PeterW

Do Not seal that gap ..!!! You will end up with a window frame full of water...!! We went back to a house where someone had done that - water running into the house as he had blocked that and the drain holes "to stop draughts"....

We had a quote from them and I nearly fell over as the quote for the Genvex unit and installation was nearly £11k... that was due to the "house layout" when challenged but it didn't include installation of the ducting so I didn't get that reason. We got an updated quote a few weeks after with an offer of round £2k discount so I am assuming they make £4-5k on each order...!

Whilst I agree it's a bog standard cill they are chambered for both strength and insulation purposes. The issue is that second web is already bent slightly and tbh it's not going to take much to distort that cill completely. Rehau and Profile 22 cills are 5 chamber minimum and are designed to be either filled with a packer or come from the factory pre insulated - Rehau use flow foaming to fill chambers as it is extruded and the cill profile material is much thicker to ensure rigidity. They also do the same on some of their higher spec frames and use recycled plastic "E" section as frame reinforcing where other fabricators use galvanized steel which is seen as a cold bridge. UPVC profile isn't that strong and I've seen it distorted by badly fitted packers and fixings and also by foam expansion - like @Nickfromwales I prefer Tapcon or other screws as fixings but you have to ensure that you don't distort the edges if you do over tighten them - they are there to stop the window falling out, not to jam it tight to the opening ..! Pack either side of your fixing and you can minimize any bending.

The cills are designed to be hollow and are box section to be insulating - no point filling with anything as you could distort them. Fitting a cill is as simple as a quick bead of clear CT1 or silicone along the back up stand angle and then 3 decent woodscrews holding it on to the bottom of the frame. Mitre bond the end caps on, don't forget to make sure the cill is centered or that you take the horns off before you start. Is it glazed or have you got to glaze it too ..?

Meter install is free. You pay the DNO for the connection and that's the cost (£1200 for 2m..!!) Reading the Eon email there is no minimum contract so I wouldn't worry and find a lower charging supplier.

40/100 Adaptor

I've got one of these wired to a plug ... 1200x300 LED (Not from this supplier...) It's like daylight when it's on ..! I plan to get some of the 600x600 ones of the 'bay and use those as work lights inside.

Thanks @JSHarris I've put together a similar pack with a specification document that goes with it. Difference for me is that it's a conversion/extension rather than a new build so there are some regs that are more "relaxed"... One thing - did they ask you for any structural engineer calculations for the glulam beams ..? I've got a whole stack of steel calcs but don't know whether to send them on or not ..?

@joe90 have you got a link ..?

Ebico is 21p a unit which seems high however with eon the standing charge is 26p per day unless you do a monthly DD and the minimum they would accept is £25..! I can't see us using anywhere close to that so as soon as the MPAN is on the system I will change it.

In England and Wales you need a DER and TER for a new build - design and target emissions rates. They are then checked at construction and the way to get the air infiltration rate is to use a blower door test. You don't have to do this, you can assume the worst case and then that has a knock on to the final SAP/EPC rating. This is only is required for new builds - conversions are exempt from a lot of that for some bizarre reason ..!

Thanks - may well end up as Ebico as soon as the mpan is registered into the supply system.

Does anyone know off hand of a list of electricity suppliers that don't charge a standing charge ..? eon have fitted the meter today but it's costing me more in standing charges than usage and I want to swap asap ...

@TerryE Cold Supply MDPE 25mm/22mm Stopcock 22mm tee to draincock 22mm PRV with strainer 22mm full bore lever valve (FBLV) (Tee into 15mm feeding toilets - temporary until rainwater installed) At UVC 22mm FBLV Y Strainer 22mm Control Set 22mm PRV - feed to balanced cold on all taps w 22mm FBLV down to 22/15 for all feeds UVC 22mm / 15mm tee (multiples) feeds to taps (isolated) 22mm to ensuite 3 way mixer 22mm to bathroom 3 way mixer Think that's it - for various reasons the rainwater system isn't going in until it's all signed off (Anglian Water being one reason ..) so it looks like we have an unbalanced tee however if it stays long term it will get a 1 bar PRV, otherwise it's on a pump and filter set up.

So back on this for a mo... due to space in the box, swapping out the DP for 2 SP (thanks @Steptoe for the advice) resulted in a bit of a rejig but all went well. Eon have not only tagged all the meters with seals, he decided to tag the Henleys too as he's been in them and adjusted the tails. Each tail now has an isolator, one in this box and one in the next for the local board, and he also added correct tagging on the meter tails too which I've not seen before. Only comment he made was around the earth block as he would normally fit one but given there was one already there he left it and used it direct from the DNO breakout. Pretty pleased with it as a nice tidy install - sparks back tomorrow to move the gates onto "our" power finally ..!

Really like the integrated seating - you could put a double step in front of the doors and make it lower still as it would give you the building to lean back on. What do you plan as a balustrade ..?

That's an oak, possibly 35-40 years old from that photo and very rotten ..!!

Just a teensy observation .... Thats bloody huge ...!! Whilst it may not have been tall, it's possibly 20-30 years old and has been significantly pruned in the past - potentially pollarded. I would be pleased for that to be gone on clay too ..!

You made a mortar capping rather than a concrete one. I would go with what @Triassic said - thin coat of coloured mortar preferably made with waterproofing agent in it and then a strong concrete mix with some ballast in it too.

Filter....

Reject it.. Supplier needs to resolve with a repair (you've tried) or replace. If the controls on a heating appliance do not work then it does not give me confidence that is safe to operate !! Did you pay by credit card..? CC company is jointly liable to resolve.

No more is that evident than on a couple of local mass built estates near me. I did a snagging visit on one recently and noticed things such as (as they used Speedfit) that the collars were not screwed closed etc and there were various places that the pipes crossed over each other for no apparent reason. And don't get me started on the state of the insulation !!!!! Where it met a pipe clip, there was a gap.... Most of the "cuts" looked like a demented squirrel had gnawed at it, and the pipework in the attic - for no other reason than they didn't put it under a floor as it was just H&C to an ensuite - was insulated with 15x9mm.... I mentioned the water byelaws and minimum thickness and I was told thats how they always did it and no-one ever complained..! Suffice to say after a short exchange of emails with the UK technical director of said company, the insulation was fixed in around 40 houses....

I'm glad it's not just me ..!!!

That looks like a London - have you not got any you can pull out as a sample as matching by photo is a nightmare. Have you considered a brick slip system ..?

Ok ... if that is still live and connected then you may have another issue - but a smaller one ..! Looking at that map if it goes anywhere then it is through the garden of No.14 and down the back of the houses. If that is the case then SW would have had to adopt that sewer over the past couple of years under the private sewer scheme - notionally they could ask you for the full cost of connection to that point (it's their sewer now) but more likely they will roll over and just charge you the infrastructure charge for a connection and be done with it. I would still want a sonde and a Cat on it, followed by a proper survey if it seems to go onwards until the last red dot on that map. Any chance of going to see the neighbours at the house where the sewer seems to end and looking down their manhole ..?