Gone West

Brick slips are slices of brick 10mm to 15mm thick which can be stuck to various substrates to give the effect of a solid brick wall. It certainly works as everyone thought our brick slips were whole bricks. https://www.wbs-ltd.co.uk/systems-solutions/system-finishes/15mm-brick-slips/ On the area under the porch glazing I stuck the brick slips directly to the EPS using gel PU glue. On the area under the front door you can see the EPS which was covered by the ramp up to the door. On the rest of the brick plinth the brick slips were attached using the Wetherby system on to BluClad board.

I stuck brick slips on mine, and five years later they were still there when I sold it.

I used metal boxes in the kitchen but elsewhere used plastic back boxes from TLC which were Kensington make. They were useless so changed them all for Appleby. You can get metal dry lining boxes but they're more expensive. Edit: The Kensington boxes were bought about six or seven years ago so the design might have improved since then.

We went for a Full Plans Submission which was checked and approved before any building work took place. I then knew that as long as it was built to the plans there was no comeback.

I was checking this out a few weeks ago for making a new window opening. I think the Naylor economy lintels can be fitted either way round but the pre-stressed ones are marked top. https://naylorlintels.co.uk/products/

Not like your windows, but IIRC I used two strips of Compriband, which fitted into grooves in the side of the window frame, which were 15mm wide and 10/18 expansion. I then used the Soudal foam to seal up to the Compriband tape inside and outside. The advantage of the Soudal foam was that it was very flexible after it had set. In your situation I guess you could use a wide strip of Compriband, with appropriate expansion, to seal the glass to the stone and then use burnt sand mastic to point the glazing.

I used Soudal foam, along with Compriband, for sealing around my windows and doors. Didn't use any tapes and got 0.47 ACH airtightness. https://www.sealantsandtoolsdirect.co.uk/soudal-soudafoam-window-door-sws-airtight-acoustic-gun-grade-expanding-foam-12-box

I've used the Paving Expert website for many years for stuff like that. https://www.pavingexpert.com/

We designed and built our own house to PH standards and didn't use an architect and I did the PHPP modelling. We were members of the AECB at the time and spoke to local architects about the build and had large numbers of AECB members visiting our site. From what we found out, there was little understanding of what PH really meant and the only certified PH architect visitor didn't fill me with confidence. I must add this was twelve years ago and things may have improved. I certainly wouldn't bother with employing an architect unless they were PH certified. It's important to model the design using the PHPP as you are then able to vary different aspects of the construction to find out where changes can be made to improve overall performance. By using this method we were able to build the house without having a conventional heating system and to design the internal layout to suit our requirements.

Another to add to your collection. https://www.dimplex.co.uk/product/edel-hot-water-heat-pump

Perspex is softer than glass so scratches more easily, but also polishes out easily. It doesn't go cloudy, you may be thinking of polycarbonate. Before deciding to use Perspex I read that there are pieces of perspex from WW2 aircraft canopies that are still clear.

Blimey I had forgotten all about Comet, that was some time ago. I like their long guarantees, sometimes they have offers where it can be increased to ten years, although we've never had anything go wrong as far as I can remember.

We used 10mm clear perspex in our balcony. Lighter and easier to handle than glass.

This thread may be of interest.

We have always had Miele dishwashers that have always had a cutlery tray at the top. We wouldn't choose any brand other than Miele for washing machines and dishwashers.

That may be because some solid walls are more solid than others. Our 600mm stone walls have a rubble layer in the centre so could lose less heat due to the air surrounding the rubble, than a 600mm solid concrete block wall. The more accurate the data fed into modelling software the more accurate the results.

Ooops, sorry finger trouble, should have said "less" rather than "more".

Thanks @SteamyTea. I'm not surprised at the CO2 figures but am amazed that coal produces more PM2.5 than wood and that oil is so much less.

Yeah I know, just teasing.

What you need is a PV array 😃. Our last quarterly electric bill was £160 which I guess is due to the PVs and ST.

I'm not sure about that, but I don't have any data. The only coppicing that was carried out near where we lived before was Sweet Chestnut. IIRC it was coppiced every seven years. The trees were never allowed to reach any where near the size where they were able to absorb the maximum that a fully grown Sweet Chestnut tree would absorb. The trees were used for fencing posts and pales so at least were not burnt and the sequestered CO2 was not immediately released back into the atmosphere. Again I don't have data but it would be interesting to compare the CO2 and particulates released when burning oil in a 90% efficient condensing oil boiler and burning wood in an efficient wood burner. I can't imagine burning coppiced wood is better than burning gas though. @SteamyTea may have some data on that.

Only when you're trying to save money. When you're trying to ensure continuity of supply you need to store at any price.

Oh dear. How many young trees would you have to grow in order for them to absorb the same amount of CO2 as the tree you cut down and burnt.

Unlikely. You really need specialist paint for a concrete retaining wall. I used Durbocem on an old concrete block retaining wall in the garden last year and it still looks as good as when it was first painted. There are other manufacturers that have good reviews. https://andrewscoatings.co.uk/shop/interior-exterior-walls/damp-mould/durbocem/ https://www.brewers.co.uk/product/BN6065E

I recycled all the rubble from the garage blown down by Storm Eunice. I filled the garage pit that I didn't want, and used the rest in the gabions I put up to support the rear wall of the garage. I faced the gabions with sandstone found in the garden. BEFORE AFTER