Gone West

It was only used to water the garden.

I renovated a Victorian farm workers cottage back in the nineties which had the original rendered brick underground rainwater collection tank. The water was filtered through a double sand filter bed before entering the tank and then being pumped through a lead pipe to the scullery. The water in the tank, which hadn't seen the light of day for a very long time, was crystal clear. All I did was replace the lead piping with MDPE and replace the sand in the filter beds.

At our last place I also did my own testing using an Amazon test kit and then got lots of quotes to have it removed.

I used Bluclad board for my brick slip clad plinth.

Our frame was a 350mm timber I-beam portal frame which was fully clad with cedar with the exception of a brick slip plinth. The windows and doors were set halfway into the frame and were strapped onto OSB fillers fixed to the I-beam web.

+1

Yes it was.

Our windows were fitted with two rows of Compriband and foamed with Soudal Soudafoam Low Expansion foam. The windows were strapped to the reveals. I didn't use any type of airtightness tape or membrane and achieved an airtightness reading of 0.47ACH.

This thread has just reminded me that I bought a Secoh full service kit, for the old EL series pump, about six years ago. The part number is K-EL-60/80/100/120W/150W/200W. It moved house with me and it's been sitting around in the house for too long. It it's of any use to anyone I'll send it to them if they donate a tenner to Buildhub. Just let me know.

Our Secoh pump lasted eleven years before we replaced it, with another updated Secoh pump, which was more economical to run. I did use to turn the filter through 90 degrees half yearly and replace it annually. I also replaced the diaphragms every three years, just to be sure.

I think that looks like a good solution. I'm sure 50 litres of hot water is fine as an emergency supply, as 40 minutes recovery time is reasonable. Just read your last post. An aerating shower head would reduce the water use.

AFAIK the phosphate treatment will not have any effect on the anode eroding. The anodes are to stop the tank material from corroding where there is some possible damage to the interior lining of the tank.

We had Amtico LVT floor tiles laid in the bathroom and en-suite at our last place. I took a great deal of care preparing the floor so the fitter could just come in and lay them. When he looked at the floors he said he would have to do some filling and scraping. He spent quite some time doing this and at the end it was like a mirror. He said it was critical that it was perfect, as any imperfection on the floor surface would show on the tile. I'm afraid I can't help with floor primer but IIRC he used a knife, straight edge and roller, but I didn't see a soft hammer.

We are gradually replacing our windows and doors ourselves and are fitting triple glazed windows on the north facing wall. We are purchasing them from Modern UPVC Windows and the quality and price has been fine so far. They do a flush casement as one of their styles. https://www.modernupvcwindows.co.uk/upvc-energy-efficient-A-rated-windows.php

Welcome back. Sorry to hear about the problems. We've moved to the west country, so are a bit closer to your neck of the woods. I'd be happy to provide assistance but as I'm also in my 70s I don't think it would actually be much help. Hope it all gets sorted successfully.

Does the drawing show chamfered edges on the underside of the slab? Is that because there is a fillet on the edge of the concrete conduit or just where crud has built up.

Can't you buy a 30cm square concrete slab and cut it to size with an angle grinder.

God, that's grim. Mind you it's pleasantly warm compared to the temperatures in Calgary recently. I don't know how my daughter puts up with it, but she doesn't mind, that's youth for you.

I'm going to be installing Cedral Click T&G on the back of my place this summer and from what I've read it's pretty straightforward.

+1

Thirty years ago I neatly cut the bricks out and mortared around the horns.

Felt really pleasant going out today. Mild breeze was a pleasant change from the recent cold. Shame it can't last.

We haven't had any snow but have had 43mm rain in the last 24 hours. It was 13C when I woke up this morning! My youngest daughter lives in Calgary where the forecast maximum temperature today is -10C. It got down to -30C last year.

I haven't fitted windows with horns since the early nineties.

We live in a bungalow and I took one of the chimneys down last summer. It went ok, so I'm taking the other one down when it warms up, and it will be a similar job to yours. I was going to cap it off in the loft after bricking up the opening and pouring insulation down the hole. I haven't decided what type of insulation yet, but probably EPS beads or expanded glass beads. Someone else might have a better idea about the insulation.