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I’m currently stripping out the old plasterboard on my Small Mission Hall project on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The building has not been in use for years and has never really had any effective heating. interesting once the plasterboard is off, you can see small drops of condensation form on the walls. I assume this is kind of normal? I’m keeping windows open whilst I work, but I assume that it will need heating at some point to help combat this? I appreciate that 500-600mm solid stone walls are likely to have moisture/damp to some degree especially being in the Outer Hebrides! In the future, I’ll need to be adding internal insulation within a standalone stud framework.

I am coming to realise the difficulties challenges in working with thick, solid stone walls. Tell me if I am on the right lines here please? The walls are 600th, with high quality, largish but random blocks outside, decent but smaller blocks inside, and then rubble and lime infill between the skins. They extend about 300mm into the ground where they sit on 200mm or so of a sand-lime bed. Under that is virgin sand, dense and clean. This sand-lime bed is strong but will be diggable. The sand is a bit low for starting drains off. My plan for getting drainage pipes outside is to expose the bed on both sides, choose a nice long or big base stone that can act as a lintel, with similar to the other face, then form a horizontal hole underneath, just big enough for 100mm pipe. Then in will go a length of pipe on a slight slope, and promptly infill with sand-lime, packed into place. Perhaps for once, cement will be better than lime. 1m or so of pipe will also act as a joggle pipe in case of movement. How to form a neat hole? either with a drill and long chisel, and long trowel. OR will a 150mmbe the answer There will be about 7 of these to do, so the ease of doing it matters, as does keeping the height up. I am reasonably content with the structural implications, but am open to comment.

I stumbled on this site while researching MVHR and saw some great discussions and expertise. I have a 112 m2 top floor flat part of a mill converted in 1995. I am looking at sensible upgrades for the next 10-15 years. Presently I have Electrical heating (1995 storage heaters) 12000 kWh pa , aluminium double glazing from 2010 (3 x 6 panel windows 2.3mx1.6m), have heard mention that frames are not thermally efficient, thick solid stone walls (580mm window returns) insulation status unknown, 3.5m high ceilings lounge hallway and bedrooms, observed 200mm loft insulation. Lounge and bedrooms are long and narrow and perhaps not well suited to present (lack of ventilation) Perhaps the biggest immediate concern for next winter is high CO2 levels (measured by Awair sensor) in the flat unless windows are opened. It also gets very stuffy in summer and I suffer from hay fever. There is no vent fan (apart from cooker hood with activated carbon filter) in the kitchen. Its been blocked up probably because the flexible trunking collapsed(a neighbour experienced this). The only connections to the outside are two 95mm?(100 nominal?) holes through the stone work which are connected through boxed in trunking along the floor (wouldn't mind moving it up to reclaim floor space) to kitchen (originally) on one, and 2 bathrooms on the other. The bathroom fans suck but no perceptible flow at outside of building. Maybe disconnected by previous owner and routed into loft space (on the other side of a fire division - not good) I am thinking that PIV system might be best rather than MVHR due to forum mentions on air leakage, although a lot of it might be beneficial in terms of heat input... The available 95mm openings are in bedrooms and I need to minimise cold piping, Can I use one opening for fresh air and one to take kitchen and 2 bathrooms out. Or is there a way to alternate (breathe in, breathe out, like ....lungs...) For moisture control, I tend to finish the timed laundry for when I can use the dehumidifier on Economy 7 for a couple of hours in the morning (early riser). I see the dehumidifier as effectively free to run as I have electric heating anyway. Seeking expert commentary, please, especially on whether I can get good ventilation with the two 95mm openings to the outside. Can I anyone recommend an approach and contacts for HVAC design?

So I have a somewhat decrepit 1.7m (ish) stone wall between me and my neighbour on the West side, on the South side of the house. The wall is in poor condition - I have this year removed the ivy that had come over and *through* it. Small stones can be removed by hand. It is full of solitary bees in the spring / summer. The ground level on the neighbour side is approx 12-18" higher. And the boundary is my face of the wall. It is 14-15m long. Something needs to be done. Neighbour is please that I removed the ivy. I would like to grow things like a black berry and fruit espaliers on the wall as it gets quite good sun and shelter. Obviously that needs permission from N. How would you proceed? Relations are fine, but I do not see the neighbour spending a couple of K to restore my side of the wall until after it has fallen down. Had a chat and he said "yes you can repoint it". ? He also has a further 45m of the same wall between him and the lane, which I do not envy. Rebuilding fully by a real stonemason would be perhaps £200-250 per metre. I am wondering about the benefit of repointing this myself. Any thoughts would be most welcome. Ferdinand