scottishjohn

bad preparation-- not cleaned enough and loose surface not removed before application of tanking --very standard tactic for water proofing cellars --so it does work if done correctly. closed cell foam ,not open cell,will do the same job --but not something that is DIY-- and it would ALL the the walls not just at bottom --not only does it waterproof ,but it insulates very well you will have seen how well builders foam sticks to everything like shit to a blanket

possibly if the concrete is thick enough accept 6"- deep cuts without breaking up --might just be a pinted on concrete yard -- like 3-4" maybe all houses not the same level ?

a bigger one .LOL fit an above ground rainwater diverting plumbing to a rainwater tank for garden --then to a soakaway

so you have a solid wall -- not 2 walls with a void between them ? is it hard plastered onto that wall? I am guessing you fitted mvhr because you had a damp problem before can you see the damp course from outside of house? how far above the ground are the air bricks -damp course sdhould be below them and visible --not banked up with soil or anything

is the attraction the price for the kit? I looked at some recently for a project and by the time you add on all internlas ,electrics +plumbing and sensible level of insulation -the advantage is gone no problem in making outside of a house to look like that and presuming you don,t mind treating outside every year with a preservative -- not a lacquer . once sums were done i could build a sips house easier and cheaper --if you wanting to stay away from solid construction and clad it with your logs

hence why if you doing total refit you could tank the walls as well-- like a cellar and french drain outside the walls -- if really worried all these things are why, if allowed its easier and cheaper to flattten and start again,even if you have to make it look the same exterior wise

thats why when you doing a floor your plastic membrane goes under the insulation and up to the walls so it cannot transfer moisture from walls to floor slab

look at any of the real passiv house builder guys and they will all tell you that PV is the last thing --even if it was suitable in your postion fabric of the house first --reduce energy requirements is primary goal --pv etc are the frills

I will have similar project only larger and intend to get to close to passiv the basic suggestions put to me all revolve round same things mine is a large house so will be easier in some ways that is make a another house inside the old one my 2 favorite suggestions so far to deal with the possible moisture problems from outer walls are remove everything till bare stone wall --clean well and then spray closed foam insulation -approx 35- 50mm thickness --this will be totally water proof so any moisture will go out through the lime mortar on outside . now you could build you Timber frame inside and then spray once the frame is up bonding it all together --then insulation of your choice to fill in . the other way is similar clean internal side of stone work --cement render to seal any holes ,then apply brush on tanking system -- both end up with totally water proof layer If i ts brick work you could probably just paint that with tanking system then again build what ever you like inside TF or thermo block . lay your vapour barrier on your prepared sub floor after a good layer of insulation --fit UFH and then pour slab-- i have no doubt original ventilated wall space behind the lathe +plaster went right into the roof space ,but you now would have vents going out under the roof at top of walls,should not be much draft but need something just in case so now you deal with roof separately if you intend to make it living space . you are basically making a sealed box the walls you either seal them or you have to have an air gap and a draft up them to allow stone to dry out that is the way you make your old house into new close to passiv type house, which is why every company i have talked to tell me to pull it down and start from scratch as it will be cheaper and easier --no unforseen bobby traps --something i doubt you would be allowed to do . even if you make it same appearance on outside the other problem will be loss of floor space with the 140-170mm walls of new house inside old one- you could maybe get down a bit . what ever you do to get air tightness you will need to dump lathe +plaster walls and get back to stone work and start your airtight box from there

hard to to guess --why does it need replacing --is it rotten --so do you need framing ,or just tiles ,slates a lot more info required before anyone could give a guesstimate. type of roof -- whats the problem slates tiles clay concrete tiles etc ,etc

that is exactly the reason why I like the uponor shink-fit pex system --16m pipe and fittings are same internal size as pex pipe is I intend to run separate pipes to everything so all joints are somewhere where you can get at them no its not as cheap as hp20 -not something i want to revisit in my life time

a big accumulator and it would need to be good size will be hundreds of pounds --i would go looking for the problem before spending on that

theres your answer then possibly some plumber or some DIY has fitted small piping somewhere no doubt I,m guessing it was a gravity system with water tank in loft when house was built was not as critical with gravity system ,as the ballcock would just keep open longer to fill the large tank --but now it will matter

the way the water board checks flow is to put a gauge on somewhere handy then open up a cold tap full and see what it drops to --if it drops then there is a restriction somwhere in the piping .

totally agree as has already been said if you got 4 bar then its pipe sizing or partially obstructed somewhere they only have to give you 1bar ,usually they aim to give you 2 bar --so if you got 4 bar then its pipe sizing somewhere really old house ?

nice to see there are some principled people left in the world where their word is their bond

slightly different in scotland , as you will know you cannot even fit a velux or alter internal walls without a building warrant --and the plan for that can be the back of a fag packet, unless the BC man then wants SE design . I made an ensuite in my master bedroom by converting fitted wardrobe and taking some space of the room--the velux fitted between rafters -so no alterations to anything structural got found out when i went for new valuation on the house, needed to use it as a sercurity on my petrol supply agreement thats the thing if you don,t do that they want paying when the taker drops it load --£50k+ a pop by doing that i got 12 days credit ,which could be 4 loads,and by the time credit card company had paid me and -most fuel sales are that way --so you could by 200k in the hole all the time -- the sercurity searchs showed up the house not same as plan they had when it was built --a new hole in roof . so after some talking with councilit was sorted by me sending them a new plan and paying for a "letter of comfort"--. £50

you can,t they will expect to see plans to get a building warrant I am guessing it is an extension -not a complete house otherwise it would be planning application -not a building warrant

you need a nice american to bomb your pea gravel with agent orange --still not growing back in veitnam on parts of the ho chi minh trail LOL but seriously what locals used round here for garden paths ,till forestry commission stopped them was the waste from old lead/silver mines -- not sure how good it was for the vegs they grew next to it --but nothing grows on a layer of that . there plies of it onside of the forest roads where there mines and it looks like it was piled up yesterday - FC used to use it for roads ,but think SEPA stopped them most grand country houses round here had a layer of that then white granite chips -- looked good --told the dogs if somone was creeping up on the house at night + no weeds

remember the best effect is got by doing it on a dry day so folaiage sucks it in --then in 2-3 weeks it will be dead to the roots now is the right time to do bracken ---maybe just a touch late as they are begining to go brown and sucking nutrients back into the roots . waste of time doing it on a damp day the right stuff will kill small trees and scrub bushs as well-could be too late for this year for small trees --leaves beginning to drop . I made a blunder last time i treated the paths and drive --i walked over the lawn unbeknown to me --I had it on my footwear --got a nice set of footprints across the lawn now .LOL it will grow back next year

from a quick talk with border hydro it appears if i can get 2l persec flow rate@a140m head i could get 3.0kw X 50% power loss=1.5kw and i am pretty sure i can get alot more than that with the little burn that is flowing there at top of hill--so maybe need to check flow rate over next few months and hydro could be part of build from the start, cost approx2-2.5k--so very good in comparison to solar--as most water will be in winter when power loads are higher i can see me going hunting to find more small issues to direct same direction .LOL all sounds too good to be true --time will tell

worst scenario --or maybe a good one for me will be to pipe to go direct down the 140m(200psi) drop to the quarry pond---=HMMM --hydro ? will have to look and see how much you can generate with a small bore turbine for that height? --that will be well down the list of projects i think

that makes life easy then just soakaways for rainwater ,which in my case will probably be sent to a tank for her gardening requirements+ soakaway for the overflow it just got me thinking as now new houses on grid here have to have rainwater etc in different system than the sewage and 2 sewers down the road outside would not have suprised me if that now would be carried over to off grid -

as the title yes we know what to do with the septic tank/treatment plant etc but how is the rest of the bathwater etc usually handled in an off grid situation huge soak aways ? --

your living space above will need to be fired proofed and vapour proof from the garage /workshop below anyway even now -so don,t see nay great problem same as connected garages now need to have a lower floor level to stop flameable fluid /fumes etc entering the house by any linked door