RandAbuild

Have you tried using a strong magnet to find the plasterboard screws?

Hi @NSS - did you go with Max Stairs in the end? Were they any good? Anyone else had experience of them? We've had a very competitive quote for stair reference 53 http://www.max-stairs.co.uk/index.php?c=gallery&m=129 from them.

We had 9 windows and 5 doors, including a 3.6m wide sliding doors with side windows and inward & outward opening french doors. The cost was £335/m2, exclusive of VAT.

Take a look at IdealCombi windows https://idealcombi.com/ Triple glazed/aluminium clad & PUR, with slim 53mm profile. Triple glazed one has U value of 0.79. Here they are on our house in December last year (which is why it's so grey!)

I wonder about using fibreglass for the wear layer, but I suppose it depends how much you’re going to use it. We’re planning to use EPDM on our balcony – anyone had experience of this? We are using porcelain tiles on telescopic legs. The rest is 18mm OSB and drainage to a single outlet using firrings under the OSB. Would also be interested in the suppliers for and details of fixing glass balustrades

Our GF UFH has just been installed - 6 circuits amounting to about 600m of pipe @ 200mm centres, the longest being 103.4m. A single manifold should be fine, as long as the manifold is fairly central in the layout

+1 on hand blade. I confess we're covering all the options - MVHR, electric underfloor heating in the en-suite, plus heated towel rail with electric element for summer use. Completely over the top. Our current towels dry overnight on an unheated towel rail, so they'll be like a crisp in the new house .

Do the hobs sit on the unit frame or the work surface Terry? It looks like they will sit on the work surface, which in turn sits on the frame. In that case reinforcing the front rail as you suggest should give more than adequate support if it's a 30mm steel angle. It should support the weight of a major pot of stew anyway!

Our experience with IdealCombi has been good (other than the delivery, which took 3 attempts before their logistics outfit found a vehicle with a moffat). We had 9 windows varying in size from 685x1350 to 2700x3225, 3 french doors and one sliding door 3600x2100. This was about £425/m2, for triple glazed, aluminium/PU/stained timber, with a combined U value of 0.9. They are beautifully engineered but need careful attention to detailing and sizing. They are virtually frameless, in that the opening sashes only have 10-15 space all round to the brickwork. It was tight in a TF building, but could be a problem in brick and block.

We've used this (as supplied by our TF company): http://www.protectmembranes.com/protect-vc-foil-ultra-insulating-avcl/p/12

This is our date stone. You could get one of these on a larger stone and cut it down to size. It's not as much fun as doing your own of course.

I think you're being too self-critical. Gives it character! I doubt anyone but you will notice it once it's finished. Gauging brickwork is one of life's mysteries. Our brickies were nearly 1/2 brick out on the front elevation when they came to the upper floor windows. All the brickwork lines up though, so it was puzzling how it was out. The brickies blamed the timber frame. This is mm perfect, but I suppose the calculation of the gauge may have been out. It was easily remedied by dropping the frame opening by the same amount (fortunately the windows aren't in yet).

Sorry to take this off topic, but just a correction - the markets have been influenced by the uncertainties caused by Brexit, so Terry is right.

I bought a couple of these from Screwfix: AE0293 PORTABLE LED WORK LIGHT 24W 220-240V Very bright, rechargeable, portable. Lasts about 3 hours

We are currently installing our MVHR. Its a radial 75mm pipe system with a Vent Axia Sentinel Plus - our floor area is about 230m2. It's not working yet so I can't vouch for its quietness. It was supplied by BPC - highly recommended. The ducts seem to go in easily if you have posi-joists, but you need to plan the routing carefully to avoid too much overlapping. The unit is in a separate sound-insulated cupboard off the landing, so it's fairly central. Looking at your plans, you are likely to need more space for the ductwork than you've shown, but these could be boxed into the corner. The SVP next door is a plus for the condensate drain. I presume the vents will be vertical through the roof - you'll need to get 1500mm separation between supply and extract.

Given that it's a relatively short overhang, can't you use a cantilevered timber construction? It would reduce the likelihood of cold bridging and make insulating it a lot easier. Treat it like a balcony?

Terry - I'm no expert on fire regs, but would have thought the simplest way of dealing with boxed-in ducting is 2 layers of plasterboard? If you wanted you could uprate this to the pink fire-rated stuff which is one hour rated for a single layer. As you say, it's all about detailing and 'thinking fire' - what route could smoke take through a building once it gets hold.

@James13 I was going to use Marmox Thermoblock, but in the end we used 2 courses of 7N blocks.

Having seen this in the flesh, I think it's ingenious!

Thanks NSS - very useful

Looking at @NSS blog http://strawberrytreelodge.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/stage-3-jetfloor-topsheet-ufh-pipework.html , we have the same floor build up but are currently aiming to board out the Jetfloor and leave putting in the final insulation layer and ufh after the frame has gone up. This to to avoid damaging the ufh during erection of the timber frame. Would this be better than putting in the insulation & ufh now?

Can you use underfloor heating manifolds?

You were right - it needs an F Key. Anglian Water are sending one. Thanks!

Redoctober - thanks - will try that.