jayc89

I want to make some storage space in our cold loft, which will hopefully also eventually be used for our boiler and UVC. Ideally I'd use the area between 2x king post trusses we have. Distance between the two trusses is approx 2m, so ideally I'd create a 2x2m usable area. Could I run suitably sized joists across the 2x tie beams, secured with joist clips and nogins, and lay Caberdek on top of that?

I don't think so. I always think the efficiencies I'm building into our renovation will result in an increase in value, but in reality people just want usable space that looks nice.

Without terminating the ends it's pretty hard to test. RJ45 ends cost pennies, well worth it for the peace of mind.

AFAIK, only notifiable as part of a wider ventilation change, I.e. if you're changing windows now you have to ensure you allowing sufficient air changes per room, and need to show how the MVHR unit allows for that.

Good example of brickwork spalling, spot where the cement pointing was -

Oh, I meant to attach this one too, not sure what happened!

There are very few use cases for NHL5 now, you may as well use cement. It doesn't want to be anywhere near your stonework. You'd be better off going weaker and repointing often, then going harder and watching the stone start to spall.

Not much at all. Possibly a 3x2 ceiling joist that you can just see in the last picture. That was our initial idea, but it would make the gable end look pretty bare and we lose more character from the house. The builder we spoke with suggested we'd need a lintel in the loft space anyway, so we're now thinking - why not patch up the leak, leave the stack, and put that lintel in anyway?

Bit of a naff photo, but shows the left hand side of the stack unsupported in the loft. It's a two pot stack, left side is bone dry, right side is sopping wet internally, so I'm assuming it's the flaunching or pointing letting water in, probably the former given how much water's getting in.

Lead flashing and slipped slates have been fixed since the pic was taken.

Decided I'm going to go up and try keep the stack; remove the pots, replace the launching and repoint it, which should hopefully stop the water ingress. And I'll get a builder in to fit a lintel. The thought of it coming crashing down into the ensuite when someone's taking a dip isn't worth considering...

Makes sense, so remove some bricks to get a lintel under the rest of the stack, resting on both external walls I presume (approx 4m span), then only remove the bricks above the roof line?

We have an old, 2 pot, stack on a gable end. The breast was removed all the way up to the loft level many years ago and it has been left, unsupported, ever since (as far as I know). It's now leaking like a sieve, leaving a pool of water in our wardrobe area whenever it rains... We had a builder round to price up removing it and making right the roof, they have about a 6 week lead time so I think we need to do something faster. They were talking about putting lintels into the roof space, but I don't know why. Could they be meaning just removing the stack down to roof level and leaving the rest of the stack in place in the loft but supported? Farmer next door has offered us his telehandler and "cage", could I DIY it this weekend?

Mixing Valve Unit is the part you're after, you can buy them separately. The guy who fitted our new boiler and UVC didn't want to touch our UFH system, he ran the flow/return to the manifold and that was it. Other Heating Engineers are happy to do it all though.

Ideally there'd be noggins fitted to attach to, failing that, Gripit fixings, whilst overkill for most light fittings, are amazing things.

NHL 3.5 mixed 3:1 will be fine. Save NHL5 for under water and exposed conditions (like chimney stacks on top of the Dales).

We did get a new meter fitted at the same time, as the other one was ancient, but it was like for like - 25mm.

Building Merchants have been charging astronomical prices for too long, Builders have been passing these onto customers, resulting in inflated £/m2 figures. Whilst renovating our house, I've typically got 30-40% off any first quote a BM provides, but it takes time and perseverance which most builders don't have.

If they're connecting you for free, run a 32mm MDPE on your side, they'll convert down to 25mm at the meter, but it gives you the ability to upgrade later if you really want to. Then stick a decent sized accumulator directly off your rising main, after a DCV. This is also what I'm currently doing, inc. the 32mm MDPE down to 25mm at the meter

Could the "primary" PRV be on the unbalanced manifold tee opposed to the main supply line? Thinking about limiting the pressure to the unbalanced outlets whilst not restricting the max pressure built up in the accumulator. Code name for another Cider?

Every day's a school day. The unbalanced cold taps did "feel wrong" but I couldn't say way. Presumably that would only be a problem on mixers, opposed to separate cold/hot taps? Better?

Hard's probably the wrong word - unbalanced/mains fed/anything I don't particularly need to be boosted by the accumulator; Washing machine, dishwasher, kitchen/bathroom/ensuite basin cold taps (anywhere we might drink from), toilets.

I thought that would probably be best. One benefit to the loft would be its central location, as worst case, the accumulated water has to travel a further 8m, when in the lean-to, making the longest run, approx 24m (which would be the kitchen sink). I guess that problem's somewhat mitigated if the manifold remains central as the run between the manifold and outlet would be 16m? So, 32mm MDPE, converted to 28mm copper, full bore lever, tee for hard water manifold, DCV, tee for accumulator then on to the UVC control block? All in 28mm up to the UVC control block? Something like this? Everything in the Airing Cupboard will eventually get moved to the loft too.

Yeah, a few ideas I've had; - At the other side of the rising main (in the utility room) is an outside lean-to, it's far from airtight, but the old boilers were in there, with suitable pipe insulation I could get away with sticking a large accumulator in there. - Directly above the utility room is the family bathroom/airing cupboard which currently houses the system boiler + UVC. I plan to eventually move this into the loft, this was supposed to be as a space saving exercise in the airing cupboard, but I could put an accumulator in there in place of the UVC. - In the loft with the boiler + UVC, but I'd be concerned about putting too much weight up there; 250L UVC, about 300kg? Boiler, another 40kg + an accumulator.

We have an old Trevi shower that the previous owners had fitted, must be 30+ years old. When we moved in the hot water was supplied by a vented tank and the shower had its own pump so we were dreading the performance when we switched to an unvented system, and knowing what I know now, I don't know why our plumber insisted on an unvented solution, but to be fair it's probably one of the best showers I've ever had, when no one else is using water. If one of the kids also want a shower at the same time, or they randomly decide to run a bath in the other bathroom, performance tails off pretty quickly.