Kelvin

It’s like a scene from Alien. Good news and well done Sun Amp. However, such a catastrophic failure is either a design flaw or a manufacturing flaw.

It comes in different sizes and is flexible so it might bend round the pipe enough https://www.armacell.com/sites/g/files/vzwtwi156/files/2025/01/09/ArmaFlex Tuffcoat - Product Brochure - en-GB.pdf

The stuff I linked is waterproof and can be installed underground so is robust. Assuming it’s UV stable just fit that. Quickest and easiest way to deal with the problem.

The dearer stuff will last and is wipe clean. No idea about that cheap stuff. Does it say anywhere it’s suitable for exterior use? You could wrap the pipe in something to insulate it then fit a larger diameter plastic pipe over the top although you’d need to figure out how to seal to the wall.

You can get the black nitrile rubber insulation with a white protective cover like this: https://www.pipelagging.com/armaflex-tuffcoat-class-o-1m-white-28mm-19mm-wall-underground-waterproof-pipe-insulation?srsltid=AfmBOorjDZqXxvhA4ncqCTJhwnkkGrjYJS5jkSnYEYYL3YjwWHPgkglh

We have Nordan aluminium clad timber 3G windows. They perform well (checked them with a thermal camera) and look great. The main selling point of the aluminium cladding is the longer warranty (typically) and you can ‘easily’ replace any cladding that gets damaged. While this is true how easy it is depends on which bit gets damaged. If around the glazing unit easy enough. If it’s around the frame then it isn’t. In hindsight I should have gone for 3G timber painted. Also our Nordan front door is a weak link as it’s not sealing properly when shut. I’ve yet to adjust it so hopefully it is just that.

Plastering is less common in Scotland where Ames Taping (tape and fill the joins) is fairly standard on new builds. So you can do either. Plastering takes skill to do well. We chose to plaster and the finish isn’t terrific. You can’t see it in most lights but is obvious when the low sun shines on one of walls in the hallway and guest bedroom. It was bad enough that I changed the lighting scheme in the house away from wall lights as it would have literally shone a light in the slightly poor finish. That said, I now pay attention to plastering in other folks houses and the finish isn’t great anywhere. We visited friends at Christmas who owned the house next door to our previous house built by the same builder. The finish of the plaster and paint was shocking.

One of those 3M pads from Screwfix with different grit size either side. I can’t recall which one specifically but I think it was the finest grit size. I’d try the Gardz sealer for problem surfaces before trying to sand it back.

I wouldn’t use those 3M sticky strips to hang pictures regardless of how good the wall was. I let the plastered walls dry for at least two weeks and used a moisture meter to check. I I also rubbed the walls down then washed with a damp sponge. I used relatively cheap Velspar coverall paint designed for fresh plaster. Doesn’t need watered down. I did two coats of this leaving at least 24 hours between the coats and then a finishing coat with a harder wearing paint appropriate for the room. All fine apart from the bottom third of one wall where the first coat was lifting off with the application of the second coat. I used Zinsser Gardz sealer primer which did the trick.

Congratulations it’s a great feeling. I too was at our plot pulling out gorse when I got the call.

Congratulations

https://ruuvi.com/how-to-calibrate-a-hygrometer-or-air-humidity-sensor/

He stores the wood for at least a year before working it. He took the larger one away to refinish it so it’s very nearly flat now. The smaller one is butcher’s block style using the end grain which is just used for meat isn’t showing any other signs apart from the slight warping. I was concerned it might start to come apart. He also made our dining table but he said it will need refinishing after being in the house for 6 months or more. I have a large oak off cut sitting in the garage left over from the utility room worktop that I intend making into a chopping board.

Varies from room to room with a high of 43% and a low of 31% (this sensor is right by the back door). Most rooms are around 38%. These are readings from the Loxone light switches which can measure temp and RH. What I’ve noticed is the temp readings between the Loxone switch and the Heatmiser thermostat (both near each other) can vary by as much as 2°C with the Loxone switches always reading lower. The MVHR extract RH says 32%. House temp is 21°C downstairs and 17.5°C upstairs. Outside temp has been below freezing for two weeks or so. No problems with dry skin etc though. We had some large chopping boards made by a local guy both of which curled very slightly (about 1mm or so) enough that they rocked very slightly. He makes loads for the local area and it’s never happened before as they all generally go into older properties where the RH is higher. I fitted wee silicone feet to them. I have bought a humidifier to use in the TV room where I also keep my guitars although I’ve put them all back in their cases.

Yes your SE drawings should specify the fixings and likely wall straps. Ours did anyway.

They don’t really think 3 is good it’s just the line where you do need to do something else about ventilation if the builder achieves it. They know that UK building companies have no aspiration to be better hence why airtightness building regs are so poor. Good effort though. It’s a nice feeling.

The top one is a circulation pump. It can either be set for radiators (left side) fixed flow (top) or under floor heating (right side) each option has three settings depending on the number or rads of square metre size of the UFH. The LED displays a number of things including flow rate and energy used (in Watts) It’s hard to see but yours looks like it’s on the middle setting for rads. Do you have the manual as it will likely give you some idea there.

I’d say the vast majority of trades don’t have a clue when it comes to air tightness. All of the guys I used marvelled at our final score. They’d never been in a house so airtight before and they mostly work on new builds. Yes the airtightness layer and how you seal all the penetrations through it should be the focus. If you’re just over 3 then it ought to be easy to get below 3. It would be worth even a day or two of your own time armed with some suitable products to go around the place and do it yourself to get you well below three. Are you in Scotland? Them suggesting the boarding out and plastering will get you under is either ignorance or laziness. Post up some pictures of window/door edges, any holes through the external walls/roof, floor to wall and wall to roof junctions and any ductwork you have in the floor.

Is the airtight target in your contract with the builder? (I’m assuming they fitted the airtightness layer)

80% of Scottish new builds are timber framed. We’ve had no trouble insuring ours either (timber framed and clad) In fact we tick all the hard boxes, flat roof, metal roof, timber framed and timber cladding, private water supply, treatment plant. There might well be reduced mortgage options should we come to sell limiting the sales market. I’ll either worry about that in 20 odd years or it’s a problem for the kids to sort out.

It’s better than most new builds but poor compared to most on here. Plasterboard and plastering is on the wrong side of your airtightness layer. While it may or may not improve your score it won’t help the performance of the house. If you’ve not boarded it out you should still have access to the airtight layer to improve it? Are you sure you blocked up all the obvious bits such as any ductwork that leads to outside. My first result was over 1 and I couldn’t work out why as there wasn’t anything obvious then I remembered I’d forgotten to seal a duct in the plant room that ran to the outside. Final result was 0.44. When the airtightness test is being done it’s relatively easy to find the leaks just by walking around inspecting all the obvious hard to seal areas such as wall/roof penetrations, joint where one material meets another or wall/roof/floor junctions, around windows and doors.

Agreed and they’d also likely have the smell of smoke in the house.

I started sealing the screws then read you posting this before and stopped wasting my time. We got 0.44 on the final test.

I extended the sewerage line to the garage (shower and loo in there) and took the SVP through the garage roof. I also have an AAV in the house inside the coomb void where I just had enough height to be higher than the sink. We also fitted the percolation pipe as per the bottom picture. I called Graf about that and they recommended that’s the best way to do it. It’s all been fine since we moved in 6 months ago. The main advantages for me were no holes through the roof so no air tightness problems to deal with, cold bridges (albeit small), leaks, damage to the metal roof, and it leaves the roof looking really clean with no pipework.

Possibly but if that filter is getting wet then there’s a serious issue with the MVHR or how it’s installed. Our intake filter was pretty dirty after a couple of months. It cleaned up ok and I replaced it at 6 months.