Jenki

Yep. ?. Wrong place. I've used the insulation you mention but difficult / impossible to get flat with the spray glue. Horses for courses ??

For me it would be joist OSB or thin ply Vapour Barrier Insulation T&G OSB 3 Boards - fixed with long screws into joists EPDM this way you can use the PVA type adhesive for the majority of the roof - allows the removal of creases much easier. then contact adhesive for the perimeter / upstands Otherwise you have to use contact adhesive for the whole area, and any crease will be there for all to see. Additionally Firestone would not guarantee direct bond to insulation. Lastly I create a timber edge around the roof the thickness of the insulation (4x2 / 5x2) so you have something to screw trims, drips, gutters etc.

Resonance in the pipework could also create this. I would look at clipping all the pipes, I can't see any clips on yours for insulation, but you could put some waste water pipe clips over pipe and insulation. Either 32mm or 40mm but you want to reduce any vibration. So smaller may be better.

@TerryE Fantastic, thanks for the update, I've read your blogs and although some of the " Boffin's" bits are over my head, I'm considering this approach for my heating. As you pump after heating, did you design the UFH loops on a room by room basis? Or just 100m loops, as it seems your goal was to have uniform temperature across the slab? I'm keen to adopt the sensors and monitor via RPI but want to ensure the system can run in the future without programming. You mention that sometimes you need to top up the heating in the day, could this be overcome by 2 willis heaters or is this related to the thermal calculations and the inability for the slab to take this heat in one go? Out of my depth here?. Thanks

How long was this Journey? From Preston to our plot is around 8hrs 30 drive. With minimal comfort breaks (2hrs further on from Inverness)

I've gone on a bit of a tangent, but the above has got me thinking about heating my two pods, amenity block. The ideal solution would be a large UVC, ASHP to provide water for showers and UFH. but this is not economical for cash flow. So going with 80 / 100 L tank with 2KW immersion for hot water (cheap to buy) and when there being used I'll be being paid This leaves the heating. I have looked at Oil / IR panels and the thread below, load of ideas. But I'm leaning to think UFH with biscuit screed and timber floating floor (18SQM), with a Willis Heater might be a good solution, with the option of upgrading to ASHP when finance allow? The Pod will be fairly well insulated with good airtightness. The calculations are approx.. of 120M pipe @ 0.12L /M so around 15L of water, Lets use 20L. so a 3KW heater will raise the temp of water from say 8deg to 40deg in around 20Mins using around 1KWH. This is where I get stumped, how do I get a feel for the total cost to run UFH? the blending valve will raise the water temp so the above calculation doesn't take this into account, and obviously the floor radiator will reduce the return water temp? Are there calculators that I can use? The above gets me UFH and Hot water for around £500 / pod. Electricity is the fuel - no gas - no wood. TIA. Pete

There is a Highland design guidence document, they like slate, but it did offer metal roofing, we tried for metal roofing and cladding, there are numerous on Skye, but my planner wasn't up for it. After numerous back and forth it's was very clear they wanted white render. We got metal roofing. And cladding on one elevation, I think I could have got away with cladding the whole house in timber. Seemed a little archaic. We needed a solution as the purchase was dependent on planning. So ultimately we gave in.

Do you mean just immersion heaters for DHW, or electric boilers? I've Built several large extensions with Wet UFH and loved the result, so my plan was 250L Thermal store (to eliminate the G3 requirements) also the thermal store should prevent any issues with flow rates on the heat pump. but this is way down the line so open to more research if you can point me somewhere.

Building warrant application in , change to design i.e. façade materials etc will require planning approval, and the Highland council really wanted a white rectangular box. getting cladding on one elevation was a massive win.

So windy Wick night not be the best place to to prove the concept?. I want easy, would prefer to clad.so might get some feedback and guarantees from render manufacturers, if I can't then Use this as a lever to change planning for cladding?

Planning were very adamant that render and white render to be sure, was the way to go.?. Cavity walls not ideal for my build is I don't want to build them.

Hi. Well, no one has specified this, but I've read and read your build and it make sense, so if you have to nail me down to a specifier I would say Pro Dave, Build Hub?. No decisions made on the reader yet. With regards to the wind turbine, I agree. So the initial application was for 2 micro turbines, with the idea of directing anything they gave through a battery and to a immersion heater. However planning wanted very specific information regarding specification and noise. And at the cheap end this is difficult. I found one turbine that gave 42Db. But they came back and asked what distance/ pressure range that was taken. At 42db there are noisier fridges, so I gave up and removed the request, planning was granted by return?? We wanted to clad the whole place in steel cladding. But planning were adamant the square box, white render was the way to go. With the back and forth this is where we ended. So my question is would you use this render again?

Hi All, I've been around and commented here and there, and asked questions, but finally we are in a position to say we will be starting our new lives, and build later this year. We have bought and obtained planning permission, (Finally), a croft (L shaped field - no buildings or services), in the rural village of Occumster, on the East coast in the Highlands. approx. 12M SW of Wick. The plan is to build a modest 2 bed single storey house, and a couple of camping pods. I've attached a few drawings. Big plans and small budget. Its a full change of life style, I'm a builder, so if need be I will hopefully get some work here and there, but the main focus will be to get up and running with the pods for some income, house then livestock to follow. Moving From Preston so already used to the rain, just have to get used to the wind and we will be set. keep safe Pete and Mandy 201021_REV_FloorPlan_LAND 105M SE OF SUIL NA MARA_A4.pdf 101121_REV_Site_Plan_LAND 105M SE OF SUIL NA MARA_A3.pdf 101121_REV_Site_Elevation_LAND 105M SE OF SUIL NA MARA_A4.pdf 191021_REV_Sections_LAND_105M_SE_OF_SUIL_NA_MARA_A4.pdf 231021_REV_PODS_LAND 105M SE OF SUIL NA MARA_A3.pdf

I've just had a preliminary quote, (Highlands), where the existing transformer will have to be upgraded to 50KVA, I have to pay for the percentage I use or ask for so 15KVA supply I pay 30% of the cost of the transformer. From the quote: Works Required: Shutdown the network for safe working. Upgrade the existing transformer to 50kVA to take the new load of supply. Pole Termination and lay 10m of 3c185mm wavecon mains cable to a pot end. Re-connect the existing 3 x customers onto the new mains cable. Straight joint at the base of the pole and lay new mains cable to a pot end. Service joint and then lay new single phase service cable to the new 100 amp cut out position. £3,500 - £3750

In my wait for planning / building warrant, this is similar to the project I'm working on. you also have the option of using RPI pico (£4), if you only want temperature as it has inbuilt temperature. I'm early stages at the moment. Playing with options of sending the data to a web sql database, but linking to a NAS maybe more straight forward. I'm thinking of this RPi Display located centrally with a RPI located near the router to do the number crunching. but have not got to passing data between Pi's yet. long term I would like to be able to control the heating from this as well. the PICO could easily hide in one of these covers .

Anyone know what calculations are needed? I understand you seal up and put the fan on and regulate the fan speed to get a differential pressure of 50Pa. What I don't understand is how you work out the air change. Is that related to the speed of the fan and the extraction rate of the blades? Or is it using an aneometer and cone similar to balancing MHRV? I can see the benefits of rigging up a DIY test after the airtight membrane is installed. It would be better if I could get some figures as well.?

I've used one, they are great for leveling spoil and getting rid of spoil to a skip. As for digging you need quite a bit of room probably 6 foot from back of machine to loading shovel. I personally think you will struggle. Have you considered a micro digger and a conveyor belt? Load the belt with the micro digger straight into dumper. This would be my method from your description.

one option might be to look at getting a bespoke metal fabrication made, maybe to include the stairs as part of it, but it wont be cheap. Or maybe use mop stick handrail vertically, as these are bigger diameter,. at 1.8m you want to ensue they don't bend. or go frameless glass?

agree with the above . Eggar Protect - with special glue is the only product I would use if I had to put the finished floor in. https://www.egger.com/shop/en_GB/egger-protect If you put standard P5 chipboard in no amount of correx / tarpaulins will prevent water damage over that timescale. Past experience says the plastic sheets wick the water in (capillary action) and once this gets to the joints they will swell and become expensive Weetabix ? I would go for the loose osb option unless it is a floor cassette, if so you have to question and reduce the 5-6 weeks until water tight.

Thanks Nick I was intending of using a thermal store - for both DHW and UFH, no buffer? Main reason is I can do it myself as its not pressurised, ASHP monobloc so again fit myself. So is reverse ASHP an option. with a dedicated loop, i.e bypass the thermal store with valves ? Can all ASHP run in reverse?

Although planning a building on the East coast in the highlands, I do have a concern for over heating. Heating to be thermal store - ASHP - PV and ( possible Solar thermal)- all DIY, possibly a small wind turbine connected to DC immersion - it is windy all the time....... Anyway I got to thinking about cooling, and read some people use the ASHP and buffer tank to cool the UFH. I plan to have 6000L rainwater tank ( it also rains a bit), this tank will be underground and relatively cold, so I thought a couple of three port valves and a dedicated loop of pipe running through the tank would provide all the cooling needed and a possible heat dump for the solar. Any thoughts , problems you see.

Thanks ?

I think as long as the trims for your cladding, (header can give you a drip edge), (cill gives you run off and drip edge), and reveals can combine with these neatly, then would look great. I am planning cladding my build, and this is the area that's keeping me awake. Its essential that the detailing for weatherproofing this area is robust, and if any water can get past this cladding isn't going to do any damage to the timber frame. I'm still trying to get this detail to work in my head. I've not found any drawings that fit my scenario yet.

I agree, battens are too short, they should be longer so the tiles are nailed down, on a verge this should be every row, (not sure that it's a BS requirement) but I don't know any "roofer" that wouldn't, they should be clipped as well, If you had barge boards you could use a dry verge system to hold the tiles in place from wind. But in your situation tiles nailed every row and clipped would be my strategy.

How is this progressing? I'm new to RPi, but like the idea of having multiple sensors, some installed in the slab, some air mounted etc to monitor and essentially control heating / ventilation.