MikeGrahamT21

What condition is the timber in? Everything else is, including the timber to be fair, is serviceable. Externally is aluminium so that should last pretty much forever, same for the flashings, all alu. You could just be looking at a seal and pane replacement

Its done its due thats for sure over 30 years. Newer models have better frame insulation and seals, but they are also very pricey. Just worth weighing it all up. You should be able to get new seals for very little money as spare parts.

Whats the reason behind wanting to replace it? Larger size? If you are just going same size, probably be cheaper to refurb the one you've got if it needs it, and a new pane of glass if the unit is blown, which would provide a small upgrade as glass has moved on

Why not get what you can from the government schemes with regard loft insulation, whilst your parent(s) are living there? They may even qualify for free solar panels if there is enough allowance left.

Been in a similar situation years ago, my late wife came up with the idea of using sticky back vinyl which is super cheap, and did the job perfectly, it lasted a good 10 years

I wonder how feasible running a combi boiler on LPG would be cost wise?

https://www.daikin.co.uk/en_gb/residential/products-and-advice/heat-pump-calculator/residential-solution-navigator-air-to-water-heat-pumps.html?lead=4c1379d4-4f4e-11ef-8c16-85d62a454bf0 Hopefully should be easy enough to get something usable out of it. I also found the proper MCS spreadsheet, thats anything but simple!!

210 is a lot of hot water, especially with an electric shower, any bath? Have you had a quote from Octopus Energy, E.On? Any of the big players just to compare? I'd guess someone else installing UFH would add a fair chunk to the bill.

Some photos will help. what age are the joists roughly? Older wood is far stronger and cracking doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bad. notching for plumbing is never great as it weakens them but it’s just how it used to be done, and in some cases still is.

Definitely don’t remove insulation as others have said. I think external shading is going to be your best option, all depends on what the bungalow looks like as to what would work best. if you’ve plenty of room above windows, you could look at brise soleil to shade the windows in the summer months. Limited space you could look at an external window film. It’s all about limiting the heat in the window panes, which if you have double could reach a good 70C on a hot day for south facing. do you have any roof windows which can open? My trick on my bungalow on a morning is to open bifold door at one end of bungalow and roof windows at other end, creates a lovely wind tunnel. what is the construction build up on the walls and roof in terms of all materials outside to inside?

made sure I measured the water as per packet instructions, and it self levelled, seemed a good consistency. we do set these things on don’t we? 😂 whilst googling about this, seen so many stories of professionals using wrong products too, and that’s only from the customers who noticed, I bet it happens more often than you’d like to think

Definitely not tiling, that’s one of my most hated jobs of all time! Not a tile to be found in this place now 😂 I’ve gotten past the ‘DIYers blind panic’ stage, what’s done is done, though I’ll remain annoyed at myself for a few days I’m sure 😂 was going to do that small area of plastering tomorrow, but after the stress of today I think I’ll have a day off!

No it doesn’t specify, just says unsuitable for underfloor heating or floors which have minimal movement/vibration. I’ll hazard a guess it’s to do with flexibility, this is a C16 strength F4, whereas the flexible stuff was C24 F8. Just wish I’d had known there were different types as I could have bought some latex at the same time to go in it, or a different product which they had but said it was for interior and exterior use, was in a rush and just kept it simple, and now wish I hadn’t 😂 I’m not too bothered about cracking and it’s got no where to go, the LVT which I’ve got going over it has a thin layer of neoprene padding on the back which won’t be bonded in any way to the subfloor. Guess I’ll just have to leave it a few days to dry out, turn the UFH on and see what happens, and if it seems OK run with it, at least the LVT can be taken up at a later date if I need to redo it all as worst case scenario

It suggests adding latex liquid would have made it suitable, but again too late now. what’s worst case scenario? Can’t imagine it’ll chemically damage the UFH as it’s ingredients are the same as the flexible stuff, obviously missing a few components. the bag doesn’t even state unsuitable for UFH on the limitations section, it’s in the application section

What a day it’s been today, had 5 bags of flexible self levelling compound which is thought was going to be enough, turned out I was wrong, had to go pick up another 4 bags mid job, and somehow I managed to buy the only one known to man which is not recommended for underfloor heating!! I didn’t even realise there were ones which weren’t suitable, learn something new every day. Anyhow, before I’d realised since I’d already started the job, it was mixed, laid and going off, was only when I checked to see how long til it set I saw the not recommended for use with underfloor heating!! luckily the majority of the underfloor heating is covered with the suitable stuff, with maybe 1-2m2 covered with this one. Have had a look online and the only thing I can find is that it may craze/crack under use? If that’s the case it doesn’t bother me as long as the heating mat is safe, since I’m using LVT over the top as a floating floor. anyone else made the same mistake? Though since 90% of the products are Ok with it, it’s stupidly hard to do!! 😂 This is where the mat is the grey self leveller is the flexible, the browny coloured one the non flexible

I know which one i'd be chosing!! This is the metal mesh one i was talking about: https://www.wbs-ltd.co.uk/systems-solutions/system-finishes/15mm-brick-slips/ And for supplier for the normal stuff, i've always used these: https://ewistore.co.uk/

if you’re wanting to use real brick slips I.e heavy ones as opposed to the ones I used which are resin, I have seen a system which used EPS insulation, and then a metal mesh which had spacers on for brick slips. XPS isn’t an issue, it’s just more expensive for same thickness, and you have to ensure vapour permeability on the internal side, which your initial build up didn’t have. Consider wood fibre boards to the interior and lime plaster if you wish to keep the XPS outer

Would definitely not recommend XPS boards and then PIR on inside, you’ll be trapping moisture. EWI is generally EPS above DPC and XPS below DPC and on an old building it’s recommended to carry this all the way down to the foundation. have a look at my blog which may well give you some ideas

Some providers do, but its now in as a graph, which shows flow rate based upon pressure: https://www.grohe.co.uk/notepad/v1/exports/product/30489000?locale=en_gb&fallback_image=

I haven’t, but I know they are top end passivhaus certified, saw them in passive house plus magazine. They certainly used to sell in england they do both PVC and Ali clad timber from memory

Have you looked at Munster Joinery? Triple glazing is become far more common these days, but unfortunately manufacturers are using it to their own advantage so they can sell poorly performing frames and still be inside the regulations. Also pay attention to the gap size between the panes, they can be too small and not give any benefit, and also too large which allows convection to occur. but to answer your question, a good double vs a good triple, yes you will undoubtedly notice the difference, I know I certainly do. But the problem comes as above if you compare a good double vs a poor triple, the double would likely be the best option

Anything specific you don't know the answer to? You may find it easier to use the web portal to do this: https://buildingcontrol.planningportal.co.uk/

Swear I’m getting slower at this DIY lark! been a very turbulent month and a bit, about a week after I last posted in this thread my dad passed away, and with funeral and starting to sort the mass of stuff in his house, the days have zipped by at a rate of knots. coinciding with what I always find the most difficult part of these jobs, getting the floor structure down, balancing definitely isn’t a strong point! cut out the last of the woodwormed joists and decided to replace everything under there again even though quite a few were new from around 10 years ago, it was the first room I’d done and wasn’t prepared for what I found so the ones I took out were untreated, now replaced with treated. topped up the floor insulation with another 20mm to go with the existing 70mm, new 22mm chipboard, and sorted both heating and supply pipes along with drainage for the shower. be a few weeks now til I get some time to do the first batch of plastering, but I’m just happy it’s starting to look a bit more like a room rather than a building site. Stumbled across a brilliant airtight primer this time too, Tescon's SPrimer, which is a sprayable primer. Saves killing a paintbrush, and is so easy to apply, but its a little smelly for a few days. I've still got a bit of the paint on primer, but don't think i would have had enough to complete the job, managed to get a can off ebay from someone who had finished their works and was selling excess off.

K5 has a fabric coating to accept render/adhesive on both sides, and is also made from phenolic foam rather than polyisocyanurate, which is marginally better at insulating

yeah the solicitor sent us a copy of the title deed once he’d done the work so I’ve got it straight from the horses mouth as it were. I’ve lived on this street all of my life and dads house is only a few doors down, so I’ve gone with a top end estimate based upon prices of others which have sold recently, even if it were another 50% higher than that it still wouldn’t touch IHT, primarily because he didn’t own the whole thing, and indeed may have only owned 33% given that no split is detailed on the title deeds.