PeterW

@Adsibob not sure as they were spec and not installed by me but I assume if there were issues I would have known about it !

Can do both but tbh the quickest way is just close them down to 400mm centres with the same depth; secure the ends of every hoist properly; ensure all floor and ceiling noggins are installed with z-clips; ensure all boards are glued with D4 to every joist and every joint. That will give you the most solid floor with the components properly installed.

IP65 would be good but not essential. Make sure the lid is sealed onto the track and you will be fine.

Not unless he can pull a new cable in as RGB needs 4 core and he only has T&E from the attic.

Clear CT1 is your friend here. Warm in bathrooms is nicer than cool.

A lot of self build insurance companies cover own scaffold and if it is put up properly then there are very few issues. They have a duty of care to themselves to check scaffold and not use if they think it is unsafe. The bigger issue is contractors changing scaffold - I’ve seen them take a stihl saw to uprights when they are “in the way”..

I know BCOs who won’t accept that as there is a gap and they will only go with the load calcs of a single lintel. If we’ve needed to beef up an opening then using a concrete lintel on the inside flange of a standard cavity lintel is another option but they are heavy and need propping while they go off.

I would say that’s part of the main house structure as it is under the main roof so the planning rules on adding a front porch to that would apply. @DevilDamo..??

Going past anything other than 140mm will cause issues I think over openings as you will need custom lintels for all of those - 215mm lintels are designed to be installed vertically and not on the flat so you would have to potentially use steels on every opening as standard lintels will only support a max 150mm inner leaf.

Doubt 12mm ply would be cheaper than board and skim. And it won’t be fire retardent where board and skim will be.

If you want a thicker wall then go for 140mm blockwork - 215mm is overkill and unnecessary.

Admin are still laughing at your joke ....

Yep both would work - you’re talking tiny amounts of additional water.

Loads of space. If the buffer is only 60 litres then you could even wall mount it. You could also switch the layout and get the buffer under the stairs - would give you more room ..??

No point in spraying at this time of year as there isn’t enough growth and you’ll just be wasting chemicals. If you want it tidier then a brush cutter with a star blade will take the top off but to be honest you will struggle to do anything with a standard domestic multi unit.

400 litre Telford or even a 500 if you can get it through the doorways and have space for a 50 litre floor standing expansion tank ..?? I prefer Telford as you can spec exactly where you want the connections to go so you don’t end up with miles of pipework all around the front of the unit. You could ask for a pair of immersions (and stat pockets) to be added to a standard 500 litre tank with the first pair mid tank and then only heat the top section when it is the two of you and switch to the lower stat when there are more. Diverter would do the top as primary load and bottom as secondary load.

How old is the van ..? Cheapest and quickest way (which is permanent so not suitable for leased vans..!) is to buy some of the yoga or camping mats and cut them to shape then glue to the roof panels with contact adhesive. Best to try and get the fire retardent ones but that will stop condensation forming. also be aware it may be due to high humidity in the van due to a leak letting rainwater in, or even a heater matrix leak which is increasing the humidity causing condensation.

Yes - put something temporary in until you have all the plasterboard and large products inside then get the door installed. Do you not have any French doors or similar ..? Watch out for sofas and things that size that may not fit a standard doorway too.

Cut slips come in at around 50p each plus the cost of the bricks and they sometimes don’t get two from each so they can get quite expensive. Plenty of manufacturers out there but when you add the cost of backing systems or grid system and adhesive and grout / pointing they can be quite an expensive solution.

To ensure they aren’t off balance they need to be on the same wall. Try and get a minimum 1200 horizontal distance between them and vertical separation if possible. Also make sure they are accessible (or don’t have fine mesh on the intake) as you will need to access them to clean them otherwise.

Consider blown beads at those thicknesses as they will be as efficient but may be easier to install.

600mm founds are pretty standard as they are a bucket width. Lintels at 200mm cavity are better done as separates, a lot of passive houses are 250mm timber frame with a brick skin if required. The standard lintels max out at 165mm so you can get a bit more width. What insulation are you planning ..??

Volumiser..? So it’s on the cold side not the hot side of the pipework ..?

Any buffer tank in this setup ..??

Depends !! What are the heat loss calculations for the house and what is the heating mechanism ..?? UFH..? Rads..? Both ..? All impacts on ASHP sizing. 8kW I would say was borderline and if it’s also doing DHW is possibly slightly under sized. Next step up would probably be 11/12kW so would want to see a proper set of calculations.