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In case anyone else is not familiar with "VDI 2035", as I wasn't, this is a good quick intro… https://www.heatgeek.com/heating-water-treatment-explained-vdi-2035/

Our brief to our architects says we want a Passivhaus building but not to the extent that it constrains the way we want to live in any way. If we can achieve both, bargain! But if not, the ability to certify to Passivhaus criteria will be the element that we flex, not how we want to live. I'm in two minds about whether to certify it if we do meet all requirements. I like the idea of being able to say it is certified, but I'm not sure the expense is really worth it. As @joe90 mentions, I think any future occupants will be more interested in how little it costs to run and how much energy it produces rather than a certificate. I think this will be particularly interesting when (if) the Future Homes Standard and any requirement like that in Scotland ever makes its way to England regarding "Passivhaus-like" requirements...

I built to passive principles, probably not actually achieving a “pass” and had no intention of getting certification. The driving principle for me was a comfortable house that was affordable. My thought was if I ever sold the house showing how cheap it was to run would have more clout than a certificate that most buyers would not even understand. Even now i believe a lot of buyers take very little notice of the EPC rating (presuming it’s accurate which I believe a lot are not!!!!).

I have this arrangement: To the right is the stack pipe coming down from upstairs then straight down into a rest bend. The 110 sticking up is where the downstairs WC connects. The 50mm branch at the left is washing machine and sink discharge. It has never blocked, probably because unlike @MortarThePoint outside pipe, this has a regular flow of grey water into that 50mm end pipe to keep it flushed free of any solids that are reluctant to move of their own accord.

In our previous ~2-300 year old Cotswold stone farmhouse we put it a silicon DPC back in the mid 80s and completely repointed over the next 10-20 years the infill showly turned from damp loam to bone dry dust and grain husk. The effective U-value slowly improved down to around 1½ W/m2K. The main problem was that the house leaked air terribly and the floor slab was uninsulated. Our current house has a U-value for exterior walls, roof, floor in the range 0.12-0.15 W/m2K and an an ACH of around 0.4, plus MVHR. Just no comparison in terms of winter comfort. When the kids were young, they ran around naked in doors in the winter but then again gas was dirt cheap in the 90s so the boiler was going flat out when we were in the house.

You'll get plenty of differing opinions on here, but very few favouring ground source. Quite right too. That's unless you have hot rock underground, or the ground effectively has a stream passing through it to bring in new energy. Ground source sucks the heat out of the ground and it is not replaced. Slinkys are actually getting their energy from the air and the sun, so will work nicely in the summer, so forget them too. Air is replaced constantly so..... ASHP for my next project too, without a doubt. Stone buildings. Is yours like ours, granite with 600mm thickness in 3 layers? There is good info in Scottish 'heritage' sites. We have kept the structure as it keeps the weather out, and built a timber tent inside, for insulation and tidiness. The stone gives you more insulation than is normally imagined and dampness is also a minor to zero issue if you repair and look after the wall properly (understanding lime too). Results of our stone building: Only partially occupied. Very happy with temperatures and ASHP heating efficiency. No damp. Steading saved. Yours looks splendid and will be just great if you take best advice and study study study. ohhh and don't assume that the local builders know much (or anything) about science, or good building practice. . Good luck and keep asking.

Welcome! I was new to DIY 2-3 years ago too; it's great fun gaining these skills.

Too long, didn't read or similar. (Wants the precis because people don't like lots of words.) No inhibitor in my system so you could call it VDI 2035 if you wanted to be pretentious. I've long been sceptical of the value of chemical additions to a properly sealed system.

Maybe the shower could connect to the stack separately. The WC flush may pull the shower trap as configured.

I have a large Roof Maker non-opener with electric blackout blind - seems like a very well-built unit and the blind works well. Looks much better than the standard Velux from outside and was simple to fit - though caused lots of scratching of heads as it wasn't a Velux. I fitted it myself in the end and couldn't have been easier. I have two windows that are collecting dust that I couldn't use as I had measured wrong if you want them (not a million miles from Exmouth) - though they don't have blinds.

I'd say yes, it's the one chink I have in my Solar gain mitigation and I wish I'd included blinds on roof lights

Another thing with posts, you need to dig a nice parallel sided hole. At one previous house a neighbour had a fence installed. The contractors were not very careful, and the first gale, many of the posts simply pivoted out of the cone shaped hole with a cone shape block of concrete still attached.

Hello BH, Any experience of Velbus Automation? https://velbus.co.uk/ It seems like an easy system to understand and use for BH types - With lots of info in how it all works: https://www.velbus.co.uk/dl/training/posters/EN_Velbus_poster01.pdf https://velbus.co.uk/downloads/ Good tutorials on youtube too: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCHw8A4D87YCm8H8JtsDbaH5waD4pEQls Would welcome thoughts and especially any direct experience.

I've just registered here. I will try to be useful and share as much information as I know.

Could you actually see movement at the base where it comes out of the ground? It is surprising just how much concrete posts will bend so movement at the top if solid at the bottom is okay. However it does look to me like they filled the holes not with concrete, but with bricklaying mortar, probably because they had plenty of that on site ready?

Yes indeed. Dirty big carbon filter on our intake to avoid others pollution.

good. it will be clowns burning pallets etc.

no cavity closers ? much better job to build them in as you go for airtightness later on.

Hello, I've been scanning your pages for a little while and have finally taken the plunge and joined. We're nearing the beginning of the end of a renovation that's been cursed in multiple ways. Hoping to find help and advice on all manner of topics including MVHR, ASHP, UFH and general wise council - I can't afford to pay for therapy... Cheers!

That makes sense. But only today I came across an old photo I took of a cable puncturing the vapour control, and not sealed. So it is quite a good time for a bco overview. Did I ever mention a project where our client's electrician issued apprentice completion certificates (green versions of the full certificates, if I recall) . Nobody had pulled him up on it before.

Just recalled our BCO (Stroma) said next time he wants to visit if completion. No first fix had happened at that point 😁

I wouldn’t bother with the textile, hardcore (bricks, rubble concrete etc.) well compacted and then cap off with MOT.

The electric car thing. We are being told they are just as good as an ICE car and we should all have one. Just 2 problems with that. First they are NOT as "good" in some respects because range and charging times limit their use compared to almost instant refuelling of an ICE car, and they are even more hopeless if you want to tow something. The "sales pitch" needs to be more honest, they are just as good for many users that don't do long journeys or tow anything, but be HONEST that they are not a drop in replacement that will suit all uses. And if you answer that with "they will get better" then that just reinforces my point, they are not yet ready for all users so why buy a pre production development model? And secondly they are just too expensive, most people like me could not afford one even if I wanted one.

In the late 1970's I read MAD magazine where they had cartoon scripts, some of which were about how different things would be in the future due to a hotter climate etc. Low and behold we're facing what they wrote about. This must be a coincidence. Surely we didn't have the science then to see this coming. Surely people would have listened during the last 50 years. Surely the majority of the people ( and therefore the deciding factor about what the priorities are) would have decided to change the way we all live and not face such a future. Apparently not. I've given up on humanity and concentrate on doing my bit where I can. As the planet's climate changes swiftly now, but humans still resist adapting quickly enough the outlook is bleak. Some individual rights will have to be superseded by population rights or we will lose all hope as a race. On a positive note all this sun and rain has brought on my potatoes a treat. Good luck Marvin

Thanks for the thanks. It adds to the human kindness total for the day. Its good to know when it makes a difference, whether if moving a project forward or advising of risks.

It would be more believable if the BBC wasn’t involved

If we all fully insulated our homes, drove cars and grew food in our gardens.. Of still wouldn't save the planet. Not until all industries start changing their ways. Industrial scale resource wastage is taken for granted. Out of 12 aircraft Hangers I worked on last week, 6 of which were empty, yet still heated, one of which had the doors open 24/7 with the heaters on. Two of these have issues with their sprinkler systems not holding pressure and have mains pressure water pouring down the drain and have been for a year. That's drinking water. This is US/UK tax payers money covering the cost of these wasted $/£, and this sort of thing happens in ALL industries. As long as the mentality of fighting change is based upon short term economics, things won't change