Mr Punter

I just got an email from Sonos to say that from May a couple of my products will be classed as "legacy" and I can either "Trade Up" with a 30% discount or get no further support. Apparently when you trade up they brick the old device. Cheeky American rip-off b*******s! Previous hi-fi lasted 25 years.

CT1 is fine as an adhesive / sealant but it is pretty awful as an exposed finish as it is very difficult to tool. You could have it under the render / plasterboard no probs.

No the land is not part of the build cost.

I think they would be good with a splayed reveal internally and externally, covering up at least half the frame.

If you are concerned about acoustics, curtains and sofas help a fair bit. Wood and Luxury Vinyl are preferable to porcelain.

I have fitted a Vent Axia Sentinel Kinetic plus in a house. Simple enough to do but make sure you have decent access for servicing / filter cleaning. It was designed in the loft space but the house is 1 1/2 stories so it is stupidly tight. Doubt the new owners have ever cleaned the filters.

You could use 10mm thick flat bar for the vertical parts. You may even have enough room for stiffening where it joins the box section. You could have galv powder coated steel if the stainless was expensive to fabricate.

We did similar on a place with bris soleil with slate cladding on timber frame. The brackets have welded flat vertical sections either end screwed into the timber frame.

Can you not take off some cladding and screw onto the timber frame, then just cut a neat hold in each bracket and slot the cladding back?

Floor insulation is simple and cheap to install so you may want to go a bit thicker. The screed does not need to finish level with the bricks. You will normally have a 38mm thick sole plate plus the bottom rail of the timber frame so you could go 120mm insulation, 60mm screed and there will still be 46mm of timber at the bottom to fix your plasterboard. The timber frame firm should design the holding down detail. It could be metal straps fixed to the floor or screws and plugs. Ask them.

I understood that the condensate would form as soon as the exhaust air was passed through the heat exchanger and it would drip into the the condensate drain and be directed out. There should not be enough moisture in the now cooler air for condensation to form on the remaining length of duct.

If the neighbouring houses are connected to the same drain and they have vent pipes you could just have an AAV. If not, you will need to vent to atmosphere. If you have more than 1 soil pipe you will need either an AAV or vent to atmosphere at the top of each.

Not with any detail. Just showed a twin wall metal flue I think. This was 10 years ago.

If it is loose it is OK on a nice concrete base but a pain if it is not on a clean surface. Bricklayer will not thank you for mud and stones in the mortar. Even worse if it is used for render. I do find it much easier to shovel from a concrete slab than digging from a bag though.

I used this stuff https://www.stovesonline.co.uk/wood_burning_stoves/Selkirk-flue.html It is twin wall and I used the 150mm which has an external diameter of 200mm.

I don't think that HETAS registration is mandatory, just a way of showing compliance. I have done a metal flue in the past as part of a new build house, all to spec and Building Inspector was fine with it.

As I have previously posted, I think Fermacell is a right bugger to cut and fix. Very clever marketing.

Perhaps you could try the GGF as they seem well regarded in the industry: https://www.ggf.org.uk/technical-information/tech-consultancy/expert-witness/

Have you established if the leak is around the perimeter seal or is it in the window system itself - such as around the glazing gaskets etc? The former suggest prep, flashings, mastic / compriband / installation issues and the latter suggests manufacturer or damage during installation. Can you get in a reputable window firm who deal with several manufacturers and ask their opinion, even if you have to pay for their time?

Can you get rid of the branch on top of the elbow, just have the elbow and lift the horizontal pipe so it all has a really nice fall to the outside? You would probably gain 200mm in fall and therefore no issues.

Part E (passage of sound) and Robust Details mostly just applies to attached houses and to flats. For detached houses the only things to consider are including some fibre wall insulation around bathrooms and bedrooms and between floors. There is no sound testing required.

The foam is not waterproof so you need to cut it back a little and then use mastic to seal between window frame and stone. Alternative would be to cut back 20mm and use Compriband tape to seal.

Most warranty providers want sheathing board, breather membrane and a min 25mm drained and vented cavity.

Is it OK to use earth terminal strip in a backbox and lose some of the WAGOs?

Another vote for some quality repointing. Get a quote from a proper craftsman whose work you have seen. The plastic windows don't look good. If you really want to lose the mock Tudor look you could just re-render. White paint may be better. If you do clay tile hanging you would be best to have a different shade to the brickwork - perhaps redder.