Conor

Different subject, but 100mm PIR is a bit on the low side, you want 150mm or more.

Have you completely ruled out UFH? At those prices for rads, UFH will be cheaper. You'll also not need to worry about wall space, and have much bigger water volume so the heatpump will work more efficiently. And you can take advantage of overnight tariffs. We had a calculated loss of 3.5kW, and installed UFH in almost every room and powered by a 9kW heatpump. We normally only need to run it at 30c for 7 hours off peak, unless it's a proper cold snap. Wouldn't change a thing. We haven't bothered installing the three electric towel rads we bought as there is no need for them.

If I knew that, I wouldn't be wasting time on an internet forum 🤣 (The biggest challenge isn't generation, it's the distribution network, load distribution, storage, resilience etc.)

Our company works (design) on nuclear projects. We're winding up and shifting (same with oil and gas) to renewables and transmission infrastructure because there's no future in nuclear in Europe. Every aspect of it is difficult and expensive, and is getting more so each year. Getting planning permission can take decades and cost hundreds of millions alone. Nuclear is heavily subsidised, as the real production cost is something like 10x conventional production. If you want a nuclear centred power grid, then you need to back in time by about 30years and start working on it.

Wot he says. You've basically made an ICF analogue but with none of the benefits. I wouldn't be using EWI on block, it's probably the most expensive way of doing it. Either ICF or standard cavity with the face of the block (plus scratch coat) in line with the EWI, with the one render system over the lot.

Exactly what we have and had similar issues. Ours came wrapped in plastic tho. I'd say about 1 in 10 or even 1 in 8 had a chip of some sort. Not really been an issue as I've been setting those to the side for cutting.

As Jay says, put in your pipe in as 32mm and you'll get a big benefit regardless of the last couple metres to the main.

Trust me, you want to meet the "stricter" standards of a new build, you'll end up with a much nicer, warmer, future proof home.

A DIY box section steel frame with timber slats was the original choice, but with a three year old and a 4month old in the house there just isn't the time. Just not sure how sturdy a 1.2mm thick aluminium slatted panel gate will be? We could get something bespoke made out of galvanised steel from Lithuania for about £2.5k. But a good 6-8week waiting time.

We need gates as our entrance is it's in the middle of a blind bend and we've two wee lads with as much sense as a cat in a lightning storm. We've not had full quotes yet but been advised to be paying £5k+ for something locally made. Looking for something quite simple and contemporary. Are these types of aluminium gates the real deal or flimsy things we'd be replacing in 5 years time? Two year warranty isn't exactly reassuring. E.g. https://www.casanoov.co.uk/electric-sliding-gate-pack-4m-halti-400c160-tanker-c600

No issue as long as it's inert material. I.e. no risk of contamination from previous development - oil, asbestos etc etc.

What's making up that 375mm build up? Is there an existing concrete slab you're building on?

I'd put a trellas up at the join and plant something, climbing rose or even ivy. You'll soon forget about the rest.

Always site address, if possible. Same for delivery, and I think this is the more important one. Not the end of the world of some are't, you just need a note to explain why it's different.

This is what I did in our old house. Please bear in mind this was my first ever attempt at home plumbing and a lot of it was correcting what the previous plumber did. But see what I mean re the Tee.

Or add dye and embrace the darkness.

Nope, nope nope. You could change the 90⁰ for a Tee (or a "Y" + 45⁰ bend), with a length of 110mm going to the right, then a boss connecting the shower waste. And a decent fall away. This is all assuming that the toilet is directly above and not dropping from a height.

Your builder and architect need to be taken round the back and beaten up. You're going to fail your as built SAP and won't get building control signoff or a mortgage. Drawing seems shows 100mm full fill insualtion in the cavity, your SAP assumes the same, along with lightweight blocks on the inner leaf. You're builder hasn't done that. You'll need to add insulated plasterboard to the internal walls. For the floor, you can use 50mm liquid screed and get another 50mm insulation in. And another 100mm insualtion in the loft is easy and cheap as well.

Way too uch. 150mm max. Single layer of mesh. What are you going to be using it for? It might be work putting insulation in. You'll not be able to do it easily in the future. 200mm of EPS under the slab won't cost much.

As a general rule, if a wall is, or is in part, retaining, then the width of the footing should should be equal to the height of the retaining portion of the wall. In your case, about 600-700mm? In these cases the footing acts more like a beam, so depth is less important as the load is spread out over the soil, rather than down through it. I'd dig down deep enough to firm ground, the full width of the path, and pour 25nm concrete to the depth that allow you to pave directly on top with about 30mm mortar. You'd want a wee bit of steel in there as well. Even just dowels for the first course. Our retaining wall founds are only 250mm thick and about the same under the surface. But they are 1200-1700mm wide with a fair bit of steel. In fact, one is at FGL and forms the base of a "shed". This wall is 100mm RC tied in to the slab, bricks and block used as shuttering.

Find a manufacturer and order direct. This is we got (back in early 2021). BMs were about 50p each at this time.

Has anything changed in or around the building recently? New paving, doors/windows, roofing works? Blocked gutter?

Our 315m² house is two zones. It would be one, but we keep the basement separate as it doesn't need cooling at all and very little heating in winter. We tweak room temps sby simply changing the flow rates in the loops.

You'll need to factor in the additional cost for excavation / muck away if using gabions. At the base they could be 3-4m deep. That's a lot of digging. When I priced up our external retaining walls, concrete (ICF) came in cheaper than gabions. In the end we used bricks as the "shuttering" for the RC for aesthetic reasons.

No, I think they are reasonable for their heights. Our 2.4m high wall has a 1700mm toe and 1200mm heel, all 200mm thick with two layers of reinforcement. If they were part of the building structure, where the ground slab and other corrected walls, your concrete would be reduced by about half. But building abasement comes with other Complications and costs.