Leaderboard

Hiya. Excuse the spelling / grammer as I'm off duty. Yes there are folk on BH that know about this stuff... but unfortunately you'll have to provide a lot more info to get targeted technical advise for free on BH. It's up to you.. if you feel able to provide sanitised copies of the party wall surveyors report, associated drawings.. or not. That is a major deviation and that should have been recorded and signed off by the PW surveyor. This can give rise to general soil swell.. who decided to do this? What kind of piles were used? Do you know? Ok there has been a nuisance in terms of noise.. let that lie for now.. but has this caused consolidation / swelling of the soil that can impact on you house? Do you have any record photos (dillapidations survey) of before the work started. The surveyor should have these if afforded access to your property. Did they ask to access your property and did you allow them to do so? If not they could be on a bit.. of a sticky wicket! You have my support. It is horrible. Nice try from them! The ground acceleration is only one factor.. much depends on the soil type as this impacts on the neighbouring buildings in terms of later soil behavoir as it can introduce extra residual stress that can manifest later when the building moves about between winter and summer say. It can be the straw that breaks the camels back. Also just where did they measure this vibration, who witnessed it and when were their instruments last calibated and certified. I smell.. Their first arguement is that to avoid immediate structural damage the accelearation needs to be generally less than say 15mm/s but that is only one part of the equation. help ma boab so they proudly announced that the vibration was 7.0mm/s.. to one decimal place.. my baldy head.. Think of this in terms of an earthquake...sudden and passes quickly but your house did not fall down right away. But what about the longer term impact that said vibration has on the soil that your house sits on. This is also material. You could be forgiven for smelling manure and I think you know this but can't put technical terms to it.. this stuff is not common bedtime reading. What kind of piles did they use, what kind of soil do you have.. if they have gone down 20m you probably have a sensitive / soft / swell prone soil. Their SE may have wanted to get down to something hard.. your house may be floating on a crust of clay say like load of houses in the south of the UK. Now next door they pile to death and upset everything on the otherside of the boundary. You can now see evidence that the work next door may have caused damage to your house. All houses move about from winter to summer but you rightly identify what long term damage could result. My own thoughts are: 1/ Yes it has been a nightmare for you. 2/ Choice 1.. get ripped right into them and demonstrate the surveyor and contractor have been negligent. This will cost a lot and be very stressful. You'll need money to do this.. while you may be correct on the technical arguement you'll need to be able to show that you have suffered a loss legally to stand a good chance of getting financial compensation. Get photo of this as we can then talk about soil liquifaction! It may be a clear winner for you but again it is a major undertaking to take on these folk. For this to occur then there must have been much more vibration than they are claiming? 3/ Do nothing and make sure you keep your home insurance up to date. Unfortunalety the piling industry and some surveyors work on a "who dares win basis" I does my head in as an SE and folk like you end up suffering. 4/ Record everything you can and wait. I would love to be able to say.. here is how you fix this but I can't as don't have enough info and am aware that the stress levels can go through the roof if you take on this fight.

Hi everyone. I guess I’ve been lurking around the forum for almost as long as I’ve been scheming my-self build project. A long-held dream of a reasonably sized wrap-around extension - about 125m2 on the ground floor and 70m2 on the first floor, with large open spaces, large glazed openings, and vaulted ceilings. And now that I have planning permission, I am attempting to develop the design for a structural steel frame with Larsen truss type walls and ceilings. Only that this does not appear to be common, and maybe ultimately, it’ll prove not to be viable. But I’ll have fun learning….and trying. Regardless, I’m grateful to all those knowledgeable people that post here. Lots to think about.

Hi all, Been trying for years to renovate a 1912 terrace house and got badly stalled for all sorts of reasons - cowboy builders, unresponsive builders, covid, pressure of work, etc. etc. We're trying to reboot things and I need to build more confidence, so joined in the hope of advice and support, and maybe feeling a bit less on my own with it. I've a few questions already so I'll post them up in the relevant forums. Thanks

Goes back to the basics. k-value is the thermal conductivity, the unit is W.m-1.K-1 This is the important property because you can calculate the other units. R-Value is the thermal resistivity and takes the thermal path length into account. It is calculated from the k-Value and the length. R = length (m) / k-Value The length, in metres, is just the thickness i.e. 0.2m R-Value has the units K.m2.W-1 R-Value is used as an intermediate calculation step as it allows different layers of materials to be added together i.e. brick, insulation, block, plaster, to get the total thermal resistivity. U-Value, which is generally the value we are after, is the reciprocal of R-Value. U-Value = 1.R-1 or 1/R It really comes down to the available thickness, the price and ease of fitting. The foil coating is there to act a a vapour control layer, a sheet of polythene is more effective.

used pinks last week for some metal framing stuff that my local BM's didnt have. Got a phone call 30 minutes after online order to confirm delivery date. Delivery driver rang when he was on the way. Delivery truck had one of those 3 wheel fork lifts too. All in all, one of the better companies I've used.

I normally run a meter apron around all the walls

At the beginning of Week 5 the scaffold arrives. The ICF walls get past window header height so they can be boxed in first with the ICF to close the side jamb, header and cill then the wood brace for the concrete pour. The internal structural walls are started and tied into the ICF. These are to support the steel roof beams. Its good to stand in the open plan kitchen and lounge area now and get the scale of the room, the three windows look down our field to the East and the slider door opening looks out South towards Dartmoor, visible on clear days. The kitchen may look a bit dark but it will have 4 velux windows that as well as providing light help to zone off the open plan area. The photo from the scaffold shows our workshop in the big barn and beyond that just visible is our current home. The weather has not been too bad during working hours, a mixture of sun shine, rain and strong wind with gusts of over 43mph so I will be happy to see the pour next week. This week the car is our own Jensen Interceptor my husband took it out in the sunshine when he went to our local ‘Men’s Shed’ in Holsworthy. Total man days of labour week 5 is 23 man days.

Good Energy, through whom I submit my FiT readings, have emailed me a couple of time of late, suggesting I could earn up to 9% more from my PV by signing up to their 'Rego Boost'. Anyone bothered doing so, or are there better ways to maximise your PV earnings?

It might be a good idea to stay with the same insurance company. An old house we owned had been underpinned and we had to take on the same policy, as did subsequent owners. Not a huge deal, but you can’t shop around or they might cry ‘pre existing’ and not pay if something happens .

Thanks everyone. I spoke to a structural engineer and he said that it was common for the inner leaf (i assume bricks course) would have a wooden lintel. The outer leaf in my case has a Masonary Arch. So i am ok but he advised i change the wooden lintel for a concrete one as the wooden ones can rot. My one is showing some signs of getting soft in areas so I will change. Below is the door from the outside which does look like an arch

It is a juggling act on two layers working out the cost varying the depths as @Iceverge says but think waste as well two layers of 80mm might give you less wasteage or you can fit in in walls or around cylinders etc.

Sure, a standard two piece where one runs inside the other and you can vary the length. The key is managing risk and safety. How are you with heights? Search YouTube for the essential craftsman video on ladders, I learned some great basic tips there. Have a spotter the first few times to secure the base and supervise. Don't climb alone.

Based on having done it the 'wrong way' - the way I would not do it now - (no parge coat, and *adhesive dabs* (as spec'd by the manufacturer 30+ years ago)) and the 'right way' (warm batten method on a lime parge coat) and (IMHO) the 'right right way' (rigid wood-fibre on an adhesive layer of lime, on a lime parge coat and with mechanical fixings) my preference, in order, would be 3, 2, 1. I do acknowledge of course that wood-fibre will come out significantly more expensive than PIR, and it is a matter of personal choice. EDIT: Note that, although my preference is for a parge coat (which I either bed the boards into wet, or to which I add an 'adhesive coat' of lime) if you do full perimeter beads of adhesive foam or dri-wall adhesive and make sure that they are deep enough to 'close off' all undulations, then you may have avoided the worst risk of 'thermal decoupling' - cold air movement between the wall and the insulation. By doing the perimeter beads and cross-hatchings you may ensure that if any 'leakage' occurs it is confined to a small area rather than occurring over the whole 2.8m2.

I've done two or three shower trays on beam and block floors with insulation, UFH and screed. I like the waste pipe to enter the area under the shower as far as possible from the trap so the trap can move a bit in all directions. Not essential but it makes alignment a tad less critical. Then I build a timber frame as per option 2. Normally treated 2*4 cut down if necessary. At least 18mm WPB on top. I cut a clearance hole in the WPB so the bottom part of the top access trap can be moved about a bit in all directions including vertically so it can be pulled up against the underside of the tray by the top part. This is why I like some unsupported length of waste pipe. I do a dry run then mortar the tray down. I Used flexible tile adhesive last time as I had some already for tiling. Used a notched trowel. I screw in the top part of the trap while still soft. Later removed and refitted with sealer. Two of the trays are virtually at FFL but I allow a bit of clearance so the bottom door seal doesn't rub on the tiles when you open the door.

Concrete into a former to get the shape you might have had if you had started at the beginning? Or a stack of marine ply, ditto? >>> Any suggestions for what I should dress the raised edge with? Matching cut floor tiles? Stainless strip? It's an aestethic decision, so personal choice. Post up a photo maybe?

A lime plaster made of say 3: 1 grit-sand or plastering sand and NHL 3.5 will be fine. Non-plasterers (such as me) will find it heavier and not as sticky, and plasterers who have only ever used gypsum just won't be used to it. RK38 has the advantage of feeling lighter and 'behaving' a bit like a gypsum base-coat ('Bonding plaster').

I believe for MHRV to perform anywhere near its design it requires an air tight building envelope, I'm restoring my existing sash window incl draught proofing them however I don't expect they will be airtight and they would at least hinder the performance of a MHVR system I see targeted extraction working better in my house; good extractor hood over the hob, well thought out extraction in bathrooms and utility.

Its a very difficult subject to find agreement on. I've gone back to brick and will not be applying a parge coat. A poster above suggested to omit PIR between the joists and apply hemp plaster, I'd like to know more on how that works but other than that I'm fixed in the spec. I am satisfied, as much as I can be, in this approach for the following reason specific to my situation: Property is a semi-d situated in a well sheltered location on a well drained site. Over the past year even with some very leaky guttering I have not seen any visable internal penetrative dampness on the bare brick walls Many houses have employed this method without issue and I imagine the majority of those without much consideration/research of the finer installation details. I plan to ensure kitchen and bathrooms have top performing mechanical ventilation to at least remove this source of moisture to outside the building. Also a main driver is I need to get this done now, I've spent too long mulling over the pros, cons and risks of IWI, etc I have a wife, child, mortgage and ongoing temporary accommodation/rent, need to get the job wrapped up.

There is an explanatory video on the James Jones website. Interesting. Google James Jones timber treatment. I didn't know there were so many classes of treatment according to use. Cuts need painting!

If it ain’t broke, don’t mend it.

my 1930s place has wooden lintels over the doors and windows, pretty must the same as what you have there. From what i recall there is no outer lintel, but rather the soldier course rests on top of the original wooden window frame. Obviously most of these are now replaced for double glazing, so the bricks rest on the UPVC frame, which is far from ideal but seems a pretty common way of doing it. As its rendered on the other side this seems like it might be pretty destructive to change. Id just leave it if it was me, unless its truly rotten.

Funnily enough there was a recent thread about relays on the FB Heating Design page. Bought several from Maplin. Very handy source of all kinds of generic parts. RIP. Someone has bought the name now, they operate two near-identical web sites, one theirs, one Maplin. Recently bought a relay and some 230V LED panel indicators from them in various colours, all the orange ones blew up with a big flash, same for replacements. Whole batch had wrong dropper resistors inside. 0/10 for Quality Control. Avoid. Eventually they sent different yellow neons which I re-built in the LED cases to match the appearance. Nightmare. But I can finally see at a glance which valves on my HP system are open and why.

you could try this website https://www.visitaheatpump.com/

T&Cs 4.8 If the Authority cancels an Eligible Installation’s REGO Accreditation, We cannot request further REGOs for that Eligible Installation and will not provide any payment At £4/MWh, it is not exactly generous. Would it be considered income, and therefore taxable? or worse, push some people over a benefit limit.

I'm registered with Good Energy for my FiT payments and hadn't heard of this, so I had a read, very interesting. https://www.goodenergy.co.uk/business/insights/fit-rego-boost/

Is it a case of the energy suppliers having to pay to meet their renewable generation obligations. Probably cheaper, for them, to offer existing customers that already have the kit, a few pennies to export more. As RE generation increases, it is easier for energy companies to buy in supplies, so these deals will not exist in time.

Just use the thickest layer you can. 100mm PIR is normally good value. 200mm might cost the same as 150mm if you can fit it.

I'm yet to start this particular job. The plan in my mind at least, is that low expansion foam will momentarily hold the PIR in position, the installed battens then primarily securing the boards in position. The service cavity may as you describe solely accommodate cabling etc, although I believe it could packed with rockwall if targeted u-valves required. IMO the batten thickness needs to be minimum 35mm. Where the batten it is positioned in the build-up (warm side of VCL) I don't believe it needs to be tanalised, regardless I am using a tanalised batten.

Wouldn’t trade my FiT for anything. you’d never find another 20 year (or whatever you’ve left) contract, only takes them to pull it and you’ve lost everything. looking at their product, which I’ve never heard of, it seems this is a free add on to FiT so that would all stay the same, for maybe £10-20 extra per year, money for nothing perhaps definitely warrants further research

Surely if you stipulate the install should be done outside bird nesting season they can't charge that bird nesting survey?

Get online, then ring your local merchants. Mine came straight from Celotex via an online seller all the way up to NE Scotland for free.

Our building control/plans specify 160mm for the floor at 0.022 which most of them are, but it can be in any combination. Only one company does 160mm but quite a few do 150mm so it might be worth checking why you need to have 2 layers. I’ve found it’s worth doing calls for different combinations to work out the cheapest combination. So you might want to do 60/90 or 80/70 if you are allowed to get the cost as low as possible. Has anyone used Pinks Insulation or Trade Insulations as a PIR supplier? Or got a recommendation for good insulation suppliers ( need deliver to South East England)?

I have used the Baumit products for years. A colleague parged his whole house with their RK38 plaster. The plasterers were delighted: 'It trowels just like Bonding!'

mine was 750sqm and was not so thick as to chip easily probably what was specified by the franchise --and they never look at things right I have had 4 dealerships in my time and they used to spend my money like water if you did not chalenge them they would suddenly send you 15k of advertising stands for showroom -no option and bill your parts accounts same with special tools ,at least 90 % of which you would never use ,or in alot cases even know what it is for or for a model you did not get in uk one maker wanted tiled workshop floor -they were told to go whistle and you wonder why main dealer labouur rates are so high

75mm keep it for the floors, double it up to 150, stagger the joins.

Great blog Susie. Love the information you are including. Seemed to get out of the ground pretty quickly.

Same build up as I did. After I drilled through the battens and PIR into the brickwork, I squirted a glob of acrylic sealant into the holes before drilling the screw through to, hopefully, provide an airtight seal. internal wall joint - I used Pro Clima Contega PV which is a plaster-able tape - to provide an airtight joint between PIR and internal wall bottom of external wall - I used hemp lime plaster to bring the floor void flush with the PIR and taped again, opted for hemp lime for its breathability around the joist pockets into the brickwork. top of external walls - I pulled the ceilings down, stapled an airtight membrane to the bottom of the rafters and taped the PIR to that, then fitted a service void to the ceiling and plasterboard it external wall to intermediate 1st floor/ceiling - see "bottom of external wall"

Photos please…. I would always fit the boards and then fully foam and then cut back excess foam and then silver foil tape all junctions post pics showing the work so people can see if it’s been done well or not.

You can hire my plants for a tenner a month.

I do have another number ,he only wanted a copy of the plans and the number we wanted to get to ,he was £250 , I don't think it mattered to him where you are as I get the impression that an actual visit was highly unlikely if you know what I mean .

Well, let me give you all pile envy - 52 (over 146 sq m.)