Adamantium

They need the hole in this gable wall repaired - though I'm not sure I'm asking in the right section.

Hi all, Am trying to help out a relative who has a gaping hole in a gable wall. Can anyone recommend someone for me?

Hi all, Wasn't sure where else to find this on the internet then recalled the immense wealth of knowledge here. This is not a build problem as such. My brother in law, following my advice has bought an EV. He had booked a home charger installation and couldn't wait the two months required, so he has had fitted a 32 amp commando socket for use with a type 2 charger of mine (with a type A rcbo) and a 1m earth run back to the consumer unit. Because we've managed to beat the two month wait, I told him to put his single phase charger installation on hold, most because of the following. When looking to install the commando socket we noticed the incoming mains cable has a three fused output distribution clock, and two lives and a neutral. One of the lives and neutral go into his existing (not smart) meter. The other live I haven't looked at in person but I am told is no longer connected to anything. So, herein starts my questions. 1.If he has provision for two lives, is it likely there is a third further down the cable somewhere meaning three phase is an option, or are there situations where they would bring in two? I can tell you that the only mains cable from the floor is a single cable. I believe before he lived there the former owner may have had a dedicated electricity feeding the greenhouse and garden room which might explain the "two phase". 2. If there are three cores, I assume it's possible for the third one not to be connected at the street end. Is it a case of asking UK power networks to come and survey for a three phase installation? If so, where does the energy supply company come in? 3. Is there a dedicated three phase smart meter, or do you get three single phase meters installed? 4. Do typical residential energy suppliers - I'm thinking octopus - accommodate three phase and do you have to pay a standing daily charge per phase? 5. Is the government grant for home EV charger installation available on three phase chargers? That's all folks. Thanks in advance!

Mvhr sealed over completely. Could probably get behind the downlights, there aren’t that many. 6 wall hung toilets, the frame is very open to the wall cavity where the soil pipe drops. They’ve been foamed, rockwooled and siliconed, i think the loft is the issue, rubber seals have to be the way. It’s a big house, massive amount of work to seal. Why is my target 70? Sounds like a different scale.

Probably a good idea. Thanks.

Looks like that’s what’s happening. Failed the test but the numbers were not what I was expecting. Target was 70? Just missed out. They are coming back next week after some suggestions have been carried out. wall hung toilets, lots of downlights Los off mvhr vents, lots of ceiling speakers, air con vents, underfloor heating manifolds behind cupboards. Also cupboard doors to access the crawl space isn’t helping. We will get there but not today.

Thanks, that’s a helpful explanation. My house has been very much sealed throughout. It’s not passive house standards but there’s no noise or drafts. i have mvhr throughout as I did not want trickle vents, and suspended ceilings which join the wall cavities. My fear is every wire poking through into the ceiling void, every speaker, down light or mvhr vent. My biggest concern is they doors that seal the crawl space. guess I’ll find out today, but thanks as now I know what the results mean. Not sure what the target is though.

Because the builder scheduled it before lock down as we were receiving pressure to have the building signed off for the purposes of completing the CIL exemption and the warranty. can I ask, if it passes, what difference does it make how good the result is or isn’t? isn't it just a rubber stamp exercise?

It’s for a new build. i was told it’s unavoidable and the chance of passing is next to zero unless we can ignore the top floor somehow.

You would worry or you wouldn’t? i upper my solar to 5.6kwh to give me a bigger safety net. don't know what my target is.

Hi all, Have an airtest being done tomorrow. Any tips on how to grease the wheels in my favour? I genuinely have no idea how it will pass. Primarily because the loft isn’t really finished. Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks Jeremy.

Temp, I’m not looking for the 5% rate, I’m looking for the 0% rate for new build building materials. i was hoping someone had written to hmrc already.

Did we ever get a final answer on this? My solar was installed at 0% and I know there’s an allowance for batteries to be 5% when installed with a pv system, but I’ve yet to confirm the situation on secondary fit of a battery in a new build. i saw the old thread on here but it died without the answer be being confirmed. Anyone go through this and find out for sure. My house hasn’t been signed off yet so two years in, it’s still a new build.

There’s no wet plaster going on any surface on that picture. theres another layer of block work going on the inside which will be for and dabbed. as for the insulation, I gues they are making life harder for themselves but that’s their call. They seem to know what they are doing.

Celotex I guess. why wouldn’t they joint the block work mortar?

Builders decided to stick with architects plans and use NI design with a return. Cavity seems to have been dropped from 150 to 50 (might be 100 - I can’t tell). I’m happier with this as it gives the windows direct purchase on the block. Building control have confirmed they are happy.

Thanks for the help as ever! We settled on the architects original design. 16 steps to half landing 35.3 degrees followed by four more after 90 degree turn. 245 going 173.5 rise. It’s a lot of ceiling height to reach and the floor thickness is another 500, maybe 550 now that the first gooor hollowcore is 200mm not 150 as per original design. Plan was to start the stairs as far as possible from front door. Currently at 2.9m. Reducing the angle to 32.2 would have taken it down to 2.5 and the wife wasn’t happy. I’m hoping 35 will still feel good. Single hand rail as discussed. 980mm wide tread, precast concrete as I can’t stand creaking.

Quick question before I sign off on my stairs. just wondering if there’s a golden angle out there, or at least a range for what is considered a comfortable stair gradient? inagine space is not an issue, what angle should I be looking to achieve. The architect has already designed the stairs in, the builder woildnusually build them a fraction steeper. I’m erring toward shallower but worried about going too far.

Thanks for the replies guys. i just wondered if regs in NI allowed this but didn’t in England.

Hi all, Hopefully just a quick one here, but don't want to ask the officials yet. I have blockwork walls with a 150mm cavity. I am having sash windows fitted from the inside that butt up against the outer leaf whose opening is obviously slightly smaller. My windows are 126mm in profile so obviously the cavity extends beyond their depth. I believe 150mm cavity closers may be an option, but the architects have designed in a returning block that closes the cavity immediately adjacent the window down to 50mm. The architects are from NI, the builders on the mainland are concerned that this won't meet building regs requirement. I don't know if buildings regs are different in NI. Just want to know if anyone has seen a reduced cavity thickness around the windows for this purposes before? thanks in advance. Adam

Thanks. any recommendations?

I’m on the verge of doing this too. I’m looking at 17 305w panels on top of a flat roof for £6850 exc vat (new build) inc iboost and solaredge inverters. no scaffolding or structural surveys required since already in place. mine will be installed around feb/March when there may be no FIT available anyway. I'm thinking I could be saving loads by going for a non mcs installed now. any recommendations? can I expect to save much? the current quoting company have been very specific about insisting on tier 1 quality panels when comparing quotes but I’m struggling to find another decent company to quote for the Hertfordshire area.

Now I’m in two minds. i don’t need a warranty for myself. I’ll only need one if things go bad financially (fingers crossed they won’t). so question is, how much extra is it to buy the warranty in the event of selling, who should I approach and what is the name of the product I am asking for?

Thanks for this. my main concern is that I’ll end up with a Luddite ufc or mvhr installer who won’t have a clue about this stuff. is there such a thing as a specialist who consults in this type of thing when needed?