Big Jimbo

So the 3.4w is what. Loss per meter ? And what about block in wet , or dry zone ? would that make a difference ?

Sorry, slab on ground, the DPC would be above the marmox, and in the wet

In my head there also has to be a big difference when using either a floor slab on ground, or a block and beam floor. On a block and beam floor, the "marmox" block would be in a dry zone, ie: DPC under block and beam. However, slab on ground the DPC would be below DPC. So if you are going to use either lightweight block, or marmox, in One situation, the block is going to be in the wet, in the other it's not. Perhaps the super block has less need, or use, if doing block and beam ?

So which is it ? 3.4w for 50 meter perimeter, or 2kw ? These can't both be right unless the 2kw represents a house with a perimeter of a mile ?

That looks great. I tried it with 3 railway sleepers stapped together, dragged along by my mini digger. Didn't do anything like as good a job as yours. I wish i had tried an old 5 bar gate with some weights now.

I love the wall behind the stairs. Your own handy work ?

Now you are going to have to cover them up, to stop them getting damaged. Nobody is going to see them again for several years. 🤣

@Pocster You sexy futhermucker.

I have just used a structural engineer for my drawings and structural calculations. I will have to add some information to them to make them complete for Building regs submission, but not a great deal. The last time i used an architect, i got something that could not actually be built. IMO, an architect is good for initial ideas, but at the point you are happy with basic layout, i would hand it over to a structural engineer.

@Iceverge Thanks for doing that, and making it so easy to understand. It's funny how so many people state that if you don't do it a certain way, your bills are going to be through the roof, and the planet will explode. So with using number 4, and actually getting my wife to turn the odd light off, i would be doing just as well as all the Greens ? Obviously, they would still be doing better than me, because they would never leave a light on. Thanks again, great to see it actually worked out.

Make them like the kids from that film, Village of the damned. Nobody will stop anywhere near your house then.

Poke it in the open end. Sorry couldn't resist that

Your right @ProDave. Thinking of myself. Always on site, and would always make sure I was onsite for an air test.

It's why I got out of banking. Can't use any common sense, but have to just trust what the computer says. Glad the fella got it sorted with bco rather than having to butcher his doors, and spend money on fans. Good to know that common sense won this time. Yippie for common sense.

Not having a dig @JohnMo but if we are going to apply science to a property (or anything) then it should be done right. Air tests are a bit like Saps. A guideline but not a diffinitive. Loads of assumptions are made when doing saps calcs. If you got a C, and were properly tested, and monitored during construction you would be lucky to get an E. All these science tests are useful, but dont actually paint a true picture. So i'm just saying that common sense needs to be considered, which is what the BCO appears to have done.

Then the test is flawed, and will never give a true result. A bit of common sense should be used when losses that should be taken into account are not. This is obviously what the BCO thought. Are you saying that his uncontrolled losses should not be taken into account ? If that is so then it makes the test a farce, and worthless.

Well done. Just remember the real world is very different to the text books etc. Decent BCO by the sounds of things. Well done for flagging up the expensive piece of shite work you had done, by the twat with qualifications.

Thank you everybody....... BCO are not monsters, or always right. They have done the right thing. Bloke who did the test is still a total knob. I would be all over his firms social media, and leaving a nice (not) review on google etc. What a total waste of time he has caused by being a total twat.

So the OP got a score of 4, but it's not a proper score because some of his uncontrolled air losses were not taken into account. (They were taped up) So is everybody saying that this was a good, and valid test ? Twat looking for more money for a re-test was wrong. Air tester needs to put this right, not the OP

Technically he is not right, if your un-taped up extractors will contribute to your uncontrolled air loss., is he?

I'm up for a fight today. You dont need to fix it. You had your house tested, it scored 4 and you failed. However no account was made for the fact that your existing extractors will add to your uncontrolled ventillation when uncovered after the test. Argue your case with the BCO, and the airtest twat. I have never lost an argument with a BCO yet. Your uncontrolled leakage from your extractors will prob give you an airtest score of over 5. May even be over 6 which would be a fail against the new regs. I don't mind people telling me i'm wrong, but i'm not. (most of the time.) You just need to explain this to both parties. Don't waste money on stuff you don't have to.

As you might have guessed i detest people who draw pretty pictures of things that can't be built in the real world. people who do tests without using a bit of common sense. people who work in Council planning Depts, and people who busy body on Parish Councils. All the rest i like.

As previously said by others then. crack open the window latches on a few windows. That will make your house more leaky. I would have had the bloke up against the wall outside. Covering your vents for an airtest is fine, but in the real world they will not be airtight. They will add to you uncontrolled ventilation when uncovered and not in use. You obviously got a right One for your airtest. Ask him to explain in writing why nothing has been taken into account for the fact that your extractor vent have been made airtight for your test, but wont be airtight when uncovered and will add to you uncontrolled air leakage. Was he 16 and just out of school ?

I'm waiting for you to get below 2 @nod. I know you build in block, and do proper dot and dabbing. Go on you northern monkey (Only calling you that because you wont come down South and do my plastering) We know you can do it.

No bathroom extractor is going to be airtight. So taping it up for the test is fine in order to get the best result. However, cutting 10mm off the bottom of doors etc. Really ? When just one of the OP's extractors is uncovered his air leakage will rise, even when the extractor is not in use. Therefore, no need for chopping doors etc is there ? Bloke is just looking for a re-test fee.