soapstar

@pocster Looks nice, very similar to what I would like. Can you tell me what K-Rend product you used and colour? I get confused with all the different products they have!

Thanks for clarifying @JSHarris The only figure I am unsure of is the MVHR efficiency - i have left this at 85% The total heat loss is coming to approximately 7.5kw, which even if my figures are slightly off I do not see how this would reach 16kw?! Our location is coastal (east coast Scotland) so the weather/temperature here isn't as bad as some may think. We do however get a fair bit of wind from the sea (less than 0.5 miles from coast), combined with the large gable window which faces the coast I would assume this would contribute quite substantially to the heat loss. Looks like I have to do further investigating with the plumber and query their calculations...

Very impressive spreadsheet! Can i ask if you take the glazing from the windows into the 'window area' figure or are these calculated under the door areas? The french doors for example have glazing. These calculations are way over my head as it is! Can you tell me what output figure I am looking at? 'Total heat loss' i assume? And how does this figure translate into what power of ASHP would be required?

Hi @PeterW. Yes we did suspect the 6k for sanitary would be pushing it however we are not wanting to go all out to begin with, our aim is to achieve all our bathrooms to a basic standard with this amount, even if it means leaving out a couple things. It would seem the consensus is a 16kw pump is overkill, what size would you normally suspect for a house of this size? We have also been quoted for a Samsung ASPH from another plumber, total quote is around 2k less but without a buffer tank and a smaller cylinder (250l)

Thats some interesting information, thanks. We have received a quote from another company and they do not state the need for a buffer tank, in fact they quote for a smaller volume cylinder at 250 litres. Regarding the towel rails this is something i haven't given much thought actually, they have quoted for dual fuel which i presume has the added benefit of electric if required. Perhaps someone with a ASHP system and towel rails can let us know how they get on given the low temperatures of an ASHP?

Hello folks, Given the wealth of knowledge on here I thought it might be wise for me to post up our quote for plumbing our new build and ask the question 'Does everything seem right?' 4 bedroom 1.5 storey house (250 sqm internal) with 3 bathrooms - downstairs (shower/bath combo, toilet, sink), upstairs (shower, toilet, sink), upstairs en-suite (shower, slipper bath, sink, toilet). The quote is as follows: Grants Air Source Aerona 3 16 KW Grants 50 Litre buffer tank Grants 300 Litre monowave heat pump cylinder UFH to ground floor Radiators on first floor Dual fuel towel rails to showerooms Manifold, actuators, pump centre and room stats for underfloor heating Plumbing for ensuite Plumbing for showeroom upstairs & downstairs Plumbing for kitchen and utility room sinks Plumbing for dishwasher and washing machine Plumbing for tap in garage Lead flashings under soles of 2 dormer windows Supply/Fit bathroom suites (6k allowance) All copper pipes and fittings All waste pipes and fittings All gutters and downpipes (PVC) Thermal fluid for heating protection All for the price of £37k (including 6k allowance for sanitary) Is the buffer tank necessary? Any implications of having one?

Good to hear its relatively quick! Sorry I dont think I have had enough coffee today ? - I thought you meant there was another application to state you have starting the actual building - we have our building warrant in place now, we are just trying to extend our planning permission for mortgage reasons as they wont entertain us without at least a year on the PP or the development has to be 'started'.

Ah great thank you @jamieled and @ProDave @ProDave this seems quite a similar situation to us. Our one condition is regarding the visibility splays which should be fine. I wasn't aware there was a separate application for the actual building works however we are not planning on doing any building yet, only enough to get 'started'. I shall contact the council and tell them we are starting to the access/driveway and hopefully this is enough to lock in the planning permission. Out of interest did this process take long? Thanks

Hi All, Planning on starting our build in some shape or form in order to officially 'start' and more importantly to avoid our planning permission to run out (that would be silly!). Has anyone got information on how the process works here in Scotland in regards to notifying building control you are starting your build? We plan on making access into our plot where the drive is planned and then make a start to the driveway - hardcore and kerbing - apparently this constitutes a 'start'. I realise there is an official form to submit however how far in advance do we need to submit this? I am aware we have one condition which needs to be dealt with before commencing however this condition has already been taken care of. Do the BC come out to inspect your conditions have been met before given the go ahead to start? Perhaps pictures are enough?! Thank you for any advice

stiffeners are a must or you will crush the pipe

We are coming up to a similar situation, been nearly 5 years in the making now and I just want to get on with the damn thing! We have a choice between a two man band and a local contractor, my feeling is the contractor will not only be quicker but easier to deal with given they do far more builds, and if there are any problems well that's their issue to fix not mine. Realistically at the end of the day how much better can a house be built? As long as you and your architect keeps a daily check on things there shouldn't be any major issues....Thats my thinking at the moment!

These look very nice indeed, although I wouldn't like to know the cost ?

Thanks i do like that colour. It would seem i have some investigating to do, along with many other things ? I am slowly learning that at the end of the day no matter what the builder or architect says its your house and money, if it fits our needs and gives us a home we a happy with then all is good!

Unfortunately it would seem there are absolutely no installers in Scotland for R9 / R7 windows.

Yes I am curious if the powder coating is an extra cost and if this needs re-applied at any stage... Thanks @PeterStarck very interesting. From the photo they do look very much like AluClad. What colour are these if you dont mind me asking? Pearl Grey? Appreciate the advice @craig. You can see why I am confused, my architect is insistent that timber is far superior to PVC in regards to its thermal properties, now I am beginning to wonder! At the end of the day i do not want windows which I am unhappy with as its a huge part of the house and I certainly cant ignore that nearly everyone I ask other than my architect is completely against Timber windows.. At this stage it seems to be a case of deciding will it be the easiest option of coloured PVC frames (more than likely anthracite which everyone seems to have these days!) or a wood colour/effect which I feel will complement the house better given it is surrounded by woodland and houses with timber windows (mostly falling apart!).

Seem to be hearing a lot about these Residence 9 windows - looks like its worth investigating further. Get a feeling they are expensive! Thanks for the links. I do like AluClad, very clean looking. However from what i hear they are not the best for coastal locations. We are based in the Stonehaven area, hopefully looking to start next year. Thanks for your offer we may take you up on that! Nothing beats seeing something up close and personal, only so much a picture can give you and i certainly wouldn't make my decision without seeing the final product.

@Ralph Given you seem to be relatively close to where our plot is I would be interested to know what supplier you used? Really want to see some examples in the flesh.

Thanks guys. I do have a worry that timber effect windows may look 'cheap'. We have a large gable feature window on our house so the window frames will have to look good or it may bring down the whole look of the house. Given the popularity of gable feature windows these days does anyone have any photos of theirs to show for comparison? It would seem in our neck of the woods the common colours are white render and anthracite window frames.

It seems rather obvious the way to go then! Thanks @MrMagic as this is one of my concerns, i do not want to be able to tell from a glance they are PVC if possible. I originally had in my head a light wood texture colour to the windows, however I would like to see an example of the wood effect PCV in real life. One thing I forgot to mention is we are in a conservation area - so we hope we can get away with PVC. I see this company have options to try replicate the look and feel of timber windows for conservation areas - may be worth looking into!

Hi Folks, Going round the bend here trying to decide on what type of windows we want to install on our upcoming new build. We thought we were all set for timber windows however we have been suggested by our potential builder that using uPCV windows will save us a huge amount of money (approx 20k). Saving this amount is critical for us and may even mean we can actually start our build. However! As per usual its a constant battle between myself, contractor and architect. The architect is adamant that timber windows are a far better option given the superior thermal properties (which i don't dispute) of timber and also that the profile of timber windows will be much thinner than uPCV - something which I am not entirely convinced with - perhaps someone can clarify from experience? A big factor which is swaying me towards uPVC is we are located beside the coast and it concerns me even though we upkeep and maintain timber windows the salty air will eventually win the battle and turn them into a rotten mess - like a lot of other properties in the area. With our location in mind we did consider AluClad however we are reading conflicting information regarding the suitability of these on the coast in that the Aluminium will corrode if not treated properly - again adding to maintenance costs like timber windows. Has anyone got any experience on choosing a material for your windows in a coastal location? Any information on your decision and end result would be a huge help for us!

Thanks everyone for your input. It’s a bit odd to me to slap on a £1000 if we wish to qualify for RHI. I feel they are chancing their luck to be honest! I have already got a quote from another MCS plumber who is a few grand cheaper without any ‘extra’ charges for registration! Another lesson learned! ?

Hello Folks, Very quick question regarding MCS certified plumbers. Currently getting quotes for our ASHP with UFH. Is there a one off cost as such to register your MCS install to qualify for RHI? We have been quoted it would be an extra £1000 for MCS registration. I assumed this would be included in the cost of the MCS certified plumber and would simply be a case of us registering our install (for free?) when completed showing all the relevant documents from our MCS plumber? Maybe i am wrong however would like to know the facts before ranting to our potential plumber!

As expected the response was vague to say the least...They may consider a temporary certificate with only 1 bathroom complete but would need to see the build first to decide So it would seem there is no black and white answer for my question....

I think you may need more than an air gun to stop this squirrel ?

I think I may contact building control to ask what the minimum requirements are in our area...Got a feeling I wont get a straight answer though! If anyone has experience of this in the Aberdeenshire area it would be great to hear your experience!