Trw144

Remember seeing them at a trade show in Germany/Austria about 10 plus years ago, so would imagine they would have been here by now (also thought the company went bump but seemingly not). Look cool but a very expensive way of adding solar PV

Anyone know why the Loxone shop is opened? Thought they had tied it down to installers (presume that must have hampered sales?)

yes that would be great to come over and see how you are getting on/look at the Nadura. Do you have a builder doing it for you?

Agreed on the posi joist service space - and these are all factors to weigh in on making a final decision. The big pro to me on concrete was the solidness underfoot - particularly for the patio area above the basement, also helps decrement delay (I appreciate this could also be achieved with blown cellulose). I will add as much solar as I can - unfortunately the location isn't ideal for it.... The front gable you see faces North (great views) but is on a hillside with woods to the rear so certainly shading issues at times. Current thoughts on the pool will be ICF with the insulated raft. I'm personally in two minds on pool but currently outvoted 3-1. I'd prefer an indoor football pitch with 15 x 7 of space!

@Nickfromwales Yes, ufh planned throughout. I have seen it needs a lot of support - my friend (who is the builder) suggested poured in situ concrete, to which point I've suggested we look at ICF options.

This is the thicker insulation version... https://www.nudura.com/media/4551/xr35-product-information.pdf I do wonder if a better solution is just extra pir insulation added to the standard block after. Main catalogue here... https://www.nudura.com/media/3062/2020-tremco-nudura-products-lr.pdf

Visited my local Nudura supplier last week. Picked up the brochures and technical info so will post them later if not online. I was quite impressed with the system - and they are very local to my build which will help with technical support/site visits. Only downside is I'm interested in ICF floors which they don't offer.

Hi Does anybody have any experience of an ICF roof such as Quad-deck or Amdeck? I have an element of basement that will have a patio area above it and this looks like quite a neat solution (possibly for the main flat roof area also).

Hi @Conor, can I ask who you used for supply of the hollowcore slabs?

I'm thinking of self building my basement - undecided on ICF or concrete with separate insulation at the moment.

Shouldn't be blown too far, or under too much pressure. The silo itself should have an anti-shatter mat to absorb the impact of the pellets being blown in.

Yes, they will find a way to nick the bike (I saw a video this week of two lads stealing a bike in broad daylight, with people watching them use a disc cutter), but you can at least make it so it takes them time to cut through the lock, and they would have to be extra brave to stand around doing this with an alarm going off.

The real security wants to be inside in the from a ground anchor fixed into the concrete base. A thick chain/lock to secure bike to it, and I'd also put in a battery powered alarm (assuming you don't have power).

I'm looking to put a pellet boiler with manual fill hopper on the side that will contain approximately 200kg (roughyly 1000kWh of energy) - it isn't actually that space hungry. Running costs likely to be similar to an air source heat pump and as far as I see it, either way we're at the mercy of a fuel supplier.

Generally pellet quality is good in the UK if you stick with certified pellets, and ensure if it is a blown delivery then the pressures are kept sensible (distances kept to circa 15/20m max, and ensure the driver doesn't turn the pressures up so he can get home for his tea).

Comes down to installing decent quality kit, and correctly installed (no different to the many heat pump issues that crop up on this site). The issue I come across with tree surgeons is its often not the best quality chip (usually lots of brash and bark so the boiler needs setting up accordingly), and they don't allow it to dry out to a suitable moisture content.

Fire cement. The air tightness (and consequent output control) of that particular stove is dependent upon the cast iron body being sealed together. If you are so inclined, strip it down and rebuild it, cementing the joints. Also check the door seals as this could also contribute to over firing the log guard.

I think the cavity on my first build was mainly insulated by tape measures.

Agreed, and certainly an area that needs tightening up on moving forward.

Particulates? All the decent biomas kit now has the option electrostatic filters added to minimise the emissions. In Germany you now receive a bigger grant if the filter is added.

I haven't looked but can't imagine with the increased transport costs, and increased steel prices, that they are staying the same. I've just ordered a Hwam for a friend so will let you know imminently.

Right, so drains were a little blocked (the joys of a son who thinks sixty big rolls per dump is about right). Drains cleared but ironically the drain on which the gurgling sink is connected isn't seemingly blocked. The gurgling sound remains!

So, after 4 1/2 years I have a sink that has started to gurgle. I have put a drain snake down the waste - all seems fine, and I have just been up in the roof and rodded the vent pipe - again seems fine (although the soil vent stack is the opposite side of my bathroom to the sink so I do wonder if it's on its own AAV - I need to dig out my plans to check on this). The issue doesn't appear to be anywhere else in the house so I am scratching my head a bit - is this likely to be a blocked drain issue, or a blocked soil vent issue? Any pointers appreciated.

As @dpmiller says - Dibt is what you should be looking for as the standard the stove meets. Used to be quite uncommon but I would think quite a few manufacturers now have appliances that neet it.

The build element I think I would leave to the professionals, but excavating I will undertake. Its on a hill side so I'm digging a bank out, as opposed to digging down, and have 2 acres adjoining for the spoils to go on. Hopefully concrete and steel prices have reduced when I get around to it. This is what I'm hoping - fingers crossed.