Reiver

OK thanks for those comments I'll try and check them out. How did you do that please Tony? I've seen something about little robots spraying foam from below, but other than that it seemed to be a matter of ripping the floor up!

Thanks for that @scottishjohn . Apart from a box room and a wee bathroom adding some inches to the exterior walls shouldn't be a problem in most rooms, though as you say it will be a lot of work: there will be a fair bit of stuff like cornices, architraves & fire surrounds to replace/move. The vapour barrier idea is interesting, but I'm wondering would there be any long term issues with the plaster which would have been intended to be kept warmish & dry by the heating and would now be outside the insulation envelope?

On the wall I looked at there appeared to be 60...70mm of space. Not room for a lot I know, but considerably better than none.

Sorry for the long absence but COVID has rather messed life up as I'm sure it has for a lot of folk. I haven't managed to find anywhere to do a new build yet, but happened to come across a rather interesting possible renovation project last week which I'm kind of tempted to have a go at if I can make some sense of it. One of the things I'm struggling with is getting any insulation into the walls which are typical hard stone/lime mortar (600mm or so) with lath and plaster on the inside. I'm aware of the breathability issues and the only potential solution I've seen mooted is to blow either cellulose fibre or EPS beads into the cavity behind the lath and plaster. Does anyone have any experience of this please? and/or know of a reputable installer North of the Border.

Mmmm, after looking up the current carrying capabilities of the Wavecon cables, I struggle too. A 95mm2 cable should do at least 3 houses @ 15KW, whereas the 300mm2 should do 7.

A local roofer once told me that 30 degrees was the minimum - but we do have plenty of wind and rain round here!

If you're not going to get paid for it is it worth the cost of hooking up to the grid at all? I think it would put some folk off.

....so the rules and regs can work against the environment!

Mmmm, looking at the chain of responsibility, legally it might be solvable. So Severn Trent have a responsibility to stop sewerage erupting. If that is being partly/wholly caused by surface water runoff, then it it Severn Trent who should be going after the council to get it sorted. If they don't then as I see it they are failing in their fiduciary duty (duty of care) to you and the other villagers.

From what I remember from neighbours who had similar problems if it's sewerage water the LA have an absolute and undodgeable responsibility to sort it. If it's just water running off the hill however then you could be on your own.

Aaaah, but Tecsound is a rather different material to HSD plasterboard, it has a VERY high damping factor and can kill noise a lot, particularly if you can sandwich it between a couple of rigid bits. I've only used it at work on metal panels/structures (and in the car ?) but it does seem to work well.

You might find something useful here: www.buildinglimesforum.org.uk.

We have lots of "wild" blackthorn in hedges (or "dykes" as we call them) round here and it's resilient stuff, seems to flower best after a hard winter when it can be quite a sight, looks like there's been a fall of snow. Round here it seems to make sloes even when trimmed, though maybe not quite as many as when left to grow naturally. To make a good dense hedge, regular trimming seems necessary.

You forgot "jobsworths" ?

Yes, but the idea will be that the water enters the pump at the top (sump needs to be fairly full) to avoid picking up crap from the bottom.

They look like the clamping bits for the blade. And yes, on such things the pump does often just lurk in the bottom of the coolant sump - I presume it has a filter on it?

Best not to get too abusive, even if they do deserve it. A good pal of mine had a real rant at his next door neighbour (who was being and indeed still is an unpleasant t**t) after a few pints and ended up in court. Unfortunately it seems that giving someone an accurate assessment of their character and demeanour is no longer acceptable in the nanny state, even if no physical violence is threatened. Just remember revenge is best served cold, over plenty of ice ?

Why not ring Mexco and ask what the thread is? 0845 602 4274

Might it be moisture from cooking that accounts for a lot of the difference then? Without knowing the temperatures and what the external humidity was I wouldn't like to make any other guesses.

What are the walls mode of in the cowshed? and the extension?

Good to see the works progressing. You may get more mice - I once did for 10 in a week in my kitchen, but then they can have litters of 8 or so, so it's a veritable population explosion when they leave the nest. Choccy cake/muffins is great bait too. Maybe get a cat. Or a sausage dog, just as good at mousing and much less independent/more fun than a cat.

I suspect it will be a bugger to sort out I'm afraid. Most coloured aluminium is done by anodising which is a chemical process, growing a layer of aluminium oxide on the surface of the metal and applying a dye into that layer. Unfortunately alkaline (caustic) substances such as wet concrete will eat away at the oxide layer and affect the dye. The best I can suggest is to try and find a matching non water-soluble dye (could even be a permanent marker) and apply to the affected area to see if you can get it to match: good luck. Otherwise swap the trim out.

"Jobs for the boys" still rules then it would seem ?

That is appalling - it's hardly rocket science, especially with the CAD tools easily accessible these days. If it were me I'd likely do it myself if that's the attitude the "professionals" are going to take.

One thing that occurred to me after watching the Durisol, Isotex and Velox videos was that if you were worried about blocks moving, a couple of quick dabs of low-expanding foam in the middle of each block (to stop blebs on the outside) could significantly improve the strength of the stack before pouring. Shouldn't add a lot to put-up time either if everyone carries a can on their belt.