Beau

PWS readings. Outside RH 94% 0.8C Got a couple of monitors that read the same when in the same room. Kitchen 20C 47%RH Utility 18C 35%RH

Not really a stove but it does burn logs. My home made charcoal retort with the lid up. Had one of these up to 900C which was a tad exciting!

I saw this firm https://www.cornishmasonrystoves.com/about-us selling custom masonry stoves at the Royal Cornwall show a few years back.

I'm also a fan of the PU glues after discovering them during a boat build. I always used Balcotan but sadly thats no longer available. The closest I've got to it is this https://www.tcfixings.co.uk/product/soudal-pro-40p-15-min-pu-d4-wood-glue-750gm/2752. They do a faster and slower setting versions depending on your needs. Worth saying that even though it expands into gaps it's not very strong when gap filling. PVA is a good glue type and easy to clean off with warm water but I like the lack of 'grab' you get with PUs giving you more time to get complicated pieces together. For ultimate strength you cant really beat an Epoxy like West System but it's expensive stuff. I'm racking my brain as to what glue I used on our stairs that have remained silent over the years. If it comes back to me I will share

We've recently had an Arotherm installed. It's a very straightforward system and the only circulation pump is the one in the heat pump. I did't get very involved but there is a pressure release valve and as you say an expansion vessel. All boxed in now so cant take pictures to help more.

We farm and have a loader. No official training and lorries never ask me about qualifications when I'm unloading deliveries. With farming you get to use equipment a lot so you do get good with the kit which may be harder if your only using the equipment occasionally

Thats a very good brine temp. If your heating flow temps are low I would have thought a COP of 6 is within reach.

I would expect the membrane to be watertight in its own right and the tiles to do the same so you have two levels of protection Many years back our old place didn't have any felt or membrane. We had a blizzard of very powdery snow and we had proper drifts in the loft as it blew in under the the slates. I was only young but remember moving the snow out of the loft into the bath before it brought the ceiling down or melted

Some of the tanking paints also come with a roll of mesh tape. I would fill the hole with a low expanding foam, cut flush, mesh tape and then apply the tanking paint. I'm only a DIYer so take this advise with a pinch of salt haha

Might have a good idea for you? https://viking-house.co.uk/passive-slab-insulated-foundations.html

I've battened out over old wobbly stone walls a few times. I use 25mmx50mm battens fixed back to the wall with adjustable screws like this. Even though the battens are thin I've had no problems with movement. https://www.efixings.com/adjustable-screws-tx-flat-countersunk-zinc/ You can quickly create a fair wall without any complicated packing out. I will leave advise on insulation and vapour barriers to others

I've just sorted a ceiling that had exactly this kind of extra support in it. It was on an area that the ends of ceiling joists had rotted out so to stop it sagging they installed a binder and a struts to the rafters. Ive been able to replace the rotten timbers but my first plan was to double up the binder and get it supported both ends and do away with the hanging strut. The latter might be an option for you?

I chased some channels into our lime walls for a new heating system recently. Be prepared for an astonishing amount of fine dust! I mean it was horrendous and moved around the house like smoke. The second time I made mini polly tunnel for me to work in, all taped to the walls/floor. Much better for the house but couldn't see what I was doing within seconds of starting haha

Yes I'm sure its not that efficient but clearly not shocking either. Claimed efficiency is up to 90%. Suspect the 70 second interval didn't allow the temp probe enough time to fully register the changing temps. I'm sure it's not heating the room as it only uses 6watts so most likely just variation between the two thermometers. It's a BSK Zepher and until today I would be singing its praises but just this afternoon it died! Only a few months old so will be under warrantee but a bit disappointing none the less. Until a month ago the house had no central heating so 18C is luxury 🙂

According to a different thermometer in that room at the time 16.6C. Generally got the rest of the house around 18C but no rad in that room yet.

Sounds like you are after a proper MVHR but I ran a little test on our decentralised MVHR to see how good it was and was pleasantly surprised. It's one of those that runs out for 70seconds charging a cartridge with the exiting heat and then runs back in supposedly returning the heat in the cartridge. I waited for a cold day to do the test and expected to see larger fluctuations in temp from it running in and out. We run the house coolish as you can see but it was 0.5C outside at the time. Had a temp probe set up just by the in/out vent

I have no idea what's required to comply but as others have said a compete break will hopefully do the trick. Our private supply has a DAB Easy Tank as we lack presure due to lack of head from the spring. The Easy tank is fed with a float valve from the spring. Might it be possible to have a similar system with a second float valve from the mains for when you need it?

Thats how our old GSHP works

We have just had a heating system installed from scratch. I was keen on UFH to go with the ASHP but the installers were very clear that if we couldn't fit significant levels of insulation underneath the UFH dont do it. As has been already said it can be made to work but will be inefficient due to heat loss through the floors. We went with rads

Yes I may be overly complicating things. In hindsight setting the tray under the Jackboard would probably be a good plan and I may well do that on the next two bathrooms. Only thing I'm no sure on is how much +/-mm there is for shower panels to fit a tray. I dont want them overlapping the edge having set the tray in too far. I will know more once Ive finished this one.

Think I'm just going to see if I can stick the loose part back with some OB1 and hope for the best I have 2 more bathrooms to do and dont want to get in this mess so how do you like to seal your shower trays/baths back to the wall? Thanks

We had no signal inside but pestered Octopus to sort it. It took sometime to get an appointment but they fitted an external arial in an adjoining shed which did the trick. We used a multifoil insulation in the house so the signal had little chance of getting out.

I have just started the renovation of our old family home. First job is a utility room with a shower. Its some years since I have had a building project and I see XBS backer boards are a popular choice for shower surrounds so that's what I have used (Jackoboard). I have got a Mira Flight tray. I want to be belt and braces on waterproofing so got a shower sealing kit which comprises of a primer, sealing tape and a liquid waterproofer. Jackoboard is supposedly none porous so I haven't used the primer and this was confirmed as the correct option from the technical helpline for the waterproofing. Where the tape seals between the shower tray and the wall the instructional video shows cutting the perforated edge off the tape and then pressing it into a layer of the waterproofing paint. This is where it's gone wrong as it has not bonded to the tray at all and not especially well to the Jackoboard. I really dont want to strip everything off if I dont have to but can you see a way to reseal this edge and what I did wrong? Thanks Beau

We have some conservation rooflights which the paint is starting to fail on. Like these https://www.therooflightcompany.co.uk/all-products/conservation/ To be frank the the rooflights are pretty poor thermally. Steel frames which get condensate which drips in to the room. I was a furniture maker in a previous life and was considering making some wooden openers (the frame set into the roof looks OK). Was thinking of laminating the frames for stability and sealing them in epoxy. Also not sure if high spec DG or triple glazing would be more sensible. Any thoughts on the matter would be much appreciated

There is a thermometer fitted but it has no influence over the GSHPs running. You can alter how much influence it has but I was told the system would be most efficient with it run 100% from the outside thermometer and the weather compensation so I had it set that way at the start and have never changed it in 10years