Jimbouk

Thanks for all the comments. The plasterers will be cutting the holes when they board, as I would have expected... One less task for me!

Just wondering what the normal protocol is for who cuts the holes in the plasterboard? We have fixed all the back boxes in and wired, plasters want to board and skim over everything, then electricians find and cut the holes, obviously the electricians vice versa... What is the norm?

Hindsight, is a wonderful thing! Although I must say the advice on here has helped immensely across the build. Did consider four oblong slots for the pipes, but decided that individually holes would probably be easier to seal around with acoustic / intumescent sealant afterwards. Time will tell. Would certainly have been cheaper, as would using a mains drill, my build is circa 100 miles from home, don't leave any power tools onsite, and my 2 seater convertible has a rather limited load capacity! Need to get a new drill today, was going to be brand loyal (?!), have lots of other tools in the range, and a couple of new batteries and a charger are always handy.. this is look a good bet? http://www.screwfix.com/p/makita-dhp459sfe-18v-3-0ah-li-ion-lxt-brushless-cordless-combi-drill/6407p#product_additional_details_container

@MrsB. Yes, exactly that. You choose on as the camera and one as a receiver. I suspect you would need some additional lighting, as at night all I get is a black square as the image! Has worked well for me, I've ended up taking a monthly paid for subscription, for a limited archive. Really pleased with it, my site is over a 100 miles away from home, but gives me a way of see what is happening and who is on site! I've got a separate time lapse camera going too, recording the whole build. On Monday, I think we had about 14 people working on site, makes amusing viewing at high speed. Good luck in catching the lowlife...

Just spent the last two days install the pipe work and some of the plenums for the mvhr system. Definitely not a job to tackle on your own! Feeding the pipe, or 50m red python, through posijoists and holes in floors is a fiddle to say the least, towards the end finding a route for the 19th pipe was a challenge... What amazed me most was the toll on our drills! Lots of 79mm holes to be drilled through floors and joists, but did not expect three, yes three, makita 18v drills to start smoking and subsequently fail, all were of a 2014 vintage. Clearly not a good year... Generally I have found their 18v range of tools excellent, but surprised at this failure rate. Did not feel we were abusing them, very gingerly using the fourth at the end, as need to complete the task and get the insulation in before plasterboarding commences.. Heyho, on the grand scale not horrendous.

Apparently all our windows and doors have been fitted today... off to see them at dawn tomorrow! Time to choose internal windows cills, the whole house is clad in cedar, so was wondering about using some for the cills too. Nice piece of continuity, or is it a no-no? Would give it a couple of coats of osmo oil to protect.

I too am fitting my first fix Mvhr on Thursday.... Wondering what the best approach is to mounting the plenums? Screw them to the joists and then try to cut the plasterboard to fit, or cable tie them roughly in place and let the plasterers align them to the holes they cut in the plasterboard? Also have the same question regarding how far from the hob.

Great write up. Do you have a silencer at present? The pack I have just purchased from BPC has come with a large silencer that goes between the mvhr and input manifold.

As we progress with the 1st fix, spent last week running almost 3km of a variety of cables around the house and through the posi-joists. Next week will be tackling the mvhr ducting, which has got me pondering on acoustic insulation between the ground and first floor. At the moment planning on 100mm of earth wool slab, then plasterboard nailed to the posi-joists beneath. The joys of forums and the internet has now got me looking at resilient bars between the posijoists and plasterboard and sealing everything up with acoustic caulk (green goo). However wondering if it is worth it, surely the mvhr ducting will act as a giant diggerydo and the plenums breaking into every ceiling / room? Or is this even more reason to do it, as a mitigation exercise? Also how should the ducting be installed to minimise noise, laid on posijoist bottom section, dangled down on cable ties in void or brackets screwed in?

Thanks for all the responses. I fear I wil just have to absorb the hit on this, thankfully it relatively small!

Invoicing by main builder going fine, everything zero rated. However I am using another contractor for a piece of work outside the scope of the main contract. They are not sub contracting to the main builder, nor do they wish to. However they want to invoice me with vat at 20% on labour and materials, saying I can claim it back at the end of the build ( I will be doing this on some of the materials I am buying direct fine). But can I claim back the vat on their labour element? I fear not.... anyone advise?

Looks good, interested in your led lights. Their thin profile is very appealing... We also need to install into a sloping ceiling (33 degree pitch) and looking to use the lights over our kitchen area / especially the work tops. How good are they at projecting light downwards when installed on a angle?

Equally being over 100 miles away from the site is not ideal! Lots of v. early and late night runs up and down the M5.... hopefully my licence will survive......

Pudding, thanks. Love the look and the view!

Thanks for the insight. Does sound challenging to simply integrate together. Also having played with Smartthings for the last fortnight, I have found it somewhat flaky, so unlikely to want to rely on it. Leaning towards the Adroit system....

Shortly going to have 30m2 of redwood decking going down. Being slightly obsessive, I don't want to be able the usual screws in the decking. So I am looking at either the Camo or Kreg concealed fixing systems, they seem to basically be a jig that enables a hole to be drilled in the vertical side of the decking, then attaches using their bolt / screw. Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts or experience?

Just joined freecycle, on the quest for a similar kitchen!

Crofter, recognise your location makes EBay more limiting, but I have been amazed by the kitchen appliances I have purchased via it over the last few months. Mostly Miele, it seems to have been coming out of high end refurbishments, where the equipment has hardly been used, but they must have the latest / shiniest new ones. I estimate new cost would have been circa £8k all in, yes I have travelled a bit, but got it all for sub £800!

As I am now approaching first fix, I have already succumbed to z-wave controlled roof windows, and installed lots of ds18b20 sensors in the ufh screed. Just started playing with a smartthings hub in my current home too... So as I debate on which MVHR unit I go for, I have started noticing that some have a BMS output, Building Management System? What is one of these? What does it talk too? Can I link it to Smartthings / internet? The Adroit MVHR has web access, but cost the best part of £1k more than the ventaxia kinetic, the latter I could control via a smartthings switch, (well at least put boost on), also it has a BMS port... Can anyone enlighten me?

Thanks for the tip, have not got as far as the pump set yet. Just assembled the manifold and system and pressurised prior to the screed going down. This was quickly done last week as a temp installation, to check the pipe work and have it pressurised whilst the screed being laid. Contractor called me from the site this morning to say that the pressure had dropped down to 1.5 bar, before they started, so I suggested they re pressurised. All good. I turned up on site late afternoon, screed almost finished, great job. Just as they were about to leave, I go and check the pressure gauge, dial pointer at zero..... Called them back, dial at zero, looks of concerning starting, no leaks, I go to repressurise, so that we can try and identify where the leak maybe, dial does not move. It was stuck on max all along, rather embarrassing, but a good outcome!

Thanks, think we might as well tape it, what gauge plastic did you put over the top?

So I had a trip to Wunda Trade today and now have a hilux full of ufh pipework and associated gubbins... We are using the staples to attach to the celotex or rather the membrane over the top and into the celotex. Just wondering if all the celotex slabs should be taped as well, or is that just over kill? Going to be using a dry screed.

Thanks, @Ferdinand you are correct z-wave is only on the pivot ones. Anyone used the z-wave windows?

Just about to buy our roof windows, roofer is keen on Fakro rather than Velux. Just wondered is anyone else had a view? Looking at top hung, so as to avoid walking into open, pivoted windows. Now I'm getting tempted by the z-wave remote control functionality of the Fakro one (albeit I think it only comes on pivot ones)... anyone used the z-wave features? Will probably end up with other z-wave elements in the house. Too many options...

Vijay, yes you will either be reliant on battery life or in my case, plugged into the mains. It is not a solution for everyone.