Roger440

My life is too short for that. 80 hours a week running your own buisness at work leaves little time to clutter up my mind with things that will make my angry. I bought another house instead! Problem fixed.

Thanks Pete. Hadn't thought of that! Of course my real issue is finding someone who can actually sort it out!

Hi Pete. Found that. I think i get it now. I see no evidence inside or outside of any such thing. Given that its pre 1850 ish, maybe thats not a surprise? I fee a chimney stack rebuild coming on.............................

Humour me please Dave, what is a "soaker"?

There is some lead flashing, but only on 3 sides! That got picked up on the survey. But thats the opposite side to the worst of he damp. I understand the flue is open, but given its an old chimney, and its subsequently had a wood burner installed, does that not mean there is a modern flue up the inside of the old chimney? Leaving the original chimney open to the elements? Should that not be capped off?

In my upstairs bedroom at the new gaff, the wall, next to the chimney is clearly damp. So i went up into the roof space today to have a look round. The chimey itself where it comes through the roof is damp to touch. I did this while it was raining and there is nothing to see. Its just very damp. As i know bugger all about chimeys, does any one know of a decent chap who might be able to asses whats going on? Im in north bucks. There is a wood burner in the living room below, but there is nothing visible from the ground on the top of the chimney. Clearly it needs some lead work doing properly, which may, or may not be part or all of the issue, but what stops the water going down the chimey?

They claim its 40mm insulated, but a good portion of it had nothing but fresh air between the inner and outer layers. Like a big rectangle in the area below the window. the clue was that at night the light was faintly visible. And on a cold morning you could see by how the condensation formed which part was insulated and which wasn't. Despite repeated attempts, they bascially ignored me!

I used the Ryterna option. Apart from the insulation not really being as quoted, the rest of it was pretty good.

Bizarrely, he rang me today. Yes, he is quite happy to do domestic work. He has just been doing a barn conversion. It is as you say, quick and easy. I left my steel frame exposed on 3 sides and boxed in / covered on the 4th. Then, as you say you can add more insulation.In fact, i wonder if you really need foundations, but thats for another thread i really ought to start! I have given up on building a house as its just to complicated (not the actual building part) and expensive round here. So i'll stick to building garages. But yes, sort of ex garage. I do still own that house, but its now rented out. New house has no garage, so need to start all over again Still, its a nice house. Could do a thread on that if there was interest in such a thing. Its certainly no new build though......................

He is a customer and wanted something i had that he couldn't otherwise get, so not a normal arrangement. I dont think he had ever done a "retail" job before! Probably wishes he hadn't either. There was only one 90 degree corner in the whole building, so was "unusual" to say the least. It also took a long time as i usually came second, but then i signed up for that so have no complaints in that department. I can ask him if you want. Briefly, what do you need and whereabouts are you?

The guy who did it builds steel building, warehouses and the like. The cladding was just off the shelf insulated cladding.

Indeed. You saw my one didn't you? Steel framed, steel clad and 5 times more thermally efficent than my house. Shame ive moved..............................

I think, as already suggested, building control will be the main issue. At a practical level, i dont get why its not used more either. So simple, and if built like my garage gets over all the problems of the floor wall thermal bridging issues really easily. As for fixing plaster board etc, i glued it up with adhesive foam. Simples

Had one of those on my garage at my old place.I understand exactly what yu have done. Looks like i will be doing the same as you. Thanks for the info Although probably at odds with some, for me, what ever i do, it just has to work with no intervention. Having to fiddle with a phone to turn a light on is not happening here. Just wish i understood the heating system i got with the house. All very modern, but currently beyond my comprehension........................... One for another thread.

This is EXACTLY what i want to do. And doing the 2 devices in series is how i imagined i would do it. I was just trying to find a single unit to make life easy. But im not sure there is such a thing. Which i find remarkable. Ive no requirement for PIR.

Hmmm. Cant turn itself on when its getting dark though. Which is the most important part. At my old house i had it wired through a timer, but you spend you life adjusting the timer as the nights get longer or shorter. This surely will be the same? Im after something that once set up, looks after itself. Unless im missing the point, this wont do that. Plus i dont have a smart phone..........................................................................................

JUst had a scan through the instructions. Its not entirely clear, but i think it might just do it? I feel a phone call coming on tommorow. You are much better than me at finding this stuff! Id lost the will to live. Thanks

This ones a bit light (geddit?) on info, but the adjustment is 1 to 8 hours AFTER turn on. Which leaves it off in the morning

Thanks These are the closest to what i need, but sadly, it only turns the light on for 2 hours after dusk. Which in mid winter would mean its off again by 7pm. Its got PIR, but i dont really want that as the entrance to the manor next door is right past my front door. It would activate every time a car goes past. There are other similar ones i found, but they all have the same feature with the 2 hour thing

At my new Gaff, its dark. Very Dark! (at night) Under the porch is a light. Currently this is controlled from a conventional light switch inside the house. However this is not much use. What i really want is for it to come on when it gets dark, and off when it gets light. That bits easy. But i dont really want it on all night. Ideally it would go off about midnight and come on again at 6am, prior to us leaving for work. But, can i find a device that will allow that to happen? No! I can get ones that come on at dark and stay on for a preset period, but that will be no use in the morning. Surely i cant be the only person who wants to see at night AND in the morning??? At the moment, the only way i can see of doing this is a light sensitive sensor, but having to wire through a time clock as well. OK, its not the end of the world, but surely there is a device that will do this? Any of you guys found a suitable gizmo?

Can you say in what way. Curious as in the process of buying a house where this has been done and there has been a bit of a ding dong about the access.

But the OP hasn't built it yet. If its within the rules, i dont see why you need a certificate? Other than peace of mind maybe. The rules on outbuildings are fairly (in planning terms) simple.

Yes, make sure its within the rules and crack on. Otherwise, you might as well just apply for planning!

Indeed. We got a pallet of old colour stuff with a job lot of car stuff. It was like a stampede when it went on Ebay. Shame i haven't got a few containers of it!

And some, like us, have a whole heap of stock, bought prior to this. And if your stock turn is low (like ours) then it will be a while yet before the increased prices filter through. Watching the exchange rate is now my new hobby! I guessing it wll settle out around 1.38, but that might just be wishful thinking.