saveasteading

Comparing this to the concurrent discussion on insurance of non-standard construction.... how many online questionnaires will have this option to tick?

Hoping to do as few operations to this gutter as possible. A one coat solution would be welcome. Any suggested products? I last did that about 10 years ago using something like hammerite. As you can perhaps see it was onto variously the previous finish, an undercoat, or iron. Did I do a primer where it was rusty iron? Can't remember, but certainly only if the tin said I had to. Clearly the paint didn't adhere as hoped, or fade as anticipated. So, suggestions for minimal prep, over any surface, in green. Please. 🤞

I have been advised (off the record) that none of the wall constructions perform as well in real life as in acoustic tests. This is because the tests are not between real rooms, but through a central area of a panel. ie no flanking sound. The difference between grey and blue will be fairly accurate though.

You speak sense. Insurers know nothing other than statistics and minimising risk (theirs). On the same course they advised that all the protection specifications are conservative. Eg a plasterboard manufacturer provides a wall panel for testing to half hour exposure, and it gets tested. After half an hour the test is halted so as not to survive an hour and confuse us with the possibility that fire board or thicker boards aren't needed for 1 hour. Similarly whether any jointing at all is necessary for fire purposes.

That's extremely ageist as well as incorrect. Many of these persons at risk would have years ahead otherwise. I could explain but I don't think you want that. Good luck with your circulation in the years to come. You seem to be troubled, but this isn't the appropriate conversation, or help forum. Stay cool. 😎

You suggest 90mm studs. So you could use 90mm as the sole plate etc, then studs of CLS 63mm.

Good suggestion. On a fire engineering course they explained how long a timber takes to burn through, as the outer faces first become charcoal which protect the core. Hence we see the skeletons of timber house fires, not a pile of ash. And even in a bonfire a 4 x 2 will last a long time. So are you suggesting that above 11m the whole structure gets more protection. Eg 1 hour fire protection gets 90 minutes?

This from the Timber Development Association. A number of changes have been proposed to Approved Document B – the UK’s statutory guidance on how to meet the fire safety requirements of the Building Regulations. These changes affect the use of combustible materials – including timber – in buildings. We welcome some of the proposed changes, but there are others that we strongly disagree with. One change, for example, is to apply a height threshold of 11 metres upon any building containing timber in its elements of structure. Other changes require higher fire ratings for cladding, membranes and sheathing in external wall systems – which we consider disproportionate. I haven't read it yet but will do., and will respond if I see the need... which seems likely. Responses from individuals like us should have some weight as we have done it, or are about to do it. I have had most of my career in steel, but strongly support timber where appropriate. I've had a couple of run-ins with bco's on timber being 'combustible'. Even when completely encased in plasterboard, it is wood, and wood burns, so you can't use it, went the argument. These are not flexible people and are becoming ever less so., so ambiguity and global statements must be avoided. Plus I've met the sort of people who make these proposed reports and I wouldn't have given any a job. They tend not to be practical or fully understand the whole issue. In a domestic situation what is magic about 11m? as long as there is easy exit. I expect this all follows Grenfell which is fair enough, but common sense may not prevail. 'Something has to be done'. Pursue the guilty parties? Or reduce the use of a material which was not remotely implicated? https://timberdevelopment.uk/approved-document-b-you-have-until-wednesday-july-1-to-submit-your-response/?utm_source=TDUK+Contacts&utm_campaign=2eb47531a6-Designer+Update_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4619f835bd-2eb47531a6-223169024

Impact noise or airborne? For both, if you can spare a bit more wall width (how much do you have?) Studs twice, staggered to face each room with plasterboard only on one set of studs, so that you have physical discontinity. That deals with bumps and some loud noise, especially bass. eg a 100mm sole plate but 75mm studs lining up alternately with only one room or the other.. @ 600mm cc, twice, so actually every 300mm Then fill the void with any mineral wool, and you can even put some between studs and the 'other' side. It will snake. One sheet pb each side, possibly upgrade to the denser blue faced grade. for dB figures see the Knauff catalogue. That will be stunningly good, with the weaknesses being at plates to floor, ceiling and existing walls, so you'll still hear the vacuum bumping at skirtings.

Very important. There are different grades of stainless too. I would only ever buy the big names and after checking the spec. It's not just the steel but the washer incl both the metal and rubber elements. And cedar and anything exotic should be researched.

It's a lot. The sun hits the shutter which , if metal, will be as hot as touching a car's body work. That energy would otherwise be beaming into the room. The Spanish ones I'm familiar with are roller shutters with about 3mm of foam. The inner metal face is still very warm but I'd guess 10°C cooler already. The heat dissipates by convection or wind , I assume. Then there is an air gap to windows as an additional insulater. For a timber shutter I'm guessing somewhat. It still stops the light obviously. Insulation will be much the same. The difference between inside and out on a scorching afternoon can be 8,9,10 degrees. 32 out and 22 in, say. That's with masonry walls and no insulation. That can still be too hot but gives aircon a good start if wanting to go that way. Otherwise it's a case of flushing the cooler air through at night. If a shutter is inside the room it let's lIght in. However I'm surprised how much an internal blind or curtain helps.

Not necessarily. It all depends on the ground, the design strategy and the resulting slab thickness. There is no one answer. But my instinct on good ground is screed (with heating pipes) over pir over concrete over stone. Tolerances getting tighter all the way. No groundworkers walking on pir or ufh pipes. The weakest part of that construction is the pir and the slab is obv much stronger but taking little load. I don't really know isoquick but feel it is a relatively conservative design, reducing risk for the novice but at some (considerable?) capital cost. Structural rafts on poor ground are a different matter. I can't recall ever using one, preferring beam and block (or plank) instead of stone and slab.

That's so helpful. I was imagining sections lapping or butting together in a single plane. But with these defined angles could you leave the mastic in place and lay a large bead over? I leave proper experts on this to say yea, no, or maybe.

I've only ever lived in draughty houses tho the steading is pretty well airtight but doesn't get stuffy. I'm of the opinion that the essential vents at fans and through opening of doors etc we get enough oxygen. But maybe when we relax and doze of watching Repair Shop it is lack of oxygen.

It shouldn't dry at all. It hardens chemically , but drying weakens it. A very light spray of water at most, then polythene over it, or hessian and then wet it. After a day it will be hard and can be soaked but the concrete should be kept damp for a week, (and isn't full strength til 30 days.) Then the small amount of free water can be allowed to evaporate.

Thanks. Warms the house rather than cools it but not a lot. We are simply leaving doors open after 6pm ish and the house cools ready to start again tomorrow.

Me too. It's remarkable how a very small leak will spread far and wide. If all your dampness was somehow collected, would it fill a bucket? No. A mug? Maybe. And that's been over a year or more. It could be just one pinprick of a hole in the mastic, if you could find it. @ProDave tarpaulin is such a good idea too. Simple and likely to be effective, and protects the mastic.

Please help me understand? A fan takes the internal (24°C) air out, through a heat exchanger. It partially cools the incoming air currently at 33°C. What temp is the incoming air likely to be? I'm not understanding how that helps. I have to admit to scepticism in general, from a decade ago when mvhr systems were mostly inefficient bodges which the reps couldn't, or wouldn't, explain apart from ticking a sustainability box. We've gone Spanish. A bit of work outdoors early. 12 til 5 indoors. Evening outside. Dinner later than usually. (Football agony at midnight.) Curtains and blinds closed according to sun movement.

Could I do it? Is a good test. I might be very slow, but if I could do it then so can they, faster and sometimes better... especially if watched.

Or reused. I don't usually look that far ahead. Some future creature will analyse it and call it the chip shop gas well, from the "Humans Age."

So it's you that is chucking all that heat into the atmosphere!

That's fundamental to me. Followed by the kiss principle because most (?) trades are not as skilled as they think they are, and can't handle anything out of the ordinary. I also like the principle of one trade at a time and gradually working to more accuracy as the building emerges....I mean look for total accuracy but expect less. Thus I prefer to avoid ufh pipes in a structural slab. Get the heavies to pour the slab, then insulate and screed much later.

Sitting in our old draughty house, thinking how controllable it is, using Mediterranean techniques and 2 hours of aircon unit in one room. And how mvhr would be making it worse.

I've never heard of this. Poker for deep pours yes. Tamper for thin. Is this an additive. Can you point me at a reference?

Cut the mesh and fix to the perforated profiles, then fix the profiles? I'd expect that to exist as a product already. Maybe in more insecty countries.