mike2016

I've purchased an MVHR unit and am planning installation. The best place from a space point of view is above the stairs in the stairwell. I've been examining the structure around the stairwell and wanted to see if I'm crazy and what I should watch out for? The last thing I want is this coming down on someone's head! Upstairs there are bedrooms to the left and right, an ensuite directly ahead. The ground floor has a block wall to the left and right of the stairs with studs and plasterboard inside these. There is a timber surround at 1st floor level around the stairs opening when I look up from beneath the stairs to either side. That's what I'm hoping to tie into. My plan is to use two pieces of plywood to the left and right and heavily tie them into into the wooden stairs surround at their base and further pin to the wall studs higher up. The plywood at the rear will be joined to the side plywood pieces with angle brackets and possibly also lightly pinned to the studs in the wall behind. I'll double up on the plywood where the angle brackets and MVHR mount goes and possibly reinforce the bottom of the side plywood pieces with some additional steel brackets there . So the two side pieces hold up the rear piece which then supports the MVHR unit. The MVHR is mounted by means of a single horizontal steel V with two mounting holes, one at either end. The top rear of the MVHR hooks into this and two rubber standoffs are located further down the back to keep the unit in a vertical plane . Once installed I plan to reinforce with heavy duty shelving brackets and a pair of wooden beams directly underneath the MVHR for extra security. I don't trust the stud walls that much and certainly not the one directly ahead as it's not resting on anything. The left and right walls are my best bet. I'm hoping the wooden stairwell surround will hold the weight or I'd have to try to tie into the block wall somehow which would be harder without making a mess. Getting strong enough screws in the right place and enough of them to stop the MVHR tearing itself off the wall behind or causing cracks everywhere is the goal. So, is this approach crazy or should I open up the walls to the left and right and tie some steel or something into the 1st floor inside the stud walls? Thanks for all advice offered! (No, I've no idea how to get an MVHR unit up to that height, am considering helium balloons currently......!!)

I'm retrofitting an MVHR unit shortly and have found a route for the 32mm condensation drain to the washing machine/tumble dryer pipe. Two questions: What is the best P Trap to use under the MVHR to allow easy access/maintenance later (ensure water is present and top up as necessary)? Is a bottle trap better to use here or a hepvo waterless trap? I've two hoses (1" & 1/2") from the appliances going into a 1 1/2" waste pipe, what's the best way to add the 32mm drain pipe to this arrangement as they are just stuffed down the pipe currently...! Thanks all!

I had a site, planning and tendered but the prices I received were not realistic. One builder I'd pinned my hopes on didn't even respond. Maybe the spec was too much, but I pulled out but hope to return in 3-4 years when I have more equity. I can extend the planning another 5 years in ROI easily enough for €65 so don't feel the investment is lost. So, advice - be honest about what you can afford and negotiate any offers with what you are comfortable doing yourself to get it within budget. Go for it! Get yourself the best people you can find, Federation of Master builders would be my go to and word of mouth if I was in the UK. Credit check all the big players. Solicitor Escrow account for big deposits if you can rather than hand the money over months in advance. Good insurance for you, your site and check all the contractors ones out as best you can. And use the resources and advice here to check anything you're not sure about. Photos and your questions can catch something quick enough to prevent bigger problems later on. Take lots of photos and videos of progress each day, handy for many reasons! Oh, and enjoy the journey!

Cheers - might be a reflection from the headlights of that particular car so! My grass sets off the rear PIR if I can't get it cut short enough for the winter whenever there is a heavy wind blowing. Might look into that microwave one if that is outdoor rated? Thanks all.

Couldn't find anything on google about this so thought I'd try here.... I used to have two cheap solar led lights on my shed outside and whenever a bus was parked on the road opposite they would go off despite no line of sight to the PIR. I've since retired them and have a reputable version out from covering a small nook there. A wierd thing happens when 1 particular car passes by, the light turns on, but it doesn't do this for any other car and there is a good 9-10 meter distance. I have to stand within 3-4 meters to set it off myself. So, question begs what sort of EMI or interference could cause this? Just curious! Thanks.

You'd see more detail without carpet but it would be unusual for a single loop to heat / not heat some areas, the same fluid runs through it, I could only imagine that happening if a specific zone wasn't working. Have you the contact of who installed the system, maybe give them a call and see what they suggest checking? FLIR aren't cheap but you could also use a cheap point and press temperature gauge to get some spot values without breaking the bank. My library loan them out with an energy awareness kit for free...... Two possibilities, this is only happening since the flood, or it's only been noticed since the flood. Do you know the makeup of the foundation - is it screed/concrete other? Is the underfloor heating a retrofit on top of an existing floor etc?

Have you anyone you know who has a thermal imaging camera? Anything like a FLiR One which attaches to a mobile phone you could borrow? That would show the underfoor loops at least very clearly but sorry, don't know unless there is a specific loop that isn't working - check the manifold to see if all zones are open and working? Has the heating in those rooms/areas been working previously? Sorry to hear about the flood damage.

There's 3 x vents at the front of the house and 3 at the back. There would have been more gaps before I installed the Glidevales at the eaves. They have channels in them but I need something solid to hold back the loose cellulose. I have a few of those membrane lap vents, there are no ridge vents but it's a low pitch. I may try adding more membrane lap vents and see how that performs.....

I was up in the attic a few weeks ago after upgrading the insulation and noticed a lot of condensation which was dripping onto everything. I was running a Positive Input Ventilation unit but reckon it was defrosting / using the heater which added a lot of heat into the attic over time as the landing wasn't freezing cold on those nights. Anyway, I turned this off and it's gotten a lot better but was up again yesterday and noticed the attic trusses are wet where they meet the roofing felt and there is still some but not much condensation on the inside of the felt although this is improving. I replace 100mm of fibreglass with cellulose between the joists and added 200mm knauf earthwool on top. I used glidevale rv655 baffles at the roof edges to maintain airflow. I've a few additional vents to open up the felt every other rafter or so on each side. The attic trusses on the side of the roof where the solar pv panels are don't have this issue, only the other side. I've a good seal on the attic hatch and been closing one or two old pipe holes but wonder if I've not enough ventilation or just have to wait for a windy day to help clear this out? I just don't like see the attic trusses wet like that..... all suggestions welcome!

Who wrote the article?!! Was it one of those "advertorials"? SAP will push you towards renewable solutions. Any heating source that's poorly specified is going to perform horribly. ASHP have to be paired with an air tight, well insulated structure to perform well with it's lower heat levels compared to oil/gas. There's no reason the running costs need to be more, you're in control of when it runs and can pair it with Solar PV and flexible tariffs. You're not in control of oil prices although you have a tank and some oil to fall back on there but when you refill, you have to pay whatever the market rate is. As ASHP is newer technology, the market % means there are less of them being installed compared to Gas boilers so economies of scale haven't kicked in yet, so there's an obvious gap. At the end of the day you're in control of your budget and choosing the best means to heat your house within the bounds of legislation. I just wouldn't knock ASHP because of one article, that's all. The same publication have "air source heat pumps explained" available online if you search from 6th February 2019. Best of luck with whichever choice meets your needs.

Thanks - think I'll trace the switched live and see if I connected that through ok - was hoping it would run the fan based on the humidity sensor even after the pull cord was turned off. Then I'll trace the spot light cabling and make sure it's not spliced anywhere it shouldn't be. Cheers.

They are LED lights and operate normally on their own switch. But when they are left switched off, and I disable the isolation on the new shower fan circuit that's when they start flashing....!!

I decided to reroute the shower fan off the main light switch so I can run it independently in the summer. There are two light switches, one for spots, one for the overhead light. I wired up the new fan unit behind a pull cord and a isolator switch outside & above the bathroom door. Today I connected the new circuit into the overhead light circuit. All good until I turned the circuit on via the new isolator - the spot lights starting flashing. I never touched that circuit so that's very strange. It's hardly induction from the AC by wires crisscrossing in the attic is it? I'll have to trace the spot light to switch cable and see where it feeds off but was a bit surprised! I reverted until I investigate but any ideas why this can happen - is my new wiring that bad?!! Thanks.

Sure - check out the overheating post I made much earlier, the elevations are in there.

I had to buy the house to get the site so I'm not eleigible for the 30K first time buyers grant anymore. And correct, no VAT rebate over here in ROI. The house the salesman quoted was priced at 350K originally and they got it down to 285K by going line by line through the spec.There is still VAT at the end though. I could chance trying to get my 325K price back down to 275K but the VAT really kills me even then. My other limiting factor is that the 285K house was build in a very exclusive area so the bank would have valued the new house above the build price. I've the opposite problem, my build price is always above the "what a similar new house would cost on the market in my area" and I only get 80% of the lower of the two figures off the bank. I've either to have a lot more cash (50L-100K) saved up or more equity (say in 5 years) before I take the plunge. I'm 49 so I can wait 5 years and have 50% equity or 10 years and pay off my mortgage and build at 60 for cash and finish in my own time so I'm not lost, just stuck/delayed! # Or sell the site/house and move elsewhere! I just have to decide next year to extend planning another 5 years or leave it and reapply new in 10 years time and build on my own terms without a bank dictating terms anymore. What the market will be like then though, who knows?!!

Oh well - it's off again. Sales guy didn't quote VAT and the price the builder proposed was massively higher than the one they supposedly finished recently which was bigger in size?!! I might have a chat with them but long story short, their estimates came out the same as what the tender responses came in on last year. No deal! Back to the drawing board......or sell the site!

I've a sister nearby or can rent a room privately as there's just me for the build duration. It's a 3-bed detached house, will probably take 6 months but there's a gap of course between selling my old house and booking the builder so probably 9 months to a year elsewhere. I've to juggle the total build cost, the sale price of my house, the valuation of the new house vs what the bank will give me!! Great fun!! Hope the costs add up for you, if this builder falls through I'll postpone for a year and look again at direct labour and other options. I think Brexit could affect supply if not also price next year so that's another risk too!!

Interesting developments in the last week. While trying to figure out a way forward for my build as cheaply as possible I discovered a company that does SIPs and has just finished a slight larger house for a LOT less than the tender prices that shut me down last year (€375k). So my job this month is to crunch the numbers again, get a more formal quote from them and see if this is a runner. As always there are three factors I've to balance: Architects fees - the crowd I used before are brilliant but very expensive. I've a different Architect doing an analysis to see what he would charge to take over. Also the builder has their own Architect I'll approach to see if I can use them instead. Kit Home - There are two companies who work together and seem to deliver you a turnkey house - just move in the furniture. I'm a bit dubious how they do this for such a good price so will visit one of their builds if possible. I know they use PVC for windows and soffit/fascia so will see what spec of ASHP and MVHR they use and if these are of the cheaper variety or not once they return a spec I can look at. Bank - ah, the bank! Build cost + Arch fees + 10% contingency - I'll get funded max 80% (as a second time buyer) of this or 80% of the projected value of the finished house, whichever is less. I can see some creative accounting coming on here...! Plus my old house has to sell for enough to get me the equity I need - this is attached to the site (side garden) so need to sell before I draw down new mortgage. The builder uses SIPs, nothing against them, should work fine. I've a budget of €260K and their initial guesstimate was €275K so not far off. A more accurate quote is on the way and I'll see how much this goes up (!). Like the build triangle (quality, price, speed / good-quick-cheap) I've three legs that need to all function to get this over the line: Valuation of finished house based on location, spec and current market value - house prices are holding / still going up slightly so ok there so far. I need a good valuation though, got €350K last year but hope for detached I'll get a little more. Builders price for 2021 build - I'll have to pick apart the spec a bit and see what I can live with and what I might have to change but if I can get a decent fabric it might just work. The things I'd like to do might not be possible as this is right on my budget but at least it's a hands off build for the money, so I won't be working double jobs trying to do as much myself as possible. Architect - haven't found one willing to work with me yet, two turned me down, one is thinking about it and the original Architects are bloody expensive. Will see how this goes....I could pay them out of pocket but if their costs go into the costings submitted to the bank I have to prove I can afford them up front, probably looking at 20K just for them with all the reg required in ROI now. Anyway, should know more in a week but will line up other options in the meantime in case. Wish this post was about the build already but if this happens it's going to happen quick and I'm certain this is the best shot I'll get at it for a good while. One day I'll be sticking photos of the build up there and updating everyone as each stage goes up.

I'd try to plan for extra wooden battens in the service cavity (between the existing studs) to take the weight of any heavy items, like kitchen carcasses, bathroom fixtures etc where their fixings are going to be. If air tightness is important to you ensure any penetrations are sealed and one cable per seal (there are specialised seals for this, not sure what they are called!) If plasterboarding on interior you can get heavier duty plasterboard (gyproc habito) or fermacell with has a higher hang strength but easier to just find a stud as Peter says!

I'll do it from the waiting room inside A&E so....!!! Cheers.

Is it possible to use an expanding foam can more than once? I got a foam gun and foam gun/nozzle cleaner and that part works fine but I'm trying to use a can I used last a few months ago and it's bunged up. Don't want to go poking around a pressurised container with a screw to clean out the feed. What are people's thoughts? Thanks!

I'm considering installing a single bedroom ventilation unit, something like the Blauberg Mini-Air or similar as my bedroom gets very stuffy at night. I live beside a main road. The existing passive vent is mostly blocked except for a diy z vent channel designed to keep out noise but very little air makes it through without a tailwind. My question is around installing the external part of the Blauberg, I need to remove the existing grill. It's at 1st floor height and I've only a ladder. I'm weighing up the risk of chipping away at the render at this height and figuring out how the grill is held in place so I can remove it. Not something I've ever done before. Or I multi tool out a 104mm circular hole (seems to be metal) for the vent pipe and fit the new cowl over the old vent and fix in place? I can access it from inside if so to do that much easier. The old grill is 200mm (w) x 150mm (h), the new cowl is 175mm (w) x 222mm (h) Any ideas? Thanks.

If your house is as big as I think maybe its time to buy more solar PV panels and a battery to timeshift off peak electricity (with a more agile tariff) and generate a lot more during the day. A pair of Tesla powerwalls for example and see if Tesla solar tiles are coming to the UK soon? Ground mount array might also be an option or a small wind turbine depending on your location? You're prioritizing usage which is the best approach but as you can't do anything about the pool etc, maybe time to look at a heat pump for the pool and doubling down on your Solar PV capacity? North England might not be the sunny south east but your solar supplier should be able to model different array solutions / projected generation etc.

Got some of that paint for the floor and blinds for the windows. Started out on the floor and got help from a friend for the ceiling which was awkward. Walls are next.....!! Thanks all.

Neoprene on! So I got plywood as the internal finish. I'll paint the walls and ceiling but how should I treat/paint the 12mm hardwood faced plywood floor (on top of 30mm XPS in this case)? Use a decking treatment? Thanks!