Roundtuit

Wow! That's a lot of digging, good effort! Did it need to be that wide? That's a lot of concrete reqd.

It wouldn't affect planning permission, only the legality of actually building what was granted. Complicated territory... to be enforceable, there has to be a beneficiary, ie someone who owns land that would be adversely affected by breaking the covenant. That could theoretically be a neighbour, if the covenant is designed to limit development in the area. I'd speak to a solicitor before getting too far into the process. (If you're in the Wisbech area, there's a solicitor with expert local knowledge in the town 😉)

Well done, and good luck!

We had an issue with the condensate drain getting blocked on our ventaxia unit, and condensate building up inside the casing to the point the fan was catching it and making a noise. To be fair, our noise was more 'watery' than yours. There's not much to break inside; might be worth popping the cover off for a quick look if you're struggling to find someone to do it.

Ours is timber frame with a brick outer skin (to get a traditional look). There's nothing I don't like about it as a system; quick to go up, easy to spec re: insulation levels, and easy to make airtight. If I was doing it again, I think I'd lean towards ICF though, as: a) I'd suggest the average self-builder isn't best placed to capitalise on the speed of construction. You need to have your roofers, brickies and windows lined-up with no timescale f-ups to get any significant benefit I think. b) a brick outer skin is an expensive rain-screen, although I would argue it adds considerably to decrement delay.

As above; you need to establish whether there is a bulb to change, or if its a sealed integrated unit. If it's the latter, there's no option other than change the whole fitting.

It's by no means a fix for your condensation issue (and you really need to get to the root cause), but you could line the reveals with upvc cladding. At least you'd be able to wipe it clean easily and not have to paint...

I cut ours with a bog standard hand saw; you'll soon get your eye in and be able to cut it to a snug fit with minimal foam required (a fraction oversized also fits if you apply a batten and a lump hammer😉). The dust is a b@$tard; wear a mask keep hoovering up!

As @Nickfromwales says, it may not be optimal on paper, but realistically, I struggle to believe it makes a significant difference in most cases. We have the exhaust on the south pitch and intake on the north pitch, mainly to fit around solar panels without using loads of ducting and compromising internal roof space. I balanced the system without a problem, but accept that I have no idea which way the wind, if any, was blowing at the time. The system has continued to do it's job with no noticeable difference in performance over the last few years, regardless of weather, which is fine for me!

Depends on the look you're after. I used oak sleepers.

It depends on the raft design and how close to your neighbours you're building, but yes, it sounds reasonable. We used a raft rather than piles for our garage foundation which avoided any Party Wall complications.

We've done exactly that with no noticeable issues. Exhaust is on the south side of the roof, and intake on the north pitch.

Check ducting prices before you commit; last time I bought some from a merchant, bigger was cheaper due to the volumes they sold.

Sounds like bull$hit. The movement makes it less safe rather than more I reckon. l can't imagine anyone being happy with that. Probably worth getting hold of the manufacturers installer instructions if you can.

Welcome! You're in the right place for advice; no matter how random the question, someone probably has experience to share. Good luck, and we look forward to hearing more!

I used a bit of 9mm ply* to mark a pencil line around the frame as a guide to make sure the tape would be covered by the plasterboard. *with a couple of nails knocked through and bent over to sit on the outer edge of the window frame, otherwise you don't have enough hands...

'Pass and repass' doesn't automatically give them free reign. Have a look at Harrison v. Duke of Rutland for some of the original case law. I'm sure there's been loads more since. It's not going to solve your problem, but might form the basis of a polite solicitors letter.

If it's a brick outer skin, you need to get the cavity closed properly to provide insulation and a fire break. The timber cheek of the reveal shouldn't be an issue.

Some sensible answers above re: movement due to temperature changes and settling down. Might be worth ruling out squirrels in the loft though; they can be noisy little critters.

Apologies, but I'm going to have to ask why? The windows are already unbalanced and look odd; if you need more light, I'd be trying to work with the existing to achieve something more aesthetically pleasing.

Since I found out how well vegetable oil lifts paint off your hands (I know... proper painters keep it on the brush), I'd be tempted to give that a try. Cheap, easily available, and fairly innocuous. As above, test where it won't be noticeable 😉

Sorry, not a professional by any stretch of the imagination; more of an enthusiastic amateur 🙂 Crack-stitching involves cleaning out a horizontal mortar joint, maybe 50cm either side of the crack, and then embedding a helical steel rod deep in the joint with a resin compound. You can buy kits and diy it, but you really need a professional opinion as to whether it's an appropriate solution for your situation.

Like a pheasant?

Black IBC's are used for shipping light-sensitive products. I don't think it extends the life of the IBC itself tbh.

I can't remember the rules, but I think windows may also need safety glass if below a certain height. I think anything you do on the inside is going look a bit 'unusual'. How big a job is it to move the window, or replace with a laminated non-opener?