zoothorn

I think this is what's happening with my folks' heaters. A_L would a poor ammount of stored heat-release during the day period (heater barely warm) be the likely result of this incorrect night-time flap position, do you think?

Ok many thanks for the info SteamyTea & ProDave. Much better position to understand now. Any idea of what resistance & wattage the WW resistors tend to be Dave? It sounds like another simple fix if found to read open-circuit & needs replacing. Tbh even if an element needs replacing, even this looks easy.. an even easier test to determine if shot too. An ultra-serviceable design these look to be. So is the boost dial, always the flap-mechanism open-close function on all storage heaters?

@ProDave just looked at some YT clips of 2 repair jobs. Unbelievable simple: 1st was resetting the thermostat (5 mins), 2nd was checking elements (15mins): the repair guy in this eg repeatedly saying "customer to make sure LH dial (it opened the flap in this case) closed at night". I see the LH dial open & closes a flap above elements, to release stored heat from below. Simple- I rather like the design myself in fact. Ok if the customer were to unwittingly leave this dial/ flap open (or, it is unable to go into the closed position even if dial at min) over the duration of its night time 'charging up period'.. what state would you expect the heater to be in during this period? thanks zoot

Thanks ProDave- when it comes to the tarrifs/ economy 7 or 10.. I haven't a clue on this front: I find this more complicated than the damn heaters. So with my folks, are you saying the only thing they can do IS to replace old storage heaters, with storage heaters then (s/h or new)? Or would you recommend an alternative type of electric heater, if it were you?

Hi chaps- useful info: but if my folks want to replace with new wall-mounted electric heaters, & fan heaters (I use- couldn't live without tbh) impractical noisy & ££ to run for a sittingroom, & new storage heaters are so damn costly (& complicated- they just cannot do complicated).. what type would you suggest, convection heaters?

Hi Triassic- can I pick-up this thread..? how did you get on with a replacement? I have elderly folks 80/83 with storage heaters, & I noticed 2 were running ultra hot midnight > sillytime AM, & not warm during day. I told them to get all checked, & sure enough these 2 'broken'. I did ask folks on here, & suggestion was the 'flaps' may have stuck. So chap came out, checked all & I think said ..flap xyz on those two htrs (so you guys prolly correct), but gave them a whopping £1000+ quote to replace with new. If they are shot, or folks want new ones- what are the best new alternatives: not neccessarily storage heaters maybe? I have an oil-filled "Economy-Radiator Co" in my kitchen here/ pretty good: are they forced to replace an Storage Htr with another? cheers zoot

Hi Jilly- thanks for reply!! I didn't see this suggestion (I dipped out & got sidetracked on my kitchen redo).. sounds good idea/ Ive asked for some paperwork from them. hope yr enjoying the ospreys. cheers zoot

Oh sure- it'll be the only warm room in the house, but just me lives here: the extention room won't be heated, & I'm next door in the main bedroom. So innevitably it'll mostly not be warm in there, unless I introduce it: IE when s'one sleeps over, or I use it during winter days for a study/ hunkerdown room if my house too cold (alot! one reason for building it tbh), or a work room if cabin end of gdn's too cold. So i want to separate off as best as so heat doesn't get zapped by cold coming in from it to the main bedroom via 1 pine door. Plus some extra privacy.

Ok good- I don't like the width thing. A knock-thru door is characterful if its a bit narrower, or even got a nip off a cnr. Anyway good research, thanks PeterW. As its a thick wall (width of stone shell) where knock-thru will be, I'm planning on making 2 doors myself, in my time, to fit 2 frames I want builder to put in. My reason: I think cold will get into main room via here from extention: 2 well-fitting doors like a sandwich say 18" apart I hope will provide a bit of a barrier, sound too, a bit of extra privacy.

Hi PeterW- really appreciate that. Hey looks like I might get away with it.. just! any idea if B.Regs need a minimum H to the door frame? here it says 1990 on plan, but my kitchen door frame (thru to main room, with its very low ceiling beams just above my head) is 1880 x 820mm. Would I be allowed to build a similar sized smaller door for my knock-thru into my extention room2 do you think?

Ok Peter thanks/ understood. Do you know if going Timber Frame walls, will mean any extra roof structure/ bracing is needed, over standard solid walls? & if the 1/3rd rule you mention is the same for solid or TF walls (not say increaced to perhaps 1/2 max for TF)? I'm on the cusp of having a viable sized knock-thru door (into a 1-step down floor position, from main bedroom in house).. or a restricted door H if the collared ceiling level is lower than the top of an average H door frame, even at the highest the ceiling can be.. or the whole idea isn't possible at all. I don't think you see my builder, or my 'architectural consultant', have given this enough thought.. or barely any thought at all tbh. So I think its solely up to me to determine if door frame can indeed just fit in (or its compromised in H, or it just cannot be done). Not easy for me, as I don't know A) how thick the roof would be, & B) exactly what height point the collared ceiling will be.

Hi chaps- anyone know about collared ceilings? I get the idea, suggested by builder (the open to apex not possible he said, structure-wise I think).. looked at google info/ pics etc. But the height of the collars, the position of the raised celing in room2, is critical to the whole extention plan: everything internally (space/ H in room2, floor position between, space/ H in below room1) is relative to their position. Would two additional cross-members (I dont know the term) at each end of the roof..at the level a traditional flat ceiling would be, say just above french windows' frame top/ below the collars, be needed too? I mean one at each end of the room, one french doors' end & one opposite house end. I'm thinking structurally etc.

trimming the bottom edge of skirting you mean? no surely not. I can't work it out.. drivin me a bit nuts/ anyway not to worry now. I need to concentrate back on the extention. I have a new word in the mix today "collared ceiling" suggested by my builder, instead of "open to apex" he said xyz reasons why would be slightly problematic (cant recall exactly what). Is there a standard height, at which the cross beam of the 'A' shape, can go relative to the roof ridge above? obviously I'd prefer the cross beam as high as possible.. but I guess the higher it is, the less structurally strong the roof becomes. Is that roughly correct?

Right ok yes the plunge aspect of course is n/a with circ'saws.. but I can't see how the plunge is of any particular use, bar cutout something or other (I can't think of any wood eg, with a plunge-cut section to it).. so can only think its plunge design is primarily for an easier/ soft-start to a simple straight cut. As for doors/ skirting I just can't envisage safe use on these eg's either.. unless removed & laid flat on a bench 1st. I'm not on board with what they're for I don't think yet. Unless a slightly weird (over?)designed saw almost exclusively for straight cuts.

Very useful vid Ed. Id never heard of plungesaws until this page4. I like the no dust aspect, well I couldn't see any on that test cut.. did he have it vac'd up? could I bring myself to actually go into a lidl seems to be the issue. but seriously, how could I cope witrh swapping my usa made skilsaw, for a £65 china lidl saw?! bizarre Im even thinking on it. So is the design of these basically this: some bright spark saw circ'saws as great, but for the damn dust issue.. & designed a 'better circ'saw' being the blade hidden/ enclosed to channel the dust down/away.. plus a clever integral rail as a bonus. Is that the basic idea with these?

Hi MJNewton, sorry I forgot to reply. I googled said contraption/ ideal: might well be top of list once I'm in & all's doodle-dandy. thx. Just spoke to my builder. He totally forgot about my quote request. ? so I gently reminded him. We talked of top room "open to apex" (not open to apeths- I don't want that) & he mentioned would need xyz to do.. why not a "collared roof"? I guess like an 'A'.. so thoughts on this if you would chaps? But got good vibes. Calling PP & BC about minor ammendments tmrw. Also got a groundwork guy penciled in, work with me ok with him, whom I got round innitially regarding my log cabin (tricky stream-side) support pillars. Good. I think a musical intermission then- rink rat!! zoot

@Onoff ok understood that Onoff cheers (thought walls might be your thing too). Its looking twds: TF + block clad, if I can afford it. TF + wood clad 2nd option. I'm adding 250mm to make it 4000mm via a non-material-ammendment, so hope to use some of this extra bit to stud-line+more 'sound rockwool' before the pB to the inside of room1. How did you add a vac to chopsaw & circ'saw? were you inside (assume so, or you just use the wind etc) and what type of vac? tbh Ive considered doing so, but these 2 saws fire the debris so widely I thought even a powerful vac would only get 1/3rd of it best case. Attatching to my skilsaw too.. with its stupid vent hole I couldn't see but being a useless excercise.

@Onoff I'd be interested on any thoughts about my wall choice Onoff, your opinion I respect most etc. I need to really contain (router mostly) sound as much as poss- my nastiest n'bors (dog mess etc) just made 1st noise complaint, just to get at me, but once ext built it'll be on their side: I know the 1st of many complaints (the last avenue they have to get at me).. so I need the noise factor down a BIG peg, if I can. Alot rests on this.

Good Q. At the mo I rout outside, mostly a useful crosswind takes away dust.. but once inside, just a shop-vac. A Clarke 1hp possibly, & not too noisy.. but might take up 1/3rd of room. Dust's my biggest bugbear. Circ'saw & chopsaw I just can't rig up to a vac, so have to lump the dust. I hope to shift these 2 noisiest sods right down end of gdn, next to my logcabin (if I can work out these 2 pillars), a little more secluded. I don't use MDF thankfully, birch ply instead.. which is nasty dust too (formaldyhyde & glue layers etc)

Hi JSH.. all totally understood thanks indeed (my 2 threads have converged in zootspacetime!). So what I'm trying to establish is if an block skin is chosen to clad my TF structure, wall ties etc, how much benefit will I achieve in terms of wind resistance, over wood cladding instead? Apologies if Ive asked this in another way folks. Its a critical Q, both in terms of structure.. & cost to me. I have to weigh up the benefits or not of outer skin options. Sound 'dampening' (let's call it) another factor in the choice I make too. I see an old stone house similar size to mine just down from me, similar 'blank' side as mine.. this side which is pink (a very good pink, tricky to get colour right) & on closer look its a block side: with a very thin render so the mortar joins only visible close up. Any ideas on this render?

@SimplySimon

hi JSH.. I understand the general ideas in reply to my Q, I wonder still though if a block outer course would add anything in terms of -wind- protection.. that's my main concern (my Q better put perhaps like so). You hinted "..wind loads" wouldn't be as good if a single skin: but wouldn't it matter inherrantly what the skins are made from though? I wonder if block would be the best barrier against the load from wind (especially hitting the end of my extention, sideways on). Are there any benefits to choosing a block cladding over a timber, for my build?

Could anyone tell me about a TF build, with block cladding: how much is the outer block course adding strength/ structural chutzpah to the TF core? I see the 'wall ties' ties on various builds, but are these ties to link the two structures purely for alignment purposes.. &/ or also a link in terms of structural rigidity?

@Roundtuit hi there- yes understood. But this is wild west wales, things just take forever here.. I had a similar wait for my quote on my chimney rebuild + other jobs from him. Its almost an ideal job for him, a few miles from his home, good access & knows me well. Anyway for now I need to consider an important thing in the design: containing the sound, within the lower room. I don't expect 'soundproofed' but I need every facet I can to aid sound retention- my sod n'bors now on my back re my router work/ council complaint. This gives me the hurry up. At the mo plan's going twds a TF inner frame, & block outer cladding bc of solidity but also adding density which I hope will help on the sound. I hope to use 'sound rockwool' for the insulation in the wall. Please, any advice on this aspect chaps- I'd be grateful. This has a new urgency now- I'm getting onto builder tonight. Thanks, zoot.

I have a nice n'bor said he'd dig trenches £25/ hr (his mini-digger). He's 71 but did his own for his TF build small house, useful eg just a few doors up (vertical weatherboard cladding idea), so is capable. And he's having a word with local chap he got to do his groundwork. So I hopefully can £save a chunk on my builder's quote for this stage of the build. So I'm waiting on this damn quote. Approaching a month now since I asked, just a few additions to a quote he gave me already (scaffold, g'work, doors & windows). How long should am I expected to wait? as a customer I feel if I hurry him, he may get the hump & whack up quote.