SimonD

Hello, welcome to the forum. Are your windows oak or other hardwood? Lovely structure by the way. Do you mean something like this? g It's certainly worth considering as an option, one question being whether you have sufficient roof tile overhang? Alternatively, you could look at adding a matching timber profile sill to the top of the windows and doors that protrudes just beyond the masonry to deflect water and rain away from the top of the window?

Hello Sally, Welcome and congrats on getting planning permission. I'd suggest that your next step is to develop the planning drawings into construction drawing essentially so that you (and any builder) knows what and how you're going to build it. You will most likely need a structural engineer to draw up a structural scheme as part of this. Best thing to do is talk to your architecture friend and ask if they know or could recommend anybody to do the detailed designs for you. HTH

This is common with PIR and other light weight insulations and is probably more down to it's lack of thermal mass and decrement delay rather than it's thickness.

I think that according to some bat experts, this new kind of membrane is unproven/insufficiently tested in the field hence why the bitumen is still recommended.

Yes, chimney effect with vents at the eaves and vents and the ridge. With low pitched roofs it is sometimes okay to use vents on both of the eaves and rely on pressure differences across the house to create to necessary air flow. In this instance you need to ensure continuous flow so need a 50mm gap at the ridge. Here's a good illustration:

Does this 50mm air gap have eaves ventilators? If so, is there a continuous gap to provide flow across the whole roof? From the photo, I'm suspect the ridge beam prevents this? In that case you do need to add ventilators. In the photo it looks like the steel beam is inside the insulated envelope? I wonder whether your only other option would have been to look at using woodfibre insulation but that would have requires a re-design of the roof buildup (as this system typically uses an external insulation sarking board). However, I don't know how this stuff works with bats. I think your easiest option is to ensure that the 50mm ventilation gap between your pir and the F1 membrane has sufficient cross-flow and then focus on breathability around the rest of the house.

Couldn't agree more. I first had a 3m timber post marked up that referenced DPC and first floor level and when the steel frame was erected I transferred the levels that. When I lost line of sight, I made up a long 25m water level clamped to the relevant height I need to work at. As for taking on brick and blockwork without prior experience, I did exactly that. I can attest to the aches and pains, tiredness, misery, and messiness. I did it, but have to say I hated pretty much every moment of it. That was mostly because I had to repair and add height to existing building. Using reclaimed clay bricks in the middle of summer add to the challenge as they soak up the moisture in the mortar like there's no tomorrow, so that didn't help. Concrete blocks I found easier because they don't soak up the moisture in the mortar in the same way. After about 6 months of grind, I started to enjoy building walls and don't find it a problem any more, and the end product doesn't look too shabby any more. When you start off, you just need to do your research, be patient, take your time, and constantly measure and re-measure your work as you go along. Mixing mortar correctly I found to be more like mixing dough for bread making - it's science with art. Minor mistakes can be worked around and adjusted for as you build. For example, if you get the mortar bed thickness slightly wrong you can adjust for it over the next few courses. I've lost the link to it but there was a series of videos I watched a few years ago on Youtube by an old timer who helped me to relax about the idea of taking this on without previous experience. I found it really useful to buy a couple of books on the subject because those books explained, for example, the different mortar classes (and thus mixes), where and why they're used so it helped me to decifer the SE's specifications of M6, M4 or M12 mortar and how to mix them.

I'm starting to design my central heating system and looking at using manifolds for radiator supplies. This type of system is new to me. On initial research I've come across Emmeti and Maincor as two main suppliers of the manifolds. I'm installing a gas boiler but will most probably be upsizing the rads for future ASHP (if life permits I may get my ticket for heat pumps later this year but it'll be a few years until any realistic installation in my home). All heating is to be through rads, no UFH. The principles of the system I get but can someone provide some hints based on their experience of anything I need to watch out for, products/suppliers to select/avoid, potential snags and any other pertinent insider info on system design and installation? One question in particular is that I'll be having two main zones, upstairs and downstairs, and with the number of rooms, I'm going to be at or beyond 12 ports. Any issues splitting to the main zones between two smaller manifolds? I guess they're just wired to the same control box? And also, would you simply use a feed and return on the circuit for a thermostatically controlled room with multiple radiators? Many thanks.

Those welds are incredible. Perhaps they need to be guided to a google image search on "fillet weld." I love the photo showing the alumium profile where they seem to have tried to create brackets with their weld and in one case given up as they've only managed to pool one side of the joint - or should I say large gap! ?

By structural it means for structural purposes in build so can be used for sheathing walls and roofs, for example.Your cupboard is not structural so the hardwood non-structural ply would be fine for this. In your instance it's more important to look at the glue and whether it's interior or exterior - external being more water proof. As for the softwood ply Wickes list, , it's a terrible face quality at C+/C finish which means it may be no better than shuttering/hoarding plywood. This can have various voids and the face just isn't very nice = think lots of knots, including where they've fallen out and maybe be badly patched and filled. It can take a lot of effort to make this look good for a paint finish and you probalby wouldn't want to just varnish it unless you're looking for a rough/rustic finish. Even an exterior B/BB face plywood can be touch and go if you want a nice finish but it's a lot better for painting. The hardwood version will have a better face as it's pre sanded so should be good for a paint finish. Just make sure you seal up the edges for use in the bathroom. Price is also terrible, I'm sure you can get C+/C grade plywood online for half the price. Even the big orange is cheaper. Last year the big orange stocked what was a very nice faced exterior softwood birch ply at a good price. However, looking online they may have changed supplier as it doesn't look like the same stuff.

And then when you've done it you'll be thinking about how you could/should have done it differently, better, and more efficiently ? And doesn't it always take a lot longer than you initially think first time? But that's the beauty of it....?

I have both the 603CG and LR-6RG units and both worked flawlessly for me. My first lazer level developed a fault after about a year where the horizontal lazer stopped working but Huepar replaced it immediately under warranty. With the sensor, I found I could get a little water behind the sensor screen when used in the rain for a long period. That obviously impacted accuracy but only started doing it after I'd had it, and probably abused it, for a long time. I've been really impressed with both the quality and accuracy of this setup so far and mine has not had an easy life. If it's any help for your diagnostic purposes, I've found that the brightness of the lazer reduces when the pulse mode is turned on. I'd recommend you fire off an email directly to Huepar as I found their service very good when my first unit developed its problem.

Hello Helen, I'm not suggesting what you've received is reasonable, but does the quote separate the distinct items of work? I suspect you've probably received a quote for much more than the structural design. Detailed design or construction drawings will typically cost a fair amount of money, whether by your architect or other technician. I'd also suspect that within the quote, the SE portion is fairly modest, unless you're building somethng very special and challenging indeed! However, it can and does depend on who's quoting for the SE portion of work. We had quotes ranging from about 1500 all the way to over 8500 for the structural design.

Oh how I mourn their loss! ?

Or after being fixed on site using old metal coat hangers!

Hmm, I have to say I'm divided by this topic. One the one hand a few years ago I fabricated my own steel overroof for a double detached garage. I did all the cutting and welding myself on that one and nobody asked any questions. But it was a detached building. With my current build, the steel frame was a substantial part of the structural design and there was no way that I'd be digging out any of my welding equipment to put it together. The steel fabricators I used produced and erected the steel frame to Execution Class 2 (for general buildings) which covers the design, fabrication and erection of the structure. The structural design was by SE. The Execution Class specifies minimum steel grades for the purpose, welds etc. and even end cuts. Looking at some of the plate welds on my frame, they're definitely not something I'd be confident cutting and welding DIY and then there's getting it all true and aligned during the fabrication... I've attached the GA of the steel frame and one detail drawing and an example. I have a feeling your garden room would likely need some similar designs for the size of frame you're looking at. SK02_730GE_Steel_fabrication_check.pdf 667GE - Structural drawings revB-S40.pdf

Hi Jilly, Not sure where you are with this now and whether you've made progress sorting it out? It's difficult to be absolutely sure just looking at the photos but I think you may have a couple of issues. I suspect the damp you're seeing is more down to the window sealing rather than the steel. Regarding the steels, I think you can remove what's there and paint with bitumen, even around ground level below DPC. It'll be a pain but it's doable, even with the windows in place.

Why not use external wall insulation?

I recently had an issue with a boundary wall with our neighbour. Technically, and according to the house deeds, the wall is their responsibility, but it's also a retaining wall to stop his garden falling into our house. I'd promised him ages ago that due to our building work, I'd replace the fence that sits on top of the wall. The fence has been falling down for ever and he got so stressed about it he starting blaming me for the cracked retaining wall, which was visibly worsening. He went to town insulting me about everything under the sun, including claiming that I'd caused all the damage through our building work. After throwing my own wobbly in response to his tyrade, and despite it all being nothing to do with me, I managed to swallow my pride and told him I would fix it. It took me a couple of weeks in the end to dig it out, laying 600mm new concrete foundations and rebuild the wall (fully tied into another retaining wall) and fencing, but I have to say it ended up being the best thing I could have done. I showed him each stage, what I was doing and why and he ended up paying me some decent money towards fixing it and we're now on good terms. There's no stress there any more and I'd rather that than have a running feud with someone that helps nobody.

Wow, that's amazing. Congrats in being in by Christmas ? It must feel awesome.

Good point, I'll use endless straps and watch the ratched!

Thanks for the suggestion. Initially my plan was to bolt my plywood boxing into the wall and also screw the windows to this box frame as well as using the straps. However, the 4 windows being installed outside the old house wall weigh between 49 and 68kg. I've installed straps all round the windows so with the number used for each window, none of the straps carry a dead load of more than 5kg each. Once I got them fully fixed it became apparent that they're sitting solid as a rock. I personally don't have any qualms about this being strong enough but if I'm overcome by a wave of OCD when the time comes, I may just fix the windows to the plywood box too. ? All my big windows and doors sit within the new structural timber frame so that's a different story.

Great suggestion, thanks! I'll do that. My biggest unit will be 197kg, and about 2.4m x 2.6m with a lifting height of about 5m. The top of the window will be a bit over 6m. I know the equipment will do it but I know I'm putting it off until my nerves settle a bit.

Those brackets at the base I installed so we could lift the windows up and rest them on there while truing them up with air wedges and fixing with the straps. The straps to the masonry do all the holding. I will be adding some plywood boxing around the window frame to seal it all up for airtightness etc. The only bracket that does provide permanent support is the cantilevered one for the back door. Then, yes, ewi and render.

And goodness is it scary when attaching the thing, getting to vacuum pressure and then finding the pump starts to run constantly as the window hangs high in the air!