tonyshouse

I have done the several times, need to mitigate thermal bridging, concrete is a bit naff so we buttered the shuttering box with a clever mix of yellow pit sand and white cement , add a few bits of reinforcement then careful concrete, finally top off with the sand mix ensuring no concrete shows when set almost indistinguishable from real Bath stone. easier on the floor for upstairs, quoins etc -

I don’t like the service void as I worry about thermal bypass and cold getting in there. I would fix ceiling plasterboard before building stud walls

Very likely a steel box lintel off the shelf would do the job, cheaper and they have tables for them

Heat pumps are most efficient at lower delta T’s lower difference between source and delivery temperature. So to get to 50C efficiency is not so good. most likely an immersion will be incorporated to raise temperature the last bit. I want one but can’t find one small or cheap enough.

Yes , fireproof too and can fixed to

The butt ends aren’t tapered - so may as well use square edge as problem is the same then

15mm on ceiling never use 9.5 walls should not have plasterboard on them - use masonry and wet plaster

Sheet insulation covered with Glassrock board, mechanically fixed through the insulation with wafer screws

Someone local, there are several oak framing companies near me,

Oak is special, it is very strong in tension - the supplier should help with calcs

In the medium and long term hydrogen will become a very important part of the fuel mix. It will not and should not be put in pipelines. it can be used in fuel cells to power bike, motorbike, car, van lorry, bus, train aeroplane; shed, house, school, village, town, city. And will be. when we can convert sunlight straight to hydrogen we will have our energy problems cracked

But then wind/air can still get in under the floor and come out somewhere else, opposite skirting, under bath, behind door linings, downstairs through ceiling lights etc etc

Best option is to take down,

I would much rather that the bottom of the bottom soaker was cut plumb

I used an airtight breather membrane, I see poly as too slippy, dpc as bit too stiff

Tony tray, or fill ends with foam

I would like to see cloakers, similar to soakers but they stop water getting into the verge I like the bottom outside corners of verge slates with 45 degree cut 75x75 i like verge slates tipped up slightly too. I hate the junction between the gable and roof! vertical corner, soakers, yes

I once knew an architect who use 75mm between g/l and dpc if you have a cavity wall there is additional protection , best to slope away from your house/building

Ridges should be redone - ideally with ones that don’t overlap.

I always worry about the sand percolating into the hardcore, “egg timer” effect so never used blinding when I was a builder, mechanically compact, mostly recovered hardcore or 40mm reject stones.

Work ough to comply with building regulation minimum standard but it would be better to insulate to o much better standard. Fully agree with making homes airtight

I like horizontal to paint over and definitely horizontal under wall paper

Parapet guaranteed to leak heat out and water in,

Flashing should work, it MUST be cut into the wall slightly uphill, overlaps need to be 150mm sealant, not silicone but lead mate

it will be fine although there is a big notch to the underside of the joists the joists are oversized. They could be 125x47 with a 25mm notch