mads

Yes, I did and have also shared with the architect but apparently not helpful. I need to go back to the company and see if can get anything more but thought I would ask here in case others have sussed this before.

How did you fit them? Do you have any architect diagrams that I could share with mine to give him a different way to look at this?

Hello, Following on from my post asking about external blind suppliers, I tasked the architect with incorporating some external solar blinds into the construct (brick and block with 150mm) so that the boxes are hidden rather than being face fixed to the windows. He has come back with the following response: I wondered if anyone has managed to do this? Thank you, Atif

As others have said, where is the 25mm max limit coming from? Re: ENT tubing, it is cheap but it is not smooth internally so could find pulling cables more tricky as can snag. I am having posi joists fitted which will allow larger conduits run and will fit smooth inner to prevent snagging.

Thanks for sharing. I'm interested as to why they then mandate it? And could it be different if the tank size was doubled?

So some modelling shows... Over 10 years, based on a 5% YOY price increase (I think this is too low imo), the fresh water supply cost for my scenario would be: 2025/26: £304.56 per annum 2034/35: £472.47 per annum The total over the 10 years would be £3,830.72 vs £3,045.60 if the costs were to remain static. Looking at just today with the current costs, the ROI timeframe is 26.6 years Looking over a 10 year horizon with the above increases, the ROI timeframe reduces to 21.1 years Over a 20 year horizon with still a 5% YOY increase, the ROI timeframe reduces to 17.3 years

£348 for the year vs £304 for ST Water on a like-for-like

Thanks. Though I have to say that my exercise presumes the costs stay the same for the entirety. We know that the cost of water supply is going up, with numbers of around 36% over the next 5 years. If I assumed a 3% YOY increase to the fresh water price, that goes up to 360 pence per m3 in 10 years. At that cost, it could shave off around 8-9 years from a ROI timeline. I need to do some financial modelling to see what this might look like over a 10-15 year horizon as I suspect it will be different to the static view I have started with.

Garden is 1 acre which will be 0.4 acre lawn, 6-8 sqm vegetable patch, medium to large greenhouse and 6m diameter pond to keep topped up, plus plants and hedging so expect fairly high use - in-laws are avid gardeners too. When I sent my request to suppliers, they came back saying I need a 5,000L tank but to be on safe side for droughts then consider a 7,500L one. I was going to get a 10,000L as I also have outbuilding roofs which I haven't factored into the water capture calc. Water cost is actually m3 - had the wrong units described and have corrected in my file. Doesn't change the calcs. Waste cost doesn't apply to me so I would zero it out. I included it in case I share this with anyone and they may need to use it due to connection to mains sewerage. For me, the ROI is around 30-40 years so one to think about in terms of capital cost outlay. Was useful to do the exercise and hope it helps others. I had to do a few iterations to get to a point where the ROI time frame balanced out. The replacement pump cost drove it up and I would look to see if 3 years is too frequent.

Kingspan Klagster 4,600ltr system was mentioned. Re: long dry summers, I think this is where making sure you have a high volume tank is important so can store more during the shoulder months when we do have rain.

I decided to create my own calculator on how much I could save on water by RWH. Here is the calc (I included a waste water section though not applicable for me). Happy to upload the file for others to use for themselves, if helpful. I have only done it from a water consumption and waste water perspective. I have not factored in electricity costs (as I personally feel this is negligible and most of us will have PV) but have included replacement pump costs.

I was thinking that if I go down this route then there would be a drain around the majority, if not all, of the perimeter to take any rainfall from brickwork away.

Happy Friday all! Speaking to the architect yesterday about wanting a polished concrete floor in the kitchen that then extends out to the patio area, he advised that he had intended for a 150mm step in/to outside rather than it all being level. I was quite surprised given he had put in dual sliding doors in the kitchen which would like nicer with no threshold step. I've then asked what about the front entrance, to which it seems that that is a flush threshold (for accessibility purposes). Now if that is the case, we will have entrances on all four sides: N: front door E: annexe entrance (older folk residing) S: annexe patio (older folk residing) W: kitchen patio Given this, should I be pushing for flush threshold all around the house? Is splashback from rain etc a big issue? Any significant risks around damp? I am trying to design out issues around accessibility (particularly for older people living with us) and its not just an aesthetics line I am pursuing. Thanks in advance

Why not get the builders to put conduit in and then pull the cable yourselves?

Valid points. I guess for me, its also the sustainability aspect of it and reducing the need for potable water. Can an IBC be buried? Probably, but would suggest very shallow with little weight on top of it and somewhere with no vehicles driving over it. My intention was for the RWH tank to be in the driveway so need to be more robust than an IBC.

In your view, is that also the case for a sewage treatment plant which discharges to watercourse? I don't have mains sewer and no soakaway due to heavy clay. Without hijacking the OPs thread, my reasoning for installing one is with a 6 person household, with 2 older people and at least 1, if not 2, working from home, there will be higher usage compared to a "standard household". Plus gardening, car washing etc. soon adds up on a water meter.

personally, I think it is a good half way house between cat5 and cat7 (I don't see a residential need for cat7/8 unless you have a MASSIVE house). It can be more expensive than cat6 but I find most people are not comparing like-for-like as they compare unshielded cat6 against a shielded cat6a (I just re-checked on Cable Monkey website and costs were comparable in my view). I agree with @bmj1 that some of it comes down to how long the run is and I did caveat that if you can afford it you should. As others said, make sure you have enough runs into a room first and then consider how much budget you have for determining cable type. In my last place, the lounge had 4 network points for TV, AV etc and then a WAP for the wireless devices. Re: future, the things I see requiring more data transmission are high def TVs mainly but who knows what the future might bring. I am thinking real-time streaming of CCTV with AI might require a bit more data too.

@simonr, I'm interested what the Kingspan control system was meant to do? And if the new pump covers it all? Also, did you put a header tank in somewhere to stop the pump activating each time there is a toilet flushed? Thinking about noise in the middle of the night in the house if someone goes to the toilet.

If the conduit is wide enough then it shouldn't be hard. You can have bends but not sharp 90 degree ones. Ideally sweeping ones. I am planning for 50mm conduit for pre-made fibre cables to allow for the jacks to not get stuck. I doubt you need so wide for Cat6a cable. Sounds like you are being fobbed off as they don't want to put/have the ducting as they then need to be more careful.

If you can afford it, go with the Cat6a now Definitely terminate and test after cables are laid. Leave an extra half coil length so when you cut off the plug to properly fit you have enough length left. Yes, terminate after you have run the cables. Its a PITA to run with the plugs attached. Fit them afterwards.

I'm hoping not to be needing to ever get under the flooring But on a serious note, realistically how much "empty space" will be under the floor given recommendation I have seen is 225mm between floor underside and the ground. Though writing that just now it does feel like unnecessary excavation when I consider the ground floor will be 195sqm.

I like the idea of hiding the APs above the plasterboard. I have explored recessed brackets for Ubiquiti APs which are now readily available compared to when I did it 7+ years in previous house.

Hello! My architect mentioned that the SE is proposing a block and joist foundation rather than a concrete pad (which is what I was expecting) Just wondered if there is much difference between the two in terms of benefits, costs, etc? Re: ground conditions, we live in an area with heavy clay (awaiting geotechnical investigation report)

I would agree with bmj1 on this. Its what I did in my last house and plan to do the same again (though am also routing conduits for fibre in future, as well as LIFI points but thats for another thread) It is not hard at all. I would suggest you save your money and do it yourself. I ran 1.5km of data cable in my last house and had 30+ connections. I got my wife trained in terminating the connectors (piano fingers) and she was a pro by the end. Buy some decent tools and tester - will cost you no more than £50-60 total and they are useful for any future uses you might have.

Thank you all for the warm welcome Yes, planning permission already granted. Took a year to get to but done so now on to the more exciting, and nervous, phase of more detailed design. Yep, ours is a 1960s bungalow which has been extended a couple of times and done with varying quality and thought. Our neighbours when we moved in had done the same and said similar to you so decided to go for it. Yep, absolutely made it clear to the architect that we are not aiming for a passivhaus but want to adhere to the principles so making sure we are covering those elements and not compensating with technology. We are going with traditional block and brick. Decided against SIP as not convinced on its longevity personally. We are also incorporating some metal cladding into the design. Oooo... will have to follow your build closely and take notes. Planning is all done and tbh other than some minor alterations, and a to-and-throw with highways, it went through as we had designed. We made sure we got support from local parish, which I think helped. Plus there was some precedence from our neighbour who did the same 2 years ago. I hear what you are saying and to be honest, if I had the opportunity I am quite certain I could PM it myself. I grew up helping my parents do up properties so learned a lot. The challenge I have is that with a young family, we do not want to be in a caravan on-site for longer than needed. And I think I can bring more value by earning money to fund the build rather than do the PM. Perhaps once this one is done, I can convince my OH to do another one