James1234

Hello, looking for some pre-made drawers for some built in wardrobes that I am going to make. I like the idea of oak drawers and so far I have found https://www.interfitco.com/oak-dovetail-drawer-boxes/ https://www.bullerltd.co.uk/oak-drawer-box.html?variation_id=8699 https://www.evabox.eu/en/drawer-boxes/ I am not looking to put fronts on the drawers, just have the oak boxes (Evabox will supply with dropped fronts for handles or I could cut the into the others myself). Wondering if anyone has any experience of using any of the above options (particularly Evabox as they would be coming from Lithuania so a longer lead time etc) or can offer any alternative options.

Similar costs from a few different suppliers. I hadn't found Specialist Blinds so will try them. Thomas Sanderson, Appeal Group, Sona, Grand Design Blinds, are some others. Seemingly all offering similar things at similar price points. The mounting and recessing of the blinds is a key detail. The video of the Sona Blind posted by MR10 above is a very neat solution but not suitable for our arrangement as we have a section of wall above the window before you get to the ceiling. I can see the point about the central mullion but the example in the above video seems to cope well without it. Depends a bit on how close to the window the blinds will be. If they are forward of the window I guess light will bleed around the mullion a bit anyway.

The sensible approach, but the structure is built and windows are ordered so we are committed to the window shape. We knew what we were signing up to at the time... just hoping that someone had discovered some great alternative....

Hello team. When we designed our extension with gable end windows we knew that the window coverings/blinds would not be easy/cheap. Now that we are well into the build and I have some quotes to compare it is feeling particularly painful that 'a few bits of fabric' is costing almost as much as the windows themselves (3 sheets of glass, some timber and aluminum). I have had a few quotes, all in a similar ball park so there must be something that means they are more complicated than first impressions would suggest. Is there anyone out there who has been through the exercise and found more sensibly priced blind options (either supplier recommendations and/or alternative means of providing window coverings? We have considered curtains but want to maintain the clean/uncluttered lines that the windows are giving us. Any experience from others who have been through a similar exercise would be appreciated! James

This makes sense and gives me some confidence that the timber frame should stay dry even if the head of the cavity is not ventilated. I will achieve this with perpend vents Regarding the closing of the cavity at the top of the wall I have found the below in the LABC, i.e. close the cavity at the top and provide ventilation through perpend vents if you are in Scotland of Northern Ireland. As I am in Wiltshire I don't need to do this.

Thanks for the reply Eric. My builder has said he doesn't see the need for a service void and he will just chase the electrics out of the PIR. Any downsides to that? I guess it makes any future changes more difficult (although after this build I am hoping not to make any changes for at least 20 years).

Hello all. Was keen to get other's expertise on the detailing of the cavity of my timber frame extension. The construction from outside to inside is -125mm thick natural stone wall -50mm cavity -breather membrane -OSB -150 stud with PIR insulation -AVCL -50mm PIR -Plasterboard The wall is built and next week the builder is putting in the soffit boards/closing the cavity at the top. TOP OF CAVITY I am getting mixed opinions on closing the cavity at the top. Some say keep it open to provide ventilation, others say close to prevent insects getting in, other say close for fire reasons. The builder says he normally leave them open and/or lays a board over the cavity as per the below sketch. As it will be a board laid over the stone work it won't be a tight fit. What would others recommend? BASE OF CAVITY This is all built. A cavity tray has been installed with weep holes above it. These are the tapered type of weep holes so I assume provide limited ventilation. There are no vents below the cavity tray. I am concerned that the current weep holes above the cavity tray don't provide effective ventilation and the lack of them below the cavity tray will create a humid environment that the sole plates are exposed to. The relevant section of the NHBC standards say full perp end vents above and below the cavity tray so I am mined to now install those. https://nhbc-standards.co.uk/6-superstructure-excluding-roofs/6-2-external-timber-framed-walls/6-2-10-protection-from-moisture/

Thanks all, some useful points and reassurance. I will go and have a conversation with BCO! Which ever solution I go with I will be paying close attention to the airtightness. It is a semi detached and we are extending so the back wall of the existing house will become internal... so it won't be perfect... but will be taping around joists, running membrance or parge around the back of internal stud work etc and connecting to membrane in the roof and floor.

Hi all. I am doing a full refurb to my house and extension and have spent far too long debating how to manage the IWI. Everyone I have discussed this with seems to have very different theories/approaches. The house is 100 years old, 450mm thick Cotswold stone walls with lime mortar and rubble fill. Externally it has been re-pointed with cement mortar. There is a bitumen DPC which seems to be doing the job well because the walls are dry and where we have opened new doorways we have seen it is in good condition. We are having an MVHR system installed. Key principles I have taken from research is not to over insulate to prevent to masonry getting too cold in the winter and to allow the wall to breath into the house. Ideally I would re-point externally to improve the ability of the wall to breath outward but that will have to be a future job. Pointing is in reasonable condition. Options considered 1) Originally I was looking at using the Steico wood fibre system (lime skim, 60mm steico, lime skim) but the price tag is significant. 2) An architect suggested 50 x 50 battens straight onto the bare stone with rockwool batts between, AVCL, plasterboard and skim. I questioned the breathability of plasterboard and skim but he made the good point that we install a VCL in other situations because the plasterboard doesn't prevent moisture passing through it. I also found this system https://www.swipiwi.co.uk/ which is essentially what I am proposing but reducing the thermal bridging of the battens (which for me feels like a small benefit for the additional cost). If their system uses normal plaster board then I assume they also feel that plasterboard is breathable. Options ruled out 3) a surveyor suggested tanking the whole 2 storeys with plastic egg crate sheeting and then insulated plaster board on battens. He was of the view that this approach keeps the moisture out of the house. Given we have timber lintels and floor joists built into the walls I felt that preventing the walls from drying into the building was too much of a risk 4) dot and dab pir (either insulated plasterboard or separate PIR and plasterboard with AVCL between). Again I ruled this out due to the risk to the embedded timbers becoming damp) I had settled on option 2 based on the fact that it seemed to tick most boxes. My builder discussed this option with the BCO today who said that he would not approve that arrangement and he would want to have a cavity between the wall and the insulation/battens. This seems to fly in the face of the advise of keeping the insulation tight to the wall to avoid an air gap where condensation can form (appreciate with my bare masonry walls that there will be some gaps regardless. This also feels like a draughty option. Option 5 could just be to do away with the insulation and just replaster in lime plaster, but while we have it all stripped back it feels like we should be doing something. Appreciate your thoughts and if you think option 2 is reasonable any reference material to argue my case with building control

Many thanks ProDave and Craig, very much appreciated!

A variation on the theme is the detail for the patio sliding doors of how to fix to the steel goal posts while minimising cold bridging. Any recommendations on how I can improve on the below attempt? (both this and previous sketches are of the side of the window)

Just getting started erecting the timber frame of my extension (timber frame and 125mm stone cladding) and having a discussion with the builder about how I want my windows positioned and fixed. Options being: 1) windows positioned forward and fixed into the stonework cladding (traditional approach but issues with cold bridging) 2) front of window frame at back of stone cladding (reduces cold bridging but seal between windows and stonework more vulnerable and not sure how windows are fixed) 3) set into the timber frame with some sort of flashing to span the gap between stonework and window frame Option 1 seems like the least preferable, Option 2 does the fixings go into the cavity closer or off brackets back to the timber frame? Is the joint to the stonework achieved with mastic or are the other options? Option 3 seems like an additional complication Interested to hear how others have done this. Sketch of my understanding of option 2 below.