ProDave

We have yet to floor our sun room, but carpet is not on the list because it is an "entrance room" and someone some time will come in with outside shoes on and so this room needs an indestructible floor just like the hall, so will probably be some form of tiles.

I often thought of a true "smart home" where ALL appliances were controlled by a central computer that rationed power to each on a priority basis, so for instance the washing machine would only get power to the heater when there was some spare, so the washing cycle might take longer. and as you say freezer could cool a bit more just to use up a bit of spare if nothing else was able to use it. I can't see that ever happening as a commercial project but would be a fantastic project for a retired geek with too much time on their hands. I have been experimenting with the heating this last week with respect to best use of solar PV. We don't need much heating now so I have from time to time manually turned the heating on when nothing else was using the PV energy, and as you say that was thwarted by the room thermostats turning it off so I had to crack those up a bit. Over heating the house via the ASHP to use up free electricity is on the same level as overheating it with free wood in the WBS.

All to much of a personal choice, there is no right or wrong. In the previous house we had Maple flooring, that was only rated for UFH in narrow 70mm planks, but it worked well. This house we have engineered Oak in 180mm wide planks and it works well with UFH. Other parts of the house have slate tiles and those work well and are pretty much indestructible, unscratchable and perfect for the entrance areas. We have carpets on the stairs and in the bedrooms, no heating needed there so tog rating irrelevant. Don't assume all flat tiles are slippery when wet, and don't assume all textured tiles are not slippery when wet.

It's funny how we never struggle to use all the solar PV power. Ours is only 4kWp, I can imagine it is much harder to self use with a larger array. Washing machine and TD have had their share today as well as mid morning ASHP heating the DHW. then it's the immersion that's been the beneficiary plus around mid day the little convector heater in the utility room. And we have spent most of the day tidying the lawn with the electric lawn rake, so nice to know that is solar powered as well. Last week was the best March week we have ever had so far for PV generation, and the lowest heating, HW use and lowest electricity import.

My BIL down under, a retired Diesel fitter has a collection of old machinery including a D4 dozer, a road roller and a scraper (forget the proper name) I had a go on them all. the concept of a decellerator pedal was somewhat alien to get used to. This is the only one I got a picture on that is me in the seat.

+101 to that. Our solar PV generates more than our heating useage in a year, but not at the time we really need it most. But still, as long as you are able to usefully use what it generates then all it means is you import a lot of your heating need in the winter then the payback is you import much less for other uses in the summer. If there was a golden goose that enabled all houses to generate all their own energy needs on site all year, then the energy crisis would be over and the inventor of that technology would be rich. And yes that elephant in the room, the poor state of UK housing. I looked at (only out of curiosity) a flat for sale near us. EPC G 7 That is 07 I struggle to see how you could get any worse short of taking the roof off, and shudder to think what it would cost to make it even half way decent. Yes some mug will buy it and then complain the bills are high.

Two threads identical title and question merged.

It's hard to make any comment not knowing where this wall is, what it is? Garden wall? House wall? garage wall? etc. And if there is a boundary dispute is the neighbour claiming the wall is entirely on his land and his wall not a party wall?

Almost. the 300mm cube is dug at the bottom of usually a 1 metre cube hole, so the actual test hole is 1 metre deep.

you asked. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10643903/Rishi-Sunak-says-thanks-Brexit-able-axe-VAT-solar-panels.html "Conservative MP Anthony Browne said: 'As energy bills rise, it was welcome to see the Chancellor recognise the important role energy efficiency can play by cutting VAT on energy saving materials such as solar panels, insulation and heat pumps to 0%." Nope, he has NOT cut the VAT on "materials" he has cut the VAT on supply and fit.

Our Rationel doors have "level threshold" entrances that actually means a step of no more than 15mm. But Rarionel did not do a level threshold sliding door. the step is mot much bigger and not a trip hazard but would not meet building regs as a primary entrance.

We had to do the same. SEPA in Scotland seem less keen on draining to a watercourse and only allowed that for us after rejecting a different proposal. But insisted the discharge pipe pass through a small partial soakaway first (same as a rumble drain, different name) so when the water table is low, some will soak into the ground and reduce the discharge into the burn. I think it is to do with dilution rates, in the summer when it is dry the flow rate in the burn drops, so if you can discharge some locally and reduce the discharge in dry conditions, you maintain a good dilution rate.

The only time I approached an architect, they based their fee on a percentage of the build cost and then estimated the build cost at twice what it actually turned out to be. Had their build cost estimate been true, I would not have been able to afford it, and the house would have cost more than the market value. IF they had got the build cost estimate right, then their fee would have been half, and they might have got my business.

It is obviously NOT about maximising the amount of green energy products installed but all about prolonging schemes like MCS etc and trying to make it so DIY is impossible.

If it's all about symetry, move the left downpipe so it is the same distance from the garage door as the right one, then a downpipe from BOTH ends of the island gutter one going each way to join up with each of the 2 downpipes.

If you can find such a VAT registered person to do that, it would probably work, to justify that he would surely have to do some "install" work, perhaps fix the rails to your roof and let you do the rest. but unless it is someone you know, I doubt many would be wanting to put a substantial sum through their books with all the VAT paperwork for little income.

At what stage are you with your build? Is it too late to improve the insulation and air tightness and make it work with an ASHP? You pay once for insulation and during construction of a new build that is 0% VAT so there is never going to be a better chance than NOW.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but as I feared the 0% only applies to supply and fit. Sales of equipment only will still be 20% VAT https://www.bimblesolar.com/budget22 More jobs for the boys. They don't really want us to install green energy products. Don't shoot the messenger.

Socks and slippers The only place we routinely walk bare foot is the en-suite sand then only when you are going for a shower. The bathrooms are the only place upstairs that has UFH, just to take the chill off the tiles in the winter.

That's where I am, having a friendly discussion, finding out what they want and if it indeed even possible with out plot. I am not about to sign anything without a LOT of due dilligence.

No it was a mix up with addresses. the initial letter was addressed to me at the old house but the plan shows they want to put the cable through the garden of the new house. Their surveyor has not impressed me with his skills so far. the old house is let only because the market was dead when we wanted to sell and letting it was a least bad option. It still needs to sell and fairly soon now, we want to retire, so the prospect of a cable under that garden that might deter buyers does not hold much appeal.

My point exactly. So now take 1/3 of an acre currently un tended for 30 years, mostly scrub, some trees. Clear the site, remove all the saplings only leaving some of the mature trees, build a house on it, some land occupied by the house, some taken up for parking etc, the rest laid to lawn. I defy anybody to be able to demonstrate how that could ever increase biodiversity? If this becomes a requirement for all new dwellings then I really do see sites being rendered sterile before they even involve the planners. It's a nonsense.

That I suspect has been "taped and filled" and the defects you see are normal and normal decorating repairs will fix those. If you really wanted a better finish get the walls skimmed with plaster.

Yes I think almost everyone would advise against a treatment plant with moving mechanical parts such as the one you mentioned. There are many on here with different variations on the air blower treatment plants and I think most are happy with them. From memory the plants used by forum members are Vortex, Conder (me) Graff and Bio Pure. The manufacturers all seem to be a little lacking with quietness and tend to put the air blower in a plastic box that can often act like a drum and make the noise worse. In those cases people have had good results taking the blower out of the unit and building a brick or concrete box to house it instead. You don't want to be putting baby wipes, cotton buds certain womens products etc into a treatment plant. The old saying is don't put anything into it that you have not eaten first. And avoid bleach and use more friendly cleaning products. All treatment plants need emptying (desludging) every couple of years.

Didn't we discuss this when it was first mooted. Unless you blitz the site pre development with roundup, and fill all ponds with cow slurry, I cannot possibly see how taking a bare plot of land like ours was (left untended for 30 years, turning to scrub) and building a house on it, could possibly ever increase the boidiversity. A whole new industry for creative surveyors has opened up it would seem.