ProDave

Quite. So what is that sort of development supposed to use when gas boilers are not available any more? Probably like a new estate in Tain, where all the heating is with electric boilers to radiators, and all the owners complain about huge heating bills.

Well done, looking good. The potential problem with old buildings like that is foundations, as one self builder here found, his steading had no foundations and it ended up being a knock down and rebuild.

Right or wrong, but the only times I have seen it done, the rafters are cut at an angle and the trimmers are fitted at that angle, usually 45 degrees and you then just line it as normal. Slightly larger trimmers are needed.

Define what you mean by "heat pump installers" I have fitted 4 of them now, (one being my own) and If I were not so much set on retiring, I could no doubt do a lot more. But I can guarantee I don't appear on any list of "heat pump installers" anywhere. The vast majority of plumbers and electricians, those that can read an installation manual, could fit heat pumps if there were incentives or even the will to do it. but at the moment all they see is "reasons not to get involved"

I had this "problem" just after we started our build, the trouble was, when I tried to sell, the housing market was still dead following the financial crash, and it did not sell. So I reluctantly took up an offer to rent it. It was the least bad option as it was not going to sell in a hurry. In your situation now, I would put it on the market and see. If it sells, that's great, end of your problems. If it does not sell or has little interest then I might consider letting it. BUT and it's a very big BUT, do you WANT to be a landlord? If the answer is no, then don't become a landlord. Frankly the rules have changed and are likely to change further in the favour of tenants, and you might not be able to get your house back when you want to, or it may take a very long time, and it most likely will not be in the condition you expected it to be when you do get it back. For a start what EPC does the old house have? If it's worse than a C then you WILL have to spend money to upgrade it sooner or later or you won't be able to let it. And why are you renting now? Is there not room on your plot for a static caravan?

BUT just when you thought we might be on the way to easier and cheaper ASHP installs, THIS comes along https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/news/heat-pump-defra-review A different part of the same government now complaining they are too noisy for most urban settings with high density housing. You can just see it in a few years "My boiler has broken down, I can't buy a new one, but neither can I fit an ASHP. Just what am i supposed to do?"

Hi and welcome. Sounds like you want a bare croft, unless you already have a plot in mind?

We have vaulted ceilings upstairs and a mezanine in the largest bedroom that goes over the smallest bedroom adjacent to it. My top tip for that if building room in roof, is do not use attic trusses, but design the roof as a cut roof supported on ridge beams. Then you end up with an uninterupted space to do as you please, leave it open to the ridge, or fit a ceiling, whatever you want. It you want a full gable wall of glass, first look at curtain / blind options. Then you will end up like most with nothing. Not what you want if that is your master bedroom overlooked by other houses. We did a token to the gable window thing in our sun room,but as 2 halves with a post in the middle to support the ridge beam. Save the expense of a steel frame and only detracts slightly from the full glass look.

To me, the obvious thing is cut a hole in the OSB, remove insulation from below and see if you can see a sign of a leak? Less disruptive and easier to put back than cutting a hole in the GRP from above.

That sounds like a standard 25 year old Scottish timber frame with just a 4" frame. It sounds like the end walls will be a 50mm cavity then blockwork and harled end walls. And the side walls are clad in timber instead of blockwork. I would definitely be wanting to add more insulation, which potentially you could do with external wall insulation over the existing 4" frame, and then replacement cladding but it will make the overall wall thicker so the detail of how that joins the blockwork end walls will need some thinking about.

If it is Douglas Fir i am surprised it is end of life after 25 years. Is it just a case of it's a bit weathered and tatty looking now? Pictures? More information on complete build method before anyone can advise on more insulation.

The GRP used on my boat is almost an inch thick. I doubt a GRP roof is anything like that thick. It still should not leak if laid properly.

But June was a very dry month. July was very wet, so if it was a leak I would expected it to start showing when the rain came in July.

Just an off the peg suggestion. 11M by 6M is within the size limit for a "caravan" so build it as a moveable structure and call it a "caravan" and no building regs needed.

Capacitors in general don't suffer the lifetime issues of batteries, and don't get in a huff if fully discharged so I guess power density is what has stopped them being used for energy storage in general?

Well not on my own build, but wiring a new build not far from here, I had a stand up finger wagging argument with the joiner who wanted me to route the cables his way and did not understand safe zones. I won the argument but we never got on for the rest of the build and i ended up getting the plumber to tell me when the joiner was not there so I could go and finish off in peace.

Unless you are very lucky and whoever did the "conversion" fitted enough insulation to meet current building regulations then assume you will have to strip back to a bare structure and start again from that point.

Attic trusses like that is one way. An alternative which may give more open and flexible space to use upstairs is a cut roof made on site hung from a ridge beam, assuming there is a gable end to support a ridge beam from.

I used Tescon Vana, available from a German supplier on ebay much cheaper than any UK supplier (but you might now have to pay VAT and duty when you import it. Siga Sicral (sp?) is another really good one but more expensive.

What about headroom and how will you fit a proper staircase? Headroom above the stairs needs to be 2 metres all the way. If you can't achieve that, no point even trying.

Hi and welcome. There are several of us on here around the Inverness area (I am 20 miles north) Are you in the town or rural?

Hi and welcome. Most self builders at the end of the build say "never again". But then then go and do it again, and sometimes again....... (recently finished self build No 2)

If that was a "roofer" that did that, then what I would take away from this, is when you get someone to replace the broken tiles, choose a different roofer. He has failed his trial job in my view.

No I don't. not in the slightest. I only use catchup if I miss something or my PVR fails to record it. Fringe area aerials are a black art. At the previous house, I put an aerial on a pole on a shed while we were living in the static caravan. It worked okay. When the house was finished I moved the very same aerial onto a pole on the gable end of the house, higher and clearer view of the horizon. I spent a whole afternoon trying and failing to get a decent signal, even trying different bits of coax in case I had a dud bit. At the end of the day I put it back on the shed where it has continued to work for 20 years now.

I had one a bit like that. Wanted to turn a circuit off for a repair. Shiny new CU but nothing labelled. Turned off the MCB's one at a tiime but my circuit did not go dead. It turned out which ever "haven't got a clue" changed the CU but each end of both rings into their own 32A MCB.