Marvin

Surely that is why the designer comes up with a the particular design for your home?? As I mentioned earlier: So I believe they are trying to give best advice. Again: As I commented earlier: The report also said that most housing stock has little room for the buffer tank. Again Good luck M

Hi @zoothorn I think the understanding about the buffer tank usefulness is to do with the efficiencies achieved by the relationship between having small zoning demands and the negative effect this can have on the ASHP cycling efficiency: A report that @SteamyTea has/had stated that when an ASHP reacts to a demand it takes a while before the ASHP reaches it's expected efficiency for the installation and site conditions. I think the result was that it should run for at least 10 minutes before reaching temperature to turn off. Also I feel the most efficient installation would have the shortest pipe distance between the ASHP, the Hot Water tank and the Buffer tank and the report indicated that the hot water and Buffer tank should be within the building thermal envelope. If you have thermostatic radiator valves these give rise to the probability that at some stage so few would be open that the low flow of water would cause the ASHP to turn on for a short time to heat the small amount of water needing heating thereby causing the ASHP to become less efficient. We have an ASHP with hot water tank and Buffer tank because we have radiators and no under floor heating. Many people on Build Hub have large houses and many have underfloor heating, some with upstairs radiators as well, and these type of installations can change the need for a buffer tank. Best of luck Marvin.

Hi @jpadie I think there are a mix of designs being discussed here, which depending on the requirement and ground conditions, dictate what is best. If it is a garden room and building regulations don't apply I would go for a raft foundation. M

Hi @jpadie Basically I insulate suspended floors with 100mm PIR (Celotex or similar) under the floor joists and 100mm in between the joists with 22mm 22mm moisture resistant floor boarding above. If the joists are 47mm wide by 97mm high at 400 centres then you should achieve a U-value of about 0.115. To work the lower PIR has to cover the underside of the joists from supporting wall to supporting wall. Obviously to allow the boards under the joists you have to cut the boards to suitable sizes. The question is how do you fit the PIR under the joists. I use 25 by 50mm treated batten screwed up with stainless steel screws. However this assumes there is enough free air space under the floor after fitting 125mm of extra materials. In extreme cases I have fitted the PIR this way retrofitting by making hatches in the floor and working like a potholer. As cutting the boards can be a bit hit and miss. If I am putting new joists down then I run 25 by 50mm cut to 25 by 25 and screw it to the sill plates if a thin coat. This means the joints and the PIR between them will cross over the lower level. Fill any gaps between PIR and walls/joists with foam filler to stop cold air blowing around. Good luck M

I did that and it only took me until I was 54.

Er..... I was in London learning all about selling them 40 years ago... How time flies....

RSPB: Horrors such as the pesticide DDT – which led to the loss of millions of birds during the 1960s and 1970s – have now been banned in the UK.

I think to the 1920's or worse.

As I guess you know @SteamyTea the problems with what was called "low cost endowment mortgages" was that you only ever paid the interest off so the sum borrowed never became any smaller, and the "endowment" element relied on investment in the stock market. The usual result was that you paid more over the life of the mortgage even if the mortgage was paid off by the investment element. A typical mortgage usually costs 2.8 times the original loan, a low cost endowment about 3.8. Good luck Marvin

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66435870

Is this the start of the turn: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business/your_money Who knows. Marvin

So how much do you pay your wife? 😂 Price day rate or by the hour? - No rude connotation intended.

As @saveasteading, I also have been an estimator, and also a PQS and would say the advice is V good. During my work once or twice the quotes came in a lot lower than expected. We found out that several in the area were low on work so they were more competitive, and on the other hand a job with bad access, no parking, double yellow lines, on a steep hill, quoted when contractors are very busy was 50% more! As @saveasteading said starting with a £/m2 for average work is a good start, and then see what affects that price. The dark art is ground works: Contaminated land, made up ground that needs piling, water table high, deep foundations, Oak trees or other trees within 20 meters of the foundations, hidden services in the ground, rock outcrops, previous buildings on the plot, services on poles, the list is endless. This is the list I used to get out when a client queried the costing of the ground works. Good luck Marvin

Passing a plastic pipe through a problem area I always tape over two inches of pipe near the beginning for protection.

Hi @Marlz05 A picture would help. Is it getting wetter than the rest when it rains? Is there a gutter above? M

I understand that if an appeal is upheld because of a frivolous point from the planning department the council can be fined by the government. I think its about £10,000 a pop. Ask a planning consultant about it.

Hi @Fallowfields I just remember it was none of the big ones. They seemed to want only run of the mill situations. Who did the previous owners have insurance with??

Hi @Fallowfields Previously had the problem of high insurance costs due to our old home having had subsidence and underpinning 30 years before! We phoned round as it seems every insurer has different criteria. Sometimes we found better deals which after a year increased a lot so started phoning round again. However we never asked for just building contents insurance. But if you have to buy buildings insurance you can ask for subsidence exclusion or a massive excess for a subsidence claim to reduce the cost. Keep trying. M

Hi @kev123 Tricky to know exactly what is causing the problem. Does it make a difference how strong the rain is? Does it make a difference which way the wind is blowing? When you say 1 chimney is capped off this is not good. You need airflow through a chimney to stop damp for several reasons, one being warm moist air travelling up the chimney and water condensing when meeting a cold chimney above the roof (not that I'm saying this is the problem now..) Rendering the top of the chimney will not necessarily help. This will absorb moisture. Any cracks in the side render will absorb moisture through capillary action. Lead flashing on ridged tiles needs to be wider than on flat tiles. https://www.jjroofingsupplies.co.uk/blog-category/lead-flashing/ I would use sealant on the Walls and top to stop water getting in as well. Good luck M

Page 4 of 14 will help. Usually its double the existing joist (however this would not allow for load bearing walls on top as well... https://www.labcwarranty.co.uk/hubfs/Technical Manual v10 Files and Images/Manual Sections/Section 10 Upper Floors.pdf

Hi @moe I think your becoming a bit more than that.. I think that trimmer was supported by the top of the chimney at ceiling height, otherwise I think the joists that the trimmer is fixed to would need to be doubles. (....well should be!) I would not do option 2. M

hi @nod its really about fire alarm requirements and habitable room fire regulation rather than fire lining the timber frame - which I would do anyway.

More of the same: Interpretation of Part 20 C. For the purposes of Part 20— “habitable rooms” means any rooms used or intended to be used for sleeping or living which are not solely used for cooking purposes, but does not include bath or toilet facilities, service rooms, corridors, laundry rooms, hallways or utility rooms;

Town and country planning reference: Amendment to Part 3, paragraph X 19. In paragraph X of Part 3 of Schedule 2 after the definition of “established agricultural unit” insert— ““habitable rooms” means any rooms used or intended to be used for sleeping or living which are not solely used for cooking purposes, but does not include bath or toilet facilities, service rooms, corridors, laundry rooms, hallways or utility rooms;”.

I agree. Living room also has suitable EEWs.