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Email Trevor from Cylinders2go and mention my username and the forum for a trade price on a Telford cylinder

I don't know how to quantify the additional costs associated with cold bridging in such a small area : and I bet nobody else can either. Treat yourself: forget about it.

Hello all - just joining the forum today although we're nearly 8 years into our self-build journey!! We're hopefully starting construction this summer and I'm currently buried in the detailed design work. Lots of questions coming up so hoping to get some advice on here! A quick note on my display name as I'm aware nothing commercial is allowed on here: back before we had kids and were trying to build a house, when I actually had time for hobbies, I used to make guitars for fun. Out of habit I picked my display name as it's one I've used on some other forums. Didn't want anyone to think I'm sneakily trying to sell guitars! No time for that! Anyway, looking forward to chatting. Andy

I know this is an old topic / post but thought that (as a brick maker) I would post what is good practise and often gets missed by DIYers and professional builders alike: Portable sample boards ARE NOT to be relied upon as being truly representative of the product that may be delivered. You should: Request a sample from the manufacturer of enough product to build a site panel 1M2 to be used as a reference panel. This should be built on site on a level, weather protected area and used to build subsequent sample panels from each delivery to make sure they are a reasonable match to the reference panel. The product supplied by the manufacturer should NOT be filtered (with the exception of broken pieces) and laid as received. If critical you should also request the manufacturer approve that what has been built is acceptable to them as to what will be received in the main deliveries. This is as per PAS (Publicly Acessible Standard) 70:2003 for good site practise. So the question usually is why do you have to do this - surely "They should all match the sample board"... Clays, sands, kilns, thermocouples, valves, fans, motors, sprayers, people and the wind direction changes. I kid you not - these are factors that can affect the appearance of the finished product and I have probably missed a few factors. So imagine you order a sample board (which are usually 3 courses of1 and a half bricks - so 4.5 bricks) 18 months before you build and rely upon that as your reference. 1) 4.5 bricks is not usually representative of a complex blend due to the size of the sample 2) The stock pile the brick works might change from when the sample was made and current production runs - clay stock piles can subtly differ in their chemical composition due to the nature of how clay deposits are laid down. 3) The works may have upgraded/changed its kilns from i.e. a Hoffman to a tunnel kiln 4) The sand stains originally used may have run out and a similar (but not quite the same) product has been sourced 5) If the works is a clamp works (that being where the bricks are piled in a huge mound with coal between each layer and fired in the open air) for example the wind might have been stronger this batch than the one you sampled from meaning they fired faster and hotter - which changes the firing curve affecting the product achieved. 6) The temperature measuring devices (thermocouples) can drift. This is usually compensated by yearly calibration BUT they do drift and a noticeable colour difference can occur with a firing temperature difference of 5 degrees C in 1100 i.e. a 0.45% change... 7) Coal addition is usually done by inline belt weighers - these can also be affected by mis calibration / poor maintenance affecting the weighed amount added. 8 ) The product may be in high demand so it may be that the management want a higher throughput to meet demand. This means that the works manager might increase the speed of the firing (usually by either increasing the ramp speed of trimming the top soak). This modification can affect the colour and appearance. I could go on but these are some of the factors that can affect why one batch may differ from the other. In short - the only true way to garauntee the product you show planners (for example) is a perfect match to what you end up building with is to go to the manufacturer, inspect the yard stock, get it ring-fenced and randomly sample from that exact batch. Clearly for small builders this is not really practical. This is what the big house builders used to do i.e. they would call Redland and say we are looking at buying 400k Dorking Multi / w/e. Redland would then make 400k bricks and invite the buyer to come over, sample for his reference panel and ring fence it if he was happy. HTH for those who are confused why sometimes bricks do not match the sample / image.

Appeal successful. I need to sit down for a while 😁

As usual, when the weather gets chilly, people start to think of getting a wood burning stove and extracting as much energy out of it as possible. Now there are many reasons to not use a WBS which are well documented on here, and it seems to me there is only one reason to have them. But regardless of all that, my concern is that people think they can successfully make their own, or modify existing ones. A bit of physics. When a carbon based fuel is combusted in air, there is a rapid rise in temperature as the carbon atoms in the fuel (usually a molecule of carbon, hydrogen and other trace elements) combine with the oxygen in the air mixture (around 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, 1% argon and traces of the rest). This mainly produces carbon dioxide, some water vapour and a lot of nitrogen. Because these gases are at a high temperature, they have a lower density than the surrounding air, so rise up the flue and are expelled to the atmosphere. What really happens. As a combustion process is not 100% efficient, temperature is not even, the fuel is not homogenous (randomly lumpy) and the airflow is turbulent, many other chemical reactions take place. There are three reactions to be wary of. Carbon Monoxide. This is a killer. Now many things produce CO, car exhausts being a major concern. A modern car produces about 5-15 ppmv (parts per million by volume), and WBS 5000 ppmv. The LC50 number (lethal concentration to kill 50%) is 3614ppm. Nitrogen Dioxide has an LC50 of 176, this does not seem particularly high. The problem is that NO2 is a secondary by-product that is created from nitric oxide (NO, aka NOX). This gas has an LC50 of 1739. Then there are the PM10 and PM2.5 particulates. This is a huge problem with about 22% of the total emissions coming from domestic stoves and fires. There is a lot of nonsense spoken about them i.e. the levels where higher in the past (when people frequently died from heart attacks in their 40s) to "I only use properly dried timber" (particulates can form after combustion though chemical reactions), and my favourite "I live in the countryside" (as if there are no pollution problems there). A problem when extracting energy. As a rule, you cannot extract all the energy from combustion, entropy (a fascinating subject) does not allow it. With thermal combustion, and especially with small domestic burners, the incoming air is at a higher density than the outgoing gases (they are not as as we think of it any more). This difference is created by the higher temperature in the grate and is what 'draws the gases up the flue'. Energy is effectively extracted from these gases after the combustion process has taken place (though there is a small radiative effect from the points of combustion). If too much energy is removed, the difference between the incoming air and the outgoing gases temperatures, and therefore density, is reduced. This stalls the airflow though the combustible material, creating more pollutants. This is why the advice is to burn fiercely for a short time. This does not happen in reality though. The initial period of combustion is slow (maybe an hour) and the tail end is slower still (grate is still warm in the morning), maybe several hours. This means that optimum combustion times are very short, and the more energy extracted, the longer the partial combustion periods are. Concluding. There are many DIY stove designs available, then someone comes along and suggests adding a water jacket to heat water, adding mass around the stove increases the efficiency (it does not), then someone else suggests that more energy can be extracted from the 'waste' flue gases ("my exhaust temperature is only 26°C, how good is that"). These are, without proper understanding and design (which generally does not come from a bearded sage on the internet) potentially deadly heating equipment. So if you really must, usually for vanity purposes, fit a WBS, get a properly designed and built one, fitted correctly (even though we all hate legislation), maintained properly (we spend hundreds doing that to our cars, and are thankful that aeroplanes are services), use only small amounts of timber, that is properly dried (not just one end and assume the fire will dry the rest out). I have suggested in the past that WBS could be fitted though the wall, with a sealed window on the inside. You get your focal point but all the shit is kept outside for the rest of us to enjoy. It is a similar idea to fitting out ASHPs, PV modules and Wind Turbines outside

Apologies if this is teach granny stuff but I thought this was worth sharing for anyone renovating/working on a trad Scottish house (like mine). Historic Scotland have been running a number of trials in trad buildings with insulation upgrades and there's some really good info I've found on their website and videos. The video below is about a trial done in Holyrood house and the interesting part is about the insulation trial in the roof. This was WF insulation installed with the standard 50mm gap vs butted hard against the sarking. The trial lasted 2 years and conclusion is at the end. Essentially, there was no difference in humidity levels in both methods where WF insulation was concerned.

The relationship is truly hosed, especially, after our neighbour was the one who was nice as pie before we handed over the money to purchase the plot, and then submits an objection.

They make cylinders for Ideal (seem exactly the same spec) but ideal are several hundreds cheaper.

Just asking as if you’re not allowed to extend with PD then why should they? Have a look at the planning portal.

Yes the above (IMO) is concise and addresses the points adequately. Others may disagree but in my eyes you are compromising. Does primrose cottage have permitted development rights?

Currently at 39%, 2 of us and a dog. Which pretty normal when is been cold for a few days. But it's been very cold, mostly at about zero and downwards.

Zender MVHR unit currently showing Extract air 18 deg C 53% RH Outdoor/ Sullpy air -0.5deg C 94% RH Various digital RH meters round house showing all sorts of ridiculously low figures- kitchen 21.5 deg C 39% RH I don’t trust any of the digital readings really and keep meaning to buy a Wet/Dry bulb thermometer to see what that says.

Between 55 and 60 in all areas except the loft - thats crazy high

While you are at it, why not see how it correlates with outside temp and RH from nullschool.net

I set fire to a dark towel over the back of a chair placed over a metre from the fire when using it for the first time. Sub 200C double walled convection stove it might be. Doesn't prevent numpty from lighting it up, arranging their wedding shoes and towel a comfortable distance from it at startup temperatures, then coming back 15 minutes later to a secondary fire from the radiant heat!

It’s normal for a SE to specify a hit and miss plate He or she is trying to save you money Ask him to change the drawing if you don’t mind the extra cost

Renting out now won’t really ‘offset’ any CGT (there is none) as CGT is future gains that you haven’t yet realised. What you’ve got to really look at is whether the return on your investment renting it out (less income tax of course) inclusive of any appreciation in capital value (less CGT at that future stage of course) is better than an alternative investment, such as stocks, shares, pension contribution, fixed income etc. Also bear in mind that rental income can push you into an additional rate. Not a problem if you’re income is less than say 80k but if you get pushed over 100k you’re going to lose out on personal allowance, additional rate and any benefits such as child tax credits, nursery allowances etc (might not be relevant). Rental yields are currently very high so if there is no borrowing on property A it’s likely a good investment. Interest rates are high so if you have outstanding or planned borrowing on property A you might struggle to make a return that beats stocks and shares or even potentially a fixed rate cash account! Be under no illusion as well that being a landlord is no small task. I would never manage the portfolio myself and I would certainly never live next door to my tenants. But YMMV.

Get out the calculator and do some sums is my advice.

Do some maths on it. Gut feeling on these things is almost useless as it's been swayed by years of advertising. This method is good for suspended floors. Otherwise dig them out and use 2-300mm of rigid insulation.

You wish.

Lots of confusion re vapor as usual here. Its like worrying about a mouse when there's an elephant in the room. Airtightness is the real bogeyman. Poor air sealing allows hundreds of times more damaging vapour into the wall than vapour diffusion does. Not to mention the outsize effect airtightness has on building comfort and efficiency. I see you've been seduced by the headline K value of PIR to put it in-between the studs too. I wouldn't. It'll age differentially to the timber and you'll get gaps around it. You'll end up throwing lots and lots of offcuts in the skip too. Keep the mineral wool if it's still in good condition, perhaps add another 50mm to ensure the studs are full. ( I assume the studs are 140mm CLS at 600cc? Then an airtightness barrier. Then cross batten and insulate the service cavity. Very buildable, very little waste. A workable robust airtightness strategy. Much cheaper than what you proposed previously.

As long as you don’t mind lots of mess everything is possible I would go back to the original structural engineer and get their opinion.

Back to the original subject, and regarding the efficiency of the wood burn, (which requires a short, high temperature burn) and the need to remove the combustion process from the internal environment I agree that Iron WB stoves are a non-starter and definitely shouldn't be DIY modified. So we should be installing masonry stoves, (Kachelofen, steinofen, pystyuuni, kakelugn, other names depending on where you are in the world) all of which are easily DIY-able - although the best ones with special ceramic burn chambers and venturi ventilation to boost burn temperatures above 2000°C do require special components. Most of the ones I've seen and used in Hungary had external firing chambers for easy loading and cleaning. Some did have a window inside where you could see the flames but as the burn typically lasts less than 60 to 90 minutes it's not worthwhile. Even the most basic designs will effectively use faggots of thin sticks, (not inefficient logs), leave very little ash and produce very low waste gases and particulates, (and low-temperature exhaust) from the chimney. They have efficiencies heading towards 90%. I have looked in the inspection holes and there doesn't appear to be any tar or other deposits in the chimney and I'm told they rarely need cleaning unless wet fuel or logs are used. Rocket stoves, a combination of a fire barrel, flue and cob - are a poor relation masonry stoves - but are quicker, easier, and cheaper to build. I don't have experience with them, but some say the indoor air is less pleasant due to dust scorching on the barrel, similar to modern iron stoves. I have lived with an iron WBS and although the sight of a simmering fire was soothing on a dark evening, that was pretty much the only plus point I could see. A true masonry stove produces low-temperature radiant heat, and many have in-built seats or day beds so you can snuggle right up. In the depths of winter, our relatives fire their stove twice a day, using two faggots at a time. In the shoulder months, 1 burn a day is sufficient.

Hello all, I have just finished a major extension work in my property ( not self build ). I am going to be starting to do a lot of exterior self build works - driveways, patios etc. hoping to get pass of valuable advice and guidance on this forum

A company called Poly Pearl http://polypearl.co.uk will sell the Grey EPS beads to a DIY person in 10ft3 bags to pour in at circa £22 + VAT per bag. they have been really helpful since I contacted them after my posting here.

Careful saying that, @Pocster, the master of a long build, will be around to get his guitar strings (that is a real medical term according to Dr Ben Goldacre) stummed.

SWEB vanished In 2006. Have you asked on the Antiques Road Show?

No but even if it doubled the cost of the planks themselves it would not come to £10k.

Distance to flammable materials was one aspect that BC checked meticulously on their final inspection.

Another way to think of it is that the government is improving people's quality of life as Nepal moves towards full democracy. (I know nothing about Nepal except the best 'Indian' restaurant I have found in Penzance is seems to have some connection to Joanna Lumley, and that is good enough for me)

An instant death is much more humane. And once you’ve handled enough of the buggers you get quite immune to it.

If you do this then surely you have to breach the VCL multiple times when you run cables / pipes from your service void to your internal face. You want your VCL behind your battens, I'm from of your first layer of insulation (working from inside).

Sorry completely misread house B with A.. long day! I would say you’d be absolutely fine then as you’re occupying it as your principal residence. I think the legislation states that it must be occupied by P as P’s sole or main residence. The qualification is or and therefore sole is only supplied to make clear that if it is your sole residence it must also be your main residence. But if it is not your sole residence it must be your main residence. I’d say it’s pretty clear.

Who is offering you this combi replacement and why? Many of us here are happy with Telford stainless unvented cylinders.

Our house is similar size 250m2 - MCS insulated slab with UFH, timber frame, triple glazed, v good airtightness, MVHR, warm roof. All electric, it cost us £45/month last year for all electricity imported. That's hot water, heating, everything. But we do have 6.kWp of solar and 15kW of battery storage and we're on Oct Int G0, so try (successfully most of the time) to only use the 7p rate. We had the ASHP installed on the old BUS grant of £5k. It's a Cool Energy unit, similar to this one -> https://coolenergyshop.com/collections/air-source-heat-pumps/products/cool-energy-invertech-high-temp-air-source-heat-pump-ce-ivt9-evi so 9kW. Total cost to us, installed was £250 but we already had the cylinders in place for UFH buffer and DHW tank. We had a heat loss analysis from an M+E engineer and Cool Energy were more than happy to use this for the MCS calculations. Unless it's really cold outside, we only run the ASHP at night on the 7p rate - we don't use it for DHW, only for heating. This works fine and even on really cold days, if the sun shines (we get plenty of solar gain) then we don't need to boost the heating during the day. So 9kWs is fine for a house like ours and I'm guessing yours. Have a look at this deal -> https://coolenergyshop.com/collections/air-source-heat-pumps/products/free-heat-pump-kit-for-self-builds-renovations. You get all the kit for free if you qualify for the BUS grant. I wonder if you completed the heat loss spreadsheet that's on the forum and provided proof of the U values of your wall and windows etc, whether they would accept these in place of doing the heat loss calcs themselves - they're a small outfit, so it might be worth a try.

https://www.quick-garden.co.uk/single-wooden-garage-4m-x-6m-13x20-ft-44-mm.html?_gl=1*17bbme2*_up*MQ..*_ plus concrete slab approx £400 roof shingles £493 clear coat £194 i didn’t want their garage door, I forget how much they deducted to leave it out and I bought this up and over period door from a national door company.

@Marvin I think I have just about done all the reduction measures I can (except baths). I intend to add a bit more insulation here and there, but it will only make a marginal difference. An EV would make the biggest difference, but at the moment it would not be practical (or affordable) for me. I could get a lodger again, which would pay for an EV, but I like living in my own.

Stay with the owner who was present and on board the yacht when re floated. Just a bunch of fellow sailors helping out, and hope we would similarly be helped if we were in a spot of bother. Boat re floated

Agreed. Everything is always behind you. Islands are for cookery shows so the cook can face the camera. The public got confused, thought that they were on TV and everybody else needed to see them peeling turnips. Turns out, nobody's going to watch that.

+1 fir the above reasons, a table can be used for dining, sitting around or extensive cooking. ( I made mine, bloody heavy this English oak)

Never hotswap an rcbo having the neutral fly lead connected though.. They carry 230v potential. Can arc and give you a knock even with the breaker OFF.

Oi new boy ! Don’t you dare come on this forum and try and steal my crown ! Been building for 11 yrs ; recently got sign off but still a good few bits to do . Took me 5 yrs to get planning . That makes 16 yrs in ‘self build journey’ scale . So don’t (expletive deleted)ing come on ‘er with a baby 8 yrs . Repost in another 8 - then we will see . (expletive deleted)ing newbies trying to bend me over the barrel and take my crown !

Is there subtitles?

Our quiz name was "Cupid Stunts" or "Siri what time is it" The second one was great for finding the cheaters In the pub using their phones..

Just out of curiosity, when you attend the Parish meeting to address the objections raised, can you subtly belittle these insignificant luddites, so that they know damn well never to even look in your direction when you finally move in?

Welcome. 8 years into your self build, and not finalised a design yet. You will fit in well.

Poor sods, they'll have heat pumps foisted upon them next before they get windows and doors!

We have challenges with over heating when the outside temperature is above 11C. Thank god my wife insisted on openable windows. With two of us in a 104m2 bungalow, when were cooking or washing or my behaviour is being discussed the building usually over heats without putting the MVHR on boost and or the windows being opened.. M