ProDave

Don't get sold of "it's easy to hang things on Fermacell" Yes it is strong, but have you ever actually tried fixing anything to it? Well this week I had to fix a consumer unit to it. I could not find any sort of screw that would just screw into it, even with a small pilot hole drilled. I ended up drilling a hole, putting a rawl plug in and screwing into that.

I was fortunate that I realised the need for PP in time so amended my plans to include it and it was passed. Re cooling. Simple. Install an ASHP just for heating, and only after completion and sign off do you decide to alter it and use the cooling function.

Well Monday's phone call from Building control never happened. I take it they either don't know the figures or don't determine it important enough to tell me. So on that basis I have just amended the spreadsheet to remove references to "Part F" but otherwise leaving the compliance values the same. If I am asked at completion for any documentation with regards the MVHR it will be met by "show me the figures stated in the 2013 Scottish building regs that I have to comply to"

Reason?

Click the big Buildhub logo at the top left of the page. do you see the list of all the sub forums and can you go to one and the and "start a new post"?

A picture looking the other way may illustrate the garden issue, it must be small. If you do want to shorten it, just leave whatever bit of back wall you are keeping, and just rebuild the end wall in it's new position. No need to over complicate it by dismantling and rebuilding the back wall is there? EDIT: by BACK I mean the wall that is close to the party wall, Front being the wall with the door, end being where you are going to chop it off and shorten it.

I fitted one of those. It is made to "look" like a normal boiler. It has some relays and controls and turns on the heaters (10KW in the case of the one I fitted) when it gets a "call for heat" and senses the water is flowing (pump on)

What is the wall it backs onto? Joined to the party wall or is there a gap? Is the party wall at that point a building or just a garden wall? Personally I would leave it, you can never have too much covered space, even if it is only for storage.

A lot of people go way over the top on number of downlights. Our kitchen has 8 GU10's each with a 5W LED lamp in it. That is plenty.

Why did you not use dual busbars?

+1. It is VERY common for self builders to live on site in a caravan up here. There seems to be no problem getting temporary PP for that. So why would you not bother especially when it costs you nothing other than drawing a rectangle on the site layout saying "temporary static caravan" It will however be interesting to see how the self builder not far from me gets on living in the Yurt he erected over a year ago and no sign of any building work yet.

I had to drill down through the head of a wall recently to drop some cables. I found it must be a tripple head as my 6" long drill bit (less the bit in the chuck) did not reach through. No problem, I did as I have done many times before, use my "screwdriver bit holder" as a drill extension. Drilled the hole. Only this time the drill bit then fell out and is now at the bottom of someone's wall.

This is an interesting thread. The present house is the first I have done with a warm roof. I am absolutely 100% sold on the idea that a warm roof is the way to go for several reasons. Our old house was "normal" cold roof and had 300mm of rockwool insulation in the loft. For some reason I don't know, it never had any problems with condensation. It had eaves and ridge vents and a couple in the gable ends as well. Never at any point have I seen any condensation. The reason why I find that strange, is during my work I have been in many many similar looking lofts that have huge condensation problems and the inside of the sarking board is black with mould. I wonder if the plasterboard is a significant contributor? We used foil backed PB on the ceilings and all external walls. A lot of houses I see just use ordinary PB. And we didn't have any downlights (I used to hate them with a vengeance until LED lamps came along) so unlike many houses, no great holes in the ceiling to let moisture through. But another HUGE plus for a warm roof is the total absence of rodents in the house. The previous house had mice in the loft every year. We were convinced they got in by climbing up the outside of the rendered walls and in through the sofit vents. You have to have these vents so there is no way to stop mice getting in, so the only solution is to "deal with them" once they are in. We have not had a single rodent in the new house because there is simply no way for them to get in.,

Normally part of the same application. The normal procedure here is apply for permanent permission for the house and temporary PP for a static caravan all on the same application.

Our old house has an SMA Sunny Boy 2000TL and it has not tripped the RCD ever in the last 7 years

When was it installed? i.e. what version of the regs was in force when it was installed? If it is not obliged to have an rcd I would not change it. Mine is protected by an rcd and it has never tripped yet.

A personal thing, but I would never, ever leave a fan heater on when I am not there. I have seen the result of the fan failing, and the resulting melted lump of plastic as the element overheats without air passing through it. I think most now have a thermal trip to detect that, but I would not trust it. I prefer a convector heater, with nothing to fail that could cause such an event. Oh and most convector heaters have a metal case so nothing to melt.

That's where most of mine came from. The only note of caution, their manifolds came with IBO pups that I found too noisy. Solved by swapping them for Wilo,

Did you mean to type "The heating light is on"? If so that is your problem. Either the programmer is faulty or your times are set wrong.

Yes he would have a major problem if he decided to sell. but if he just wants to live there, what if anything will they do if they find out?

Not my "problem" but one I am observing developing in the vicinity (no I am not giving specific details) Someone bought a house with an old partly converted loft with no BR. Since then they have taken the loft conversion to another level by fitting a velux window and pigeon staircase (it had no window and a ladder before) They have reversed the stairs and created a tiny upstairs bathroom on the old landing space. They have created the smallest shower room I have ever seen under the stairs. But the big one, they have knocked down 2 internal walls, one was load bearing, and put big RSJ's in. It was only when I happened to ask "how are BC going to accept that tiny bathroom as compliant" that I got the answer BC do not know. There are rumblings on the grapevine that the neighbours are aware of what is going on, so I suspect it is a question of when, not if, BC will find out. What do you think they will do?

I went for serpentine, just easier to set out. In a low energy house running at a low temperature I really don't think you will notice any difference in performance.

Continental are expensive. Why not download Loopcad and use the free trial period to design the layout so you know how much pipe you want, then just buy all the bits. All mine came from ebay.

The detail you are talking about is sometimes referred to on here as a "Tony Tray" If the builders won't supply the membrane go and buy a roll. It is FAR easier to install it as the frame goes up, than try sealing around the joists afterwards. I believe the best membrane in Intello, but that is expensive. A cheaper one is Protect Bariair.

Buy an old cheap touring caravan. It will have a chemical toilet, sink and hot water. It will provide all your "welfare" needs and some storage. You will need to take the toilet waste tank somewhere to empty it from time to time. Or hire a portaloo