daunker

Thanks this is what I'm thinking. Will pick one up tomorrow, and some new pipe 🤦‍♂️

Thanks! Happy days that's what I have- thank you!! I mean it was a swept tee when I said it's fitted the right way around. Outfoxed by terminology will remember that thank you! The first bathroom with the rest bend is the main ensuite one so probably primary anyway. Would have needed a longer pipe length if it was a y-junction required!

I've read the building regs guidance about y junctions under buildings but I think this is where two horizontal runs connect and then not able to rod both. I am converting a building so wanted both bathrooms on the same run as only have to cut the slab once and go under cast founds. Is this ok? I've searched here fairly extensively and think it is. Should I have used a Y and then 45 bend rather than a T triple socket equal junction (it's the right way round) for the second bathroom? Thanks! There's an IC about a metre outside the building. I've Building Control coming on Friday would like everything to be right as I plan to fill with pea to crown as Friday afternoon is wet weather coming. Thanks!

I've read the building regs guidance about y junctions under buildings but I think this is where two horizontal runs connect and then not able to rod both. I am converting a building so wanted both bathrooms on the same run as only have to cut the slab once and go under cast founds. Is this ok? I've searched here fairly extensively and think it is. Should I have used a Y and then 45 bend rather than a T (it's the right way round) for the second bathroom? Thanks!

Thanks I would have liked to. But because its a vaulted ceiling and conversion of existing the height at the entrance/low side, I'm on my limit for allowance with 150mm insulation and screed, plus coming down 50mm+timber. My plan was where the exposed steels from the portal frame are to have thicker insulation, and box around them slightly oversized, somehow making a feature whilst taking out the cold bridge to allow me to run cables up, and then I would just channel out a groove left to right through insulation required for cables to light fittings which would be surface mounted, which I'm planning to be as few as required (ie larger) Is this allowed? My alternative is to perhaps run the lights on wire side to side.

Was just too expensive, and the trial pack of knauf Omnifit worked perfectly. Then got a great price on a few pallets of rockwool rwa45, 'the same' 🙈🤦‍♂️ and it's the one which sags

Have excess black fibreglass insect mesh, will try this! Thank you!

Converting an existing building, I have been putting 140mm frametherm 32 between purlins and then 75mm rockwool batts below. 600mm c/c I have trimmed the rockwool batts. However there is some sag, some worse then others. Due to budget constraints I'll not be able to put ceiling finish (timber not plaster due to building movement) for some time. But I do have the 50mm PIR sheets to go under the rafters. Is it strong enough to support it, or will it flex too much? Suggested number fixings per sheet? Was going to use penny washers/insulation discs. (Also while on topic anyone done a timber ceiling finish, and can suggest any good wood options)

Thanks team, couldn't get better, ended up hiring a van and driving 380 miles to do two pickups from FB marketplace on the other side of the country, bizarrely both within 30miles of each other! After fuel and hire it it worked out at £24/roll for frametherm 32 140mm fitted 58 rolls in a Peugeot boxer lwb. Started popping it in today, rolls don't go far but seems nice stuff. Did consider about an hour into the expedition that I'd have been more sensible to just get the frametherm 35 and be done with it.

Thanks @ProDave I had seen your previous post on it and that price was from them actually.

I'm putting mineral wool between my timber frame studs and rafters. Just wondering if anyone has a recent price for frametherm, doesn't seem to be stock item as my usual BM and trying a couple of others looking like £18sqm for the 32, 140mm (£59 a roll). I need three pallets (72 rolls) of the stuff! Just way out of my budget. Frametherm 35 is lot cheaper £7.28sqm! So probably go that way unless anyone has a better price for the 32? I know there are superglass, isover and ursa terra but not had luck with any of them being cheaper, and have heard good things about the knauf Thanks!

That's a very good point actually. I was thinking that the whole structure needed to be tied together. Single storey, as you surmised timber frame is only there for the reasons you say. Will ask the SE, originally was going to be cavity wall hence retro-ties which I could build into the inner block. I was assuming something similar be needed for TF.

I am doing a conversion and have existing 225mm or 140mm blockwork (depending on which side as some were laid flat). I want to put up timber-frame internally, but am just unsure how to tie it to the concrete frame. As the cavity will only be say 25mm, and the panels will be osb and membrane. I've been looking at ties all morning, and just can't see how I can solve this. I think mostly the masonry outer skin goes on afterwards and as such the ties are left out for the mortar joints. Alternatively I have seen some you drill from the outside but this seems more tricky particularly with the 225mm blockwork rather than just a simple single brick clad. Would welcome any thoughts, just not sure how to fix to the frame once the membrane and osb is on. I know there are quite a few barn conversions that have done similar, so there must be a way but having looked at threads on here I haven't yet found one! Thanks!!

Thanks! I've changed if to 0.4 and not noticing any deterioration in house temps at all, it seems to be running a better COP too, but was very poor over the real cold weather spell we've just had. Thanks @jothand @Bob77for that, yes now read this in Vaillants brochure but really appreciate you for posting. Seems unusual way but I guess makes sense once you wrap head around it. having a lot of fun playing with controller settings if nothing else, although changing so much and the environmental temps are so variable that I'm not sure which changes are making the biggest impacts. Definitely heading the right way tho

Thanks!! So I have a 50L wall hung buffer tank. I've been researching and I think add the environmental yield to the power consumption and then divide by power consumption to get the COP. Still not good though (2.78!!). Does increase the annual heat demand to around 17,000kwh, does that still suggest it's oversized. The MCS installers said better to be a bit oversized as it is more efficient if it runs low and slow rather than full throttle, and also kinder on the unit with respect to lifespan. I'm not aware of it switching on and off regularly. Yeah temp for DHW is 55 and flow temp seems to be 45. I don't think I can change that. Thanks Marvin I think the arotherm plus has that inbuilt, to modulate depending on temperature. Clearly something not right though, and keen to get to the bottom of it. Thanks for prompts and starters will be speaking to the installers tomorrow

Hi! I have an ASHP installed for a year and just thought I'd have a look at how it's performed. It's a vaillant arotherm plus 12kw. UFH in house, which has been kept constant 19 degrees all year (except when hotter outside of course!). Attach a couple of photos. The installation is cumulative energy consumption for DHW and heating. Does the environmental yield seem low, I had thought the SCOP was supposed to be around 4 +/- depending on flow temps. Or am I misunderstanding things? Thanks!

Thanks for the reply Conor, only just seen, valuable info. Luckily enough I bought some straps this morning and they are 90 degrees. I have a vice so hopefully can bend them ok, they are substantial- a good thing so long as I can bend them! Thanks again. Also thanks for the reply @markcsorry for not replying before, just liked your reply as it was exactly the info I was after. Ended up spending £220 on straps this morning. They are eyewateringly expensive for what they are!

Hi, im putting up ply for the outer skin (will have breather membrane and then battens, counter battens and vertical cladding. It's going to take me a few days and whilst the forecast isn't horrendous I did think maybe I should tape the joints as there will be some drizzle. I understand the joints are the weak spots as I have not sealed. Then I thought maybe for air tightness I should tape them somehow anyway? Is this a done thing, any product recommended for this ideally which would satisfy both?. Will be breather membrane on top, but I presume this allows breathing. Inside frame will be rockwool, and to elimate bridging pir inside that. Thanks!

Am about to build timber frame on top of masonry wall. Have already put purlins in between steels. I need to put restraint straps from head plate and studs in wall to purlins -spanning three with noggins in place to prevent them bowing. Question- as it is a pitched roof most straps seem to be right angles or straight I have seen twist straps but not sure they are applicable. Ceiling will be vaulted so don't want to have to come down off it unnecessarily. Do I self bend a suitable restraint strap to get the angle or is there a product suitable off the shelf. Presume a lot must deal with pitched roofs? May well be missing something. Thanks!

Hi fella, yep same as mine. Maybe a bit worse not sure of your design, if you have extra water running down it. Or if your cladding and render were done similar ish times. Good news anyway, wasn't really happy with the suggestion of the renderer to paint it, so I did nothing and the sun and weather washed/bleached it. Now it's all good! Don't know if that wall is shaded so may take longer, how long has it been up?

Feels like this is going off on a tangent... But you both seem genuinely interested. How do I justify the building is sound, well I employed a SE. He came out, inspected and did calculations. I am sure I have already said but the building was constructed 1996 so not ancient. I have cleaned all the steels and zinc phosphated them as you can see in photos. The slab is in good condition. I attach some of the report. Does this answer your question?

Yeah so it's an even 100mm slab throughout and in good condition and at 26 years old it's seen plenty of hoofed traffic. So he has no concerns on it. He's to come back to me on the purlin fixings for roof. But it's only ply and zinc to go on there. I may put some timber purlins for ease of fixing insulation. I think there an acceptance that there is more movement with ag conversions than domestic hence the timber ceilings, but the walls are walls on which note... Spoke to him about the walls and he made very good suggestion, and apologies I maybe sent everyone on a goose chase. But he said cheapest and easiest probably go timber frame ontop the flat blocks. Add less weight and given will be timber clad at that elevation no reason not to really. I don't have any experience with timber, so will ask him to give the spec. Topic has been very helpful to steer me and ask the right questions, and hopefully get a good strategy devised.

Yes - class q. SE report said it's fine, the roof is only ply and standing seam zinc, so not pretty light. I'm going to speak to the SE and see you guys have given me plenty to think about - many thanks!

Steel Frames are 4.5m spacing, and the existing external wall is 2.3m to top of retaining blocks (top layer and rafters to be removed) then 1.8m of new height added to go to roof junction. Roof/ceilings to be supported by steel frame. Will be cavity and then interior block wall (100mm) and this would be tied in to existing external wall. Is this what you were meaning or should the existing walls be tied to the stanchion/to the block on the other side of it. Really just wanted to know if I could put 100mm blocks on top of the laid flat 140mms. But all input very much appreciated.

Sorry both should have given more details - I don't need the wall to be continued at that thickness - was wondering if I could reduce it to 100mm or even 140mm with just normal blocks laid above the ones laid flat. Ah thanks Mr Punter - it is the outer leaf- but the joists you see there are from it's previous life as milking parlour- it had a dropped OSB ceiling attached to underside of the rafters and a void above - with fibre cement sheets on-top of the angles for the roof. That top row of blocks and joists are coming out. New ceiling will be vaulted to purlin/rafter height, and new metal roof and insulation will be held by the steel frame. On top of the flat blocks I'd ideally like to save time and money by not having to lay them flat, just wanted to know if would be a problem to go step down to 100/140mm thickness?