jayc89

Best example I have found - https://www.ecologicalbuildingsystems.com/post/best-practice-approach-insulating-suspended-timber-floors

This is what I'm thinking. Dark lines are existing joists, running left to right, spanning approx 4m. Lighter lines are proposed new 8x2 timbers, running top to bottom, spanning approx 4.2m. I was thinking of just using truss clips at each end of the new timbers and noggins in between, but I could use clips at each intersection. Would noggins be a better solution mid-span?

If I was to replace the joists I think I'd need to go with 9x2 to satisfy current building regs, but given I'm overlaying on top of existing, I'm hoping 8x2 would be OK, and I'm only really going that large to raise the floor to where I want it (also gives me somewhat of a service void for my waste pipe too!) Would a truss clip at each end of the new timbers, plus noggins in between, say at 600 centres, perhaps 400 beneath the area to be tiled (room to be split into wardrobe and ensuite), be suitable?

We're still undecided on the tile format, it's likely to be large... The room's are pretty tall, nearly 3m, approx. 200mm taller than the rest of the first floor rooms (no idea why...), I was considering running some 8x2 timbers across the existing joists, fixed with truss clips and noggins, to bring it up to a similar height to the other first floor rooms. Span is approx 4.2m. But I assume deflection will still depend on the joists below these new timbers. If finished with 22mm P5, glued and screwed, would that add the required rigidity for tiling?

First floor I lifted a couple of boards from one side and the rest of the joists look "normal". I'll remove the lot regardless. I have some 22mm Caberfloor I could use... Acrylic, 102kg with a 205L capacity

I’ll take some better pics tomorrow. The dropped area is certainly where if expect a hearth to originally be, but I have no idea why it’s dropped nor why there would be floorboards in its place now….

Started on our en-suite, lifted the boards to find this concoction of joists. Where it juts out looks to be where an old fireplace might have been. No idea what’s going on with the dropped flooring where the hearth once was… I can’t figure out how the centre part of the joists are actually supported and given I plan to fit a bath and tile this room I want to know it’s right. The floor was springy with the boards down so I was expecting to add some noggins, but not unearth this can of worms…

My gas boiler doesn't support load comp so I'm just running weather comp. At the minute the flow temp is peaking around 60c, so slightly above the condensation point, UFH mixer runs at a max of 40c, but we need the higher temp for the upstairs radiators, at least until I finish insulating those rooms. UFH has been running pretty much all day this week, radiators upstairs are on for a couple of hours a day and we have priority hot water where the flow temp goes to max when the cylinder calls for heat (which is approx 1 hour a day) I'm thinking about wiring the upstair rad stat the same way as the cylinder stat, so when either the hot water or rads call for heat, the flow temp is max, would mean I could reduce the weather comp curve to better suit the UFH. I don't think we'd run above the condensation point for that much longer either as typically the cylinder calls for heat whilst the rads are on anyway. So perhaps 2 hours running at a hotter temp, but likely 4-6 hours, during this current weather, running at a much lower temp when only the UFH is calling for heat.

Still struggling with these formers. What exactly is a linear former? My assumption was they could be finished will full tiles, but it seems that's not the case. As an example, I found this one - https://www.ezheat.co.uk/1800-x-900-x-30mm-linear-wetroom-shower-tray-kit-with-drain-choice-of-grate/ - which seems pretty cheap, but when I got in contact with them, they said any tiles larger than 50x50 need to be cut down or they'll span the fall, but the diagram on their site still suggests diagonal cuts would be needed!? I really don't like the look of diagonal cuts - any suggestions for a decent size former (ideally 1800 x 900) that I can lay full tiles to?

We don't have anyway to isolate our outside tap (long story) but it is insulated from 700mm below ground up, and so far so good. When we replace the garages I'll re-run the outside supply, along with power and comms, and include an isolator in the utility room.

A successful night. There really wasn't much muck to clean out yesterday but whatever the fix was, I'll take it.

SWMBO just informed me our youngest was very confused when Alexa wouldn't turn off the noise this morning 🤣

+1 We've already removed all our gas fires, the gas hob will be going when we finally get around to the kitchen, all that'll be left is our gas boiler, which we'll replace with an ASHP when it gives up the ghost.

My suspicion is the downstairs one is full of crap (although it looked pretty clean when I removed it) as we had a plasterer working in the room under it when I was away a few weeks ago and SWMBO said it was going off every time he mixed up

Both are Aico. Upstairs is EI3016 not sure what the downstairs one is, it has a smaller test/reset button, but same make. They were only fitted 2 years ago, the stamp on them has a date in 2036, I think it was. If they go off again, I'll pull the link wire and go from there - thanks!

2x wired smoke alarms, one in the hallway, one on the landing. Linked. Every couple of hours last night they were going off (red light showing for smoke, rather than yellow for a fault). Resetting one silenced them until the next time... I've taken them off this morning and cleaned them, hovered them out, although they weren't particularly dirty... Not happened again since, but it was only 30 mins ago I did that. Any other suggestions if they keep going off? Presumably at least one of them will have a fault?

Having an older property myself, I'm not a great believer in water proofing/tanking etc. IMO if there's a moisture problem using these types of products just move it elsewhere. The source of the problem needs addressing, not the symptoms. I'd be looking at things like what's on the external face - cement render, cement pointing etc? It needs to be lime and preferably a hot lime mix to NHL. Anything cementious will trap and push moisture internally, which could well be the case since you mentioned you had a leaking gutter.

I'm sure I've put them both some place safe. Probably along with the Stanley knife I had to buy a replacement for last week...

Went to finish our Utility off yesterday and can't remember where I put the bloody plinth clips!

It fits but there’s a notch out the back of the drain itself. Is that just an air break? Worried any potentially back flow of waste could end up all over my loft… presumably a waterless trap helps avoid that?

So a soil pipe boxed in running across the stud wall and down the returning wall to the outside - could I get away with hiding at least part of the run within the 6x2 stud wall? Then the bath/shower/basin waste running externally and then teed into the SVP? I was thinking 40mm from all three, teed into a 50mm that runs externally. Something like this;

Swapping the basin and W/C positions would allow me to run an internal stack in the top left corner of the layout, hidden behind tall units in the kitchen below. I think walking into the ensuite and being faced with the W/C, rather than basin/mirror/niches etc, kinda spoils the aesthetics, which I'd love to avoid.

Even thought about running the soil pipe horizontally through the stud wall and down through the room below, which is the kitchen, but where it would drop down is right above the damn kitchen window!

Sorry, some missing context. 3x external walls, all of which will be insulated and will be battened off the wall, expected to use 2x1 battens, but could go slightly deeper to accommodate pipework. W/C will be wall hung, so would be in a 6" stud wall, was considering building a staggered stud wall, mainly because I have a load of 4x2 left, but still not sure I could get the 90mm pipe horizontally through it, and convert up to 110mm once I reached to SVP? Shower tray is a linear wet room former so will be sitting directly on the joists, meaning the trap and pipework will already below the top of the joists. Room, uninsulated is 4.5m x 2m (was planning on 1800 finished width to match bath and shower tray size)