Sparrowhawk

Can anyone recommend high-CRI bulbs available in the UK? I like to have v high (95+) in my studio and have been buying from abroad, but it's tricky to find ones that detail the spectrum and fit normal domestic light fittings.

Oh definitely. Lighting is an art, a source of subtle emotions and "feels". It can lift a space from the ordinary to extraordinary, and change our perceptions and responses. I appreciate the results, but how you get there I am still figuring out.

What about replacement windows, where the next buyer's solicitor is going to make a noise about missing FENSA certifications if I put them in with help? I'm having a job finding any installers who understand fitting. They get screwing through the frame and foaming and that's it. And treat me like a neurotic when I ask if they've done more on any installs.

@willraymond Do you have a photo of the inside, showing where a rafter (with PIR either side) rests on the wall plate? I find that to be a weak spot re airtightness and currently thinking about how to improve it in our house. In your picture I see foam going up the sides of each rafter but not underneath.

I wish I'd used "the other liquid". Got some on the carpet and having a devil of a job getting it out. Good thing the wife is away for the weekend 😳

Great to hear, thanks! I bought some cheap ones from Amazon and they've been okay. The 90 degree corner has worn very quickly and is the one I've used the most (sealing skirting boards to the floor, want the caulk in the gap under the skirting board not sticking out) so I am thinking of trying a more expensive and tougher set.

This should go in the primary school boffin's corner but we don't have one of those, so come and laugh and point fingers at my failing here I was using my blower door on a small room and thought I'd see if I can measure the vacuum created. I grabbed some flexible pipe, water and food colouring, popped the pipe through the door and about 12cm up both sides. (The bubbles disappeared within minutes) I left the fan running on full for 10 minutes. The water did not move. Not even 1mm. There are air leaks in the room which I was sealing, but I don't think there are enough to equalise the pressure. I'd taped over an opening into the neighbouring room and the plastic was straining at the tape so the pressure was different. So what's wrong here?

How well does it smooth and shape Mike? A wet finger or shaping tool works well? The caulking I applied before Christmas when redecorating is already cracking (joy of clay and slight movement) and so I need to get a better product.

First time I've had this issue so hoping someone knows what's going on. I've skimmed two rooms with jointing compound to get rid of orange peel finish, sanded smooth and primed Leyland acrylic primer undercoat. In one room 3 walls are fine, and 1 wall has this issue. In the other room 2 walls are having problems. For the room with one wall having issues: I applied a diluted coat of Leyland acrylic primer to seal the plaster, sanded with 240 grit, and then one coat of Tikkurila Optiva 3 The colour was far too strong so I sanded and put on a coat of Leyland acrylic primer with a roller to start neutralising it (hoping for better coverage than a standard white emulsion). And randomly across the wall I'm getting blisters, from under 0.5mm to 3mm+ across. Sometimes singly, but the smaller ones in groups. They flatten a bit as the paint dries but don't go flat. If I sand them off it blisters in the same place the next time. I've tried thinning the primer, to see if that helps (it doesn't) I've applied multiple coats and the bubbles keep happening in the same spots. I'm ready to blame the paint as the walls I did with Tikkurila didn't have this problem. But neither did other walls I painted with primer. What do you think? Photos while it's still wet And once dried: Room 2 was the primer undercoat directly onto a mix of skim & original emulsion. Same issue.

Thanks chaps, a screwdriver under the bottom was what I needed. It slid up easily and then I could spring out the sides - not so easy! No cuts though. It's always good to see a cable appearing randomly from the middle of the wall. Plus S-shaped ridged ducting, a 125mm pipe (not sealed to the wall) with a 100mm one inside (not sealed to the larger pipe) - and a gap between wall and ceiling with a draught coming through. Plenty to seal up for now, and I want to enlarge this to a 150mm hole before fitting a new cooker hood.

I thought this was going to be a 5 minute task but... how the blazes does it come off? The guide I found said remove the 4 screws (shown by arrows) then slide up the bottom part and lift off. Then undo 2 more screws and remove the top part. So much for theory. The screws were inserted badly and screwheads burred. 30 minutes to get all 4 out. Chimney doesn't move. Ah been painted to the wall. Break the seal with a chisel Chimney doesn't move. Bit of wiggle from side to side but no up/down movement What's the trick? I'm trying to avoid using a crowbar as I'm aiming to put it back up after attending to the pipe inside.

Is this forum not a fan of filling the chimney full of EPS beads and ventilating only the chimney stack if still present? Perhaps not an option for the OP depending on diameter of the flue, but to leave a space for colder air to circulate would seem unfortunate.

@nod Is there a quiet time of year for render companies when they may want to price more reasonably? The summer?

IME they're not hugely effective either. Build your own tank enclosure and fill it with insulation of your choice. Paint it any colour but red

Blower door in action for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised by how airtight the main rooms downstairs were (I sealed the dining room door into the hall, and mounted the blower door into the lounge doorway into the hall). Even on the slowest setting the fan created enough pressure difference to find the major leaks, with the next speed up used for the smaller ones. Now to start sealing the 40ish leaks we identified!

Welcome @limecc. I'm curious about these two, do you find they provide something over the supplier's own app? I completely agree. I've been next to one this morning at an outdoor centre and it was bliss. It is a shame that none of the alternatives can capture the level of radiative heating and brightness.

I have no idea what the warrant stage is. Don't royalty hand them out? 😛

I hadn't heard of them before so thanks for the name, that looks good as an option for us. Are there any other fixture suppliers you've found are good without being hugely expensive? We're particularly on the look out for doors, handles and flooring but I'll take every recommendation going to uplevel us from the father-in-law's Howdens catalogue...

@jack I'm reading Yvonne's post as saying she's doing a second build, and in the first the MVHR was noisy and she wants to avoid that in the next. But the warranty bit confuses me. @Yvonne who designed and specified the system for the first house?

Welcome Mike, you're not the only one here with an expensive to heat/cold house! I've had great help from the folk here and you could do worse than to peruse their replies in my thread Have you chimneys in the property as well as sash windows?

What would you say is a reasonable sqm cost for UFH?

I like, nay love, the feel of IR heating on my face. Those who compare it to being out in sunshine are right. (I also notice radiative heating from radiators et al so if you don't YMMV). I have been entertaining myself by asking IR panel companies, particularly those who talk about "academic research done" to provide basic information, like how much energy is output at different wavelengths to show conversion efficiency beyond "heat". They go very silient when pushed for substance behind their marketing. I have evidence that a UK manufacturer who advertises widely has taken their 'research' out of context and the organisation that carried it out is... distinctly unhappy with how it's being misrepresented. If your friend's family would like to share any research they have had done, I would be very interested. On costs, what do you think the annual heating requirements for your house will be? Are you building a Passivhaus? How long do you expect to live there? Calculate the annual running costs and see how they stack up.

I'll take some. It gives me a great excuse to go for a walk and stare at people's properties.

A couple of houses round us which are of simialr style to your (pre-extension) house have gone for a colour near sage green. They look really good. It suits the creamy brickwork and landscaping around the properties.

If I depressurise I can feel the draughts with my hands. If using smoke I might pressurise. Yes that is the million dollar question. I've found https://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Conservation/BlowerDoor/FlowRates.htm but not gone into the details yet. Checking if I reach 50Pa should be simple(!) with a U-shaped tube through the door, fill it with coloured water and measure the height change. Volume of air shifted - well Screfix are out by a factor of 10 in their quoted l/s for this fan so no idea.