Jilly

Will you really watch TV in your wardrobe?!

Aren't we all so different in our priorities? I have a lovely antique linen press which cost £350. For £6k I would have a great time sending all my clothes to a charity shop and starting over! We had a junk room at my old house and were feeling cramped and so thought about moving. It suddenly dawned on me that the room represented about £50k of prime real estate, so I gave everything away and got a bigger house back. The value of the stuff must have been £2k max. I've become a lot less attached to 'stuff' now and get huge joy from a great bargain and having no mortgage. (£6k represents about £12k over the mortgage lifetime). Just sayin'...

Some of the steel lintels have red primer, one is grey and rusted. We've painted what is visible with FeO, but cant get to the side under the soffits and where resting on wood. Should I make a fuss and remove the soffits so it can be done? Should they have been bitumened like the corner steel? Also, I was thinking of covering them with 10mm aerogel where they are exposed, but can only do the insides (unless take the soffits off etc as above) is this a good idea?

My first architect wanted 12% of the build price to Project Manage, (plus plus plus for all the drawings) so that's pretty good even if you end up doing it together.

Thank you Gus!!

It's definitely an important point the the Conservation Officer didn't make a formal comment. The buzzwords are 'the proposal must preserve or enhance the Conservation Area'. Ours was deemed neutral because behind trees, so think a greenery idea is a good one.

Yes, probably. Can you look at your Building Control drawings, if not on a Building Notice?

To allow 50mm ventilation gap under the bitumen, non breathable membrane, we have drilled holes through the noggins, but right at the gable end, it's not really possible. It will be a kitchen wall, so moisture might be an issue. There will be insulated PB over the PIR between the rafters with a VCL. Will it be ok to just seal this bit up and not worry, or should I think about some kind of breathable option for the wall (I'm thinking clay or lime plaster type stuff). (I know I'm mixing my modern airtight concepts with breathable buildings, but bare with me!) Thank you!

I can see why you are frustrated, they are very negative. My thoughts are, when referring to Conservation Areas, I've found planners don't care about what you need, only on appearance. When they mention amenity in a Conservation Area, they are referring to the external appearance to passers by, frustratingly, not to your right to enjoyment of your home. They seem fixated that you are the end terrace and so the guardian of the views. Maybe if you post some images people can give a reaction ( and see if they concur with the planners (don't take it personally)and see if they can help identify the problem and how to move forward. Is it worth 3D mock up for the future attempt?

Double check that, because I have a conversion with full planning and can't change anything until after it is a dwelling, and another planning application, and have an Article 4 Directive, so no PD rights.

Did you go for a pre application meeting at the outset? That would have given you a feel for the lie of the land. I had to pay for the planning officer and the conservation officer to be present. They love you to take mock up images to react to. Another tack would be to submit a revised application after a pre app and taking into consideration the objections. Have you got any Permitted Development rights? There might be another way round it to increase your floor space without planning permission. A garden building for working from home perhaps? Can you change the internal layout or extend into the loft space? There are some members who have gone through appeal, who should be along later. Good luck!

Thank you! Yup, it's horrible. The problem is that it's NOT breathable membrane, its F1 bitumen because of bats. it's caused loads of problems and has to have 50mm gap and good ventilation.

Same here. We had a Covenant/Overage on our paddock. It was clearly demarcated on the deeds and was a complete non issue when raising the mortgage.

Have just spoken to a roofer who advocates putting tile vents in (as Peter suggested) and making a little cold roof, but will have to explore proper insulation of the steel (and other steels) as it will be outside the thermal envelope if we do that.

I visited a few years ago, when I had a canal boat fantasy. Here's an image I took of the Pontcysyllyte Aquaduct, it's quite an amazing structure!

I think they mean you could start the foundations on the other side of the building which doesn't affect the party wall. Have you got Building Control Full Plans? If you haven't thought about this, you could start on a Building Notice.

Oh dear, thank you. Renting is the real only time restriction as it's a painful hidden cost as my partner refuses to slum it in a caravan. I'm trying to familiarise myself with everything, as getting quotes to continue means that nearly everyone who comes on site to look/quote/advise sucks their teeth and says they 'wouldn't have done it like that...'' so I have to figure out what really needs rectifying by going back to first principles, which is slow and painful.

?I know, the builder has done so many odd things. We have parted ways..

Can I clarify, this taping of the insulation here isn't the vapour control layer, it's just to make airtight? There will be another layer of foil backed plasterboard?

Just had a plumber come to quote for UFH and he isn't keen on this at all, he'd like to change it for a masonry layer.

Thank you, I must be a bit stressed and not thinking clearly. Sorry!

Looks good!

All of these had planning conditions on mine, so go easy, and check out everything you do is allowed (never mind the VAT) in case you have a nosey neighbour who dobs you in to planning enforcement.

I'm sure I'm not fully understanding some basic concepts, can someone clarify, or point me in the direction I need to research? Everything has gone off piste from the BC drawings, I think they were minimal spec and the problem is partly because it's a conversion, and and there are lots of compromises, problems to be solved. We haven't been told to be airtight, and there was no intention for MHVR, but condensation is an issue. The steels in my conversion will go in and out of the thermal envelope if I'm not careful. How much insulation do they need to have around them to stop condensation if I can't get them inside the thermal envelope? For example, one end of a beam is touching the bituminous roofing felt), and also on the pad stones etc. There was non put on the outside of the lintels, its just been covered with plaster board, so do I need to rectify this? On the vaulted ceiling (cold roof, 500mm gap) it is a PITA getting air flow between each rafter bay, we are drilling holes in noggins. The chap helping me wants to use foil backed insulated plaster board. Still planning to cut the felt at the top, but uncertain if can be done internally or if the dry ridge needs to come off. The main bedroom and bathroom have flat ceiling, cold roof and attic trusses, would these usually have a VCL too to stop moisture getting into the loft? I'm sure the intention was just normal plaster board. How do we get a sealed loft hatch? How do I assuage my need to check / inspect later?! There's a really tricky detail between the normal ceiling and the vaulted part, what do I need to be aware of? Will just insulating everything as much as possible and then working to get all ceilings airtightness do the trick?

That's lucky, its a bit of a palaver