Nestor

I am not sure if it needed to be emptied as its only been in use less than a year. Using a long batten it does not seem heavy at the bottom of the tank. I wish I had taken some photos of the interior before I fitted it as very little clear information from WTE on their site.

We have a Vortex and recently the settled sludge return became blocked. Not quite sure why, possibly a power cut might have not helped. Had to spend bit of time with a pressure washer to clear it.

Hi @PeterTweeter Glazing we used Internorm for the slider and Kastrup for all other doors and outward opening top hung windows. All triple glazed, timber and aluclad. Velux 3G roof lights.The fitters were awful and a lot of the glazing was replaced because of roller marks. PM me if you want the suppliers name. Tools were Dewalt DWS780 Mitre saw, 305mm. Makita 18V power tools, impact driver, drill, grinder, jigsaw, multi tool and the best one the DHS680 circular saw, just brilliant. Also purchased a Senco DS5525 for fixing OSB and plasterboard. Great tool just a bit too heavy. Whole building just screws except nailing strip on metal roof. Finally a table saw, ancient but with sharpened blades has been really useful for the Cedar cladding. All tools faultless. Tata was straightforward for me though many others had difficult communications with them. At the time the product was about £25 / sqm which suited our budget. Over 300sqm required. The workshop became the kitchen - dining.

@PeterTweeter I stick built my new build as it was feasible with my limited experience, a pleasure todo though a little niche. I cannot imagine large house building companies doing the same. Takes along time to be water tight. Also fitted a Tata Steel roof. Work in progress.

Thank you, I thought so. Yes they have, recently being a little picky but won't complain. I think just fed up with self-self builders taking 4 years + to complete.

@PeterW @ProDave My Building Control has asked for a sound test certificate. I read somewhere that detached dwellings do not need one. I cannot find confirmation of this in Approved Document E. Your responses appreciated.

Couple of threads here.

It will be fine. Now go have a drink and relax.

From my limited experience I would say don't panic. With Celotex on top, the final screed will determine the level for your final floor covering. What thickness is the final screed?

I am planning to put in some through the wall ducting before I close off a first floor bathroom ceiling to enable fitting later, a multi split AC to provide cooling for the upstairs bedrooms during the warmer days. The UVC is usually back to full temperature by 10am via the PV diverter so the PV can offset the AC during the later daylight hours. Would you let me know what system you fitted? Thank you.

The Tata / Catnic panels are fairly rigid, oil canning is inevitable but minimal in my experience. I did not want to puncture a solid deck with yet more fixings. The only downside to supporting the panels with just 3 battens is the noise when windy as the panels do ripple. I cannot confirm this but laying panels directly onto a solid structure even with matting must create condensation. However Zinc roofs have been fitted and lasted for decades.

I fitted a warm / vented roof using Tata - Catnic panels. Insulation above the rafters, breather membrane, batten and then panels. Unconventionally I did not use a deck to fully support the panels.Air can circulate directly underneath which I hope also keeps excess heat away from the warm roof. Zinc was not an option due to budget and a task beyond my abilities.

I have vaulted ceilings, a warm roof with 305mm of insulation, it was not difficult to build. 200mm Rockwool in the rafters, 70mm Rockwool above the rafters then 35mm Pavatherm T&G. Wall, floor,roof buildup.Sept 2017..pdf

I fitted an 8 port manifold in an 800mm wide cabinet. I did put the manifold to gather first just to double check it would fit.

We have an additional Access Point in the house ( Cat6 in all rooms) and external cable running overground (temporarily) with another Access Point in a shed. All works fine for 9 people using Zoom, Playstation etc. .

I am near completion of a timber frame new build ( 275sqm ) which just happens to meet Passivhaus Certification, I think a fee of £3k was mentioned earlier on a thread but I cannot find confirmation online. Maybe a useful sales consideration if the property is to be sold. Out total DHW and Heating (ASHP) requirement was 3891kWh over the past year. Heating about 2/3rds of that. I appreciate that figure is specific to our family needs. Insulation, air tightness and attention to detail were the contributing factors to our build.

I do agree with the above. Was just interested and you highlighted the position and location which does have a minimal impact on performance. Ours is southeast facing, about 35-40 degrees and has no shading.

We have a 3.74kW PV array and it produced 95 kWh in December and 109kWh in January. What is your average over the year?

I did spend half a day up at Tata for some basic training, no great detail. Without openings its very straightforward. You create an upstand on the Colorcoat panels to fit under the Velux flashing kit. Enclosed is the Tata Spec Guide, drawing ASU05 for Top Abutment as well as roof lights and drawings for a warm roof. It might be worth getting quotes from professionals as it is a small roof, I had 300 sq metres so the savings were considerable. Specification-Guide-Tata-Steel.pdf

Yes , it is possible. I have a similar timber frame build, air tight, 3G glazing, ASHP, UFH, MVHR and budget with minimal building experience. However, the only professionals hired were plasterer, electrician, ground floor screed, install of ASHP and commissioning for RHI and some minimal plumbing. If you can do the rest from groundworks up to the roofing and plenty of time, 3 years + go for it.

You will need 3 tools to fit the Tata / Catnic, listed below. I also purchased a metal blade for a circular saw. Its straight forward to fit, nailing strip on one side and hit with a hammer and block of wood the other. I had 300 sqm to fit and 7 Velux to fit round which was a bit of a challenge. You might find the delivery charge is more than the product. 1 EAVES CLOSER CU094300 Tools 2 STUBAI PLIERS CU094200 Tools 3 FLANGE MATE CU094400 Tools

I have recently built a new house which by chance meets the below Passive House specification , I did not set out to meet the specification but due to the amount of insulation, MVHR, PV, 3G windows and an ASHP it could be referred to as a Passive House spec without the certification. https://passiv.de/en/02_informations/02_passive-house-requirements/02_passive-house-requirements.htm Passive House requirements For a building to be considered a Passive House, it must meet the following criteria ( for detailed criteria, please see the building certification section): 1. The Space Heating Energy Demand is not to exceed 15 kWh per square meter of net living space (treated floor area) per year or 10 W per square meter peak demand. In climates where active cooling is needed, the Space Cooling Energy Demand requirement roughly matches the heat demand requirements above, with an additional allowance for dehumidification. 2. The Renewable Renewable Primary Energy Demand (PER, according to PHI method), the total energy to be used for all domestic applications (heating, hot water and domestic electricity) must not exceed 60 kWh per square meter of treated floor area per year for Passive House Classic. . 3. In terms of Airtightness, a maximum of 0.6 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals pressure (ACH50), as verified with an onsite pressure test (in both pressurized and depressurized states). 4. Thermal comfort must be met for all living areas during winter as well as in summer, with not more than 10 % of the hours in a given year over 25 °C. For a complete overview of general quality requirements (soft criteria) see Passipedia.

We have never run out of hot water, probably happen now.... due to the capacity of the cylinder. The DHW is always on, not timed unlike the heating. We had a few families visit last summer and no one mentioned a lack of hot water. Presently we have another adult lodging with us. On sunny days the tank is usually back up to temp via the PV diverter by 10am during the summer. I guess the next size up is 400L.

We were spending the same amount on oil in our old 100 sqm bungalow, damp and mouldy and very cold in the winter.

We have an 8.5kW Ecodan with 300L UVC. 3.74kW of PV and a solar diverter. 285sqm / 750m3 new self build, ugh, air tight with MVHR. The ASHP has used 4100kWh in the last year to provide heating and hot water for a family of 4 adults. 4 + showers a day, occasional bath, daily washing up and have had heating on in only 3 out of 14 rooms. Homeowners being encouraged to adopt the new (old) technology are in for cost shock but that is probably due to the quality of the build and the price for that specific unit of energy. But maybe that is part of the plan...still using lots of gas at the CCGT plant.