LeeVanCleef

Thanks for the input all. To cover JohnMo’s queries 1. Do you have open fire places? - 2, but boarded up. hard to say how well blocked up - see 4 2. Are rooms drafty, can you feel a breeze around closed doors, both internal and external. - Nothing obvious at present 3. What sort of build is the house. - timber frame with block outer. 90s build. 280m². Insulated timber suspended floor. Insulated loft. 4. @JamesPa favourite, what was or is your current operating regime for your heating system? - We have only been in the house since March so haven’t had a winter yet. Agreed that 6 months of measurements through the winter months would likely tell us a whole lot I worked through the heat loss calc shared here previously and that was suggesting about 9kW of losses. Some more sensitivities to run on that I think. I’ve also been investigating the provenance of the Grant machine. I’m not sure if the OEM of these newer R290 units has been confirmed yet?

Good question @JamesPa. Based on the MCS calc approach, about half our losses are due to ventilation. I know there has been much postulation on this point already. I can’t easily quantify it unless I do an air tightness test. If the calcs are an over estimation at least we will be warm on the coldest days. The potential poor efficiency on the shoulder seasons might need some management. For arguments sake let’s assume it is correct for a moment. I’ll need a heat pump that covers the top end for the coldest days but can also modulate low enough too. Doing a bit of digging, it at least looks like the heating curve in the newer Aerona Smart controller is non linear and editable (to a degree) now. I think that was a problem some folks had with an older iteration of the Grant controls.

Any further experience with the Grant Aerona 290? I’m just sizing the 15.5kW one up for our current place and there doesn’t look to be too many alternatives at that output that I can compare against. Maybe Viessmann and NIBE. Any other suggestions?

@JohnMo seems to have one working, although I understand he has a battery too. A different predicament in Oct-Mar, especially with young kids in the house.

Resurrecting this thread as I sit in a house with the power knocked out from a recent storm. Thankfully in August. @Bozza did you manage to get an answer on this? We are currently contemplating an ASHP and reliability during power outages was one of the concerns in the back of my mind that has been brought to the front.

Thanks for the quick response @Bozza, @Temp Aberdeen city actually, so a different set of council folk to discuss with. Agreed on the shoddy output of some developers. Some of these forestry sites look like a bomb has hit them after trees have been felled. Probably takes quite a few years of growth to get to something ‘normal’ again - I digress.

Thought I’d resurrect this thread as I have a vaguely related query and there is some good info here already! We currently have our eye on a woodland plot in the NE of Scotland. The woodland is commercial in nature having being planted in 1965. The surrounding area is similarly wooded, with houses occasionally dotted in the landscape. To my eye another house would be in keeping with the area. Has anyone gained planning permission on a similar plot? Is this a “no go”, or a “maybe” and very PA dependant?

Having some garden work done and will be laying approximately 130m² of 'nice' paving. A mixture of large and small paths and patios, the largest of which will be in view all the time as it is on the other side of some sliding doors (so tarmac is not an option). Current thinking is light coloured granite primarily due to its looks and durability but it is not cheap. Any thoughts / options on granite or alternatives?

We went for Siberian larch factory coated with 'original' (non-pigmented) Sioo:X for the bulk of our cladding. We also ordered a second batch for the eaves / window reveals which was uncoated (bad planning on my part - should have got it all in a one-er) I agree with the comments above that it seems to be the rain more than the sun that impacts the weathering. We have a few medium sized overhangs and there is a faint diagonal patch where the rain hasn't reached. Having said that it does seem to be getting fainter and I suspect in another few months it will be much more uniform. On OP's original question, if you are going to save a big lump AND can coat it all easily then maybe go for coating it at home. Bear in mind it is a 3 coat system so I wouldn't bank on doing it unless you have a dry space to work in (large shed / garage). I can't remember our cost differential but if I were to do it again I would probably go for all factory coated as coating the few bits I had was a chore. I would also add that it does look great. I spot other cladding jobs in our area that look a bit pants by comparison (to my eye) and I wonder what combination of timber / coating was used.

Just to follow up on this, we went for granite in the end. A multitude of colour choices beyond that too which was another time consuming decision. Time will tell how it performs (only installed the other day)

Thanks for all your input everyone. As touched on above laminate isn’t on our list, but could be (although I suspect it will get vetoed by the senior partner). Glass is the tricky one as it looks great in some showrooms we have been in and was the front runner but there is precious little real world discussion about it online. decisions decisions

Yes @ProDave I did prefer granite because of that. I think we are in a similar neck of the woods (Aberdeenshire) and reading through previous discussions I think you visited a supplier up near Inverness?

Hi guys. So after much chin scratching the time has come to select our preferred kitchen worktops. I’ve listed the obvious contenders below after perusal here and elsewhere. Any other thoughts or options? We are after a light colour scheme so staining/general robustness is a concern. Corian - Initially the preferred option but mixed reviews here. Doesn’t seem to be as wear/stain resistant as initially hoped. Granite - nice but we would prefer a lighter, plainer look and most granite seems to be dark and/or speckled Glass - Also a contender but very little out there in terms of real world reviews. Anyone have it here? Marble - I like the look of this but again appears to be prone to staining/wear. Quartz - not looked in detail but could be an option. Any thoughts here? Timber - Versatile but probably too dark for our preferred aesthetic Polished concrete - would likely clash with our grey floor but open to suggestions. We steered clear of a polished concrete floor as we understood the results were a little unpredictable.

Hi @lizzie. Agreed that is sharp. You may have mentioned elsewhere but what material did you use for your soffit/eaves? I can't really tell but it looks smart and matches with the windows and other trim well.

Any recommendations for/against Reynaers CP130/CP155, Sunflex SVG or Origin? Velfac were also on the list but their max size doesn't quite work here.