Conor

Not true. You can still vent externally. Yes, you will be dumping heat to the outside, and you will imbalance the MVHR during operation. However, as my friend that designs and installs MVHRs pointed out, it's normally only for a few minutes per day, so doesn't have a significant effect on air quality over 24hours. I would suggest ripping out the existing extractor motor (keep the hood if you want) and fitting an externally mounted centrifugal fan, like one of the Monsoon ranges from Fastlec. This is exactly what I have in my house, and when fan is on full 600m3/hr mode, is virtually silent.

I can see where you are coming from, but I don't think it would be viable in reality. A much better option is to build a basic basement "shell". I.e. a concrete box that is just required water proofing E..g concrete floor slab, ICF walls, external tanking) and build the habitable spaces above. In future, you can fit out the basement and convert it to habitable space. That's basically what we are doing. We'll apply for planning. And BC in the future once we k ow what we want the basement to be. For now, it will be classed as storage and plant space.

I have an LED dimmer switch and bulb in our living room. It's terrible. I suggest you try a couple setups before committing to anything expensive and permeant.

Old carpet and carpet underlay.

It's worth sending an email in to your planning department to ask for clarification. I was in similar position when building a "shed". As it's rear wall doubled as a boundary wall, the hight limit could be interpreted as 2m, rather than 2.5m as it would for a standalone shed. Their interpretation was that the higher height limit applied. They recommended that I send though as constructed drawings and they would send through a confirming compliance letter.

Steel

That's exactly what I thought of. I got some samples and one of them basically looks like rusted steel. I'd guess much easier to work with and install than the steel. I've had the samples outside for over a year now, and they look perfect. Great material, I'll be using if for my soffits and fascia. Would like to use more of it, but can't as we're in a conservation area.

@andyscotland you definitely want to do the top coat as continuous coats. But it's the fastest and easiest part of the job. You'd have that area painted in less than two hours.

If it's just copper pipe tails, then15mm push fit end caps / stop ends. It's worth having a bag of them anyway, really handy when your doing your first for and want to test sections of pipes.

My neighbour used a pop-up gazebo. You only need to cover the sections you are working on (for the rest of the roof, use flat tarps with 2x4s under to keep off the deck), and remember the chemicals cure reasonably quickly so you can move it as you work.

The difference will be pennies per load. You use way, way more water flushing your toilet. No doubt that handwashing uses less energy and water than handwashing. Then again, do you handwash your clothes?

Welcome. Demolishing and rebuilding quite often the sensible approach... Same for us. Any ideas or what you want to build?

Update. Spoke to architect. We're now proposing to run a steel beam just inside the curtain wall, with the base flange extended out 65mm so windows can sit on/under. Will minimise cold bridging as will just need a wrapping of aerogel on the beam flange. Now off to the SE for her thoughts.

Think of it in terms of risk. E.g. ground works and foundation works have much higher risk than say, fitting a kitchen. And the proportion of cost and programme contingency need to reflect that risk. E.g. I'm allocating 20% contingency for groundworks, and 5% for second fits, heating system etc.

Thanks Russell. So I'm guessing as the doors/windows will be predominantly on the concrete core, the insulated part of the form wil project out ~50mm or so, just like in a standard wall build up. Ours are quite exposed, so will need some sort of sill / damp proofing.

@Russell griffiths Do you have more detail on the build up? E.g. where do the doors fit withing the wall? Flashing/ water proofing? Cheers.

Yes. Has to be a 5 panel system. Anything else won't work with the windows on the first floor. We had it drawn up with a 3 panel lift and slide but it really didn't look right. The bifolds I've been looking at have u value of 0.8 and class 4 airtightness and 25 year guranguaranteetee. so I'm not worried about that. (Similar cost to lift and slide doors). Either way, we'd still be left with my architects plan to put in a load of I thermal steel to support the mezz and rear bedroom where in reality a single beam across that span and another joining at 90degrees at the bedroom wall would do everything

Channel idea was plucked out of my head, I'm not a "real" engineer... She's just got the drawings from the architect... But I don't want to go down a road that's going to end up at a sub optimal and expensive end (i.e. the miriad of steels internally to support the mezz and rear bedroom floor) solution when there is a simple one possible. We have the option of constructing an ICF beam that would end up with a 150x250mm concrete core. But then the total thickness would be 300mm with the windows sitting in the middle... Would look rather odd.

In a bit of a rub with my architect. We have a 5m wide opening that has 5 panel bi-folds on the ground floor (2700mm) and five fixed panes directly above on the first floor (2200mm). At first floor level there's an open mezz, then a bedroom. I had always assumed there would be a 300mm deep RSJ spanning across and giving somewhere for the bi-folds to hang from, and above fixed panes to sit on. My architect is against this as it would be thicker than the glazing systems and difficult to insulate and therefore a really bad cold bridge. Instead, he's suggesting that the glazing is treated as a single element and designed accordingly by the glazing supplier. And the internal floor slab would be on a seperate, internal beam system behind the mezzanine. Issue is, both bifold door options I'm looking at are top hung and require something solid to bolt in to... So a commercial style glass curtain isn't an option. I'd have to change door systems... I was thinking a price of 300mm X 100mm steel channel. This would allow the bedroom floor slab to be supported as well as the glazing. Just not sure how it would be sufficiently insulated? Anybody have a similar detail? (Please note the 6th panel on LHS on ground floor is gone, total span is 5m on both floors)

We've already reduced the lower half of the glass wall from 6m to 4.5m, and the upper portion from 5m to 4.5m. and made a lot of the other south facing windows smaller and changed double doors to single in the basement level. Will know the impact a bit more once we model it again, but I'm hoping overheating risk will be greatly reduced. I also have to keep reminding myself that we live in Northern Ireland by the coast... In summer it's exceptional for temps to get anywhere near mid twenties, and at night time anywhere near high teens. Very different to southern England. I do not miss summer in Kent...

Our issue is the structure to which the brise soleil needs to be attached to.... It's currently in the design as a timber former with flat roof, with glazing directly below. This means there's nowhere to attach verticle supports, above or below. So will be a little tricky. And it's also facing directly in to the prevailing wind at 2nd floor level... So just assuming it's going to be a little bit atypical. Considered external roller blinds as well, what kind of prices have you got @Adam2?

Welcome. You're in a similar position to me. 2 years of planning, and I've started the slow demolition process. I've realised how tough it is, so I'm limiting myself to internal demolition (wall linings, ceilings, M&E, kitchen etc) and leaving the heavy work to the ground works contractor.

Plastic bag and some tape. "Good enough" practice.

Just looked up the enphase inverters. Max operating temp of 65c and I have spotted them on eBay for about £100 each. Double the price of a single inverter though...

Thanks @Barney12 The roof panel system is counter battened, so in the channels there will be a decent air gap for ventilation. I'm not sure of the exact build up though.