ProDave

You don't need any membrane here, lay the pug mix straight on the PIR once you have laid the pipes.

The whole point of the direct air kit is it makes the stove ROOM SEALED so you DO NOT get "a draught from the stove when not in use" It means it draws it's combustion air direct from the outside. Without the direct air kit, the stove will draw it's combustion air from the room, sucking already warm air from the room and likely still sucking some heat from the room when the stove is not lit. The stove will have to get it's air from somewhere so without the direct air kit is where you will get draughts across the room. Just because you are not forced by building regulations to do something, is not a reason not to do it. Most of us on here view building regulations as a minimum standard and strive to make things a lot better than the bare minimum requirements.

Is that the only paperwork they have asked for? Or have they also asked for am MCS certificate?

So clearly the old roof covering needed replacing. So just what did they do to raise it's level so much? did they add a layer of insulation? If that was their plan it would be obvious the issue it would create with the ridge tiles and they should have discussed a plan and alternative way to deal with the ridge. Simply replacing the roof covering, preferably with something better than felt, e.g fibreglass or rubber, would not have cause the ridge tile issue.

It's funny how they won't fit a new meter, but continue to pester me to have a smart meter.......

Christ on a bike. If you have not paid them yet, then DON'T It looks to me like you are having a loft conversion done with a flat roofed dormer. They have run into trouble with headroom so jacked the dormer roof up to the point it is too high. then the laid the ridge tiles back, cementing them onto roofing felt, and cocked up at a funny angle so they are higher than the end ones set correctly (but badly) I suspect your builders turned up on horseback, wearing spurs and big brimmed hats? I don't know how to correct this mess, but mess it is and I would not want it left like that.

How many of each type do you have and what are you hoping to connect them to? e.g grid tie inverter, battery charging etc.

You need a solid support for biscuit mix. There is a clue in the name, as it is laid dry, it is not strong like concrete and if you try and flex it, it will break, a bit like a biscuit....... Mine is supported on OSB sheet.

Context? What is the concrete strip to the left? the house? entrance to garage? Is there a slope? which way? My guess it is drainage, to stop run off from the drive getting onto / into the concrete structure at the left. Replace with a proper run of concreted in place acco drain.

Not thought about that one. It's only a small area so I could use mini gutter and downpipes, I don't see an easy way for a hidden system.

I am not understanding why a flat roof required them to alter the ridge of the peaked roof? I am not even sure from the pictures where the flat roof referred to is? The ridge tiles are appalling, they should all be the same size and I think the apprentice's son must have bedded them in, a very poor job indeed.

I heard a snippet on the radio news on the way home this afternoon that someone is now predicting the price cap for the typical house is now likely to be £6000 Why do I get the feeling we are going through some manipulation, with ever increasing unbelievable price rise estimates, to butter us up to accept the actual rise as "phew is that all"?

Can you post some more info on how the app works and what it displays? Is it only a phone app or can you use it on a proper computer e.g through a browser? If the PV is exporting power (i.e. you are generating more than you are using) does the app show export to the grid?

And being a Mitsubishi Ecodan, have a careful look at standby power consumption when it is not heating anything at all in the summer. There was a thread recently, some models have very high standby power due to a sump heater.

The glass subject will be discussed later. I was expecting once I know sizes to get advice on thickness, laminated or toughened etc then go to the local glass supplier. Perspex may work but has a habit of scratching / going cloudy so while it may be cheaper and lighter, it may need replacing after a short while. The issue of the post warping and breaking the glass is solved by making the groove wider than the glass so it is not a snug fit and bedding it in clear sealant.

What exactly is "composite"? I have always taken it as a posh name for some meaning some form of plastic that looks a bit like wood but it won't rot. The fact it has frost damage is indeed disappointing. We get a lot of frost here.

that's the sort of feedback I am looking for. I have just measured and reckon the posts would be about 2.3 metres long. What do others think? I am not against 8" or even 6" oak posts, but fear they will not be cheap.

Even retro fitting, if the newel post had been notched over the steel, you would have a half thickness newel post going down next to the steel that could be screwed through from the adjacent wooden joist. Floor up time I am afraid. And if you have cut the bottom off that newel post flush with the floor, a new newel post as that one is too short now.

I don't have one but have just started wiring one on a job (now held up for parts) So I am just a tiny bit familliar with them. does yours have the Grant supplied "wiring centre" a large grey box containing mostly some terminal blocks and a couple of relays? What other controls do you have? motorised valves for instance for the radiators? It sounds more like a system issue rather than a specific problem with the ASHP. This is the grey Grant "wiring centre"

What do you get for insulation test on other circuits? I would not expect a USB socket to make much leakage to earth, it is a tiny little power supply connected between L and N. Damp wiring could be an issue? A lot of loads, e.g. a cooker or washing machine probably won't show much of a problem until they are actually turned on and the faulty element is connected to the circuit so not always easy to find.

Banister / rails is a topic for later, but worth a thought and mention now. We would like glass. But to buy a "glass rail system" is expensive. I am thinking along the lines of what I saw on a new build that I wired. They just bought plain sheets of toughened glass, and used 4" wooden posts with a groove routed down each opposing side for the glass to slot into (adjacent sides for the corner posts). And a 4" posts would rebate nicely over 2" joists and bolt to them. A wooden handrail round the top further ties it all together. Extra noggins between the outer joist and the next one in where the posts attach to stiffen it all up a bit, not currently shown on the plan.

Composite decking planks is a possibility, it depends how much extra it costs compared to wood. We will have a lot more decking to do at ground level as well as the relatively small amount of decking planks on the balcony. and then there is the bridge over the burn, one of the last projects........ Apart from the joist size question, I want advice on post size. Thinking of 6 inch square posts (150mm for our younger readers) but at the moment have not even tried looking for any, nor actually measured how long then need to be.

I am turning my thoughts to my own balcony, not to be confused with Zoot's balcony, though a lot of the principles will be similar. Here are a few design constraints. The balcony will be about 4.5 metres wide, it can't be much wider than this otherwise it would intrude on the landing window. It will extend perhaps 2 metres out from the house, that is open to debate, but enough room to put some chairs and a table to sit out, and to be able to pass the outward opening door when it is open. It will be planked with decking planks, set to a slight fall for rainwater to run away from the house. That dictates decking planks perpendicular to house wall, so joists running parallel to the house wall. A fixed parameter is the bases to sit the support posts are already in place, they are at 4 metre post centres and the posts are 1.4 metres out from the house wall. That is deliberate The idea is the posts will take more than half the weight of the balcony, but more that half way out from the wall. Where it fixes to the wall, it will be spacers and long coach bolts so the joist adjacent to the wall is not touching the wall but spaced off a little. This is a general view of where it will go. And these are the post supports, concrete blocks cemented onto concrete pads that were poured at foundation time and have only just been uncovered again. The blocks are to ensure, particularly for the right hand post, that the bottom of the posts and the post shoes are above ground level. That will all then be covered with decking so it does not matter these don't look pretty. And here is version one of the frame construction. The longest span is 4 metres so I will probably use 8 by 2 joists.

Sory but it is fitted completely wrong. I can't see how it will ever be solid without ugly brackets on the outside? surely that is not what you want? It is normal for the newel post to be set into the top of the stair stringer when the stairs are made, and then the newel post is notched, in the same way as the top of the stairs, so it sits over the header. If the header is the steel, and you say the newel post is only partly on the steel, this would work. Indeed made like this, even the top stair is formed around the newel post. Whoever built and fitted the stairs has done it completely wrong, it needs to come out and be fitted properly. These are the top of my stairs (without handrails yet when this was taken) the newel post is set into the top of the stair stringer and is completely solid. The front edge of the newel post is notched out just like the front edge of both stringers so it sits over the header and part of the newel post hangs down below the ceiling downstairs.

Where did you get your post shoes? Custom made or off the shelf? I will be needing some. I would expect threaded rod with a nut and washer each end.