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I think I'd extend that downpipe above and drop it directly into the gutter too.

Also, was building control involved in all this and are they local authority? Ah, I see the answer is ‘yes’. Then it sounds like one part of the council is telling you to do something … without warning you that another part of the same legal entity is going to try to profit from it. Strong letter to head of council suggesting unethical behaviour to start with as such behaviour could be interpreted as a revenue scam. That’ll probably do it. It wants to be worded carefully, so maybe you want a cleverish lawyer to write it.

I disagree with that and think your chosen AI tool has got it wrong. If the house is at negative pressure with respect to outside, it will draw air in through any leak path, which if anything will draw air DOWN the flue.

I agree with your roofer The pitch isn’t anything to do with this problem In any case It’s not his responsibility to decide on the correct tile for the pitch Unless he specified this particular tile But he has cut the tray to short It should finish inline with the roof and I would have run the gutter further also This done would more than likely sort the problem out NHBC like most warrantee companies hardly ever pay out and insist on a bond before coming out But won’t pay out on defective work

Have a good think about who's looking after all the off grid gubbins if somethings gone wrong and you're not around or are taken ill. Not sure the type of property your looking to power but if you come to sell you'll likely be selling in avery niche market. The Victron forum is where I'd start looking for ideas but no idea if the knowledge base extends to whole house design??

I just want to emphasise that I used to work for a small turbine manufacturer, we made a 5 kW turbine. It cost about £20k to install, and that was 20 years ago. Even on a good site, it would struggle to produce 10 MWh/year. Most likely half that, so no better than PV, except it works at night and in winter. I would, if going off grid, go with CHP, PV and a modest amount of storage.

Shouldn't really have said effective, should have said efficient. Pump enough heat into anything it can be effective. Downwards heat loss also means more heat is always pumped into UFH than radiators - insulation depth make it cheaper than it would otherwise be to run. You can have a lower flow temperature also.

Hi I've had a crazy quote for power supply and wondered if anyone has had experience of going totally off-grid at least for electricity supply and if there's someone you've known of who's been able to solution up a whole system? I'd already got plans to put in a 5.2kW pv array with battery packs etc and I'm thinking i'd be happy to go with the extra cost of a wind turbine (which will need planning) and then a back-up generator, but i'm lost as to how to work out the calculations with any degree of accuracy. Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2025. David

I am more of a renovator/repairer than an outright builder. Hope that’s OK?

I used an old pillow stuffed into a bin bag with a few holes in the bag at the bottom to stop the bag becoming mouldy. That solution won't fleece like those expensive chimney sheep, which are shear rubbish, methinks. Ewe could use a pillow too, just ram it up the chimney! Baa humbug? 😄

Is it the water hitting the outside of the gutter and splashing back onto the facia and rafter ends, it looks like a big roof into a small section of gutter but might be the camera view?

I've said it in a thread of my own. CIL is a scam. The self build exemption is full of pitfalls and booby traps which councils will happily allow you to fall into. If you're exempt because you are self building, you should be able to claim the exemption you're entitled to, even if you've started in error without the correct paperwork due to poor advice from architects/designers or plain ignorance. I had someone reply telling me that CIL is in fact not a scam because councils need money. In your case, you've received some truly awful advice in this thread with regards to applying for demolition and replacement dwelling. That's the worst thing you can do. What will happen is, the council will gladly allow you to walk down this path, then when it is approved, the CIL officer will be in touch and say something like, "oh no, you've already started the build and you can only claim CIL exemption before any work commences, as per government guidelines. It's a real shame and I don't want to do this, I really don't, I swear, but that will be £52k please." They'll have you by the bollocks and there'll be nothing you can do. All you can do is fight this now to stay within your current approval which didn't trigger CIL in the first place. Of course the council want you to do a new application which will trigger CIL and will legally allow them to bill you £52k. It makes a wee bit of sense when you think about it that way.

Is that an Internorm door? if you look at the end of the door, there will be lots of screws holding the gear/mechanism. Be worth taking it out but the handle will need to come off first & pull the spindle out.

Oh yes please (fellow riparian owner)

The bug invariably starts with a renovation...

I bet the outer part of that square is a cover that will just pop off if you get something flat like a chisel under it to prise it off and will reveal some fixing screws. The grub screw is probably to clamp the bar, not hold the handle in place.

Your captive must have been sturdier than you thought she was. Looks like a knob you get in a cheap motel.

+1 👍 Would still require all tiles coming off. I would strip a section from gutter say 4 tiles up just to see what’s there for the second opinion to see, and some pics here for us to chip in as well.

Ah, that was not evident from your original photo. I do wonder if the eaves trays and felt have been installed properly, a problem with minimum slope is with the kick up of bottom row of tiles can leave the felt creating a puddle next to the guttering. however if the tiles have a minimum slope of 35’ and yours is installed at 25’ someone is very much at fault, I am surprised that a roofer with decades of experience could make such a school boy error..

Also that down pipe will be discharging even more water at that end, depends how big the roof above that downpipe is.

Beware. Many warranty insurers will have asked the builder / developer to sign to agree their rules of registration, which can include a clause allowing them to recover any expenses incurred from you. The excess is also often £1,000.

I think you mean minimum pitch. The minimum roof pitch for handmade clay tiles is usually 35°, but it can vary depending on the type of tile: personally (from the photos) the problem only exists at the far left side and I notice that the felt tray (plastic sticking out into the guttering) is short of the roof, it should continue further left to the edge of the tiles. Also I think the guttering is a bit short, if it were a couple of inches longer it would catch water off that lead which I don’t believe it’s doing at the moment. If it were me I would angle grind into the mortar between tiles at the far left and insert a short length of eaves tray right up to the edge of the tiles, also I would extend the guttering a few inches longer . If you don’t want to do this get your roofer to do it, far cheaper than getting into claims (and best of luck claiming of NHBC). minimum slope is to stop wind driven rain being blown back under the tiles but the felt/membrane and eaves tray should still catch this.

I've been out with my back for a bit but now taking Pilates classes and everything feels fine so far. Been crawling around the new attic and installing the Intello membrane and taping for air tightness lying down and in difficult positions without issue. Phew!! I've put a call into the Plumber for first fix and will see when they are next available in 2025. Once they are available I'll book the Electrician. Updates are as follows: Interior stud work for outside walls nearly completed except for open plan area. This is provide additional space for more insulation and a service cavity. 95% of Moy Metac insulation fitted, hope to complete today except for specialized areas (Velux and Oriel Window) 95% of air tightness taping completed except for door thresholds and and Velux/Oriel areas. I've used up my extra rolls of Tescon Vana tape and did a quick run to pick up more from ecological before they shut for Xmas. Needed 2 more rolls, so got 3 !! Very few places stock it and usually I get it delivered but I plan on working on the house over Xmas and needed to have it on hand or I'd have to wait until 2025 to get more! There are some trickier areas to get airtight where studs protrude / the roof intersects, I'm just taping the hell out of it! And using other sealing products to help. The place is a lot quieter with the insulation in place and even though its 3oC outside, the attic work was comfortable as the heat from my efforts is being retained up there! Helps a lot but when I take a break and sit downstairs it gets cold fast and I can see my breath!! Thinking about the outside drainage and have a shopping list as not heard back from groundworker so if I have to do this solo wanted to figure out what I'd need. Tempted to buy now but need to stop distracting myself and work out exact quantities of internal products needed to finish insulation, plasterboarding and to fit out bathrooms I'm the proud owner of three toilets, a wall hung cabinet with sink, tap and led mirror. First time buying any of those! The plan is to get a working bathroom up by Spring so I can ditch the Tufloo outside! I can flush by bucket! So, what a 2024! Slower than I expected but I'm nearly ready for 1st fix and when the trades get onsite they won't hang around. I found an excellent bathroom outfit who can provide a tiler and everything I'm looking for and are local. I plan to let them tackle the main bathroom and all the tiling but may do some of the ensuites myself if I feel up to it! I've used 53 rolls of Moy Metac so far and am the owner of a wide array of power tools. Am proficient in working without main electricity and just off battery power only most evenings (No temp supplies allowed where I am). All the evening work has added up nicely! Best wishes to all planning or executing their projects and hope all goes well for you in 2025!

Welcome back. Went for a walk at the back of your place recently. To celebrate my new hips. Our flat roof was going to be a green roof. The more we looked at the issue the higher the costs went. Until we covered our eyes with our hands and dared peek at the numbers no longer. We are surrounded by eco roofs (leisure center - university is full of them ) My God they can look tatty after a while. Anyway. Nice to see you both back. ( That garage used for your car yet? 😜)

Hummm.... Morning, welcome. Have a look at most posts .... they're about renovation and repair. I mean all you have to do is follow @Pocster or @Onoff or @Jilly (😑) to see that. By far the most people who land on this site do nothing more than read... Or lurk. Whats the last thing you repaired then? 'Eere, I've an idea - have you every mended walk-on glazing : cos one of our guys needed a bit of help with that 😜

I’m jealous now. Forgot to put it on my Santa list. 😞

Welcome to THE build and renovation forum, we love to hear and see pics of projects and lots of helpful info here from folk that have “been there, done that”. There is no such thing as a silly question, silly is not asking. We all started somewhere (decades ago in my case).

I had my own JCB 3CX and even taught myself how to drive it, yes common sense and erring on the side of caution needs to be applied. My mate was a health and safety officer (OTT) and when he came to my site was horrified with my approach. p.s. it was the best toy a person can have, I loved it

Great, at least you have peace of mind which is invaluable 👍

Update: I’ve spoken to the designer and engineer who have both confirmed that the glulam ridge beam is a physically restraining the gable (timber frame) so nothing to worry about…. Educational and stressful self building 😜 Thank you for all of the comments and advice.

Until I gave it a bit of thought a few minutes ago I would have said “nothing” but now having given it a bit of thought I’d say “air curtain”. Like I say, it’s always been like that, the supply has always been slightly higher than the extract. I have no reason to doubt the data the machine is giving me so perhaps the manufacturer thinks it’s a good thing? Standing by for the contrary views.

Certainly, it’s more likely that hell will freeze over than me paying them any money. It’s quite possibly the most expensive residential gas boiler on the market, so I intend to get my money’s worth. Currently, it is the manufacturer that owes me: 1) cost of heating 300L of water with an immersion heater 2) damages for stress and inconvenience of coming home to a cold house; 3) time costs of dealing with this crap 4) interest on the above.

We lived with no mains for about 15 years (90s to late 00s, I was just a kid) We had an old Lister diesel generator. It was a different life, we were much more oriented around being outside and one was very much at one with the seasons. We lived in a very small house and had the power on for an our or so in the morning, and then a couple in the evening. Through winter it was on longer (from dusk while 2200). Our heating was mainly from an open fire but we also had a gas boiler from an LPG tank. There was no TV. We did have a water connection and a telephone line though! AMA

I just want to emphasise that. The people that sell them tell outrageous lies about them. Think of them on yachts. There is always a brisk breeze and they can only trickle charge a battery and run a few lights. Inland the wind is many factors less. Nobody fits them on high office block roofs any longer, even to tick a sustainability box. I'm remembering construction exhibitions 20 years ago where there would be ten stands with the things, and Architects started specifying them. I refused to price them into jobs and it was an awkward argument. All these companies have gone. Solar and very big batteries ok, esp if you design the building for minimal demand. But if it's £20k for mains, take it.

Why not a generator and some battery storage? You could, with a bit of simple plumbing claim some thermal energy from the generator. The main thing with off grid living is to reduce usage to a ridiculously low level. This will probably mean a total redesign if your home. May be too late to do that if you have planning already. Small, domestic, wind turbines are pointless. The physics is against you. It is very easy to think you can live with a log fire and a couple of lights, but realistically you want a washing machine (about 2 kWh per wash), a fridge and freezer (0.5 kWh/day), extractors, maybe off grid sewage and lights (another 2 kWh/day) and you have already used up your winter PV production. Find a decent mechanic and make a small CHP unit on a petrol engine (gasoline us 15p/kWh).

Can we ask how crazy the supply cost was because you are already stacking up cost on the other side. EG generator & wind turbine etc?

Our supply is always slightly higher than extract, so theoretically we are slightly over pressured.

Sorry! Bit late to this party. I could not recommend a mattock highly enough. Unbelievably effective. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0893G1PP5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yes BUT it depends somewhat on how you look at it. Assuming you need .5 ACH from all sources (Natural leakage + Controlled Ventilation) the smaller you make the Natural leakage with great air tightness and more of that controlled ventilation ACH you can get the MVHR to package the more you are saving. Looking at it this way it does not add to the losses, 0.5 ACH would be a total loss if all of it was natural, but does what it says on the tin and recovers a significant proportion of the heat embodied in that air thereby saving you money and the planet some energy. So, in that sense, it does not add to the losses you needed 0.5 ACH anyway it just recovers a chunk of the energy from it such that it will always be a saving just in the slightly different dimensions of money & energy.

We were aiming for >5, (we were agreed on a 7.5acre site but it fell through). There was a few smaller sites like you described, but they tended to be on the far side of Canterbury, with varying levels of facilities. But yes they are in high demand and rarely come up unfortunately

This happened to us, we split the land belonging the cottage we had bought, we only lost 5k , we’d paid 250k for cottage and 2acres , we sold 18 months later retaining half the land which we’d got planning on and realised 245k so it doesn’t mean because you’re keeping some of the ground that you’re going to sell the house your in at a big loss. Anyway what I started off going to say here was that we put our plans out to tender with a local company to do the full job, we nearly fell off our chairs when the price came in at £350k , not including oak finishings or staircase and only allowing £8k for a kitchen, tiling only to showers and splash back, the plot had been valued at 125k so there was a total of £475k which the house would never be worth, however we have built the house, we do have an oak staircase and finishings , we have a bespoke kitchen and when we finish off the garden, drive etc we will be in line to have spent around £270k so just over £1k a square metre, it can be done if you’re very careful and we haven’t done a lot of the hard graft just bits and pieces and the drains.

Take it off it's hinges and spin the door over so the duff handle is on the inside. 🤣🤣

🤣

Not the first time you've heard that I bet!

We had one on our 'chemical van'. At 40 MPH it was loud, at 60 MPH it made your ears bleed. No idea what it was like at 20 MPH, never drove that slow in those days.

No. But a polythene bag stuffed with fibreglass will stop your heat disappearing up, and also mute the noise coming down.

Boring primitive (expletive deleted)s on this site . So the hardware is pretty much comparable to Alexa . Software not there yet . About to link into LLM and generative AI. So when door cam sees SWMBO can say “ an agitated female with a knife is approaching the door “

No formal training or certificates required unless you total next door or tear down power lines. Then you might wish you had some. Worth checking out what your the site insurance says.

I'm going shopping apparently. I'll read all that clever stuff later....thanks all.