Sparrowhawk

Thanks @MJNewton for pulling the discussion back on track 👍 Recent commenters have said they want simple, so no fans/mechanical kit/stuff that can break, so what are the alternatives to MEV/MVHR/PIV for controlled ventilation? My experiences with uncontrolled ventilation says this is not an option as most of the time you're under/over ventilated. Which keeps pointing me back to airtightness + controlled ventilation for indoor comfort. Max Fordham specialise in buildings with natural ventilation, but talk to their office staff for a bit and they'll admit that it's fine until hot still summer days when the office overheats...

Have you had an asbestos survey done and do you have contingency for any "little surprises" that turn up during demolition?

Has your architect done thermal modelling of the property in that fee? Are there heat loss calculations for the property? What difference is the "40mm Ty Mawr Cork Insulation on external walls" making to the thermal efficiency? Once you know that you are in a better position to make that decision based on annual heating costs. Without an ASHP and in an all-electric house you'll be relying on an electric boiler to power the UFH? Personally I'd go gas at this point, in spite of the connection and later disconnection fee.

Wanna-be mid-range for people who want the look without spending the money. Nothing wrong with that but with the prices & fit & finish promised for this renovation they aren't up there. These are more what I'd call medium spec: https://www.astonmatthews.co.uk/axis-3-hole-deck-mounted-basin-mixer-and-pop-up-waste-scuffed-brass

Spec bands are relative so hard to say. You could get cheaper by getting items that'll do the same from Screwfix and upgrade later, but these 3 don't seem medium spec to me. They want to look like medium spec but in 5 years time I doubt they will feel it. Living on the edge of a forest that's New in Hampshire I understand all too well about price inflation! But as others have said your prices are way beyond what I'd expect a medium spec to be in London. Perhaps digging into the costs for Guy Hargreaves' project in Oxford - with restricted access for work plus a bigger house - will give you an idea of what you can get for the money: https://www.houseplanninghelp.com/hph322-an-enerphit-standard-retrofit-of-a-victorian-mid-terrace-home-with-guy-hargreaves/

That's my reading too unless you want to put any insulation between the joists?

What's the impact been on your hay fever? If MVHR means sleeping without issue during hay fever season plus a large reduction on symptoms indoors, that'd be worth a few thousand to me. For those debating running costs, Acrivastine (antihistamine) is £6 for 12 and you can need up to 3 a day. Plus nasal spray, plus... So a reduction in medicine costs plus reduction in lethargy and reduced productivity should be taken into account.

I haven't, I'll look out for them this summer when we're up visiting Skye - Inverness - Cairngorms. On previous trips, Scotland has felt closer to France than England in many good ways, and I should have scoped my rant to England!

I like it. We've got to lose our obsession with houses being beautiful in the UK. And by that I mean lots of brick, quaint-cottagey modern builds, that planning committees love judging by the fights people on this forum have to get designs passed. The continent survives fine with rendered everything (pretty on some but the new estates in Normandy aren't) and heading for the same look would make EWI retrofit - done this way or other ways - cheaper. I am amused when I meet people who are vocal about "buccaneering Britain" but also "preserving our built heritage". If we really wanted to be that country we'd stop holding progress back and get on with knocking stuff down and rebuilding without a second thought, as they did in previous, more "bucaneering" times. Rant over

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.