Mr Punter

I have some small rental flats that are all electric. If we need to improve the ratings I think gas boilers would be the best bang for buck. @oranjeboom any how much more your electric has gone up since you went all electric? The ASHP should make quite a difference.

Are you doing the whole ground floor the same? Be good to see some pics as it progresses, especially setting out, 1st row etc.

Hits on Google is one of the main drivers for investment and development of the internet. Every company uses it as a metric. In this case it is indicative of the relative popularity of the 2 systems. GSHP looks more likely to become obsolete.

On Google I get 22m hits for ASHP and 500k for GSHP. It looks like ASHP is the way forward. You may find GSHP difficult / impossible to maintain in the future.

Agreed, that really is quite vile.

You warranty provider would want certification, so not DIY. The manufacturer of the blown in cavity wall insulation must operate an approved installer scheme where the installers are approved, registered and regularly reviewed or demonstrate they are competent to carry out installations of the product in accordance with the third party product conformity certificate. Evidence of the installer being approved by the manufacturer should be made available to the Warranty Surveyor upon request.

I would recommend FAAC for the automation kit. Most of the kit knows when there is an obstruction and will stop. I wouldn't get a builder to fit it unless they have done them before. Will you have a keypad and intercom as well?

No, you should not have cold air coming in under your warm roof. Your cold roof has internal and between rafter insulation and outside airflow above. The outer layers will be open to outside air but inside will be nice and warm. Your warm roof will have insulation on the roof deck, so the whole thing is warm. It needs no ventilation. Again, no outside air should get in at all. On the interface you will need continuous insulation, while still allowing the airflow over the outside of the cold roof. Perhaps post a drawing.

I have had Kalzip -type standing seam in the past. I think ours was Rigidal. It is ali sheets and they fix tall halters to the deck, mineral wool then the sheets go on and they use a machine to zip them together and to the halters. It is a bit like walking a dog along the roof. You can use the machine to unzip as well should it be required.

At a guess I think about £60,000 plus fees, so budget £70,000, which would include everything assuming it is carried out by a main contractor with the rest of the build. I have sometimes found proper well finished balconies are more expensive per m2 than internal space.

No to all. Why do you want to do this?

Most of the standard lintels are rated 30 mins but you can get higher fire ratings.

From the photo it doesn't look too bad. Is it all over, or just where scaffold poles were close? It will be expensive, messy and time consuming to do much about it.

Screeds tend to be a) traditional - sand:cement either site mixed or dumped in a heap, laid damp to about 75mm b) liquid gypsum based, mixed in a machine and pumped in normally about 50mm. Not great if it get wet and can form a laitance coat that needs removing before tiling. c) liquid cement based, again mixed in a machine or at a batching plant and pumped in. Normally 40-60mm. I don't think the drying times vary all that much between them. I have seen some stuff that is a leveling screed and claims no time needed to dry as the water is locked in.

I have a full shower a couple of times a week. The rest of the time it is groin and armpits plus face and handwashing.