Becca

Thank you! Will see what they will do. Thanks for this really clear explanation. Really helpful.

We applied to the council for our name early... have had it for at least three months now, and still not started on site, except for services. Turned out electricity and water like names when you come to get your services installed.

Hoping for some group wisdom on VAT. Our MVHR company has invoiced for the design of the system and has charged VAT. They will also be supplying the system, and commissioning it, but NOT installing it. That invoice will come later once the design is finalised. Should they be charging VAT in this case? I've read this post: but I'm still confused. I *think* because it's a service, and they're not installing, they could be right to add VAT, and I can't claim it back since it's a service. But... I'm not entirely sure. Anyone successfully claimed back design without install? What do Wunda do on their design invoices for UFH supplies?? (That's my next purchase...)

Thanks. Did you get them from roofwindows4you.co.uk? Update from Yard Direct today.... September, not December for orders...

I had a conversation with Roofmaker a while back, but found the windows very expensive. That said, perhaps I discounted them too early. The frameless look is very appealing. Will revisit.

No, not paid, glad to say. Having a look at Keylite - thanks. But wonder how many other deliveries are also going to be impacted...

We were going to order Velux windows for our build from Yard Direct, who gave us a very competitive price over the phone. They just sent out an email advising any order placed now will be delayed until DECEMBER! Crazy situation, and feels very unwise to start a build now... ours is supposed to start next month ?

We are near you... about 8 miles from Blair. Just waiting on our building warrant and hope to start on our site in September. Our plot is also on a slope and with a high FFL, so I had to abandon an insulated raft foundation and we're doing a TETRiS beam and block. Glad to say we don't have your complications in terms of drainage, leccy and water, though our house stretches from one side of the plot to the other, so access to the back for big machines isn't going to be possible. Good luck with yours. Look forward to reading your posts.

Should've been AS DESIGNED SAP, not as built. ?. If I'm this absent minded already, what hope for the build! ?

Our as built SAP has just come in at 94/95A. ASHP and 4.2 PV, and based on 3.0 ACH. I think they assumed radiators upstairs (UFH downstairs), but we were (nervously) going to do without wet heating upstairs and have electric UFH in bathrooms and wiring for infrared panels elsewhere in case we needed them. No doubt that would've given us a very poor score, as my understanding is electric heating panels are still badly penalised by SAP2012. I believe SAP10.1 is still to be adopted despite being in the pipeline for ages, but is much "kinder" and more forward looking.

Hoping for some help on cills for Rationel windows. The Rationel cills, supplied by ADW in Scotland (which apparently they get from MSP Scotland, mentioned on the forums) are pressed aluminium, but we hoped to specify shaped profile "extruded" cills, like these, as shared by @Moonshine: Our construction will be blocks and render as an outer leaf to the timber frame. We didn't want any concrete cills, so they would sit on top of the blocks. I thought the extruded type would be better than pressed metal in this context. More stable and easier to make watertight. Has anyone found a supplier for these cills, as MSP Scotland can't do these, just the pressed type. And has anyone used them with Rationel windows? If we do have to go the pressed route, it will need to be a non-standard order to MSP Scotland, as we need more of depth than ADW/Rationel provide on their cill drawings, from what our timber frame company are showing me. Thanks ?

Looks like we are going with Self Build Zone. At £4k it certainly isn't cheap. What did you decide to do @Mike_scotland?

Thanks, will keep the MVHR out of the attic if we possibly can. Still much to learn, but glad to have this forum!

Thanks, will check, but I think you're right - it's PIR between the rafters. The question is what to do if this is the only upgrade on offer. Perhaps best left with the original spec and insulate the MVHR, or move it into the store on the first floor.

We signed with a timber frame supplier last week ?. I asked the timber frame company about changing to a warm roof as their spec had no insulation in the small attic space above the horizontal ceiling of our "rooms in roof" attic. They have come back with this as an optional extra: "To replace supply only 280mm quilt between bottom chord of top hat truss with 150mm loft roll insulation and supply only of 140mm PIR to slope of truss. No additional VC foil/service battens or plasterboard included." The attic area is a very small crawl space, but will be the likely site of the MVHR unit and otherwise is just for storage. Cost of this optional extra is nearly £2k extra, supply only.... I always said we wouldn't compromise on insulation and airtightness, but does this spec seem okay? Cost-wise I wondered whether to leave the 280mm quilt, and buy what we need separately, but would any heat actually reach the attic area with that level of insulation on the horizontal? ?