Kuro507

We have a 2001 built timber frame house (large panel MMC), with concrete block outside and skim. A number of the downstairs windows havesignificant damp at the topof the reveal. At the weekend, when it was raining heavily, I could actualy see water dripping down between the window reveal and the frame. I had removed the vent, to see better. On the outside, I checked the upstairs windows directly above, which would be the most obvious way for water to get into the cavity. Whilst there are some very small cracks, where the sealant has failed, I am not sure they are sufficient to cause this amout of water ingress? I'm also aware there has not been any maintenance to these windows, so they urgently need sanding, filling and painting. This also raised the question in my mind, as to where the windows should be installed in relation to the timber frame, cavity and concrete block finish? I am aware the crack needs dealing with, although bizarely the window below that is the dryer one of the front ground floor windows. This aspect is largely south facing and does get the sun all day and prevailing windows and rain. They look like they are pretty much installed in the cavity gap. Is this correct? Thanks in advance for suggestions and ideas.

I love a technical explanation with numbers Thankyou! In my head I was expecting it to have to be a few litres! In simple terms, if I needed to turn on the filling loop for 20 secs to bring it back to pressure, I would have guessed that would be a few litres based on how much water would come out of a tap in those 20secs. There are 2 water marks on the ceiling, however they have been there for some time - saw them on initial viewing and both below bathrooms so assumed they were sealant or waste leaks. Based on your numbers, I think they are the likely cuprits then. Certainly a good place to start! Thankyou again

We are just in the process of purchasing a house thats built out of timber frame with concrete block and render outside. We exchange on Friday and I have signed a form to get early access to a key (its empty). Unfortunately on Sat afternoon I heard chewing about the utility room. I have removed a access panel above the boiler pipes and some mouse droppings fell down. Luckily I have some traps, so set those out with peanut butter on Sat evening and caught two mice. During Sunday I caught 2 more. We now obviously ahve some converns about what they may have eaten and damaged! The oil fed boiler has a issue with the central heating system depressurising. Last pressurised to 1 bar 3 weeks ago, back to zero on Sat. I repressurised on Sat and it was down to 0.8 (cold) on Sunday eve. Obviously have a concern they may have chewed a plastic central heating pipe. Does anybody know how much water there could be between zero bar and 1 bar in a 4 bedroom central heating system? I would have thought it would be noticable if we lost quite a bit, either on a ceiling or wall? (Unless its under the downstairs floor....) Pipe tails to radiators are 15mm copper, no idea whats in the floor/ceiling though. I have notified estate agent and Solicitor, no reponse back yet. We are due to complete on Wed!! Concerned about any potential hidden damage to insualtion, wiring, as well as pipes. Some upstairs windows had been left open to keep air fresh, its been empty for almost a year. So thats a potential route in for them. Any advice or suggestions are welcome, especialy with such a tight timescale to completion.

Following up from an earlier post where we were due to get the septic tank inspected before exchanging contracts, the survey revealed that the tank was ok but the drainage field definately needed replacing (70 yrs+ old). Had a quote for the work, after the soil percolation tests came back ok, and they have suggested a Harlequin CAP9 or a Tricel UK8. Have any of you experience with either of these? any recommendations either way? Its likely they will need to install the pumped version as the fall is not likely to work out how we would have liked.

I don't suppose you have any photos of the inside, of your housing that you built?

Thanks lol im meeting a surveyor on site tomorrow to agree what he would want o to do, then book it in for next week. we are probably going to dig some test pits in the garden, as well as the field so we have information on both areas.

Thanks Deeds contain a covenant that grants the property owner the right to inspect, maintain and if necessary replace the drainage field, giving 24hrs notice. i have emailed the landowner and his manager about it, not had a response yet. also made sure our Solicitor is aware of it all. there is no expiry in the deeds.

Indeed, I have had 2 quotes which are both around £1,500. Meeting one of them on site tomorrow to discuss it, with a view of getting it done early next week.

I had exactly the same idea, a few prestressed concrete lintels are cheap enough.

Absolutely aware of not just charlatans, but also those who know they have you over a barrel as it has to be fixed, almost regardless of cost! In fairness, when ringing around to find somebody with availability to conduct the percolation tests, the same recommendation for the local sewage 'god' kept coming up. Which is the Guy that did the inspection for us. I need to percolation test done, to verify that a new drainage field is possible, before I am prepared to allow exchange of contracts. In reality, the old soakaway was likely to have just been a pipe buried in the field. Especialy some 70+ years ago. Putting in a new drainage field is going to make a mess, but it will soon grow back and be invisible in a large field. Just have to take care of any tractors driving over it, or over the feed-in pipe while cutting the hedge. Any particular brands, or models of tank to prefer, or avoid?

Indeed it was, it has been accordingly reduced. Which now makes it our responsibility to fix 🤣 Hence I have a lot of questions, and a steep learning curve

I have, thanks. This is why I insisted it was inspected ahead of exchange of contracts.

Morning all, the Septic tank at the house we are purchasing was emptied last week, then inspected, including a camera down the sewage pipe from the house. Unfortunately the report does not make happy reading, Existing brick built septic tank thought to be circa 1950/60's The tank shows no sign of anaerobic activity, the bacteria that breakdown the sewage, so is not compliant (House has been empty for 12 months though) The discharge from the septic tank, into the soakaway in the adjoining field, has no documentation on its design or soil suitability tests, so cannot be assessed as compliant. From what I have read online, it shouldn't be a soakaway, but a drainage field to meet current regulations. Digging up the land to examine it, is likely as much work as replacing it The sewage pipe from the house is blocked, so the system should not be used. I doubt its fully blocked as sewage would have backed up into the house, either its been letting some through, or perhaps a tree root has come through the pipe wall, or similar. Recommendation is to decomission the existing tank, install a new waste treatment plant and then a full new drainage field. Its a 4 bedroom. 3 bathroom house. The quote for the work (Devon), including Building control fees is just over £19k inc VAT. Soil percolation test required separately. Its a steep learning curve this week for me, getting my head around this. My first priorty feels like it should be getting the percolation test done before we exchange contracts and are commited. If this came back showing the land was unusable, the house is worthless. As the existing soakaway in in the neighbouring farmers field (with permission in the deeds to maintain and replace it), I have emailed the landowner to let him know about it. Any advice on makes of sewage treatment plant we should be looking at? Is there any benefit spending a little more on the next size up system? any disadvantage doing this? Reliability, low maintenance and running costs are a priorioty, spending a little more now on a better tank seems sensible - especialy as the biggest cost by far, is installation and the drainage field. Thanks in advance for suggestions and advice

I was hoping to try and use existing voids, conduit etc. If the conduit is installed in the panels, ready to empty patresses, before its put into place - then there must be an easy way for the electrician to have been able to run his cables around in them, and back to the board. Or is that usualy classed as first fix, which is the covered by additional finishes, making them unavailable afterwards?

We are just buying a 22 year old house thats constructed using a timber frame CPS, something I have not had before. (Concrete block and render outside finish) I have been told that there would be conduit in place from the factory for electrical wiring etc. Do any of you have any good references on CPS so I can learn more about it, start to understand how it fits together and where conduit would typicaly run? I assume the electirican would run cables in after panels are in place, but where do the cables join, would there be any acces point left for maintenance? Would there be some sort of service void to the fuseboard etc. We need to replace 3 bathrooms, possibly change some lighting, switches etc etc. So understanding how I can route power and network cables, hanging things on the wall etc are going to be useful.