime. Better to err on the small side and aim to use supplementary heating on the few really cold days a year, either the built-in boost heater, a fan heater or even leave the oven on with the door open (perhaps not with children in the house!).

My hot and cold manifolds straddle my UVC. Below pic is prior to UVC going in, but the valve’d pipe entering the cold manifold is straight off the balanced output of the cylinder PRV (The reason for the tee at that junction is because it’s temporarily going on to the old CW pipe network that will be decommissioned) As above, I’d stick a PRV before the manifold so that all mixers are balanced. Don’t know if just tee’ing straight through to the UVC cold feed would be any better/worse hydraulically than looping round the manifold.

Neither - but I do get to borrow a bit of the garage occasionally (when I need to have a sort out) as well as have use of the driveway as she no longer has a car (just a mobility scooter lives in the garage) and she likes to see a car on the drive as it looks like someone is home. Husband passed away 3 years ago from Parkinsons/dementia but up to about 5 years ago they were best neighbours you could wish for - looked after our cats and the house whenever we were away and so this sort of activity is just paying back for previous good deeds. If it's icy I salt the driveway and paths I put the wheelie bins out on the days they are collected and bring them back in Cut the front grass when it needs cutting Still a good neighbour just not as mobile these days

Your total heat load is a little lower than ours. We've a 9kW and it seems to cope well. Need to check the minimum load on the pumps as that's the main factor, not the maximum output. I.e. how low can it modulate down to.

Hi canski, I've recently had quotes for similar Crittall-like internal aluminium doors 1500 wide x 2400 high ( including a top light). Smart's Aluspace was £2300 + vat. Seniors Architectural Systems £2900 + vat. Origin £2600 + vat. Of the ones we have seen in showrooms we think Aluco are the best looking - but quote was around 4k. What system was your quote?

Latest "from the mound" picture. (could have been taken back in August, but I forgot 🙂

Roofs completed, gables built on one house and half way up the other. The roofers start on Monday after a delay in deliveries due to me changing the roof tiles. I had both the LABC and the warranty inspector out on Tuesday and they have passed the houses off with flying colours. 😀 The LABC inspector was there for about 7 minutes and the warranty inspector for about 2 hours. I now know all about the LABC guys divorce 😂 Onwards and downwards now. I can't wait to see the back of the scaffolding and regain access to the rear of the site for the landscaping before I say goodbye to the forklift. My next battle recommences with the DNO. It is now 19 months since i first applied for electric connection quotes and I feel that I am no nearer getting connected now than I was 19 months ago. Oh and I just had another council tax bill for a building that was demolished in July.

Just to confirm the concrete provider and polisher said the minimum they would do is 75mm He would always recommend 100mm as 75mm would be more prone to cracking but he said it's doable and just a little more prep work would need to be done. Hopefully this can help others down the line in similar position.

... and so, in mid July, we had just a few things to do before we could pour concrete. <CUT, CUT, CUT> That's wrong again, you forgot the three spur walls and you've order some wrong parts. Go again, from the top ... and so, in mid July, we had an unknown quantity of things to do before we could pour concrete ? But before all of that happened, as a family we were all brought together for one of the inevitable things about life - every one must some day some to an end, this time it was my Mother-in-Law, a real matriarch, in the best way. After having gone through several operations and rounds of chemotherapy, her cancer got to the brain, and all other plans went on hold. We were able to get back to site shortly after she passed away in late August to continue. She did get to visit the site, and was so pleased with where we going to be living. So, first on the list was the starter bars for the retaining walls with this amazing double row being installed by my erstwhile wife and with all those complete, it was onto the underfloor heating loops and then the bolts that will locate a couple of steel columns Now, the eagle eyed amongst you will recognise those as M16 bolts (well done to all the bolt nerds), and when a steel fabricator came along, having seen the plans, he fortunately pointed out that they should be M20 bolts. So, if anyone is in need of some 300mm M16 bolts and fittings, tap me up for a deal ? And, so we thought we were ready for a bunch of concrete, until we visited our friendly ICF supplier to talk about the walls and realised I had omitted the shoring for three extra pieces of wall that needed to be tied to the main slab. So after a stupidly self-imposed extra delay, we managed to get everything in place to have some jolly super chaps (Tom, Phil and Ross) to bring along a concrete pump and other wonderful paraphernalia to pour, tamp and float our insulated slab foundation. . We can almost smell the completion of the house ? ? ? ?

I've been amazed by how expensive polished concrete floors are. I had our garage floor power floated and am pretty chuffed with how it looks for a day of graft and £350 for 60m2. I genuinely want to understand rather that just stock debate, but what can people be doing to warrant a £120/m2 price? The materials aren't any more expensive are they? Say it's 100m2, that's £12k. If two workers on £200 each a day, they should be there for at least 5 weeks solid to justify that price. I love the look so would like to understand why it is so expensive.