Leaderboard

Yup. I mask the worktop with pvc ( insulation ) tape, silicone, wipe with baby wipes, and then de-mask. Once the mask is removed one more wipe up so the silicone is not visible any more.

Lol, I have a central vac - another unused relic here! I was thinking I would be able to buy a couple of new filters and rotate them if I ever get near enough to the bloody thing to remove them!

After 9 years, I hope you have an industrial vacuum cleaner! Ours can be vacuumed, and we got about 18 months of out the filters (vacuuming every 3 months or so) before they started going fluffy and didn't seem to clean up that well. I bought a couple of replacements and will buy some filter media to cut and attach to the original frame when I remove the old filter media. I now have three pairs, so each time I can put in a new/reconditioned one, and still have a spare to tide me over until a recondition the one I've just taken out.

Keep fighting away, it stressful but might get results. Maybe even consider dropping your MSP an email and then cc them into the next complaint.

How come grants are available only if you live north of Dunblane? And good on you for pushing the connection issue, especially if they have a pole on your land that you can't use!

It’s a flat topped attic truss really but you could struggle to find someone who can manufacture them in one piece with the ability to support the flat roof structure. I would go steel portal frame and cut roof and work from that.

https://www.diy.com/departments/universal-square-glazed-metal-silver-effect-plant-pot-h-410mm-l-370mm/1283515_BQ.prd What goes in it is up to you.

By complete coincidence, the change filter alarm on our MVHR came on this morning, so I've just been in and changed the filters for new ones. This photo shows what an intake F7 (pollen) filter looks like after 6 months use, compared with the new intake filter below:

@JSHarris No problem. Attached below is another extract; this time from a TRADA document confirming that the pinhole borer (Ambrosia Beetle) is not a risk to dry timber and there's no risk of spread or re-infestation

and an extract from another paper which talks about insects on imported timber:

Hi, I sure you understand that being an employee of Sunamp I have to keep on the right side of the BH Police. I do try to have a look in here from time to time but it's by no means every day @Nickfromwales has my contact details if you need me. Kind regards to all. AndyT.

The risk is completely insignificant and nothing to worry about. Extract from a BRE paper on the subject:

We have rodding points at the ends of the runs so we can get all the way under the house from one side all the way down to the manhole.

To a point, but longer also means more resistance. It'll work either way around - look at the arrows in this diagram - one end of the tube is stale air in and fresh air out (interior) and the other is stale air out and fresh air in (exterior). You do need to arrange things so that it's easy to guide any condensate to a drain. If tube inlet and outlet are as you say, then the shell inlet is fresh air from outside, and the shell outlet is fresh air to the inside of the house. One possible approach (not to any sort of scale): Orange is air from inside the house being extracted, blue is fresh air from outside. The other coloured blocks are fans. There's no reason why you couldn't have the branches both facing down - I just did it this way because I copied the layout of the unit above. If you tilt the right hand side down, condensation naturally flows out without the need for a separate condensate drain, although of course you'd need to figure out how to direct it somewhere if you don't want it just dripping on the ground. You'd also need to think about insect screens. The main thing that gives me pause about this whole project is how you're going to access the heat exchanger to clean it. I think this is an important consideration.

Clear CT1 to bed it in for fixing purposes, and wipe back with the baby wipes. Have a look at the casting and see if the shadow gap isn't excessive, if it is then wipe a bit deeper and leave to dry. Then finish with a bead of ( cosmetic ) white silicone which can be refreshed when necessary.

I discussed this problem with our BCO who helped out by saying that once you get above.the highest water+ flow point the stack can stop running straight and go where you like as after that point it is only gas venting. He did not exactly say but I think he hinted at the idea of reducing the diameter provided there were Air Admittance Valves (AAV) in the system as well. So my plan is to take the stack up in the internal walls and bring it out in a Cowell on the roof. Why can't you go direct into the 110mm pipe -what does the gully trap add if you have water traps under each sink and for things like disk washers?

Yes you can run overground and I would as it’s a simple job of moving the pipe into a trench and sticking a pair of connectors in. Using lead - even temporarily - is just not something to contemplate. Trace it and rip it up and weigh it in - it will pay for the extra connectors ...!

We considered wall hung, but honestly I could not see the benefit of the huge extra cost just for not having the pan touch the floor. I absolutely "get" back to wall pans, but just don't "get" wall hung. I guess it is a personal choice.

Looks great. I must say I love your rug!

We have slated and rendered the house and garage 90% of electrical is done Three bathrooms are fully tiled I’ve started fitting the bathrooms out but still have baths and taps to buy All plastering is done All sash widows are in and external doors Still half the bifolds to pay for UFH is in downstairs 150 mtrs of ditra is paid for and awaiting the arrival of a 150 mtrs of floor tiles from Italy Spend so far is 135000 and change £21000 of that is laboure mainly on brickwork and some ground works Most other works done ourselfs Exspect to spend another 65000

I reckon that the real half way point is when you think that the build is around 90% complete: http://www.mayfly.eu/2014/04/part-twenty-eight-90-finished-so-only-around-90-left-to-do/

I had a similar experience with sunamp, many phone calls and promises of to phone back when somebody was available and nothing (over a few weeks). I did contact AndyT direct who made time (on his own time) to explain a few things, ultimately the system didn't fit what we needed but high possibility we will be using a unit on build 2.

I know I've missed the discount (work and family commitments) but in case a good deal comes up again I have a question. We currently have a vented system with a relatively small hot water tank. Water is heated by a condensing boiler and there is an immersion heating element which we use regularly as washing long hair (not mine -:-)) takes a lot of time. The boiler short cycles quite often while heating water. We have hard water with no softener. As it a is not clear when we're going to get PP and following that builders to actually do anything I want to know whether it could be possible and feasible at all to buy a 12Kw Sunamp and hopefully directly replace the existing tank. Again, the idea is at some point it would be moved and the system would change quite a lot. Hopefully, the connections can be redone. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Planning Permission Granted! After trying to ring the planning department on the day of decision at around 4pm and not getting through I resolved to wait until the next morning. At 5:03pm I get an email indicating that planning had been granted. I'd forgotten I'd subscribed to any activity on my planning application! Now, I've still to see the official notification letter with conditions etc but thankfully it was plain sailing. No objections, no requests for information. I took the planning site notice sign down yesterday (could've taken it down 3 weeks ago if I'd realized) just as a nice woman and her two young children was checking out what it said! Anyway, that task is now done, stage 2 finally over! I've an appointment to meet with the Architect again in August as that's the earliest due to holidays etc. I used https://www.estimators-online.com to get a quote just to see what costs I'll be looking at. I know there will be some differences, not least exchange rates but my last Quantity Surveyor estimate is over two years old at this stage. Plus estimators give a much more detailed breakdown which allows me to see quantities so I can replace standard plasterboard with Fermacell for instance and work out the difference. They email you the report as a PDF but you can grab the Excel from their website afterwards and make adjustments if required. Cheap enough and gives me something to prepare against before August. My main worry in building next year is the increased costs - materials and labour keep going up. Will I be able to build the house I want or just enough of a shell to convince the bank its habitable so I can move in and upgrade as I go? I can get a revised window quote as I've opening sizes from the PHPP. There's a few timber frame companies, some just do the frame, some can do everything. Brexit may play a part though with the timing of the build commencing after March next year most likely. So if I have a NI or UK based supplier, SunAmp, MBC, Kibroney etc lined up I'll have to have a plan B just in case, like most businesses! MBC pulled out of the Irish market but I spoke with someone there on Friday and he said they have started requoting again. There's a small irish timber frame company called Shoal timberframe that the Architect recommended. Not seen their stuff and it's a small outfit. Not sure they do foundations though. Anyway, this is where it gets detailed and interesting! I've a lot to think about as I need to decide what elements I'm happy to do and what I'll leave to the builder. Part F of the regulations in Ireland are under review and ventilation may have to be installed by a "competent person" so can I do the MVHR and ducting or will I have to pay someone else? As time slips you bump into these changes and have to adapt your approach. So my site is shown to the right of the red border above. I'll have to shunt the metal shed out the back (painful) about 3 feet to the left. The other two sheds are being demolished. I'll be bringing some of the services onto the site before I sell the house in advance of the build. Electricity should run all the way past the front of the site but I'll want to confirm this. ESB here don't do temporary supplies in Ireland unfortunately. Water is the one I may have to get done as there's a hydrant to the right of the tree in the bottom left corner but after I sell the house I want to be sure I can access it. The pipework may not go much farther. Broadband sweeps though the garden of the house in the bottom left of the photo. I'll bring that onsite and see if I can get it tested so there's no need to dig things up again after I sell the house. The driveway will be split and a new double one created on the front garden of the existing house to maximize the site space I'll be keeping. It all adds to cost unfortunately. I'm not sure if I'll get insurance for those groundworks as getting public liability on the site itself (after I sell the house) to cover me until the build starts will likely be expensive so having a full self build policy for a 12 or 18 month term would make more sense. So, the next few months are about the figures and seeing if I can afford to build with the funds available. Added to that are: Further Architect fees (2 stages plus Assigned Designer, Assigned Certifier regulatory stuff) Development contributions (@ €10K) Legal Costs associated with selling house, discharging old mortgage, taking out new one etc Service Charges (Electricity €2K, Water €2K, Sewage €3.7K, Broadband €120) Initial Groundworks in advance of self build mortgage (credit union loan) Self Build Insurance & Structural Warranty (€1-2K/€3K) There's a good self build exhibition in September in Dublin so it will be interesting to have more serious discussions with some of the exhibitors there this time. One of the factors I'll have to watch out for is the maximum self build mortgage I can access. Most banks will only lend you 80% of the build costs. Now I'll own the site so I hope this will cover that 20%. Some banks also want to see a 15% contingency fund in place. The bank will determine how much a 3 bed detached house is worth in my area and after taking my salary x 3.5 I'll either be able to afford the build or be way off it! Also I've to get permission from my current mortgage bank to sell the house minus the side garden..... I'll be holding off any groundworks until this is all clear to me and how much maneuver room I have. There's no point doing the new driveway etc if next year I'm told our costs have gone up another 5% by the builder and I'm left swinging! Anyway, I'll have to sit on my hands a bit longer and do as much due diligence as possible and see if any builders come back interested from the tender process before making up my mind. I've always thought that until the first wall panel goes up I won't actually believe this is real. It's all paper and numbers and has been for so long. Here's hoping if it's to be it's to be and thanks to everyone on this site for their advice and support!

Screwfix seem to be giving out footballs with every order, including my £7 one. Fill yer boots. They are not pumped up however. Who will be first to test a compressor in the shop ? To be fair, I’d let the World Cup go to hell in a handcart oif we hadn’t been so comprehensively embarrassed by Scotland at cricket last week.

Timber frame structure was started last week and the ground floor erected 180 degrees round the wrong way. This was corrected within a day (small house) and the build went on. Now one of the Glulams has turned up about 400mm too short. They intend to replace the beam with 3x9x2 planks bolted together and supply calcs to show this is an adequate replacement. The exterior weather proof membrane has been holed and torn in several places. The interior airtight panels have been damaged and some of the external boarding as also been damaged. The supplier/erector claims the membrane can be patched and this is quite common with this type of build and will make no difference. They have offered to repair sections of the external and internal board. We have asked them to replace any damaged boards rather than not repair, to recover complete sections of the weather proofing membrane rather than patch it. The suppliers seem to think this is unreasonable. It's taken over two years to get to this stage and I'm seriously pissed off.

So this is driving me crazy, can’t even look forward to the arrival of the kit next week, so yesterday I sent an email to sp energy telling them this letter forms a complaint. I had spoken to a chap up the road who lives near their transformer and he told me there had been a plan to increase capacity and in fact ducting had been put in but then the plan was shelved. I had also looked at the boasts on there website about keeping their infrastructure in good shape to accommodate future calls for more power bla blah blah . In the letter I told them I felt they had looked for the easiest solution for them with total disregard to the cost for me , I quoted some of their boasts then I finished off by saying as for the pole in my garden I have no agreement with you to accommodate this pole therefore since it is of no good to me perhaps I should make an application to have it removed. 9 o clock this morning they phoned me giving me a reference number and telling me I would be contacted by a design manager in due course, this being stage 1 in the procedure. Sure enough 10 minutes later I get another call and this time it’s from the original person I dealt with. He starts off saying he doesn’t understand what I’m not happy about—Really! 25k and he doesn’t understand? He thinks he’s going to browbeat me until I say just a minute here’s my husband, so hubby tells him in no uncertain terms why we’re not happy, asks for an overhead line- oh we don’t do that now, no of course you don’t you want to update your infrastructure at my expense,he then says well if we can’t get an affordable supply I want the pole removed, do you know what he said? Then you’d be cutting off your supply!!what supply?! It ends with my hubby asking for the complaint to be escalated to stage 2 , by this time he’s stuttering and stammering, turns out he’s not even a manager just a team leader! However it has been escalated and we await the next stage, annoyingly if we lived north of dunblane we’d be able to apply for a grant for the connection, I’ve got my fighting hat on now-bring it on!

Have you met Onoff?