Coffeepotclaire

Thanks for your response. I'll give it a go! ?

@Temp. Thanks for your response and sorry for delay in responding - still new at this and didn't realise anyone had got back to me! ?‍♀️. You're right, some electric fires look very realistic and if we could find the perfect one, I'm sure we would go that route as I'm more interested in the ambience than the heat! However we've actually built a fake chimney structure in case we go with a balanced flue. We built this from timber which we plan to line internally with fireproof material to protect heat from the flue and fireplace. Problem is, it seems the structure should have been built out of approved materials and not timber! We've been on a couple of fireplace websites where they have actually shown false chimneys being constructed out of timber and then fire-lined. So confused? Any advice greatly appreciated.

Preparing for seeding our large garden last autumn, we busily prepared the ground by removing the old lawn and weeds, turned the ground over, added some top soil and levelled it out. It looked perfect. Unfortunately, because of the time it took to do all the preparation, we missed the September 'deadline' to sow the seed so decided to leave it until the April. Naively, we didn't think we would get many weeds coming through since we were going into winter but boy were we wrong! Our whole garden is now completely covered with weeds and the thought of having to remove them all over again before sowing the seed in April is soul-destroying! We spoke to one gardener who reckoned we could just sow our seed on top of all these weeds and then,once the grass had established a bit, then put weedkiller down? Surely that's nonsense? Everything I've read says you should remove all weeds FIRST or else the seeds won't be able to germinate! And if I was to use a commerical type weedkiller before sowing the lawn seed, would a lawn actually grow?

Hope someone can help with regard to the installation of a balanced flue fireplace. We have built a fake chimney structure to accommodate the flue from timber which we plan to line internally with fireproof material to protect heat from the flue and fireplace. Apparently the structure should have been built out of approved materials and not timber. We've been on a couple of fireplace websites where they have actually shown false chimneys being constructed out of timber and then fire-lined. So confused! Can anybody advise?

Thank you!

@ryder72 Also the distance from our worktop to the ceiling would be about 2m so do you still think a ceiling extractor with powerful external motor would work better? Btw, if the motor is powerful does that also mean 'noisy'?

Thanks for responding. I take on board your comments re: downdraft systems. Certainly food for thought! And in relation to your comment re: a good ceiling extractor with a powerful onboard motor, can you recommend a make or model? Many thanks

@ryder72 If we go with a downdraft system our preference is definitely to extract out. Not keen on the recirc option. However, do you think our route out as set out below would work ok? 'We will need to come down from the island to the floor then 2m across the floor, up the internal face of the external wall and then out through the wall so in effect 3 x 90 degree bends'. And what sort of cost are we talking about for a powerful ceiling extractor as you suggested? Thanks

Hi all, We're currently in the middle of a house renovation and have built an opening for a 3-sided room divider fireplace. Problem is, we can't decide on electric or gas? We prefer the look of the gas option because it's more realistic looking but it is expensive in terms of setting up in comparison to electric. Are electric fires cheaper to run than the gas option? And can anyone verify whether it's possible to have a very realistic and modern looking electric fire with logs? Obviously with Covid restrictions, we're unable to get to any showrooms. Annoying, we can't finish this space off until we know which one we're going for. Feedback much appreciated.

Also, I keep reading threads on here of people who have MVHR systems in their homes. I won't pretend to know much about them but might this be an option to have in the kitchen in addition to a hob extractor? Just wondering if it might help with getting rid of the horrible cooking smells?And does anyone know what sort of price an MVHR is?

Hi Ryder72! Thanks for your input. Dare I ask what sort of ballpark figure we're talking about? Obviously we are keen to find a solution but are price sensitive! And do you have a make/model in mind that I can look up? Also, if we go with the downdraft system we would be looking to duct out from the island to an outside wall. Just a little concerned about how effective our ducting will be. We will need to come down from the island to the floor then 2m across the floor, up the internal face of the external wall and then out through the wall so in effect 3 x 90 degree bends. Thoughts much appreciated!

Interesting! Thanks, I'll take a look at Gaggenau. Performance wise though, I wonder how this compares to the Bora system?!

Thanks Wozza! I'm sure if I have a demo I will love it. Just wondered what it's really like from people who are actually using it in their homes. Of course, it has to be people who cook a lot of smelly foods like me! ?

Unfortunately head room was tight for a warm roof.

Thanks Temp, Regarding the air ventilation, on the basis of your calculation it would appear I more than comply - thanks very much.

Thanks Temp! The dormer roof has more than 80mm clear ventilation between the insulation and the roof deck from the front of the dormer out through the vented ridge.

Thanks Jason. The dormer is adequately vented. The rest of the roof was built effectively as a separate structure.

Is there anyone out there that has a Bora or similar downdraft hob in their home that can give me any feedback as to whether or not it really does get rid of terrible food smells like curry etc? I really don't want my whole house smelling. Thanks

Thanks for your reply Jason. Celotex are telling me that if I introduce vents I have effectively created a vented roof in which case the air gap would have to be a minimum of 50mm for the roof to vent efficiently. Hence why I'm finding this all so confusing!

Thanks for your response. Tyvek have confirmed that their product will perform with either gap dependant upon roof design. Hence why I find BCO's stance frustrating!

Noted. Thank you.

Thanks for your feedback Mr Punter, though not the news I was hoping for as the hob has to go on the island! Not sure where to go from here now!

Ah I see. Yes, we would be looking at under floor ducting out so this particular model probably wouldn't be suitable. This is a new build extension.

Hmm! Our distance would be more like 2m so probably wouldn't be as effective as yours.

Hi everyone, Please help, getting conflicting advice from BCO, Celotex and my architect! In short, I am converting my loft space. The property is a detached bungalow with an up and over roof, hip ended at both sides with a full width dormer at the rear. My rafters are 6 x 2 and I want to use ideally, 120mm rigid insulation between the rafters and 25mm across the underside. This will obviously then give me an air gap between the top of the insulation and the roofing membrane of 25mm. For the record, I have used a Tyvek breathable membrane. The roof has been designed to be unvented apart from the dormer roof which is a cold deck and requires ventilation. This has been catered for by a vented ridge and vents at the front edge of the dormer. I should say that the dormer is the full width of the roof, hip to hip. BCO have said they would like the whole roof vented with a 50mm continuous air gap. My architect has said 25mm with the breathable membrane is more than sufficient. And Celotex have said 25mm is sufficient if the roof is not vented. However, 50mm if it is. I hope that all makes sense. Any help appreciated.