mike2016

I'd 200 litres in a water butt during that dry spell and nearly finished that. Not a big gardener currently! That's the only problem with this approach, I'm using the rainwater storage when I need it most. But if I'm not gardening that much....could be a runner, otherwise I'll need ice, lots of ice!!

I was talking about this topic with my Architect last week - we're down to 1% overheating in PHPP when no windows are opened but I'm still considering active cooling. Then something occurred to me - I've a big rainwater harvesting tank sitting out in the back garden as part of the build, up to 7,000 litres worth. Could I use that with a heat exchanger and the underfloor heating as Jeremy does with his ASHP? The only drawback is it will run down as the dry hot spell progresses. It's a big underground thermal store though otherwise.....hmmmm....

There's new legislation introduced a few years ago to try to curb rogue builders. Every tradesman as I understand it involved in first fix needs to sign off that their work is compliant and put their PI insurance on the line, then the Architect puts their over the top of everyone's. What's happened in the past is builders have done crazy things along with tradesmen and gone bust and no one's left to pick up the tab when defects are found later. There is a back door where you can opt out but you have to have cash, not the mortgage route I'm pursuing. Anyway, talking to the Architect I can do painting, kitchen and the alarm install but CAT6a needs an approved installer as does MVHR for instance and of course plumbing and electrics. It pushes up the price of everything though and in my opinion does nothing to protect you if a tradesperson goes bust or disappears / leaves the country. But it makes the politicians happy I suppose. Anyway, these are the hurdles to building in ROI currently and I can't run foul of them or the bank will opt out!

There's hope yet so! I may pull this off yet!! I've a bit more research to do around the local legislation but if this all stands up ok it would be great!

Thanks & Good idea! Might be worth the additional cost to get the training myself alongside the plumber! Or send him over. I'll start checking into what certifications this would require in ROI, is it just the CE mark or others? I also wonder if Brexit will impact those certs as the build will be post April 2019, unless there's an extension.....

It would be nice to do something with the kitchen area but I'm tempering that with cost and the declutter / clean route is the easiest, cheapest approach from reading responses here. I might lift the floor so it matches the living room but unless I get a really good price on doors I don't see a cheap investment there being worth it, I'll just be installing new cheap doors instead of keeping existing cheap doors! Thanks everyone!

I met with the Architect last week and ran into a problem. I've always been keen on using SunAmp with Solar PV as my preferred heating/hot water platform. I'm building a small 108m2 house so it's a good fit in my opinion. However....Building Control legislation has changed in recent years and I've to "opt in" to keep the bank happy. This means hands off first fix basically including MVHR that I was looking forward to installing. Anyway, that aside there's no registered installers in ROI for SunAmp and therefore no one can sign off such a system. Andy in SunAmp has been very clear on this point and even with the Amazing Nick willing to design and provide support I doubt any builder here will accept this risk and one I've just spoken to voiced his concerns. I've to go out to tender soon and don't want this to blow up on me! There are two likely heating options in my house at the minute: ASHP with underfloor, towel rails etc and hot water tank etc, no solar PV Solar PV and SunAmp UniQ to do the same without the hot water tank My plan was to live with SunAmp for a year and get an ASHP later if required. The more likely scenario is I get an ASHP and add SunAmp later (!) and possibly end up not using the ASHP afterwards! Well, I'll use it to recharge the SunAmp (ideally with a high temp ASHP unit) but it's the additional combined cost that I'd rather not spend. And retrofitting a SunAmp after a commissioned system is built and signed off isn't the route I'd prefer to go. One option I was wondering about was what the minimum heating system I can get away with that leaves me open to easily incorporating a SunAmp shortly after building control is signed off? Maybe an instant electrical hot water heater and a few two bar fires? But then there's DEAP (SAP equivalent) to contend with. Anyway, thought I'd throw this to the experts here and see if I'm stoking a fire to burn myself in or not?!! Thanks!

Thanks - probably vinyl wrapped doors with a few freyed edges around the bottom of some. Will check out suitable paint. Plan laminate flooring maybe as I've laid that elsewhere in the house although maybe tile for the actual kitchen area makes more sense and laminate in the dining space? Lots to do to make it clutter free but the green just doesn't do it for me but typical of the time. I'm not staying so don't mind but wondered where a little money might help. Great ideas and there's lot of options....! I'm just after doing the BTC kitchen installation course mostly for the new build but could apply some of the skills I picked up in the existing kitchen too, just don't want to spend too much on it but could be good practice.

Hi, I'm selling in January to fund my self build but the estate agent recommended upgrading the kitchen if I was able. I'm happy putting down new flooring (the existing has lifted due to previous leaks) but am debating if I should replace the existing kitchen doors or get them repainted? I'd like to get the countertop changed also - they have that cheap metal strip in the joints. Not sure I want to have to take out the sink but that's certainly doable. Anyway, the doors are coated with plastic something - might be PVC. I can clean them up and paint them myself to keep costs down but would the finish be worth it? There is also a resin you can pour onto a countertop I've seen people use, would that be an option? Anyway, any ideas welcome. Initial research shows that a professional respray is over €1K, or new doors about €540 based on my current research. I can install doors/soft closers etc myself and get new handles. Not sure about the end carcass facings / shelves etc and if these can be left or should also be touched up? I'm not set on any particular style, just one that refreshes things and caters to most tastes? Thanks!

FYI - There's a few simpler options to measure temperature / humidity. Saw a nice one called "sensorpush". Bit pricey on Amazon currently at £89, had been £50 so try ebay and they are more reasonable there. These connect to your phone with nice graphs etc! Otherwise a standalone unit with a display - search for TP55 or TP65 on Amazon, very reasonable....@ £20 but don't seem to have any way to connect to a computer....

That could work - I just need something soft for the water to hit that will stay in there.....

like this

That's up the other end, it's when the rain stops and the dregs in the gutters drop down the downpipe and it's when that hits the flange at the bottom of the pipe it makes the noise.....drip....drip....drip.....!

Basic question but how do you muffle the noise water makes when it drips down the gutters and hits the angled plastic PVC bottom? What could I adhere to it to stop this keeping me awake at night?! Thanks!

Am building in my side garden but will sell the house before I start. Means the tender quotes from the builder will expire and go up but there's no way to bridge the financing and get anywhere decent without risking both homes, new and old. There's a buy to let mortgage I could convert to but I'd only be able to use it to borrow a small amount of the build cost and the bank wouldn't go for that as they'd have a half finished house. I got the old house priced at 300-310K (minus side garden), side garden 120K with planning, new house worth 345K currently. Will be able to get 80% of 345K in a new mortgage once I sell old house and finish the build which I expect to be around 250-260K. Currently at the stage where I have planning and am heading out to tender next....sell old house early next year and go from there.....

I'm thinking of one of these. Price vary and can get quite expensive, found some around the 1K mark that seem ok. Videos don't excite me regarding the flame but as a unit for the corner of my living room it'll do. They give out about 5 candles worth of heat and shouldn't tax the ventilation levels. Getting cheap bioethanol locally for me is an issue, Government here killed it off a few years back. I can import in bulk to get around that. Didn't think there would be a smell though, good to know. Like the water based one my mum has, might look into those. Let us know what you decide!

Thanks Folks! Good advice all. Will listen to that podcast too!

Hi, I was talking to someone last night about going to tender for my new build. I'll be appointing a main contractor. When I meet the Architect next month to discuss the tender specification I'm trying to get my head around how I get from a line item in the specification to the exact product I want. Take doors for example: I know exactly the type of oak veneer door I would like to get, plus handles, lock etc and good quality hinges. Now I could get the ironmongery myself or just price these from a supplier and quote a budget of say 150-200 per door to cover things. Then on the day after the contracts are signed point the builder at the supplier and off they go. If I start buying some items myself it means the builder will have to bump up his margins on other items to make up for that loss. Against this I need to be sure if I leave them up to the builder, he gets exactly what I'm after. Do I let them supply the door and I'll supply ironmongery or get a catalogue from a local building supplier and find everything I need there? I'm just after a specific end result. As long as I've my budget set right which is half that battle, who is the best person to procure? If I find a better deal online would they buy it there? Second - how much do I take on vs leave to the builder? Do I get for a quote to finish everything but then negotiate I'll do X & Y afterwards but that affects the builders margins? It also places me on the critical path if I'm slow getting the kitchen installed, MVHR, flooring etc? I don't want to take on too much stress or hold up the builder costing them money in the process. Thanks!

They are a lot more expensive aren't they? Active Cooling also drives up the cost of the models available although JSHarris got a great deal abroad on his......

Just a few things around MVHR I picked up from this thread so far I want to understand better. I know the flow is too low to provide any meaningful cooling. In summer if it's 28 outside and 21 inside, doesn't the cooler exhaust air cool down in in coming warm fresh air? Sort the opposite of what it normally does? You're still going to get some uptick of heat unless you shut it down completely though? Summer bypass just draws in air at 28 degrees doesn't it?! What's the use of that except at night? An aircon unit in the main living area will cool down that space but MVHR will start throwing that cooling outside (albeit at a slow pace) and not distribute it around the house, would that be accurate? Is there such a thing as a recirculate option with MVHR units like you have in a car for when you drive through smoke? The advantage is you get air circulation even when someone's BBQ'ing outside but also if you have one room actively cooled, you get the benefit throughout the whole house (eventually!).

Wow - that's certainly enough to go full polar bear alright! I hope to have two velux at the top of the stairs which is open to roof level plus 4 more in the open plan living / dining area at the north of the house. Not sure yet about supplementing it using MVHR / ASHP / dedicated split unit but after this summer it's on my mind a lot more! I can always keep my options open but don't want to waste money over specifying. I've tall windows on the south facing side so might open for a higher G value for the lower portion of those windows as part of the specification. The briese soleil will take care of the rest. That or buy a few space chest freezers and leave them open.....!

I thought I'd start a topic on cooling specifically. Although it's been covered as part of other threads I wondered what the options are for new builds and existing houses in this area? I've seen some great ideas in other threads: Underfloor & ASHP cooling MHVR cooling option SunAmp to precool rather than preheat? And of course opening the windows at night When night time temperatures are too high to make opening windows useful, what then? Do we get dehumidifiers and air conditioning units like other countries? Shading to prevent solar gain is of course paramount during the day - also blinds, breise soleil, window film to reduce G value, adding trees, walking around stark naked.....! What have people been doing this summer to keep cool and purge the heat? For my current house I'm just using blinds during the day and opening front and rear windows when I'm around too. Regularly 27 degrees in the bedroom overnight however. In the new house I'll have blinds, breise soleil, velux windows in the roof I can open but that's it. I would like to have other options but I can't see myself buying an ASHP at the minute, just MVHR. Thoughts?

Well, there's another house opposite a little further down the road with damage to their side window recently so I'm going to speak to them and see what happened. It might strengthen my case as their gable window is 7 meters from the wall, mine will be only 1. I'll have CCTV as a mater of course for my own protection but hoodies abound and it won't repair the damage. I can get bulletproof glass if I'm forced this way to at least limit the risk of damage but it will be interesting to see how this pans out. The tree, well, I've to access underground services and put in two car parking spaces, if the root system gets damage and the tree becomes a hazard I'll have to take professional advice about site safety and do what's necessary. Funny though - I'd love to keep the tree and I'd love a glass atrium window but the realities weigh against this...... Thanks everyone!

Thanks - the tree protection was different to what I thought. I'm thinking about the roots which will be under the ground where the new car parking spaces are to go, the planners are more likely talking about the Heras protection quoted here. Good distinction to understand, Thanks! I think the fact that the old house has no windows is a good case to point out along with some other things.....

Hi, I just got planning permission but there are two conditions I'm concerned about: Revised plans indicating windows facing a main road in the interest of promoting passive surveillance The existing tree to the front of the site shall be retained and protected, both above and below ground, from damage during construction works The first relates to a decision I made to NOT have windows on one side of the house as at the weekend it's frequented at odd hours with late night revellers, late night buses letting people off and a nightclub up the road. All the bus stops on this road are now plexiglass instead of glass for years due to vandalism. My worry is of course my new house would be the closest of any house on that road and attractive to a stone being thrown or two. They say windows plural - I could put on in a glazed atrium for the living room / vaulted ceiling, would love to in fact but it will be too high up to see out of. Plus the existing house has NO windows on this side either! The bedroom would provide a window you could look out of but it would increase the traffic noise. Nothing may never happen but there's a pedestrian opening opposite into another housing estate and a pedestrian crossing beside that and groups of youths often congregate there. The cost of replacing a window cartridge and access to it after the build is done and scaffolding is down will be tricky. The second relates to trees put down by the builder in the estate 20 years ago. They grow up and out (don't know the variety) and are often cut down after 20-30 years and replanted according to a local tree surgeon. The risk is I've to put in two new parking spots in the front garden of the old house nearby and the root system may be disturbed causing damage / loss of the tree. I don't see how I can protect against that without raising the level of the new parking spaces? Roots are 600mm below the surface I'm told and the parking spaces are right by the tree which is over 6 meters high. I can reinstate a mature tree if all fails but not sure the planners would be accept that. Interested in thoughts if you'd had to have similar discussions with your planners and how to tackle these issues in a sensitive & appropriate way. Thanks.