Redbeard

Windowsupplydirectltd.co.uk (Malvern): Ray: ray@windowsupplydirectltd.co.uk 07908095493 They will deliver anywhere, as far as I know. They usually (as do others I have come across) make to 36mm, but would be happy to do 44 with the Rehau section.

If it would help I managed to find a supplier who would fit a 'proper' 44mm units (4/16/4/16/4, W/e & 2 x Low E) into a standard Rehau frame (into which most window suppliers will fit 36mm at most. I know Rehau make the requisite bead as they sent me a sample, but the 'DG' world seems to be v comnservative when it comes to 3G. This may all be irrelevant as I'm talking a std Rehau profile which probably isn't I did get a lovely explanation from one (otherwise very good) supplier as to why I could not get a 44mm unit (they *would* give me a 36mm). They patiently explained that the ironmongery they'd use was meant for 2G, and that a 'fatter' 3G unit would be too much... (Ponders the weight of 4mm extra width of separator bar and a bit more argon)

Or get proper eye bolts (not eye-screws) with a long enough shank to go through the joist and bolt them through, with big washers.

Or get proper eye bolts (not eye-screws) with a long enough shank to go through the joist and bolt them through, with big washers. Edit: Grrr. Forgot the quote, and can't delete this despite pressing 'cancel'!

Not just me, then! On a related note while cavity walls could, I suppose, have bats, it worries me when architects specify them...

Yes. I imagine the stresses for gym equipment may be less than for some motorcycle applications, but I would guess you still have to be careful. I would tell the supplier the likely maximum loads involved (+ a bit!) and get them to tell me which ones I need, rather than just choosing one out of a catalogue or off a display.

I have no idea how common the situation is. To some people the lack of a sill would just 'look wrong' and Qs would be raised. Others may not necessarily notice. What have been the signs of damp invading your home for 22 years? What damage has been caused? Do you have any pictures? Depending on the actual existing damp issues the 'Hive Mind' may have suggestions for solutions which may come to less than £1000.

OK, yes, I was thinking rope rather than carabiners. Metal-metal contact and swinging might erode the galvanising, but is it going to corrode, in your living room? How moist is your living room?! Likely answer: Not moist enough to promote rust/future weakness, therefore (as before) do we need SS?

Apologies for not answering the Q - I know nothing about those 3 manuf'rs - but can I ask what spec their glazing unit offer was? Most particularly were they offering 'a 3G unit shoe-horned into a 2G frame' or a 'proper' frame designed for a full-depth -48mm or 52mm - unit? I have had really frustrating discussions with some suppliers who will only fit a max 36mm (4/12/4/12/4/bells-and-whistles) unit.

You then went on to say: Humour me! Just because I confuse easily, I cannot see how the 1st iteration above can accommodate a 50mm air gap. You have 50 x 38 studs, in between which you have 60mm (slightly squished) of quilt. That has filled up the whole gap, and there are no further studs. Where's the 50mm air gap then? Is it that what 'the plans say...' was wrong once you got 'invasive' and poked holes in, and that iteration 2 is the actual? And finally, to jump on the 'good sealing' bandwagon, I would strongly advise removal of the existing plasterboard so that you can find how well the existing VCL is (not?) sealed. That will then satisfy your curiosity before you then take it off so that the VCL in your improved lay-up will be in the best place (on the warm side of all the insulation). Ideally don't use insulated plasterboard, otherwise you lose the VCL at every joint. Use whatever insulation you wish, loosely 'tacked', lay the VCL over that, and seal at all joints and perimeters, then fix through to the studs with long screws. I realise this is yet another option, and does not meet the 'low disruption' criterion, but it is more comprehensive and with fewer compromises, I feel.

From 2-wheel days I also remember endless arguments in Motorcycle Sport magazine re the correct grade of stainless for this, that and the other use. Not all opinions are the same!

While trying to find something cheaper for you (insofar as I suspect mild steel will be fine, BZP would be arguably finer, 'prper' galvanised all you need and SS OTT) I found this, which caused me amusement. It may to others. I wonder about the tensile strength: "Marine Eye Bolt Stainless steel with Wooden Thread"

"Countryside"

Forebears: The 3 bears' 'plus 1'. Sorry, I'm drifting!

Oh yes! Whomsoever will do for me! Favourite Uxbridge English Dictionary is possibly unrepeatable in polite company!

Don't worry - we are not suggesting foam cavity insulation. @SilverShadow and I would recommend expended polystyrene (EPS) beads. They are mainstream and fine if you can get someone to do the job. We have seen what has been done. I am now worried re what else has not been done, or has not been done right. I rather think an RICS surveyor would be a wise move. You want someone who is prepared to 'dig deeply' to spot any and all potential issues.

@Farah Jones, So sorry to hear this. The issue you may have is persuading a cavity insulation co. to 'get out of bed' for a small job. They are generally so busy with full-house jobs that smaller (in your case 'one-room' ones may be considered less popular (or if you're lucky, the fact that your job is small may mean it's just the one to fill in that unexpected gap that's just popped up). Assuming you know who the BC provider is (is it the local authority or a private co.?) it will do no harm to contact them and raise your concerns. Sending photographic evidence of your inspection of the cavity should mean that they will not sign off, and until they can sign off, assuming the contract is clear, the builder has not finished and does not get the final payment. Is the roof a pitched roof and is there a hatch (your post suggests not). Can the builder reasonably answer that the roof insulation was to be put in at the end, and they haven't reached the end yet? Harder to argue for the CWI. If it were me I think I would be on to Trading Standards as well.

*Would you expect to find a ventilation slot on the eaves for a house of this age?* Probably yes. Not in the (modern) form of a plastic extrusion but in the rather more time-honoured form of one bit not touching the other very well. 25mm gap across the eaves on 2 opposing sides is good. *Will the gap in-between the slate and the super quilt be enough for ventilation at the roof level?* It's an interesting point, and will in part depend on the R value of the multifoil you use. If you were doing a loft conversion you would have a U value at ceiling level of 0.16W/m2K at worst, and you would expect that all of the 'cold side' ventilation would be 'North' of the insulation at ceiling level. You would also have supply ventilation to the finished room. If you are just making a storage space it wants its own ventilation, as well as the ventilation on the cold side of the multifoil. Particularly if the multifoil is not giving a 'regs-compliant' U value there could potentially be condensation at the coldest points.

Is there a gap between the insulation and the 'deck' on top of the stilts? There should be, preferably 50mm, and that vent path should be 'fed' from a ventilation slot at the eaves, allowing free airflow from one side to the other. Impossible to tell the nature of the loose-fill insulation from the pic. If in any doubt whatever send off a sample. Search 'asbestos testing' and you'll find everything from specialists in doing the whole lot to 'mail order' services where they send you a paper suit, an FFP3 mask and a sealable bag. The cost of this includes analysis of the sample which you take.

Sand/cement pointing to front wall in a form ('strap pointing') which was common in the 1980's but is almost certainly not how the original pointing was finished (it was (a) lime and (b) probably 'rubbed' quite flush. The good news is that, as far as I can tell from a picture, your stone does not look soft. If it were, there could be a risk that, years down the line, you could have stone which erodes because the pointing is stronger than the stone. The opposite should be the case; lime is 'sacrificial', and will succumb to frost damage before the stone will. How are you measuring the percentage moisture content? 'Pointy-pokey' damp meters are generally most accurate in wood, and much less so in masonry. 18% in wooden joists is considered healthy, so I am not sure if the reading you are getting (if it is accurate, which it may well not be) is a major issue. (I know a lot less about moisture content in stone than in timber). Most of all I note that, as far as I can see, you have no insulation on the walls. It therefore would not be surprising if you get condensation in cold corners, particularly if there is no airflow the 'chase moisture away'. This is not to say that it could not be penetrating or rising damp, but these issues (while sometimes blindingly obviously the case) are sometimes overstated. The most reliable damp test in masonry is a carbide test (sometimes known as a 'speedy' test). It does not rely on a meter which performs best in wood. Tony on GBF is known for drilling out dust samples and working out % moisture content by weighing them before and after a spell in the oven. There is, I feel, a big difference between 'specialists in using proprietary damp 'solutions'' and real (old building and) 'damp specialists' I would suggest an accurate test and diagnosis followed ideally by insulation of external walls with a breathable material. My preference is wood-fibre or cork. As far as ventilation goes, while there may be reasons for the 'damp' other than condensation, use this 'opportunity' to review your ventilation provision. Older houses have often had all the original ventilation (which included the leaks round sash windows) 'improved out'.

Welcome. I like your 'kitchen units'. Look like they'd also bee good for storing power tools in.

@Onoff, excellent. Seems to me, OP, that you'll only maybe need 1 row of 'visible' fixings in the middle of the height of the pallet-wood, since the top and bottom 'skirtings' can trap the rest. I would use oval nails, punch below the surface of the wood and use coloured filler to hide the punch-marks. The likely 'mottling' of the pallet-wood will probably help to hide them too. Edit: Make sure to 'acclimatise' the pallet-wood to its intended environment before you commit to any fixings.

Feeling the need to mention fruit...

Sorry, yes, mm. (I had mentally already converted your cm to mm!). Try a test: drill some 10mm holes in an offcut of plasterboard and mount it the requisite distance from another offcut of plasterboard. Try 1st with holes @ 300 centres, fill a few and then peel off one sheet of plasterboard. Look and see if the patches of foam touch. Try again at 30-50mm centres. Repeat.

Nope. I have always done it 30-50 apart. I would treat 50 as the outside of the 'range of tolerance'. Are they using air-tight foam? (It can be about 2x the £ of 'ordinary foam')