Nickfromwales

In a nutshell, yes. Way OTT approach tbh. Just tricky when I’m trying to work with a client and act in their best interests and also not throw someone under the bus (when they’re genuinely doing what they think is the best job they can…..). Yay. 🥳

What spec is yours home?

So no face bricks left on display?

Going to need full width boards of like 11mm OSB to offer a crutch to those. If you try and repair just the sides I doubt you’ll get away without breakage and a lot of time & effort spent doing a job that’ll not last very long. Attics are fun aren’t they

Reduce the width of the steps?

I’ve looked, but can’t find a dinosaur emoji. Oh, hang on….. 🦖

Agreed. Why not leave this all alone and just infill the gap? Can of worms here afaic, and if I was asked to alter it I’d put-log it, remove the arch to get proper access for installing the beams, then brick fill back in accordingly. I’d never disturb those ends, there’s a lot of differing forces at play there.

Did your PH designer specify little windows and minimal southern glazing etc? Shading too? Most Passiv spec dwellings get very uncomfortable in the peak summer period. I’m about to start a certified PH build for a client, and we identified early on (on paper) that, for at least 35 days of the year, it would be outside a survivable temperature for the residents (PHPP done) so absolutely couldn’t be built without cooling having being introduced by design; as a mitigating measure to demonstrate that this had been addressed. PH architect suggested A2A A/C and also that the A/C got used to offset the opposite effect, where for 18 days (more imo) there would be a requirement for auxiliary heating. Suggestion was to pull out oil filled rads and heat the spaces independently to suit. Client found this out only after I highlighted it, and they weren’t very impressed. Lots of back-pedalling and talk of cross / purge ventilation and so on. If you’re managing without mechanical cooling I am equally curious, but house location / orientation / shading et-al and the micro-climate all play very large roles so defo ‘possible’ to design this out (solar reflective glazing is another Ace to keep up one’s sleeve).

I am a man of few words... until 2 pints go in and then you can't shut me up Give me a slightly cold home and I'll pop a blanket over me, but give me a warm house and I'll kill everyone within a 50m radius.

A Passsive spec build? Please elaborate... Depending on how far north, your PHPP may have specified that you wear thermal undercrackers.

Cooling.

You are fine with either, as AT tests are a 50pa and not 'hurricane' levels. "As built" tests are done with water sat in traps, so this will be fine. You must consider that both negative and positive pressures occur, so a 'heave' in either direction will have differing effects; a 'suck' on a waterless trap will happen regardless, but not a 'blow'. These will only be momentary vs constant, and life goes on (even in a Passsivhaus) Same happens with MVHR, it becomes temporarily imbalanced when wind blows onto the fresh and exhaust. Worry about something more significant is my advice, after you have reflected on doing the best job possible. If you can connect to an internal SVP then I doubt any issue would ever occur.

Thanks, I did (before I responded).

I very much doubt this is advantageous to this thread? Random members working for free is not a benchmark is it? That also should remain off open forum too, please, as whatever reasons you had for doing that is between yourself and that member. I do similar, but I keep it to myself and help where I can in whatever spare time I get, off air. Please take this up via the PM system if you wish to continue such dialogue, but, for Joe Public, the subject is about the value for money of the quote, or is it deemed by others as "steep"; by comparison drawn from their own facts / experiences / costs / scope of works.

I've fitted scores of UVC's and you can 100% relax. Zero trapped air problems will occur here, ever. Blast them through once, go to pub, celebrate. 😎

Air will enter via the automatic air vents.

Motorised valves should only be on the flows, and the return should remain common. That way the appliance always sees the expansion vessel etc.

Is it in and bonded now? Did you seal at the perimeter? I don’t see you ever having a problem btw, and the Sika stuff is very good.

@Russell griffiths will buy it off you to put into his shower. https://uk.manscaped.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwh4-wBhB3EiwAeJsppLhk7T6msHWJqwLDERuPaiTVuQ-HMwEBW3lkxisRmdQsqURDwOqvFxoCiLEQAvD_BwE

Interesting place to have the safe btw....

If the shower spray hits the 'cold' end, then I'd just leave it alone. I'd not want a SR tray which is part bedded and part decoupled imo, due to risk of cracking over time.

Not ever a real world scenario or design particular, so completely moot tbf If the system is off and the valves are closed (which they should NEVER be in normal service) then it would be because a service / maintenance issue has occurred and somebody had shut them purposefully (so therefore in winter they'd also drain accordingly).

Yup. Cheaper than shoplifting. ASHP is a no brainer if you can, otherwise (as it’s an attic essentially) then A2A air con for heat and cool. Average CoP north of 3. Air conditioning in an office in a loft in the summer will be heavenly, and I doubt it would be otherwise survivable. Windows wide open / drafts / noise etc isn’t always practical in an office, unless it’s in the middle of nowhere and deadly quiet? I’d sack the UFH off and go A2A.

I know where you live.