ProDave

Think of the logistics of moving out and storing all that stuff you plan to re use, without damaging it. If you have a handy barn, fine, but if you have to rent storage factor in the costs of that, and transport, properly. If you carry on, air tightness seems to be the issue that is concerning you. I assume enerphit has an air tightness requirement like passivehause does? Would it really be a "fail" if you did not meet the air tightness requirement so failed to get enerphit, but still had a warm cheap to run low energy house? There are many on here like myself that just aimed for a low energy house without any certification, the constantly warm house with low heating bills was all we wanted.

I was considering adding extra insulation in my service void. If I had done so, I would have left a gap either side of any cables so they were not "in insulation" I have not found any definition of how wide that gap would need to be.

Rule no 1, when something has changed, ask what has been done. It was dry. You built a wall. It is now wet. could there be a pipe under there not far from the surface, and a fixing (nail or screw?) holding the sole plate for the new wall has penetrated the pipe?

Sounds more like the turf was not bedded onto decent soil or not watered enough and the grass has dried out and died in places. Whatever you do lots or watering needed until it is fully established.

I can confirm the SilikonTop is prone to "dirt". In our case it is mostly the north facing wall, and after about 5 years it was looking grubby, upon closer inspection the "dirt" was mostly green in colour. I concluded it was moss or similar algie growing, and I "cleaned" it by spraying with diluted bleach, diluted about 1 part bleach to 3 parts water and sprayed on with a squirty bottle. Just left it for the next rain to rinse off and the wall is clean again. No abrasion needed. So it looks like this is the "maintenance" needed every few years?

I don't see why a rotary will "stress the grass" Rotary a lot easier to maintain, simple blade to sharpen or replace. And Rotary will cope with long grass and weeds. I once had a cylinder and if you let the grass get too long it just would not cope, and a blunt cylinder is difficult to sharpen and expensive to replace. Our present mower has a plastic deck. I was sceptical the plastic would be strong enough and expected it to crack or split, but it has not. Far better than previous mowers with a steel deck that just rust away long before the motor has worn out.

You should have if the electrician has done it properly. It has been a long time since they became mandatory.

Without a doubt double pole is safer. Why are you looking at sockets with an RCD built in? Your RCD protection should be at the consumer unit, having more than one RCD is not safer, but it becomes pot luck which one trips. So assuming you don't need an RCD because your wiring is already protected by an RCD in the CU and you want DP switching the choice becomes: https://www.screwfix.com/p/british-general-ip66-13a-2-gang-dp-weatherproof-outdoor-switched-socket/67928 £8.99 https://www.screwfix.com/p/knightsbridge-op9n-ip66-13a-2-gang-dp-weatherproof-outdoor-switched-socket/841vf £17.99 https://www.screwfix.com/p/mk-ip66-13a-2-gang-dp-weatherproof-outdoor-switched-socket/98279 £29.99 for me it's the BG. You would have to break that 3 times more often than the MK for the MK to become better value.

I don't know if it is required, I don't have a mortgage and am not intending to sell so I don't have a structural warranty. There was a BBA certificate when the design and drawings was submitted to building control, I don't know if that would have been an issue if there had not been. It was when i was being given the run around by Baumit and their suppliers that it came to light that BBA certificate had been cancelled. They would not answer why, but it was not a good sign that it was cancelled. Baumit won't say why and BBA say they can't say.

For upstairs heating 200mm, 2 pipes between each joist would sound more logical as shown in that photo. Many of us in well insulated air tight houses find no heating upstairs is needed so have not fitted any. You can't notch posijoists so battening after fitting the pipes is about the only way. Just make SURE whoever fits the plasterboard to the ceiling does not put a screw through the pipes. Keep a record of where they are so you don't put a screw through them in later life......

I would be VERY cautious using any Baumit product in the UK. If you search the forum you will find my posts detailing the problems I have had with my own render and the total lack of disinterest from the manufacturer to even come and have a look and suggest what might have been the cause of my problems. When I installed mine, there was a BBA certificate for it. That had been cancelled when I last looked. Do some research and check there is once more a current BBA certificate for the product you are intending to use. If not treat that as a big red flag and look for an alternative product.

We did this (but with wood fibre board not block) We used a render stop bead and that covered the compriband nicely. I found it easier to fit the compriband first. it will start expanding and then squash it with the wood fibre board as it was fitted. Make sure your brickies know to position the blocks so they squash the compriband again.

No problems with any BG outside socket that I have ever fitted including the one on my own house.

Rainwater to a soakaway? Long since silted up? Does it look like it could connect to a downpipe? Of so use a hose to run water down that downpipe.

I am going to try this on my balcony. Rather than use a standard outlet, I am just going to use a single chain, and just drill a hole in the bottom of the gutter such that the chain is a very tight fit into it, and secure it with one link on it's side and probably a shackle as well to be sure it won't drop out.

That's looking better. So he opted for a new CU rather than reconfigure what was there? Neat job. Do i take it all the circuits so far have tested okay or has he found any faults? Look forward to the finished photos.

Normal back box, BUT flush switches need a bit more depth inside the back box. So what do you have ? If you have the slim 16mm light switch boxes (I would never fit them) you might well struggle for enough room. 25mm or even 35mm deep boxes and there should be no problem.

Keep us posted. So £3000 for all the parts. It would be interesting to get a feel for how many hours it takes you to install it all when you do it.

I am a warm roof champion. A good compromise is hybrid, some insulation over the top before the deck and covering, and insulation between the rafters as well. Upgrade the roof insulation as much as you can now while you are doing it, the walls can be done later e.g next time you re fit the kitchen.

Did you not check and agree the drawings before going ahead?

For me, the house would have to be special, very special, or cheap, to take on the risk and cost. As it looks to be an ordinary Victorian terrace, I would keep on looking.

Might also be possible to see by taking off some of the bay window roof tiles. Probably no under felt behind those.

I am not so sure. I would say failed or failing lintel above the bay window. The lintel will be bridging the brickwork, just below downstairs ceiling level and probably the bedroom joists are spanning front to back on that lintel. You could get a surveyor to look at it and give an opinion, but nobody will tell for sure without exposing some of the structure and a surveyor won't do that.

Just so long as you keep an old head for the purpose.........

It would be a leap of faith too far for me but you might have guessed I am >50 years old.