Tetrarch

Update : Planning Permission granted so we start work in late February I will be submitting a minor planning amendment to cover the roof as well and the plan is to extend the roof slightly to deliver some broader eaves (more in line with current BR). My new insulation proposal is to have a hybrid mix of internal/external. Black is new 365mm walls Red is new insulation Orange is old 1970's cavity wall My master plan is to have the South walls (1914, 1972, 2024) lined up in such a way that the internal and external faces will be seamless and "un-stepped". This means using various thicknesses of external insulation and then K-Rendering the whole lot. The reason fo the internal imsulation on the front (West) is to preserve the aesthetic of the current sash windows My "new" question. Is it OK to just insulate and render on top of the existing painted roughcast finish? This finish is absolutely rock-hard and very difficult to remove even a small area. Regards Tet

Just to confirm from the Grand Designs website that the above link is correct: https://www.granddesigns.tv/northcotswolds https://roofit.solar/ "Request a quote" - I imagine they'll be busy..... Regards Tet

I want to put a solar array on a 3m x 10m outbuilding. It's covered by loose-laid EPDM at the moment. These looks as though they could do the generation and weatherproofing in one hit I was looking at a £13K quote (including batteries etc). I wonder if this is DIY-able.....or whether I should get the Estonians in! Regards Tet

I'm afraid that I can't remember. I bought it from the same place that I bought the Amtico, but either I bought it by post and/or my email account doesn't go back far enough. I do remember that it was highly potent stuff and I had a raging headache after doing just 5 sq m Regards Tet

MVHR is also the way we're planning to control humidity and ventilation in the house and we were planning to have a ceiling mount for our island. I say "were" as we've now decided on a different solution. I partly blame Bake Off but we're now committed to hide-and-slide ovens and the Neff ecosystem. Have you considered a downdraft extractor? The in-hob one compromises the hob cooking area a little and the glass downdraft is very expensive but haveing seen them in action (or their same-factory Siemens equivalents) I am extremely expressed, more to the point, so is Mrs Tet Regards Tet

Thank you for all the replies. The rear is a new build single storey extension 3.5m x 8m with a 6.5m Vistaline slide-and-stack Door that hangs from above and weighs 35kg per sq.m (so 475kg is total) - we'd ideally likely stack this to the right so that is a lot of weight on that outer corner I'm waiting on a few extra drawings and I'll share when they arrive that will show the rear elevation and the new planned roof Regards Tet

I'm not sure if this belongs here or in the insulation section. My architect has prepared my BC drawings: I would like: The rear horizontal beam (outlined in red) to be closer to the rear facade The right rear corner to be smaller in cross-section The internal cross beam supports (circled in green) to not intrude into the room. I can live with the right if required, the left is a real problem with the kitchen units. Notes: The grey wall on the left is solid brick and on the right a cavity wall (from a 1970's extension) My architect has replied to all of these with "possible condensation through the steel because insufficient steel cover". Do I have any choices here that I might suggest to my architect? Regards Tet

We took some time to see as many doors as we could from several suppliers. We saw some truly deadful doors that were stiles and rails with foam filled cavities. If you open and close these doors next to their solidly-built equivalents. We went for a solidor in the end, primarily for one of the same concerns that you raised - scratch resistance. What we were told (assuming true) is that solidor's outer shell is through-coloured and very tough (described by one salesman as the same as a lego brick. This was a major consideration when we selected what turned out to be a quite expensive door Regards Tet

These are looking fabulous. Do you have a picture with it lit? Regards Tet

You could use 100mm granite setts that are very easy to lay in an arc down to small radii Regards Tet

It sounds like you have lucked out on two roofing companies. Delaminated is absolute nonense. Unforfunately, many traditional flat roofers are absolutely committed to felt and/or GRP. This guy has not even recognised that this is an EPDM (rubber) roof. So much for roofer #2 As for installer #1. It's really difficult to tell. Though recommended, you can loose-lay EPDM. The belt-and-braces approach is to glue down the EPDM. If they did put a "thin" layer of ply over it then walking on it probably isnt recommended. That said, as long as the EPDM isn't actually perforated, then you really shouldn't have any real worries I would try and get a third roofer involved, preferably one who actually knows something about EPDM. They'll give you a quote for your new job and hopefully an opinion about your previous Regards Tet

Exactly that. Apologies for not being clear. I am proposing that there is a gap in the parapet wall (at the point of the red arrow) to allow drainage The reason for a green roof is mostly aesthetic. The Master Bedroom is directly above the extension and has lovely views of the back garden and beyond. To be frank it is the reason that we bought the house. Though I am a huge fan of EPDM it is a little disappointing as a major part of your view - hence the green roof. the only practical benefit is the reduction in noise when it rains Sequestering carbon and cleaning the air fall somewhere between "zero" and "bugger all" on my "Scale of care" Agree with drainage requirement. I was really enquiring what would be an optimal fall to cope with the green roof and how much water would I be designing for. Regards Tet

Looking at an East-facing 8m x 3.5m extension with 3 2m x 1m rooflights. Is it possible to slope the whole roof to simultaneously satisfy the drainage requirements for the single-storey flat roof itself (EPDM),the roof lights and a green roof as a single pitch. The plan is for the rear elevation to have a parapet with no drainage and for the runoff to exit in the direction of the red arrow below. My thought process was that an appropriately pitched roof would make construction of the upstand simpler (and therefore cheaper) as it would need no slope to be created. I've been looking at the sealed units from Roofmaker, ID Systems and EOS Systems so far as, even though higher priced, they are modular and therefore quicker (= cheaper) to install with fewer things to go wrong Notes and requirements: Non-opening rooflights Triple-glazed 70/30 solar-control glass or equivalent Regards Tet

If that is the desire then make that the requirement. Virtually any house can have 300mm of roof insulation installed at a (relatively) low cost. Tying landlords to a riduclous EPC-derived* standard was always insane as many properties would not be possible to upgrade under almost any circumstances. Regards Tet * - EPC's are genuinely insane. I currently live in a property with an official EPC of 4

You could terminate in a socket with an off-the-shelf cable and the remove the wires if you want to avoid "wasting" a plug Regards Tet

I looked back throught the previous threads and this question hasn't been asked for a while How do you find a reliable (hopefully local Kent/SE London) supplier and installer? My extension build starts in February but the bulk of the MVHR will be in the fabric of the old building so there's no reason it can't start sooner Regards Tet

Mind you, that 8 weeks for approval is after: Feb-21 - Application 1 - Refused (day 56) Jun-21 - Appication #2 - Refused (day 56) Oct-21 - Appeal - Refused (Nov-22) Apr-23 - PD Application - Granted (May-23) Jul-23 - Application #3 - Granted (day 56) Regards Tet

External - We have limited scope to install external insulation due to the constructionof the roof. The roof is pitched with low eaves (slopes on all four sides of the house) and the soffit is only ~120mm. We are having a new roof, but we are in green belt and will need PP. You have now made me think about how I could increase the soffit by lowering the pitch of the roof a little - thank you. I could definetely put external insulation on the North side of the house with no real aesthetic cost Wall - Wall of the original house (yellow shaded) is solid brick. Render is a very solid roughcast MVHR - The MVHR will manage the humidity levels in the house. This has dew point and water transmission implications. I'm not any kind of expert on this, my biggest concern is damp avoidance. My current theory is that by sealing the house drum tight from the outside then I only have to control internal humidity to manage any potential damp issues. You can make the bulbs smart-controlled or the power wiring smart-controlled. I've been playing with a few solutions with mixed success. Power cuts seems to be the bugbear of one solution. British General sockets and Shelly bulbs seem to be OK See - above I'm now even contemplating both. It's "only" the old part of the house, so there is an element of diminishing returns as well Regards Tet

Absolutey, It's just a sheet or rubber. Gluing it down is the belt and braces approach. Don't be worried about the glue. It's just like paint. There are loads of good videos on Youtube Regards Tet

Mine was finally granted (thank God) yesterday - exactly on day 56 So some are following the rules Regards Tet

Probably need an SE to get the definitive answer. On a 3.5 x 8.5m span warm roof with multiple skylights, how much extra height would I have to sacrifice to accomodate a sedum roof? The rubber4roofs website states a value of 120kg per sq m which sounds like a lot and would equate to additional load of ~3.5 tonnes, which I am assuming would need much larger structural supporting beams Regards Tet

Completely agree with Conor on EPDM and forgetting about reusing the felt It looks as though your ability to extend the roof to create an overhang for rain drainage is limited. As we look at it you're going to have to make it fall right-to-left, unless the land behind is an option. Without any guttering this will fall on your little "shed extension", which may lead to water damage issues here (the door already looks alittle warped), something to consider You can get a 3m square of EPDM from rubber4roofs for about £135 delivered and you should never have to replace it Regards Tet

Something like this: https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-roof-gutter-sealant-black-310ml/67521 Regards Tet

If it's a party wall, then surely you have the right to hang guttering above the PW. This would serve as protection from the rain and as the gap is also yours you can do what you like to cover it as long as you don't touch the wall itself. I'd have thought that putting some kind of sealant on your bl~~~y wall would be difficult to effectively enforce legally Regards Tet

Our budget was in control until we saw this: