G and J

If they go under the underlay what function are they performing? I guess if the underlay is left loose the water still gets past the horizontal battens but why not just put the underlay under the vertical battens?

I’m coming late to this one, so sorry if I’ve missed an essential aspect, but aren’t counterbattens (which in my mind run vertically up the roof) supposed to sit on top of the tiling underlay? Then the normal, horizontal battens go on top of the counterbattens. Thus however tight the underlay is, (and as it’s on panels it can’t droop in this instance), the water can still quickly drain and is not held back by the horizontal battens?

If I’ve understood correctly the waste goes out through the back of the cupboard and then drops a couple of meters. Could this be sucking the trap dry enough to let foul air get back up? To test simply gently run a little water into the sink and see if that reduces the smell after a few mins. Assume that’s a dishwasher outlet connected to the trap too, Might be worth making a note of when the smell occurs with respect to both emptying a sink full and also the dishwasher running.

Is the smell in the sink or in the cupboard underneath it?

Hmmmmm. Methinks I need guidance from the SE designing our foundations.

I like frame screws, as I’ve always called ’em. You can get little ones nowadays too.

I like the idea of my non load bearing walls being built off of my screed, thus having continuous insulation under them. But I prefer screws and rawlplugs to fix (yet another example of the Luddite in me). Apart from avoiding my UFH pipes is there any reason I can’t screw me sole plates down?

Maybe a dumb question but if one has MCS’d solar panels then one can earn from export, so adding a non MCS’d battery later automatically allows selling stored cheap leaky back, should you wish. Or have I missed something (again)?

I bunged in some cheapies from Amazon mostly hidden (garage, behind bedside cabinet, etc.). No buzzing or whining, might not be the fastest charging in the world but then stuff stays plugged in till I get up in the morning, so no issues on charging rates for me. Modern switch mode stuff should use microscopic levels of juice on standby, methinks, so I like em. Lots.

I speak (well, type!) as a keen woodworker and someone who has just put a deposit on a panelised self assembly timber frame package, based on 2.4m x 2.4m panels. The panels we are getting go up in price if the exceed 2.4m in height. Basically they work to the sheet material with the studs cut to suit. I think that the trick is to accept that approach. Work to the tightest restriction.

Ummm, no. After the event I thought of the things I should have put.

I was quite keen on using an insulated BnB floor till we thought through the process of building and the need to temporarily board out the ground floor, plus the idea of polystyrene sitting there accessible from the void didn’t sound as rodent proof as I’d like. Thinking about it one would have to board out anyway as it would be a huge trip hazard, the beams 50mm above the blocks. Another stupid idea on the fire….

Hang on. I just watched the vid displayed on the above link. The blocks are shaped so they sit 50mm down from the top of the beam. Couldn’t I use these on a downstairs bnb floor and fill the 50mm with insulation?

Hmmmmm, in that case I’ve an excuse for another Makita toy, I mean tool, honest!

I meant to visit. 34 years ago I knew I’d leave this house in a box. Now I realise that isn’t true. Our new pad will be the forever home, but I’m more worldly now, so I won’t say I’ll leave there in a box, it might be in a care home’s van. 😉

In our current house I carefully provisioned for high flow rates. Quite a lot of 22mm copper. Sadly as a result some hot taps take ages to get hot water. Sigh. One tries one’s best. Next time a radial system. Defo.

Ok I know this is miles off topic but… one of my concerns is that I’m a picky bugger. If being in our new house is going to be that good I really am not going to want to stay anywhere else.

As a special treat, just for you, it’s when Just Eat delivers whatever you order lol (and that’s another novelty I’m looking forward to - being in town so we can have take away deliveries!)

We live in a reasonably well insulated wind tunnel. We built it in ‘91 and exceeded the then insulation standards. We’ve three woodburners and yes, we are often still f cold. So I couldn’t agree with you more. The variation in temperature over time and within rooms is huge. It will be a shock to sit in a much more constant temperature. And I’m the bloody cook, so it’s my bloody kitchen lol

Ummmm, yeah but no but yeah but…, We are building a sort of three bedroom pad but we only need one bedroom for us (a bit of L’Oréal going on here perhaps!). Being serious I will be running pipes and wires to other fancoil locations in case needed, including drains in case we zone them off to run cooler. The MVHR unit is next to the downstairs bedroom so that flow and return can be sized to do both. There will be space above the unit for retro fit of carbon filter too.

Exactly where I want us to be. I investigated these units more for cooling than heating, and I was dissuaded on the grounds that they won’t have a significant effect on our internal air temperature because of the low relative volume of air going through the MVHR system. We are, however, aiming at a long way short of PH standard insulation, not much better than building regs in fact, (though we are putting great efforts into being airtight). I can understand that if part O means we see fewer ‘glazed cathedrals’ type grand designs, or at least lots of high spec anti solar glazing, that the cooling needed would be moderate in a very well insulated house. But ours, despite the modest of glazing, might need more cooling. Won’t know till we’re there. We’re going for an ASHP that can be converted to cooling, so we can gently (above dew point) cool the downstairs UFH, with a fan coil in our bedroom all on a single zone. I still wonder about cooling the MVHR airstream too though….

We're in Suffolk...the firm we're thinking of employ their own installers/surveyors etc as well as make windows....has the attraction of it being in their hands and if the worst happens they have capability to fix pretty quickly.....or that's the theory 🤞

Brilliant, thank you Nick. I think you may have mentioned that when I visited but I failed to retain - sorry!

This (sort of thing) is on your MVHR supply main duct I assume. DO you find it effective?

Eureka!! I've come up with the perfect solution to my needing brick slips that I can’t buy to match our chosen plinth bricks without subjecting our neighbours to hours of deafening brick cutting or choking them and myself on the dust. Please would everyone on build hub order some brick samples. Each sample card comes with some lovely little brick slips to save postage costs! Perfect! What could possibly go wrong? 😕