SilverShadow

Thanks again RB 😁 Getting a decent builder in the East Mids (Nottinghamshire) has been extremely tricky, due to one of the following: Some folks don't recommend, due to past issues Those that do, i've struggled to engage with (messages left, but not returned) The few on Checkatrade/ etc i've used really fell some way short of expectation, in terms of work quality (finish). It was all a rush-job They are all very busy & in short-supply, so can be elusive. We wanted the work doing next year, so wanted to get them onboard in plenty of time to ensure we found the right one

PS, for anyone else interested: Has anyone any prior experience or knowledge of using these entities?: https://www.mastertradesmen.co.uk/ https://www.fmb.org.uk/ We were kinda hoping to engage with them & use them as a sort of '1 stop shop' for the architectural/building tasks, if they're as legitimate & proficient as i can make out 🤔

Thanks guys, very insightful as always 😁 To clarify on Redbeards cost £2500/m2 - i think that's for a double storey extension, based on what i can read? But to clarify on Q3 (which i worded extremely loosely in hindsight 🙃), i was hoping for 'finger in the air cost' for an architect to draw up the designs & building plans for the builder to use. Realise that might be difficult to gauge on the above info, but just whether we should expect £500, £1000, or more sort of bracket?

Hey guys - been a while since i troubled you good folks for advice. But that time is nigh again.... 😉 We're looking to extend our house next year (build over single storey adjacent garage & some internal room layout alterations). We're at the initial 'chat about proposed changes/ initial quotes' stage & struggled to find builders with the right credentials, or those willing to get in touch. So, i've been in touch with these guys, who dropped me a line: https://www.mastertradesmen.co.uk/ They've asked regarding PP, building regs, permitted development I wanted to ask you guys a few fundamental questions, please: Who determines what aspects of PP, regs, PD are relevant? I was under the impression the builder would consider this, but that may be a bit naive, and perhaps it's something we should ascertain independently up front? Architectural plans - are we best engaging an independent architect 1st, and getting this drawn up before engaging builders? Architectural costs - realise this is a 'finger in air' guesstimate, but does anyone has a rough idea what these might cost? (for an extension over garage, on a 3 bed detached property, with some internal room layout alterations)? If anyone has some good web-articles about the steps, process order, rough costs that would be hugely appreciated 😁 TIA Shadow

PS - ignore the above illustration, this is more like it: 75mm PIR board (yellow) - arranged horizontally (concrete floor to ceiling (mecahnically fastened as mentioned) 35mm batten - glued to PIR with adhesive (i hope!) Option 35mm yellow PIR to fill the void the batten creates. Arranged vertically, so the PIR is x-crossed to reduce moisture escapage 11mm PIR screwed into 35mm batten Sorry guys - i'm really keen to do this, as i feel it'll be very worthwhile. But i'm a details person and like to have a clear picture before starting (especially with the cost involved!) Many thanks Shadow

Slight update on this guys... Firstly, huge thanks for your time and insight into this - always appreciated. Secondly, i've put this off due to work & other commitments, but looking to resume this soon..... Using the pic i previously enclosed, i'm hoping the following will be a sound strategy: Breeze block interior face - i don't intend sealing this (so it'll be breathable from moisture coming through in/out) Yellow PIR - i'll use 75mm continuous PIR (floor to ceiling, all taped edges/joints) and my VCL. I'll mechanically fix these boards to the breeze blocks & tape over (i heard dot n dab isn't as good with porous external walls?) 35mm wooden battens - i've read Pinkgrip Fastfix Foam is a good alternative, for fixing the wood onto the 75mm PIR I may fill in non-electical gaps in the 35mm void (between battens) with extra PIR for extra insulation I'll fix 11mm Osb3 on top of the battens as the interior wall surface Does that sound feasible to you guys? PS - would you insulate the walls 1st (floor to roof), then floor 2nd and roof last? Indebted as always....

Thanks Nod 😁 I guess with it being 3 to 1 dilution of brick acid then the upvc should be relatively ok. At least for a few mins, until its cleaned off 🤞 I think that was the difference - I'm sure most builders aren't like them, but it was builders doing a bricklayers job 🙃 All they needed were Stetsons 🤠

Hey all - hopefully a nice simple one guys, but then that's often been the way at posting time...... 😅 We have a few m2 of brickwork that was recently mullered by a builder when re-pointing. It's very rough cement finish, that's made the brickwork look scruffy. I've seen/read that brick acid might be our saviour here (either Sika or Bostic Cementone Brick/Patio Cleaner). I've read up on the application (PPE and general application rules), but thought i'd ask anyone who's used the products before for a few hint & tips Any clarification on the following would be amazing, please: Wetting the surface 1st - apparently this helps reduce the bricks absorbing the acid into them? Also scrubbing some chunks down with a wire brush 'pre-application' is meant to help Application & cleaning - i was just going to use a paintbrush & try not to dab the intra-brick mortar too much (so its only really the brick face having it applied to) & use the wire brush again Application time - probably on the product, but i'd assumed just a minute or so before cleaning off with plenty of water? Brickwork is near upvc - i'm a little nervous any splashes might damage the window/door. Even though it's diluted acid, i wasn't sure if it would damage them (maybe plastic/tarpaulin would help protect, or am i being over-protective)? PPE - gloves, mask, googles, long sleeves Other products - anyone ever used other less-hazardous products? I've read lemon juice might also work??? If it helps, our bricks are rough face/porous (Heather brick finish), so wasn't sure if this would alter our approach. Happy to provide pics, if that helps Thanks as always for your valuable insight Shadow

My thoughts exactly - chances are we'll get a heat pump sometime in 2026/maybe '27, depending on when we get the work done. From what i can see, the same grant will still be in place & maybe prices will have come down £1-2k by then

As an aside and distraction, i followed up with the part on here mentioning heat-pumps...... We had a firm pop around to give us the spiel around this, just so i could have all the facts/costs to hand: They were quoting circa £16k, for pump & installation (Vailiant, Mitsubishi, or Samsung - air source version). They also rightly (as mentioned on here) said they wouldn't put the pump in the garage, nor the side of the house (where the neighbours fence was <1m from our wall exterior) where we hoped it could live. The did offer to install above the garaqe. However, as it's a sloping 'non-load bearing' roof then it'd need scaffolding, which would make the yearly servicing expensive/ impossible. It also seems like we'd need a servicing plan (circa £15/month), which i'd imagine pays for the yearly servicing up front. They did offer to fit in another slot at the rear corner of the house. However, as we're potentially having a 2 story extension there next year, i was a little worried about damage/needing to remove it, in case any of the foundations/wall brickwork needing doing (as yet, we don't know). They were also a little sketchy about allowed rads with it (we were planning to use some Milano Aruba ones) - i guess they'd need to know if these are to spec as regards pressure/heat exchange, etc? A heap pump feels like something we might do 1 day (with the £7.5k grant) in place, but maybe not with potential building work going where it's suggested location would be. They did mention the £7.5k grant would drop to £5k in April this year, but i couldn't find anything around that

Thanks Nick for all your help Just thought i'd ask the last question, as it may be that space could potentially be an issue (if we located to somewhere that has a relatively small m2 outer wall area)

Thanks Nick, good to know this up front 😁 I hesitate to ask more, but I have another general question, & your knowledge is golden: For housing the combi boiler, does it always have to live on an outer wall, so the vent/flue go directly outside? Realise in the loft this won't be the case if the flue goes out the roof, but wasn't sure if you could locate the boiler on any house wall & have a flue (eg 1-2m long) from it to the outside?

Thanks Nick - we've got an extendable loft ladder that you can pull down no probs. It's lit & with floor boards. As a side question: do you know of any problems or no-no's with putting the combi vent through the roof tiles?

Cheers Nick, Only other thing we thought was whether some plumbers don't like going into the loft for servicing them? As a rough guess, i'd imagine the taps would be 5-8m from the loft combi

Thanks Nick - we were looking to upgrade the rads as part of the refit (we've been looking at Milano Aruba, if you know them). Our existing system already has a cylinder, so that wouldn't be too much of a problem i guess Essentially, when we change the CH it'll be not only a new heating system (eg: combi), but also new rads and a new location for the combi. We may opt for the combi in the loft (and a vertical vent through the roof tiles, as no gable end wall), but that's TBC A heat pump was just something else to rule in/out. If it can't go in the garage, then it's a no-no, and if there isn't some variant (other than gas boiler) we could fit in there that's covered by a grant then it's combi as suggested above 👍