allthatpebbledash

Thinking about wood flooring and really appreciate the look of the Dinesen products. Even more interesting are the lengths (and widths) of their offerings. The solid planks can go up to 6m and beyond. Their engineered “layers” range can also run to 5m odd. What’s not interesting is the cost of them. Are their alternatives of engineered wood flooring that can span lengths of 5-6m at least to give a seamless floor look of running lengths of wood? I don’t like the idea of a vertical line being broken up by 2 or more pieces. The longest length of any room I have is going to be 6m so I can get away with having a break at one end possibly where it’ll be unnoticeable in the large open area. Every other room will just have a seamless liner look though if 5m lengths can be achieved. Quick google search shows there’s a few wider plank offerings but can’t find any longer than 3m. Any suggestions?

Would you say if fitting new windows as part of a renovation, the bathroom windows should be specified without trickle vents? What about a WC only? Would that need a dMEV unit or do without?

Are you saying they will remain closed a in user wouldn’t remember to keep on top of operating them? I will bear this in mind regarding the dMEV units in wet areas and no trickle vents. Are these the IdealCombi ones? What do they look like from outside, thanks.

My takeaway here is I don’t really need a secondary loop running. I can fit 2 water tanks, servicing each side of the house where water is needed to reduce the arrival time. First in the plant area on ground floor below the master en-suite and adjacent to the kitchen and utility area. Second on the first floor in an airing cupboard next to the 2 family bathrooms and above the ground floor WC. Residual heat would help benefit the airing cupboard too. Plant room tank could be larger than the one needed on first floor too.

Am I right in thinking the Velfac click vents are the neatest and most discreet type of trickle vents from amongst all of the window suppliers? Or are there others who provide a similarly if not neater solution? If anyone can share images of what their Velfac clickvents look like inside and outside that’ll be helpful. And if you have an alternative window with trickle vents, share those too. My architect is pushing me to go with Velfac but I am also considering windows from GBS/21degrees and IdealCombi.

Can you elaborate more on what the SY and XW mean? Thanks, not as proficient yet in plumbing. I have read on here where someone has commented the secondary loop system would use quite a bit of electricity and in the end they resulted in turning the system on when guests were around and off during family use to reduce the cost of it. I think it might be possible to locate one of the tanks on the other side of the house, but that would mean losing some space either in the office or cloak area. The latter would be a good bet as residual heat would help keep coats shows boots dry. My architect has mentioned something about making a thermal store using a gas boiler given I don’t want an ASHP. Can you expand on how this works and what its realtime benefits are? Presumably there are some compromises so maybe those too? Thanks.

Not wanting to jump on to the other post of seeking unlimited hot water for 4 bathrooms, I have a similar question however. Currently at technical planning stages now so trying to gauge possible options. I have a plant room, approx 4.5x5x3m. I have a en-suite bathroom to master bedroom (on FF above plant room) and kitchen/utility is on the same side too of the house as the plant room. I then have 2 more bathrooms (on FF) and a WC (on GF) at the other end of the house. No electric showers. Occupation is 2 adults and 3 children below 10 to begin with. Decade from now, 2 adults and 3 teenagers/young adults. Anticipation is for 2 baths a week and daily showers for 2 adults in the en-suite. In the 2 family bathrooms, anticipating a shower/wash a day from each of the children now and in future. I plan on keeping gas for CH via UFH and DHW. I also have planned a large PV array and battery to be installed. What would be the most efficient way to set this up? From the browsing and reading, does this make much sense. Have 2 cylinders say 300 each, or a single 500/600l? Having 2 would work in this way, one supplies the en-suite and kitchen/utility, and other supplies the family bathrooms and WC. Keeps everyone happy and hot water doesn’t run out when it is needed as adults and children will use at different times, avoids waiting for reheating. If 2 water cylinders, then does it make sense to install a pair of boilers too? Like run a combi for CH and use a system for DHW? Given the solar potential I have, I could divert excess into the cylinders, or use immersion at low price overnight.

This CoP thing is not really indicative of real world scenarios. It’s the only way to win the argument for ASHPs I seem to find online. Unless you’re looking at these technologies from an environmental or carbon emissions perspective, they make very little sense. Most people I know do the following just before they wake up, boiler on for CH, 2-3 hours, then leave for work and turn off. For an ASHP to do this, it can’t. It needs to be on for a lot longer, practically all the time. Hence why it isn’t really cheaper. There’s the fact to have one installed properly and maintained costs a lot too. Whereas for gas, it’s a very competitive landscape to have installs, servicing, repairs etc. This makes sense. Thanks.

Thanks for this, pretty informative. Can you share images of how to the sheet metal roof looks with panels fixed on top?

Maths is that PV panels are cheaper to cover a roof than tiles. According to Octopus, you don’t need MCS to export now. Not done a deep dive in their T&Cs but have read on another reputable forum it’s a case of fill in a form, pay a small fee with relevant certificates, and you’re good to export. Yes I agree, which is why the size of arrays would be finalised once I get DNO confirmation of what I can export. According to Octopus, they have no export limit on their end either. I get what you’re saying about loads of electric generated, but that’s during the summer when I’ll need an ASHP less. During the winter months, I need it to run most and that’s when I’ll produce less electric myself and have to import at extortion rates. It also makes very little sense unless you have an airtight and well insulated house to get an ASHP running efficiently with an MVHR system in tandem. Summer. Use electric produced or stored in batteries overnight to heat DHW in well insulated cylinder or two. Rest of electric to run majority of appliances. No ASHP needed. Bills low. Winter. Use electric produced or stored in batteries overnight to heat DHW in well insulated cylinder or two. Also run CH. If needed, gas boiler runs on demand to desired temps. No ASHP needed. Bills low. IMO gas will never be more expensive than electric. Ergo, no ASHP needed. Can’t do much about the roof pitches at the back, it was either a small slope at 35 degree angle or a much larger slope at 20 degrees. Thanks. That sounds like the plan of action. Confirm max export. Then based on that size arrays accordingly. Use what I need, charge cars etc, then export at max rate. Import overnight for DHW and batteries, and gas on demand for CH during the colder days.

Hello. Part of my house plans is to construct whole new roofs. The back of the house faces almost directly south. I am at the edge of town. No shading anywhere in sight and most likely never will be. The solar potential is huge I’m told and don’t need any micro inverters, and can probably get away with installing one array on a single string reducing cable runs. Winter sees the sun covering the entire rear of the house moving across the horizon nicely left to right. Summer sees the sun rising at front left, moving around to the back and almost directly over the house, all way round to the front right as it starts to set. I’d much rather cover my new roofs in PV panels than tiles. Main roof facing south slope is 20 degrees. Extension roof facing south slope is 12.5 degrees. The other side of the main roof slope facing north is 35 degrees but I intend to keep that panel free for street appearance and it isn’t as large area wise. I can comfortably fit 44 Viridian panels on the main, and 33 Viridian panels on the extension. This is as a starting point using 445W panels, can shop around but I do want an inline system. I have prior DNO approval to have a 55kV 3 phase upgrade of incoming supply. I am with Octopus on a basic tariff, can’t remember which, but told I can change later after I move in to the house as the property is currently vacant pending works so just standing charges at the minute. I have mains gas. I want a system boiler setup to heat via wet UFH and provide DHW. No electric showers, they will run off cylinder/s. I have a dedicated plant room to accommodate everything at ground floor level. Size approx 4x5m. I do not want an ASHP. I want some sort of battery. Can’t decide what size. Most likely won’t go MCS certified route to install due to costs. And due to Octopus giving increased payments non MCS. I will probably install 1 or 2 22kW EV chargers too. No EV yet, but post moving in I plan on upgrading the daily’s. I’ve attached my PVGIS data, but I don’t know what to make of it. I’m being advised the DNO will most likely allow a higher export limit beyond the 11.04kW of 3 phase I believe. I’m being told I should oversize my water cylinder, dump excess solar into that. Forget batteries. Im also being told I should simply export everything that’s not being used, and only have a small battery to keep power to run for 24 hours usage. It’s a waste to go any bigger. I’m also advised I should forget getting 2 arrays, and focus on the main larger one only. How would you make the most of this situation?

It’s possible I may need someone to model my existing house, the proposed plans, and run through scenarios of what various levels of improvements would result? I don’t want to stick 100mm EPS to the outside as a blanket if say 140mm would give me much better comfort for not much extra cost. Are there any services people can recommended who help with this?

That is very convincing. Say if you had a poorly filled mineral wool cavity, and it was going to be easily vacuumed out, this would nicely in refilling it. Could you use these in newly built walls too? What width cavity would be needed if built using blockwork to reach min building reg u values? What did you end up doing OP?

Understandably this makes sense. Was there a possibility in which you would’ve gone about it as the following; since you having planning approval for the renovation, so whilst works were ongoing, submitted a concurrent application with the same drawing sets (more or less) but with a full application for demolition and rebuild? This way you would’ve continued to make progress on site, works staged so that you would avoid doubling back on the remaining walls till after a decision was made? This is exactly my thought process right now. The cash flow aspect is critical. Given the cost of a new planning application which is circa £600 with my LA, the saving of a further 5k per every £100k on the works does sound attractive. If the total cost for instance runs up to £250k, that’s a sum of £12.5k which can fit out 2-3 bathrooms. I think? But I can’t help think if all the walls came down, would building control allow existing foundations to be used? Would they allow the cavity’s to remain the same width, or dictate new wider foundations? Would they stipulate the wall insulation value be improved if allowed to keep the foundation and cavity the same? In my case, I would be having 2 external walls left standing hence the line of questioning. After much reading on here and elsewhere, I think the saving of £12.5k for instance could easily be sunk in the above added works easily. New foundations and extra insulation. Unless someone more clued on could educate me on this. I am pretty conflicted. On the one hand I’d end up with a better insulated house and build up without errors of the previous construction, but at the same time, how much thermal performance can be made to make it worth it? If you can shed more light on this (privately via DM if you have to), what do you mean by getting away with it? Would the remaining standing walls “accidentally meet steel” therefore need to be taken down for safety and rebuilt? How would the building inspector react to this? I’m sure this kind of stuff happens all the time.

Bringing this back up, can you point me in direction of this person? I want to read through what happened and the fallout as a result, thanks. What did you end up doing then? I find myself in a very similar position.

They do look nice. Still undecided on the brick yet. Thanks for sharing images though, does help if we go red brick or not.

Presumably to @Iceverge much sought delight, I embark upon my next point of discussion here, should I go back to the idea of a full demolition and new build? To understand the context of the post, you can read this topic here. Okay so, I have a stripped out house that’s standing as a shell. Bricks, blocks and timbers with a roof on. Externally it’s covered with pebbledash which I want to get rid of. Insulation is poor in the cavity walls with none at all below ground floor. Being empty for 2 years means my VAT is going to be 5% for this, so a huge saving there. I am/was planning on retrofitting, so all new windows and doors, new ground and intermediate floor decks, removing the old roof and putting on a entire new roof structure, rewiring, new plumbing, improve insulation, essentially fitting it all out again. The retrofit plans require demolition of all the rear wall and adding a new single storey extension and then rebuild the first floor wall, and there’s also demolition of half of the front house wall and adding a new double storey extension here. This is now suggesting to me given everything else being taken out, I might as well do a full demolition and build a new house. Much better built, better insulated, more comfortable, better looking (externally), overall a slightly less of a headache. But, I have concerns over the cost. The existing house floor area approx is; 145sqm GF 135sqm FF 280sqm TOTAL I understand from reading various topics on the forum, and elsewhere, I can estimate a build cost of £2000sqm. With that in mind, I think a replacement 2 storey house is ideal. If possible, go into the loft for added floor space as I understand this won’t add much cost on to the build. If built back to the same floor area, I’m looking at a construction and fit out cost of approx £560,000. Can someone elaborate based on their experience and knowledge, firstly if I’ve reached a correct understanding of this, and if there’s ways to reduce costs? Like for instance I already have services connected to the plot as there’s an existing house there, can I knock £25,000 or more off that figure? The existing footprint is ideal for us, so drainage around the house can be reused in some or most parts? How much would that knock off? And the BIG question here, given the existing footprint is ideal, can I reuse the existing foundations? How much would this knock off that figure? Obviously the challenge here would be for the architect to creatively fill the floor space within this. If I also then went for a fuss-less finish, how much less can that per sqm estimate figure come down to, £1500sqm? Or even less, £1000sqm? Let me hear your thoughts, advice, suggestions, experiences, all of it.

What brick was that, and any chance of a closer image of the wall in the middle? Also, the second image is great. Looking to have rough render off white and red brick too. So Weinerbeger manufacture it? Interesting, I wonder what it goes as under their brand. Look forward to seeing the full wall photos. £993/thousand seems in ball park of others I’ve had priced from them, few others have come in £1280 plus. Anything less than a quid a brick is budget I’ve set myself. Will look into this one on the website you’ve given. Nice brick, even better price! How did you manage such a bargain? Prefer a full red or full buff though. Interesting, these guys are next on my list to enquire. Would you happen to know if they have offerings for about £1 a brick or less?

Long shot but there’s bound to be someone who’s built a wall of sorts on here with either of the above colours in brick? I’m thinking a red brick would be easier to swallow for the planner due to site appraisals, but brown and buff could be thrown down too. Would people be kind enough to post an image or two of their walls and what brick they used? I find the online edited/filtered images used to sell them aren’t a true reflection, neither are sample boards showing 4.5 bricks laid with no mortar. Currently I’m looking at these options from Wienerberger. Reds Autumn russet sovereign stock Oast russet sovereign stock Mellowed red sovereign stock Marpessa multi Jasmine blend Woodbridge claret stock Warnham red stock Waresley red stock Olde southwater Blue velvet Browns Pagus brown/black Buffs Anglesey weathered buff Weathered gault blend St Ives creams rustica PT450 iron Oakington buff Marziale As you can tell, need to narrow things down a bit, before looking at other manufacturers. Looking for a nice stock, waterstruck, or handmade brick. Something you won’t see on a Barret house.

Okay thanks, I’ll look in to last 3. Wasn’t aware they did them also.

I learnt this too when considering a new build, circa 26,000 bricks needed. I was lucky however as the first BM I had asked to get an estimate didn’t inform me of the “address lock” method. I thought the quote given was reasonable. But, as I have a friend, architect, who works for a major national practice and relationships in the construction industry due to position in the company, they introduced me to a major supplier of materials for multimillion pound projects. Said supplier has a fantastic relationship with said manufacturer of the brick. After an informal discussion with senior person in the brick manufacturers organisation, email sent to appropriate person stating certain facts, I was successfully able to have the “lock removed” from BM and now locked to above major supplier instead. As a result, the new estimate provided by the major supplier was surprisingly 20% less! TLDR; find the brick you want. Enquire with the manufacturer who they do preferred business and large off takes with, then approach that BM/supplier to source the bricks and lock the address. I find that is how to unlock huge savings, should the manufacturer not be willing to deal and supply direct. Now on to the brick discussion. I’m also considering linear bricks. Not as many as project has changed from demo and rebuild to retrofit with extension. Would you be willing to share data on prices you’ve been getting? The Kolumba bricks are priced out for me. Been given a flat rate of £250 sqm supply. I’m looking for alternatives. The standard 215x65mm brick in red and buff tones I’m seeing average £40-60 sqm. Grey/white/black I’m getting £55-80 sqm. Seeing as you’ve looked at alternatives already in terms of linear bricks, have you had estimates or any figures back?

Most probably what I’ll do. Can you show and explain more of the image? Was this something you’re doing or have completed? Thanks. LOL Come on, I can’t knock it down. It’s gonna be a headache I can imagine, but it’s too much money to bulldoze now. Especially if the VAT is 5% for me too.

Coming around to the idea I will be adding EWI to the existing structure and rendering over. I have 2 existing external wall build ups, so want to understand if one solution would work all around. Both walls have engineered brick exposed above ground level, 3 courses to one side and 7 or so at the other as the site slopes. 1960s brick cavity house, with few blockwork additions as it’s had few extensions previously. Property is detached with 5m minimum to boundaries on all sides. New roof going on so eaves can be detailed as required. As well as new doors/windows/ground floor/intermediate floors. It’s a deep retrofit, house is a shell right now, back to brick etc. Wall 1. 100mm brick 70mm cavity (filled with blown wool) 100mm brick 10mm pebbledash Wall 2. 100mm blockwork 70mm cavity (has 50mm PIR in) 100mm blockwork 10mm pebbledash I’m tempted to remove the pebbledash first as I can’t see how fixing the EWI boards to it won’t leave gaps in between? Anyways. Would I better using 100mm of mineral wool slabs instead of EPS for this? Or won’t it make a difference? I’d like a well insulated and air tight house, and been thinking what if I doubled the thickness to 200mm? I read somewhere but couldn’t fully understand I need to be careful with the dew point and condensation risk. Although I am looking to spec an MVHR system too as part of the works. Would this mitigate said risk? Finally, doing EWI would allow me to hide the orange engineering bricks externally too as I understand I should take 50mm PIR into the ground. Or is this not really necessary? Would like to hear some thoughts on this.

I agree, seemingly option 3 is most likely candidate. Existing original foundations in areas are under bearing. Engineer thinks it’s okay as settlement and all that, and I’m very close to sandstone too. But potentially can be corrected with localised underpinning if needs be. Don’t need to do the whole footprint. I’d be very interested in hearing the figures and sums that led you to determine this route. Wow. The cavity is filled so I understand EWI would be okay to use. Cavity is filled. But could top it up. And close up. I seem to be changing course more frequently than a ship without a rudder. As per my partner anyway. Thanks lad. So. Don’t think I will rebuild the outer leaf. Don’t think I will erect a third skin of brick creating 2 cavity’s. I really don’t want to knock down and rebuild. Thinking the most likely course of action is to either; Strip off pebbledash, affix EWI, render over. OR Affix EWI straight to pebbledash, render over. Whilst render is something I don’t particularly want as a finish, suppose I’ll have to get a craftsman on it to give it a half decent chance in looking good.

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