SimonD

I'll ask her about it when I see her in a couple of weeks and see what she says. From talking to her before, it's getting the pigments right that is challenging, but she' been making her own paints for years so has learned that dark art well.

And if you can, get double dipped. Single dipped has a matter finish and double a slightly shinier finish and worth the few extra pennies. I also suspect that the stainless is 304 rather than 316, which is usually recommnded for exterior applications: https://www.thyssenkrupp-materials.co.uk/the-difference-between-stainless-steel-304-and-316.html

I really like clay plaster https://clay-works.com/gallery_category/residential/ I haven't got to use it in this project after finding out how much it costs and then having to use one of their approved plasterers. My mum made her own plaster and also pigmented it herself for her renovation project and it looks amazing - I don't have the time to even contemplate this though. So....I've gone for a half way house. Gypsum plaster finished with clay paint.

My wife has decided she doesn't like the finish of wood wool boards. Our plasterer hasn't plastered or come across wood wool boards before. Heraklith says in its website that the boards can be plastered, but I can't find out more details. I'm not inclined to go down the route of lime like so many others as their process is like a full thin coat render with mesh etc. Has anyone here plastered wood wool boards and know the process using standard gypsum? Is it maybe easiest to overboard with 9mm plasterboard and skim?

Thanks, that's my worry. If they used the same acrylic adhesive as airthightness tape, it would be fine. OSB as that's performing the vcl and airtightness duties. That's a good call. I used just 25mm service void on the 1st floor. I used Thermafleece cosywool for the whole timber framed section - couldn't get a blown cellulose quote for our curved roof when I tried, they'd just price for the walls. It is all wrapped in breather membrane externally with edges taped, so maybe I don't have to worry about it too much.

While plasterboard this weekend I've just found a load of problems with my first fix electrical installation, including that despite telling the electricians not to nail through my osb vcl/airtightness layer, that's exactly what they done when they've felt like it and in places I couldn't immediately see, turning some parts into a sieve. Can anyone recommend some self-adhesive clips I could use on the osb? I need some that can wrap around anything from one 1mm2 cable to up to 6 cables in some places. Also, are there some better clips than the hammer in ones that I so hate, perhaps that are fixed and then wrap around the cable? Silly little questions I know but I suspect I could spend hours searching the web otherwise! Many thanks!

I'm just passed pre-plaster stage and yes, some of the stuff is from early on in the build, even though I provided all the stuff requested by combined BCO and Warranty Inspector. One of the issues was foundations. They tried to claim that there was too much water in the trenches and pads before the pour and therefore this would invalidate the structural warranty. I had an argument about this with them and they finally backed down, but it took a couple of months. Then they claimed loads of stuff was still outstanding and despite me forwarding on an email from the bco/inspector that everything was resolved and okay, Protek won't accept it - I still haven't had an answer from them what they need as who else can resolve the issues than the BCO? The BCO also told me their experience was also that the unknown underwriters have a regular habit of asking for silly petty stuff and unecessary details, including a ridiculous number of photos and documentation. I'v basically told them I'm not prepared to discuss anything further with them directly and that any outstanding items will be dealt with together with the BCO at final sign off stage, then they email me to say that was their decision too 🤷‍♀️ I frankly sometimes wonder why I bothered....

Protec has become worse. A total PIA to deal with and asking for ridiculous details photos and lots of other nonsense - the 'underwriter' arbitrarily adding new requirements as they go along that are incorrect too and won't communicate properly. Our BCO also said their company had stopped working for Protec because of this and will only work with Buildzone now. Just my humble opinion being one of their customers.

I'd go 38 x 89 at 600c/c and use 11mm OSB with a sole plate especially if you carry across. Change door no. 1 to inward opening so there is no risk of someone going into or coming out of to other loo getting smacked by outward opening door. Question for the BH masses - do any toilet doors open outwards?

No, you're not. Dealing with this problem I think is where zoning in some way is the necessary approach. Single zone weather compensated installations won't cope well with this because the sensor is on the north wall and there is no further internal feedback loop requesting more or less heat to the space, or a particular part of the space. I personally think this is where one or several internal thermostats could be used that provide combine load/weather compensation and also adjust heat distribution. Your simplest option is to add thermostatic radiator valves to the warm rooms, or add zone valves that are thermostatically controlled. However, following one installation I recently accidentally found that using self-balancing lockshield valves can adjust the heat output of individual radiators in this way, but I haven't done enough testing to know how reliable this is during a heating season. I have to question why you would look at adding technology to solve a problem with another technology's design and installation when you could simply modify it to work properly in a pretty efficient way to begin with. Look at your heating system first.

Yes 18mm plywood is fine. And Class 3 is what you need - that just stands for exterior grade nowadays. No other preparation needed but I would try to avoid the really cheap Far Eastern hardwood plywood as it can have losts of voids.

Don't go OSB with your standing seam roof deck. Use ply as a mimimum. 18mm thick is fine. VM Zinc have an approved warm roof buildup. https://www.vmzinc.com/en-gb/structural-roof Detailing for the vapour barrier is critical which is why the preferred method for standing seam roofs is ventilated.

You should be fine then. I have a cheap 25 liter Stanley compressor I bought over 20 years ago and it's still going strong. You don't need lots of flow capacity, just variable pressure - but even then you can buy cheap units that connect to the air line to adjust pressure at the tool if necessary. You can buy air nailers for just about anything. From 1st fix framing nailers that fire up to 90mm nails, to 2nd fix brad nailers, to staplers and metal connector nailers for joist hangers etc.

I personally wouldn't buy a used gun for what they cost new. I'm just different in my choice of nailer in that all of mine are compressor run - massively more reliable and easy to repair compared to the gas cartridge and electric, and for the most part they're more powerful & lighter too. An air nailer will run all day and in almost all temperatures. I've dropped and damaged mine several times, sometimes off scaffolding, and I just call the supplier and have the spares delivered next morning. The inconvenience with an air nailer is the air line and that you'd have to buy a compressor. But price comparison there's not much in it. A Paslode battery framing nailer will cost you around 6-700 which is about the same as a professional air framing nailer with compressor, but Tacwise sell some very good value air nailers.

I used Spanish at our last renovation - reclaimed a lot of the original Welsh slates but over a 1/3rd of the roof area needed replacement. The Spanish stuff worked great.

Is that all? You're a productivity machine, man! 😊

Where did you get those long spindles? I want some of those for our staircase too 😊

I think it depends on your budget and overall context of rental market. We already owned a 6 berth touring caravan to which I added a 4 season awning and thanks to Covid, we ended up living in it for 3 years! It's doable and saved us an absolute fortune as local rents are ridiculous around us. We all survived fine.

Okay, I think a little further explanation is needed here. When you install the hot water priority kit for a WB boiler you also install a DHW cylinder sensor which signals to the boiler when it should ramp up to high output. The EasyControl is wired into the EMS low voltage connector on the boiler, which controls modulation. To make this work, you then bridge the 230v high voltage switched live connectors so on that side the boiler is seeing constant demand. If you install motorised valves and a UFH manifold with a pump, these are wired up to the boiler using 230v so that when the motorised valve is open, it switches 230v to the boiler's 230v switched live to make it work. Now, this setup doesn't work when you have the switched live bridged as per above. On Opentherm systems, the Opentherm controllers handle the 230v switch and then send the relevant signals to the boiler low voltage Opentherm connectors and on some controllers like the EPH ones, you can connect the DHW and CH receivers together directly using 230v switching to provide priority hot water. Now, the WB EasyControl and the WB 4000 does not have the capability to natively handle the 230v switching while also providing modulating control, which is why WB uses smart TRVs to handle zoning and modulation. So unless WB has devised a new add-on or changed the product in the last couple of months since my last detailed conversation with WB technical department about EasyControl and zoning with zone valves, you're still not going to get what you think you'll get. By far the best way to use EasyControl is to have one zone and the PDHW optional diverter kit and you can then run weather compensation and then, if necessary add zones using the smart trvs. With your plan, you will have a 'smart system' but that just means you can control it on your smart device, it doesn't mean intelligent modulation. If you still don't believe me, call WB technical and ask them about 230v switching with EasyControl and modulation. The other option, as explained above, is choose a better boiler.

Just so you know, you will not get what you're after using the EasyControl. Re how EasyControl does zoning and modulation, read this: https://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/professional/news/smart-heating-gets-smarter-with-zoned-heating-control It only does zoning with the smart trvs. How is your plumber going to implement Worcester PDHW with the optional diverter valve kit and zones using motorized valves? Ask him or her to explain it to you in detail before parting with your money. Get them to show you the wiring detail in the boiler installation instructions and the EasyControl instructions and the diverter kit instructions. It's not about the wrong decision as such, it's about whether you're actually going to get what you think you're going to get.

That's a good point. I did the same with all my CLS and plywood. All my 38 x 140 CLS was ordered as a pallet, delivered to a pressure treatment plant, then picked up from there by my merchant and delivered to my door. It was still 'wet' from treatment but wrapped in the manufacturer's plastic. With all the plywood, I got still banded pallets on the delivery truck which I lifted off with the telehandler straight into the house.

I have always found timber merchants better value than builders merchants for sheet materials and of course timber. Best thing to do is write a full materials list and then get on the phone to local timber merchants to see what you can get. IIRC I saved about 5k doing this on my first materials list and then got continued great prices.

The only woodfibre ewi system with 'Lime' that has BBA and European (ETA) approvals is made by Lime Green. If you look at the product, theirs is given as a lime render but you'll find in the technical documentation it is lime based or quoted: "Lime based mineral render - Warmshell consists of insulation panels made of compressed wood fibre, covered with an engineered “Weather Protect” render made from Natural Hydraulic Lime and selected kiln-dried sands, plus a range of additional specified components that together ensure that the system is fit for purpose.." Lime render has to be modified for these kinds of substrates. Your normal 'lime' render is a total of about 20-25mm and would simply be too heavy and provide questionable adherance to the substrate. AFAIK rockwool is not suitable as a substrate for lime render and the only company selling a tested cork system is Cecil, which uses Ecocork insulating render which is then covered with Reabilita Cal AC or the version that just has a cork facade. I think that the only ETA approved systems by Cecil use mineral wool or eps and Cecil Fibraflex as the render. The exception to this is using Ceciltek Isovit Lime as the base coat which is mesh reinforced and then using Reabilita Cal AC as the render top coat - this is what a few suppliers specify as a buildup but I'm not aware there are any system approvals. But this is all Natural Hydraulic Lime rather than the traditional Non-Hydraulic Lime. Be careful in this game as there are suppliers selling untested and unproven systems so make sure you check before parting with your money.

You really need to look at the wall buildup as a whole system, rather than the specific components you are listing here. This is because you will not find a lime render that is suitable for EPS insulation. You will find heavily modified versions that contain some lime but will have lots of other ingredients such as polymers so that is can be applied as a light weight thin coat render, has flexibility and can deal with the thermal shocks of such a system. Traditional lime renders are typically too thick and heavy for eps and also wood fibre ewi. As you're on the continent, you need to look at ETICs systems. These systems are often developed by manufacturers to provide vapour permeability. Europe has an ETICs test standard although countries like Finland and Norway have introduced country and region specific guidance due to premature ETICs failures due to freeze/thaw cycles and wind-driven rain respectively - so essential to check locally. Likewise internally according to what you mention, you don't necessarily need permeability, you just need an internal makeup that has moisture buffering capability that is then balanced with sufficient ventilation - or you go the simple route and don't worry about it but make up the difference with MVHR that can effectively deal with the moisture oscillations and additional moisture load that comes from a non buffering fabric. It's not about liking the term breathability - it is simply that as a term for the things you're describing it ends up confusing everyone. For example, a vapour control layer may be vapour permeable or not, but if using a textile based one like Intello plus, it will not be able to buffer moisture. However, if you use osb as a vcl then is will buffer moisture too as it is both hygroscopic and capillary while providing airtightness too. Probably the cheapest way to achieve good levels of moisture buffering is with something like clay paint on top of gypsum plaster, behind which you can install your airtightness layer, clay bricks and then eps ewi with render. Now, I've obviously just picked this out and haven't run it through anything like Ubakus, but hopefully you get the drift and subject to the usual things like checking for risk of freeze thaw/driving rain where you might just need and alternative such as a void, render carrier board and render outside an ewi layer for example.

The mortar is cracked and there is some missing right at the corner. Plus it looks like mortar is missing around the corner too? Do you have a pic of that angle?