Gordo

What use is a breakdown of the costs other than to make sure the price isn’t loaded towards the early stage payments. You or someone is going to have to do some leg work and sit down and write a specification for everything above minimum standard and that that isn’t on the drawing. For example are you happy with bare plastered walls and softwood trims or are you thinking painted through out and oak framing and stairs and doors etc. Is there servicing the site, driveways, paths, landscaping, fencing etc to be included in price. please take my advise and pay an architect, building survey or quantity surveyor with experience in tendering domestic scale projects, to sit down with you and firm all this up in writing for a builder to prices to be comparable and to meet your expectations.

Sorry that was a typo. I meant battened not tiled. If it has battens and underlay on it should not be leaking significantly.

This is daft. majority of domestic schemes are a lump sum price with PC sums for items the client wants an input in like kitchens, bathroom, fireplace. The finishes will all be the most basic unless specified otherwise. If you don’t feel able to do this, you need professional advice or at least see examples of their past projects and use that as the basic standard. The cost of a bill of quantity would be disproportionate to the cost of the works so won’t be an option. You are heading into a world of pain if you get this wrong

I’ve been in many many timber frames houses with no windows and the roof just tiled and felted and not seen any moisture internally other than some minor localised damp at openings in walls. So I am confused. The underlay should not be leaking if complete (just waiting cladding). Very strange. It is pretty common in a busy housing development to see fitting insulation and even plasterboard prior to slating roof.

Don’t even know what this is, so guess the answer is no.

Best plaster un level or fit A1 non combustible liner board, but sure any cavity near builders opening between liner board and wall is sealed with bonding or similar to trap smoke / CO

Full plan approval 100%. Plus the builders can price off and work from plans with specification etc that will satisfy BC. Very few builders know the standards they generally just copy specifications and details they have done in past and if the drawings don show something different or clearly enough they will revert to what they have seen in the past. and if they don’t like a detail or specifications on drawing and don’t know the reason then guess what. They will revert to what they have seen in past lolol

Say “Sling your hook and I’ll see you in court moron and if I have to make good on your work you are accountable for costs”

This is indeed a hash job. Do not trust this guy to complete the work unsupervised. Tell him to to it to British gypsum specifications or take it down and leave the site as he got it. Let him know that you will be getting it checked over before skimming and pay a tradesman to check it over.

Yeah it’s not the best but as mid terrace not end of world. Id suspect high ceilings which would leave all the heat at ceiling level likely a problem but not likely to want to change that feature. I’d concentrate on draughty proofing, insulating roof then floor then windows followed by PIV ventilation when reasonably draft proofed. Retrospect MVHR would be prohibitively expensive but better than PIV. Walls would be next on list

If anyone wants some practice advice on renovating an older property here is a link to a guide from the energy saving trust. While it may be simplistic it is invaluable http://inglehome.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/CE184-practical_refurbishment_of_solid-walled_houses.pdf

This is a very interesting subject where the modern drive for thermal performance is applied to a solid wall masonry walls. I have considered this and have read some guidance of refurbishment works on the subject. My take on it is that so long as the interstitial condensation occurs closer to the exterior of the wall there should be no detriment to the wall. Spalling in a facing brick should only be a concern if the mortar mix is too strong or it is totally saturated like a half brick garden wall. I have seen mould issues behind IWI though which concerns me. I would strongly advise against external sealer which may trap moisture from naturally evaporating.

I pretty sure I have seen this in one off timber frames but not sure and didn’t think to much about it at time. the majority of timber frames they are run within the walls which I really don’t like. I think you idea would have really good merit worth considering. I guess plumbers don’t like forcing/pumping hot water down wards as plumbing convention has it that heat rises, but don’t think that matters with a modern pumped system. I’m sure there is a plumber out there how could advise us on this

Yeah well aware it open to abuse ?. Still in principal it carbon neutral or better over say 20 years not immediately obviously. The trees are never going to be left alone to die and decompose (which releases the carbon into the atmosphere again when decomposed anyway). They need to be a relevant commodity if their numbers are to increase and we are to benefit locally from their presence on the landscape and air quality etc I am a bit of a eco sceptic tbh but I have a tendency to want to hug the odd tree lol (don’t tell anyone). Main reasons I like it is local jobs for local people unlike oil and gas. Even PV panels and wind farms which are as far as I know all manufactured abroad. And I have a little faith in Belcas claims. Pretty confident the vast majority of their timbers is from home growen timbers and the bulk of it is waste product from their saw mills I see their lumber trucks all the time on way to mills with felled timber

Yes there is a HSE guidance on this very subject after two or three people died cleaning out their silo. When blowing the pellets into the silo if under excess pressure or if poorly designed silo discharge you can just end up with sawdust. Doesn’t burn too well.

Lol I know but from small acorns grow hugh oak trees (eventually). Need to think long term

Ah mine would hold about 1/2 kg and very thick walled steel

Should be all good if in heated envelope then. So long as primary flow and return between boiler and buffer tank is well insulated. Assuming the basement is insulated. If not make sure pipes down there are well lagged I guess.

I’m not to sure what you are describing TBH. As this sounds common enough in domestic to route pipes in or under first floor voids. I’m not mush of an expert in plumbing but I do see a lot going on.

Only had one issue with hard wood pellets I tried from a furniture manufacturer. They were IMO to moist. I’d strongly advise against silo with bulk blower delivery for fuel. Best save a few grand and use bags. A friend of mines silo actually went on fire somehow and he abandoned system after. He had lots of problems with pellet quality and blockages.

Mines is a boiler and i do servicing myself as well, which is easy enough as the are fundamentally crude enough. I’ve replaced computer twice (first blew straight away as that was the symptom rather than the cause of problem, which was a short), connection board twice both due to a short. I’ve never had to replace the burn pot yet as it is in good shape. Yours must be running very hot or maybe lean? I do worry about keeping it going longer time as there is a lack of competent engineers. I use only use Belcas as local at around £235 / tonne bagged. Don’t know why cheaper. And use 3-4 tonnes per year. Madness using imported pellets for minimal savings.

Not for everyone indeed. An they do have their hassle issues to resolve. Plus they aren’t that cheap, unless compared to other renewable heating systems. I think my boiler alone was about £3k which was a bargain. The boiler is modulating flame so no need for buffer tank if you manage it well in settings. I do like the fact that the fuel i use is cut and processed relatively locally which keeps money and employment local and they promise to plant 3 trees for every tree cut (sounds good). They are theoretically carbon neutral however the other pollutants are an issue I wasn’t originally aware of ?. Still at least money is kept local rather than Arabia or Russia.

Yeah that is what I went for 100kg daily hopper on side. A lot of the maintenance issues and troubles I heard of were with silos. Plus you can get a better handle on consumption. Can be a little bit of a pain in winter when you have to manually fill it every other day. As long as you can fork lift ton pallets close to the boiler it not a big deal. I have had no significant issues but it is more involving that oil or gas. But I am a bit of a fiddler so it suits me well. But for the majority of people I would say it would not be for them.

That brought a smile. But in honesty I am serious due to the scale of the disaster brutal punishment is necessary. Maybe not by flogging or time but financial is where it will hurt a corporation enough to think twice about providing misleading information or from covering up their own concerns. Look at what America did to VW Audi over their emissions compared to what UK / EU did. Pathetic slapping of the wrist. After all this is going to cost government and affected buildings sorely.

I thought it may be an interesting topic to discuss wood pellet boilers and what people think of them. I have a GEE wood pellet boiler installed approximately 7 years now and while it has not been as cheap to run as promoted at the time it has been quite reliable and economical. It is not a system for everyone what with storage of pellets, loading pellets, emptying ash occasionally and constant desire to keep adjust the settings and the infrequent repairs that crop up are the domaine of specialists with know how and correct parts.