TheMitchells

there is no vertical height adjustment as the pan hole is so high. the flush pipe comes from the cistern at the bottom and turns straight away towards the back of the pan. sorry, I didnt take any photo's of it still in place. lifting up the unit by 3cm has allowed the flush pipe to run slightly downhill into the hole. he used the flange fitting and it stays dry.

yes, it was the right size and yes, he used one of those rubber flange fitting. and there was no water coming from there - its coming from somewhere else. but the water is staying inside the pan, rather than flushing away. obviously some of it is flushing away but there is a lot staying in there.

Its not going well! after waiting many months for the builders, we finally have a lovely extension which OH and I were to fit out. The OH did the plumbing and electrics, they were checked and tested - all okay. we did the plasterboarding and had the plastering done. the room looks lovely. then the OH installed the sink and loo. it was a pain and took him all yesterday. part of the problem was that we needed a higher than usual loo for Mum so bought a HRNCS856 - Hudson Reed Richmond Comfort Height Back to Wall Toilet - Excluding Seat - £71.95 Inc Vat , Premier WC Toilet Pan Floor Fixing Kit - Chrome/White - £5.95 Inc Vat and PMXTY006 - Premier Front and Top Access Concealed Toilet Cistern, Dual Flush Button, Black - £22.96 Inc Vat. This was to go into a 600mm back to wall toilet unit next to 750mm vanity unit. and Problem 1 - the back to wall unit is designed for a normal height toilet. the Hudson toilet's inlets for the water and soil pipe were both higher than expected. the soil pipe was okay but the inlet for the flush, coming from the cistern was quite low and the cistern had to be fitted to the very top of the unitfor the pipe to be almost level, but slightly leaning back to the cistern once installed. the water flushed in okay. there was a very small leakage from the cistern but that has happened on all the loo's he has fitted and usually stops after couple of days. Luckily I was out all day helping at a MacMillan coffee afternoon so was not there to assist but I gather it was a right pain to fit and he was not in a good mood when I got back - tho I did bring him cake! Problem 1b - the fixings for the pan were awkward too so that didnt help the mood.... Problem 2 - The sink had gone in okay but when he turned the water on, the hot water would not flow - even though it had flowed perfectly well before connecting it to the tap. It worked in the old bathroom and in the kitchen but not in the extension! Hence the bad mood as he could not see any reason for the hot water not to work. It was late so he left it, returning today with me, with the hope of taking his tools home as it was my turn then to fit the tiles and get the shower area ready. Problem 3 - There was rather a large puddle under the loo - and it had not been used during the night. so out it all came, we dried the area as best as we could and he redid everything. The joins seemed okay, the toilet flushed. there was no water running out where it shouldnt until a few minutes later - water started coming out from underneath again!?? Cursing slightly (!!!), it all was taken apart again. this time we stood the loo on cardboard and filled the inside to see if there was a leak - nothing. we couldnt see any cracks or where the water was coming out. the only thing was that the inlet pipe was running slightly uphill to the back of the loo and when we undid it, there was obviously water sitting in the pipe. could thsi be the cause?? it did not seem so as we could see the join to the loo and the soil pipe area and there was no water coming from there. But to overcome that, just in case it was the issue, I had the bright idea (Hopefully) of lifting the unit up a couple of centimetres so the pipe was running downhill, into the back of the loo. we did that using some spare MDF board and the pipe was now running downhill and we (he) put it all back together again.! Holding our breathes and crossing all fingers we filled up the cistern and flushed the loo, nothing. flushed it again, nothing, then slowly a puddle started coming out the side of the pan! there was nothing coming from the joins, just a slight dampness inside the very back of the pan. However this time when we took it all out yet again, we realised there was a load of water coming out of the top hole, where the cistern pipe joins it. but surely this water should all flush away round the pan rim. it seems a load of water remains in the back and it must be this water that is seeping down somehow, onto the floor. Yet, lifting the pan up, the underneath area seems completely dry! At that point, the OH declared that he was going to totally smash up the toilet and unit and I was to buy a closecoupled Wc pan and cistern which is what he suggested in the first place...... and these come in comfort height too. Of course we now have a useless WC unit and a pan that does not work and he refuses to let me try a replacement. Problem 4 - to top off the day, I then noticed there was a crack in the basin which no one had seen before!! was it there when he fitted it and we had not noticed?? - it was hard to see until I rubbed it and then the dirt showed it up quite well. it goes from the basin rim, down into the bottom. no one had used the bathroom so it could not have been caused by something hitting it and of course, it is a couple of weeks since it was delivered and we checked and didnt see any damage - so I guess we are stuck with buying a new one!! I am hoping a curry and beer tonight will improve his mood and we can rethingk where to go and what to do tomorrow. But has anyone else had an issue with basins cracking after being installed?? and any ideas about the leaky loo pan?? this is the offending hole - the top one.

welcome to the Forum - I am sure someone will be along shortly who can help. ?

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/YDBQ26T NaCSBA is running its 2019 VAT Survey, and is asking anyone who has completed a Self Build, Custom Build or conversion to fill in the anonymous survey, and help it compile a picture of the size of the Self Build market.

Good luck on the extension - you have come to the right place for advice. it has certainly helped me many times with all sorts of enquiries. We are just finishing an extension to a bungalow for my parents. we had to wait 6 months for the builder that we wanted but it was worth it as we knew he would be an excellent job. most builders are not as careful or exacting in their standards so take your time to find a builder wth a good reputation but then be prepared to wait for him/her. if they are available to take on your job straight away, you have to wonder why - all good builders are booked up months in advance.

Welcome to the forum; you certainly have come to the right place for lots of information on a huge range of subjects. But dont forget that there are quite a lot of lasses here too! ?

Love the look of the place - have tasked the OH to make me one asap. ?

this is a good web page for info on the stuff. http://www.wildfibres.co.uk/html/kapok.html this is the seed pod which contains the fibres.

Has anyone come across this type of insulation before? while making the parents extension, we discovered it in the walls and attic. the property was built around 1973 and I wonder if this was a typical insulation to use then. I was working on the new doorway today and the insulation was falling out of the exposed cavity. I was wondering what type it was and elderly mother just said 'Oh, thats kapok!'. she is not a builder and I was amazed she had any idea. is she right? it is very light and fluffy but with a slight roughness to it. Google mentions kapok as an insulation but not for housing.

I have ordered the Icon Airflow and will let you know how I get on with it. It has a mechanically opening iris to prevent back draughts which has to be a plus and should be fairly quiet. and I shall ensure it has plenty of ventilation under the door too.

Total price is £100 for fan, timer module and delivery. Will I be paying too much for a simple bathroom extractor?? any better suggestions??

Looking to buy the extractor soon but the reviews of the Vent Axia VASF100T are not that great with lots saying you need to use the higher speed to give adequate extraction and that is not as silent as they claim. so am now looking at the other suggestion from above, https://www.electrical2go.co.uk/lo-carbon-va150p-with-shutter-timer-459124.html But that is £140 which seems rather a lot for a bathroom extractor. The Icon Airflow looks good too and claims the noise level is 33.6 dB(A) . that sounds reasonable. I believe we need to add a module to connect it to the lights. £78 on Trading Depot website. https://www.tradingdepot.co.uk/airflow-icon-30-centrifugal-extractor-fan-suitable-for-bathrooms-utility-rooms?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItZaGuISD5AIVCLDtCh3rwQyEEAYYBiABEgLCs_D_BwE thinking of ordering that one.

Welcome to BuildHub - I bet you were only expecting build advice! its amazing the advice available on this site. good luck with the build - where will the extension be taking place? in what area? You never know - we may be able to help if nearby.

Thanks for the comments, the pipes are all done now and the pressure was fine. shouldnt have worried! ?

Our system also heats the hot water although we do have an immersion for the summer when the heating is off. Good luck with the work - it all sounds exciting! Dont forget to do a blog so we can follow the work, especially with lots of photo's too.?

I promised the builder I would tank the area!. it looks easier to tank pb than the blockwork.?? and we used the multipanels before, usung Jeremy's technique at the base so I will do that again. Thanks Guys! I dont mind a couple of extra pb's but I certainly am glad I dont have to buy Aquaboards. As usual, BuildHub saves me money!

If we are tanking then using the Multipanels over, it seems a little over the top to use Aquapanels too. Would I be okay with green moisture resistant pb like the rest of the room. I can then tank the whole shower area before applying the multipanels. Aquapanels are quite a lot more expensive. would rather spend the money on decent multipanels, as per Jeremy's.

we have warm air, heated by gas, and I love it. its quick to warm up the house from cold, clothes dry overnight if placed near an outlet and we have not had any problems with dry air. that could be due to the timber frame house as we dont suffer from condensation after showers too. so dont be too quick to bin it.?

We are installing a shower, toilet and basin into a new extension for the parents and we have a question about the feed for the basin. basically the current system consists of a large hot water tank in a cupboard in the hall, a loft cold water tank with only abouut 500mm between the two. its a bungalow. there is a rising main into the loft tank from which we are taking a cold water feed to the shower. There is a cold feed from the loft tank that we can use for the cold feed to basin and toilet but we have an issue with the hot feed. The hot feeds leave the hot water tank and go straight down into the concrete floor then re-appears in the kitchen and bathroom for the sinks and bath. The hot water vent comes off shortly after leaving the tank as usual. as we need to take a new hot water feed up into the loft and across into the new extension ceiling, we are worried about the lack of pressure to the basin. are there any systems available to help pump the hot water to the extension (its about 5 metres) or do you think the pressure will be okay. The parents are used to the current system and its okay, not brilliant. I'll try to add a diagram but my scanner is playing up!

@JSHarris just reviving this thread as I wondered if you tanked the area before using the panels. my builder says I HAVE to tank. I shall be using aquaboards before the multipanels. I dont mind tanking if needed. and the builder has been really good with the build - if it is not 100% done right, he does it again.

Our wet room for the parents is coming along. the builders have finished the build and have handed over to myself and the OH to fit the inside. so I have block walls and a screed floor. the builder has told me I MUST tank the shower area. I plan to use Aquaboard for the shower area and green moisture board for the rest of the room. But how long do I have to wait for the screed to dry before I tank? I was told to wait at least a momnth before tiling so am I right in assuming I should wait a month before tanking? we plan to put the toilet and sink in place temporarily while the floor drys as the parents really need the second loo. then after a month, we shall remove them, tile the floor and re-fit everything properly. So I think the plan will be;- 1. get the electrics and pipes in place 2. get the plasterboard and aquapanels in place. 3. skim plaster the walls. the main part will be painted, rather than tiled. 4. after a month, tank and tile the floor 5. fit the multipanel boards in the shower area. doe this sound like the correct order of things?

Thought I would post a few photographs of the finished room. We love it and the OH made a brilliant light/mirror after seeing what we could get for £140. luckily it was broken so we sent it back and he made his own. it has a sensor at the top, LED lights around the sides and the toothbrush holder is on the right. The shower itself is great. Aqualisa with a control as you enter so no more cold wet arms. Its is brilliant. And it didnt even take that long to do - a few months........

https://www.screwfix.com/p/vent-axia-vasf100t-4-3-6-8w-bathroom-extractor-fan-with-timer-white-240v/6468h this one is looking good. very quiet. I have emailed company to ask about the back draught shutter.

okay - will do. it did seem odd to be venting to the loft so I thought I'd better check. I shall ask the builders about it going through the soffit - thats what they are working on today - taking the brickwork up the soffit and roof apex.