eandg

I'd have thought increasing Building Standards capacity is a help to all - don't know the detail but there's a looming skills gap/shortage as the average Building Standards Officer is in their early 50s and it's not a very attractive (or competitive financially just now) role for young people interested in construction.

No idea - easier to edit than to draft and I couldn't conceive that budget! It does looks very nice though I think the entrance is all a bit underwhelming for the site and price tag. I'd be wanting a bit more of a sense of place.

Would be helpful to see orientation etc to comment fully but looks very interesting so apologies if my comments appear a wee bit harsh. May just be my ignorance of the site/misunderstanding of the drawings but I can't see why you need to go into the ground (with all its expense) at all - who'll ever use the stairs off the street, or the courtyard off the study? Even in its current form you could just stick the cinema room in that gap but for me I'm not sure from the current plan that you'd get any sense of something extraordinary which you should be expecting on that budget - lots of nice features but looks like you'll be arriving to a depot with a big garage and a side door. And there's then the practicalities of how far you'll need to travel to get from car to living space - particularly bedrooms. I dare say you'd soon get fed up if you're like me or my kids and routinely forget hats, gloves, bags etc. and need to nip back in to a bedroom a fair distance away. There's also lots of dead space which is fine if you can afford it but I just think you could do so much more with the site and budget.

Also interested (and have been recommended ultimate for all insulation), and wondering how long delivery time is from Germany?

Thanks; adjusting layouts would appear to make sense.

Thanks Ian - from the drawings it goes further but doesn't go all the way to the block plinth with the join to be grouted on site. There's various requirements (needs to be 215mm block for example) and calculations but I'm paying other people to work that out. This is the drawing provided by the manufacturer and from correspondence the thermal conductivity of the EPS is 0.031W/mK.

I'll need to go find and then work out what it all means! The perimeter will all be insulated (60mm insulation) with exception of doors which I imagine will help out the sides, it's just the potential to lose it down the way.

Aye, could have saved myself some bother if I'd just said that!

I do but not on my phone unfortunately. It's just basically a spantherm type slab. But it is basically the same detail as the screenshot (taken from spantherm website).

No, it's a precast insulated concrete slab suspended on blockwork creating a void to a groundbeam which sits on piles - we're not falling down. Have advised wunda of build up but still advising they need a thermal break which I hadn't planned for.

Slab is precast, specced by us (self designing) and signed off by engineer and for warrant, but not yet installed. Wunda advise we'll need a thermal break for UFH but that may not be the case then?

It's 325mm EPS with 50mm structural concrete topping, with concrete deeper at the joins.

We have a precast insulated slab which we had intended laying UFH onto then pouring 50mm liquid screed. Had overlooked what appears to be an obvious issue of requiring some form of thermal break to prevent the UFH simply conducting heat below. And ideally one that's as minimal depth and as cheap as possible given we have little wiggle room on the appertures (kit may need to be re-engineered) and budget. U-value of the floor is 0.11 so not necessarily needing any additional thermal insulation just something that'll provide a break and ensure UFH is efficient. Any thoughts?

Will be using a pre-cast insulated slab so keen to minimise any openings. Can we run broadband in the same ducting as electrics or should these be pulled through separately?

Thanks (and on my list for tomorrow).

We've been delayed far longer than expected which means we're up against it to get ASHP in and commissioned by the end of March to get cashback/RHI. Looking at our programme and cashflow just now and wondering if we need UFH (and screed) in to get it commissioned or can we do so without connecting up?

Is the letterboxes just belt and braces good practice? Can't see anything on the regs but would appear to make sense and allow airflow through.

Needing to confirm the number and location of periscopic vents asap before groundworkers' brickie is out. Scottish Building Regs require: Presume it's floor area for the ground floor only? A standard 220x215 vent like this appears to give 6600mm2 air flow so by my reckoning my 14m wide walls would require 4 on each side (1500x14/6600=3.18). Is that right?

If it's arguably PD (and presuming a very low chance of any complaints for a carport) then why not just build it? They'll only get back involved through enforcement if there's a complaint.

Another of the multiple 'things I read and know but have now forgotten' ones here. Currently speccing insulation boards for contractor and can't quite remember why the more expensive Kingpsan Thermowall boards are better than the Celotex or Quinn equivalents when the given u-value for everything seems to be the same on all the data sheets. Any help appreciated!

I don't know City of Edinburgh Council at all but from my experience of/in various local authorities (including our largest city council) I would politely contact whichever of your local councillors is a member of the administration and advise them of your concerns and let them go to bat with the Head of Planning and DM manager on your behalf.

Huge but horrible... who in their right mind pays £1m to live anywhere near Bolton?

Reviewing kit drawings and the manufacturer has allowed for 882mm openings which I'm presuming is sufficient for an 826mm wide door (will confirm when I go back with comment). They only provide internal load bearing walls and I am just finalising positions. In an ideal world I would be shifting the door a little bit from the preliminary drawings to ensure kids' bedrooms are the same size, which would allow only 1045mm for the door (as per sketch below). Is that sufficient?

Watched the first two earlier in the week. Still utterly perplexed as to how normal people can afford to live in the South East given house and land prices. And equally as confused as to why it took so long for the second couple to get anywhere near to finishing their house (or why they had bespoke furniture kitted out in rooms they'll not use while the nursery hasn't even been boarded six years on) - presumably a financial issue they didn't want to disclose.

How are you getting on with your rooflight details? One - of many, no doubt - things I have overlooked today so a very interested observer.