ProDave

I see, so in an official test, the fan speed is controlled in a closed loop system to maintain the pressure differential, and the amount of power needed to maintain that measured the air tightness.

Highlands, near Inverness. 2KW system, been in use 5 years. Total so far 7565KWh, so an average of 1513KWh per year. So your 3340 for 4KW being further south sounds about right.

I will answer your question, partly by referring to your REAL question, how to build your next house. I know someone who built his own house single handed stick built on site. He worked offshore and spent his 3 weeks between shifts building his house. I know the house well because I wired it. It took him nearly 3 years to get it wind and watertight, and I believe there were issues with his structural warranty company due to the length of time the frame was exposed. My present house was TF but built as a kit and assembled on site, normal (for the time) 150mm frame and block outer skin. This time around I didn't want to go that route. 150mm is not enough insulation, and the block wall is just an expensive rain shield adding little to the insulation. So this time I have a 190mm frame directly clad in 100mm wood fibre board and render onto that. So all 300mm of the wall build up is insulation of some form. this was detailed by a structural engineer. I then had the frame built (off site) and erected by some local builders and I am doing the rest. There is no reason given the time and inclination that I could not have stick built it on site myself and with the SE's drawings there would have been no "sign off" issues. If I could give two bits of advice (just my personal feeling) is forget a brick of block outer skin to a TF house. And make the roof a warm roof supported on a ridge beam so the whole internal space including any loft is within the insulated and air tight structure of the house. So much easier to keep everything sealed and less chance for things to go wrong.

I have been pondering this. I believe I have a large mains powered fan on the way (15" diameter fan) so you can run the fan and measure the pressure difference between inside and out. BUT there is a "missing link" to actually measure the leakage. In a perfect house, once a certain pressure difference is achieved, there will be no air flow through the fan? is that right? So to measure leakage into the house you must measure the air flow exiting through the fan. Anemometer? or will the flow be to low for that? without that measurement, yes you can suck air out and go looking for obvious leaks, but you have no measure of how good it is.

You are not supposed to ventilate the service void, at least not to a room above or a floor void, there are supposed to be fire stop battens in place,

What size twin wall did you end up with? and what do the manufacturers say about "distance to a flamable material" I find I have a potentially "tight" situation that where I want to put the twin wall through the roof, I have only just over 400mm between joists. I have seen twin will with a 150mm flue and overall diameter 200mm so that would do as long as the manufacturer states 100mm or less to flamable material. for some odd reason everywhere I look, everyone advises against 4" (100mm?) twin wall, I would have thought that would have been plenty for this little stove but everyone says not to use it.

Hi and welcome to the forum. "the planned house is too large for our needs really but maximises the use of the 1/4 acre plot" Well build a smaller house that suits your needs, perhaps designing it so it could be easily extended later if you need more space. We are building a modest 3 bedroom house on a plot nearly 1/3 of an acre. I don't feel I am under usilising the plot in any way, it is the house that suits our needs.

Nope, not there. I'm using a wmdows pc and Opera browser. What are you using? does the link only appear on a tablet? on the mobile version of the site?

I would seriously try hacking back that render to just above DPC level (assuming you do have a DPC?) I'll bet it drastically improves your damp issued.

Most people put a slab of stone up the wall which looks really nice and is probably what we will do. I take it you don't want that just want a cheaper option that can be painted and look just like any other bit of the wall?

I must be viewing a different page to the rest of you (I followed the links) I don't see that button that Steamy has. All I see part way down the page is this:

If I am expecting a signed for parcel when I am out, I leave a note on the door telling the delivery man where to leave it (currently the unlocked pedestrian door into the garage) and they take that note as a "signature" and leave the parcel.

I have always understood bridging the DPC is a really bad idea. Our previous house a 1930's semi when I bought it had "rising damp" problems with one section of wall in the living room being very wet. That was caused by the cement render bridging the DPC on the outside. On the surveyors recommendation, I cut back the render to just above DPC, formed a new bell cast at the bottom, and left the bricks below DPC exposed. That totally solved the damp problem. I do still note some builders up here take the render over the DPC right down into the ground. As for EWI going below ground, that does not to me sound like a smart idea. It would have to be some form of EWI that can stand being permanently wet, i.e. NOT wood fibre board. A lot of LA houses up here are beinf upgraded with EWI. that stops at the original level (DPC level) and is being fitted to rendered walls, exactly like you are proposing. I see nothing wrong with "air pockets" as long as there is no gap open to the outside, so a generous bead of sealant along the bottom edge to seal it as each EWI panel goes on perhaps?

Okay, so just how do you view a "podcast" on a windoze PC? It gives me an option for Android, or ipad. Where's the "none of the above" button?

Is there an exception if you fit a sprinkler system?

Your type of house still has the No 1 advantage of a true detached, in that there is no party wall between living spaces, so you can have your music on as loud as you want without bothering the neighbour, and likewise you can't hear his tv or music. That was always the thing I hated most when I was joined to a neighbour, even little things like being able to hear when they slammed a door were just so "wrong" Of course there are detached, and "detached". My definition of properly detached is I can drive my car all the way round my house. Where I am now, We are sufficiently detached from the neighbours that I really could have a drum kit if I was so inclined (instead I flog a dead horse and one day I WILL be able to play something on a guitar)

They are a little bit more honest here, that would probably be described as 2 bedrooms and a box room. But estate agents have a history of making something sound better than it is. Their definition of "spacious" differs somewhat to mine.

The joints must be staggered, i.e joints in first layer must be in a different place to second layer, and not just any old PB, the fire rated stuff which is 15mm thick and bloody heavy.

It's what most estate agents call "link detached". Yes it's not truly detached, but there are no habitable rooms adjoining, so you still get most of the major benefit of a detached house, not being able to hear your neighbours, and not having to worry if you play your hi fi too loud. But if both extended / converted so there were habitable rooms adjoining, it would definitely be classed as semi detached and worth less.

Been snowing all day here. Life goes on, schools still open, school bus still running. Tonights B&B guests have a rubbish van. I didn't see what make other than it's big and front wheel drive, and it took 3 of us to push it up the road. Then next door goes out in his van without even a hint of wheel spin. Some vehicles are just rubbish (we found the same with a VW Touran, have I ever mentioned it was the worst car we ever owned)

That's the same stove I am planning to get. I believe they do a version with a log store space underneath so it won't look quite so tiny.

What your drawing misses, is Purlins to take part of the flex load, and transmit it partly to the gable walls, and partly to any supporting props they may have. But weren't you talking of a hipped roof?

I would also caution you is this the best way to add space to your house? As has already been mentioned, if you do this, then you make it easy for your neighbour to do the same, and then your house devalues because it becomes a semi detached rather than detached. Do you really need an extra bedroom, or are you looking for an easy way to add value and sell it on? Looking at the picture, there's scope for an extension to the right, and quite possibly to the rear as well.

Two points of relevance. One of the new builds near me has ther timber frame built of JJI I beams, including the 45 degree pitched roof, but crucially the roof is supported on a ridge beam. the portable eco home builder close to me used I beam construction as well, and they do much like what is being talked about. When I asked them they would not give details about exactly how they made the joins but from what I saw, it looked like the gusset plates were made of OSB, very thick perhaps several layers, to the point that the "stack" of OSB at the joints was as thick as the fat bit of the I beam.

I had to follow a number of links to find the document. Here is a direct link http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00512753.pdf It mostly seems to be about changing the way local plans are created. A few things did jump out at me: Removal of a free re application if planning is refused (extra cost for self builders in some cases) There is talk of introducing an "infrastructure Levy" something Scotland has so far avoided. Introduction of a charge for an appeal Some more items included as permitted development but not details.