Mike

+1. It is sloppy, even for overhand work. I'd approach the BCO and suggest that it contravenes Part 7 (b): Materials and workmanship 7.—Building work shall be carried out— (a)with adequate and proper materials which— (i)are appropriate for the circumstances in which they are used, (ii)are adequately mixed or prepared, and (iii)are applied, used or fixed so as adequately to perform the functions for which they are designed; and (b)in a workmanlike manner.

And, in the news last week: UK has highest electricity prices in Europe - and lowest heat pump uptake At the moment, electricity costs 3.9 times as much as gas to produce the same amount of energy in the UK – with electricity costing 24.50 pence per kilowatt hour (kWh) compared to 6.24 pence for gas, according to Ofgem. The gap between electricity and gas prices is largely because most of the levies – such as to fund new solar and wind farms and to improve energy efficiency – sit on electricity rather than gas bills. Furthermore, the carbon tax to discourage fossil fuel use – charged on the carbon dioxide produced when generating electricity – is not applied to the gas burned in central heating boilers. As a result, in 2023 the UK had the most expensive electricity in Europe, compared to its gas price – and one of the highest electricity prices in absolute terms.

Likewise, if you can heat Bowhill House and Wentworth Woodhouse with heat pumps, you can heat anything. Wentworth Woodhouse, Andrewrabbott, CC-BY-SA-4.0, more

Or connect them to networked heat pumps in the street, like those installed by Kensa: https://kensa.co.uk/networked-heat-pumps

+1; a very good product.

About 28% air-to-water last time I looked (175,000 air-to-water in 2019, up from 90,000 the year before) - https://mcsfoundation.org.uk/news/new-report-france-cuts-heating-emissions-ten-times-faster-than-uk-with-heat-pump-roll-out/ That may well have changed since gas boiler were banned for new build 3 years ago.

It would hurt my pocket too, but that's the ideal. FWIW my current project uses double-glazed oak, linseed oil painted (triple glazing wasn't possible due to being in a conservation area) As for why not PVC: toxins and pollution inherent to PVC production & disposal- see https://www.greenspec.co.uk/building-design/polyvinyl-chloride-pvc-environment-health/ impossible to access quality of the PVC used (and in particular the stabilisers required to give it durability) without independent chemical analysis plastic visual appearance often clunky visual appearance surface degradation and discolouration through UV light & surface deposits susceptibility to impact damage (depending on location) & difficult / impossible to repair susceptibility to hairline cracks through thermal cycling questions over the long-term availability of suitable spares - replacement glazing beads, hinges, etc. limited life expectancy - typically 20 to 30 years - unless high-spec. But low-spec is often chosen due to lower cost uValues often not great (unless high-spec) very limited recycling facilities (see also toxins & pollution above)

1st: Anodized aluminium-clad oak with triple glazed, budget permitting. Best all-round performance, durability & ease of maintenance & repair. 2nd: Oak, with double glazing to the south and triple to the north. 3rd: Other hardwood timber with double glazing to the south and triple to the north. 4th: PassivHaus-certified aluminium Never PVC - too many potential problems. I've posted about that somewhere on here.

I've used 20mm thick cork for selected areas on my current refurb where there wasn't space for hemp, and it is expensive. However it does have properties that are unmatched by any other insulation I can think of. In addition to excellent eco-credentials it is / has: lightweight good weight resistance good thermal resistance good acoustic resistance good fire resistance slow burning & self extinguishing produces only low levels of non-toxic smoke water repellent rot proof even in high-humidity environments vapour permeable releases no volatile organic compounds (unless processed) dimensionally stable doesn't deteriorate even over very long periods of time has some elasticity insect resistant anti-static good visual appearance if exposed good repairability if exposed pleasant to use easily cut easily fixed reusable (subject to fixing method) recyclable and probably a few more I've forgotten... So there are many reasons why you might choose it, cost permitting.

A Zehnder unit + other components from 2 or 3 other EU suppliers, depending on cost & availability.

The lowest cost option is to ditch the screed and put the UFCH in the concrete slab, which can be polished.

Welcome to the forum! Someone else is bound to say this if I don't so... from the extent of your works, you may be better off rebuilding. But either way you've come to the right place :)

Because railways are a special case. Under the Railway Regulation Act 1840 refusing to leave railway land a criminal offence. Adverse possession of their land is therefore never valid. See also https://www.justanswer.com/uk-law/bexl6-understand-can-t-claim-adverse-possession-railway.html

That is worth doing. Last year I calibrated a batch of 16 SHT31-Fs temperature-humidty sensors (though they're not currently recording) and while the temperature recorded by of all was consistent (within 0.1°C of each other), the humidity reading was out (too low) by between 0.6% and 2.55% compared to the expected result.

Horns aren't a traditional feature of windows. They were added when timber window manufacture became mechanised in the 2nd half of the 20th century to add strength during transport, with the intention that they should be cut off when installed. In mass-market housing they were often left on to cut costs.

If you can connect a hose to a vacuum cleaner exhaust port (as well as the regular hose), that would probably work. Suck in the beads from one end and blow them into the cavity through the other.

No idea about Norway, but in France there is a similar scheme with means-tested subsidies + interest free loans + 5,5% VAT. BTW, France now installs the most heat pumps in Europe, banned gas central heating in new-build from January 2022, and gas standing charges are going up due to the number of users quitting gas (despite having to pay for disconnections). Since 2000 the French scheme requires installers to have a sample of their installations audited each year (for appropriate design & installation, correct paperwork, legal & financial aspects, etc.) with the risk of suspension or removal in case of unresolved problems. If the MCS scheme doesn't already include that (I've not seen it mentioned), that may well help resolve many problems.

That type of duct is totally unsuitable for MVHR use - see also https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/41660-more-mvhr-help-please/ This.

This certainly seems to be key problem - the window / door should ideally be positioned mid-way across the (filled) cavity, or as close to that as can be sensibly be achieved, so that no broken metal touches both the inner and the outer leaf. If that's not the case, I'd seriously think about getting it refitted.

Just taken a look and "Boulder Developments Ltd ... consists of three businesses; SuperFOIL Insulation, Ventilation Megastore and Treefloor" (here). Ventilation Megastore say that they "supply ventilation systems"; no mention of manufacturing. There are many units that are designed to be installed either vertically or horizontally, but of course they need to be properly designed to do that. If you're looking for a replacement, the Passivhaus database lists models independently tested to more accurate standards than those required in the UK and those used by manufacturers: https://database.passivehouse.com/en/components/list/ventilation_small

It could be any of those. It could be poor frame design as it's very unlikely that all thermal breaks perform equally well. There are plenty of PassivHaus certified aluminium frames that are suitable for 'cool temperate' climates (which includes the entire UK climate) which, it seems, are tested at -5°C & 50% relative humidity (though I may have that wrong). I'd be surprised if they would permit condensation on the internal surface. But I've never investigated their criteria in that much detail, nor installed them. But if the thermal break is inadequate, then condensation could certainly occur on the inside face. It could also be because the windows is fitted to a reveal that doesn't have an adequate insulated cavity closer between inner & outer skins. We'd need more information about the wall to evaluate that.

Does this mean that Intello type membranes are not worth the cost? Should we be looking at cheaper alternatives instead? The principle is to stop air moving through the structure, limit moisture entering the structure, while making it permeable to moisture vapour to allow trapped moisture to escape. Intello & other 'smart' membranes can play a big role in that (if applied with care and if junctions & penetrations are sealed), but do so by being resistant to moisture movement in the winter (when the risk of condensation in the structure is high) and more open to moisture movement in the summer (allowing moisture to escape). That's generally fine, but if moisture is entering the structure via other means - for example by absorbing external rainfall - then moisture levels can still build up to dangerously high levels. For example, I have a case from experimenting with WUFI (internal wall insulation on a north wall, with MVHR to help control internal humidity) where adding no VCL (but using a parge coat) is fine, but adding a regular moisture-permiable VCL leads to dangerous moisture levels, while adding a smart VCL is even worse. That's not to say that either product is bad, just that they need to be used with care - they aren't a magic wand; follow manufacturer's recommendations and ask them if unsure. But if you were to keep wearing it for the next few hours it should dry - it won't act instantaneously.

Maybe it was originally designed for a warm climate (in China?) & they thought that all they needed to do was add a condensate drain to sell it elsewhere.

The Passivhaus standard was specifically set at a level that means that no conventional space heating system is required. The idea is that the cost saving by not installing space heating more-or-less pays for the cost of MVHR and other enhancements required to reach the standard (at least in Germany, where it originated). In other words, you are overthinking. Just add an electrical heater - or at a blanked off conduit so you could add one later - in each bath / shower room. Or even embed some UFCH pipework for extra reassurance, but there should be no need to actually use it, so leave it unconnected.

Yes, unfortunately that is necessary - though even below the limit your copro might require you to use one as a condition of giving permission.