NSS

I used a mix of Thermowood and Marley Cedral Click. The latter is tongue and groove fibre reinforced cement board with invisible fixings.

Ditto

Just received our EPC. Scored 96

Hi @Amanda and welcome. Our build is not to Passivhaus standard but potential overheating from solar gain was a big concern for us, and 'night purging' was not an option (long story). The solution I've gone for is Sageglass (electrochromic glazing) and it seems to be working very well. It's not cheap but it does mean you can control excess solar gain whilst retaining the benefit at times of the year when that gain is desirable.

Yep

Actually, it doesn't. ATTMA guidelines for the test clearly state either * positive or negative pressure test is acceptable, but IF both are conducted then the average of the two should be used for the final result.

So the song goes, and that was the predicted air permeability number which went into our 'As Designed' SAP calcs (though our target was to be sub 2 'as built'). Well, we finally reached the point where we could delay the test no longer (we hope to move in in 3 weeks' time), and with some trepidation I watched as the blower door was fitted and the fan turned on. First thing to happen was the suction pulled the frame out of the door opening. Re-fitted, the fan was turned on again and depressurisation commenced. With inward opening windows I'd have preferred a pressurisation test but the tester wasn't planning on sitting outside in the light rain that was falling. The first run of recorded numbers were rejected by whatever software he entered them into on his laptop, it suggesting he needed to cover four of the eight holes in the fan cowling. He duly did so and re-ran the test. It was clear that the suction was again trying to rip the blower door out of the door frame as air was leaking past it on both sides, but the entered numbers provided a m3/h/m2 score of 1.74 - not bad (and inside my target), but both the tester and I knew it could be better if we could stop air leaking past the blower door frame. Tape was added and we had another go. Again, air was soon rushing in around the blower door, but the recorded numbers gave a score of 1.599 when entered and, as that was comfortably better than the original aspiration, we decided not to try again to seal the leaks round the blower door. Okay, I know this is nowhere near the 0.6ACH (I estimate our test result equates to around 1.23ACH) required for Passiv House, but we were never aiming for that and the complex shape of our chalet bungalow and large dormers never leant themselves to such levels of air tightness. Frankly, I was delighted (and mightily relieved) to have achieved 1.6 but I'm now wondering what it could have been had that blower door sealed properly. Would I be being greedy to get them back for another go? Running it as a pressurised test would pull the frame hard into the door seal after all, and any chance of minor leakage past the windows would be reduced. Would it make much difference? Would I get a lower number and would that have any impact on the 'As Built' SAP score? Or do I just accept that 1.6 is my magic number?

I see The Times is reporting that mayor Khan is set to ban WBS in most polluted areas of London. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/wood-burning-stoves-face-ban-in-pollution-crackdown

Can't comment on IKEA units but we fitted our three bathrooms with units from BluewaterKBB in Solihull and have been very impressed with the quality for the price. They also sell via ebay as bathcabz.

So probably circa 101 if only 4Kw, which is still exceptional. My point is that, as @le-cerveau said earlier in the thread, renewable (in this case PV) does seem to have an overly large impact on the SAP calculation. Probably explains why developers stick as few as 2 panels on roofs. In fact, one of my daughters bought a new home last year. Directly across the road from her, a new house built by a different developer has 4 panels fitted on the north facing elevation. Apparently, all the houses of that particular design have 4 panels on the same section of roof, irrespective of the houses' orientation to the sun. Farcical!

So, if 6Kw gets you to 101 and 8Kw gets you to 107, does it follow that 4Kw would reduce it to 95?

One advantage of not using the local authority for building control is that they don't get to see how close the house is to being habitable.

Okay, I'll see if I can dig them out tomorrow, take a pic or two and measure.

Ian, i've not read all this thread, and have not yet had a chance to check all the odds and sods I have left over, but I know have quite a few joist hangers if you want them.

We dispensed with the portaloo as soon as we had a water connection and, having now fitted the bathrooms, I have a WC and pedestal basin (with tap) spare if anyone can make use of them and is willing to collect from Southampton area.

Ian, I can only echo the thoughts expressed by others, and offer the prospect that your end goal will feel all the sweeter when you achieve it. On a practical note, I'm sure I'm not the only one with various 'stuff' left over from my build. Rather than sticking it in the back of the shed, I'll pm you a list in the next few days and if any of it would be helpful I'll happily have it couriered up to you. Keep your chin up.

Yes, they claim 500 lumens.

If anyone is looking for external lights, we've just installed 14 of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01G78W4M0/ref=pd_aw_sim_201_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GRNK773S4VW5WKM28PZE At £15 each they're a bargain, seem well made and look pretty good in our opinion.

Okay Clyde, stack the cladding.

Only stuff we bought from TP was the Marley Cedral Click as they were close to 15% cheaper than the nearest competitor's price.

22mm OSB with 15mm plasterboard over that. One day I might even slap some paint on it.

Good stuff. Hope all goes well

Complete Stair Systems in Romsey

For just a moment there I thought it must be 1st April

isn't there also the potential for 'marmite' issues arising where one or more members are happy to recommend a product that others dismiss as being rubbish. For example.....