Tue, 19 Dec 2023 08:39:09 +0000 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.0.3 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=14816 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=14816 Sun, 08 Jan 2017 14:49:13 +0000 Donkey http://www.passivehousesystems.co.uk/product/blowerproof/]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17597 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17597 Fri, 07 Oct 2022 10:43:43 +0100 mitchino
I am coming to the end of a long contract with SSE for my business electricity. The price is going to quadruple. I get bombarded every day with calls from energy brokers. They annoy me because they always want your phone number and I'd rather do things by email.

Am I best using a broker? Will they always be able to get a better deal even though they get commission?

If a broker is the best option, which one should I use? Anyone got any opinions?]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17560 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17560 Fri, 09 Sep 2022 11:46:45 +0100 jon
Reason is that I've run a spreadsheet simulation accounting for atmospheric extinction, panel angle (using spherical trig: not Haversine.. yet), panel efficiency at strike etc. I'm not getting the efficiencies claimed for east-west panels (& some other striking differences).

Is it worth going all out and introducing Haversine or are manufacturers relying on southern European/USA data when giving recommendations? (can't see why going Haversine would make any difference but can see why using Southern European latitudes would make E-W more attractive)

So here's what I'm getting (using data from panel tests so not specifically accounting for glass reflection: possible that the glass protection might have some effect if the panel tests didn't account for it)

South facing: Sweet spot 35 to 44 degrees (used for comparison)
East/west at 35 degrees: 33% reduction full year
East/west at 25 degrees@ 30% reduction full year
Flat: 25% reduction]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16581 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16581 Sun, 31 May 2020 03:00:14 +0100 wookey
I have pretty standard 1960s ventilated roof on cavity wall, with wall plate on inner leaf. The tiles are big (concrete) pantiles, and there is a bituminous felt underneath. The rafters are extended to give an overhang of 200mm.

As bought:
http://wookware.org/house/retrofit/drawings/eaves-before.pdf
After insulation:
http://wookware.org/house/retrofit/drawings/eaves-after.pdf

I took the bottom 3 rows of tiles off to insulate the wallplate/skeilings. The bituminuos underlay was knackered at the bottom edge where it 's been exposed to light, hanging over into the gutter, so I replaced it with a breathable membrane. That explicitly says it shouldn't extend down into the gutter, and you should use a plastic edge tray for the last bit.

The current design has flat tiles at the roof edge, to provide a base for cement to block the gaps at the end of the pantiles. http://wookware.org/pics/house/eaves/tiles1.jpeg

Plastic combs are a more modern and convenient way to deal with the gap under pantiles and seem to work fine. Is there any good reason not to remove the flat tiles, save a lot of time mixing loads of cement to fill them in, and just put a bird comb in instead?

Now whilst looking I discovered that you can buy a 4-in-1 device, which has a membrane support tray at the back, comb on the top, 10mm continuous eaves vent , and edge drip-tray all in one:
https://www.virtualplastics.co.uk/collections/eaves-protectors/products/vented-eaves-protector-support-tray-with-comb-protection-roof-felt-protection

Anyone used these? It seems like a good idea but perhaps I am missing some disadvantage? As you can see There is a tendency to pooling just behind the bargeboard with the current design and a support tray will probably help with that. The comb has the major advantage over cement that you can still remove/replace the tiles easily. At the moment the eaves venting is just by infiltration - there are no vents in the soffit. I carefully left a gap just behind the bargeboard so that holes could be put in (you can see in 'eaves-after' PDF above, but with this vent over the top of the bargeboard I probably don't need any. It's only 10mm so isn't a huge amount of ventilation, but more than before.

The alternative is a separate drip-edge and comb (which screwfix have): https://www.screwfix.com/p/felt-support-tray-1-5m-5-pack/36622]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16949 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16949 Sun, 28 Feb 2021 02:07:51 +0000 wookey
The weather is cool and dry but getting under 5C overnight. for the whole of the next week. The MC55 says the temp should be over 5C for application and curing. So what happens if I put it on when its 10C during the day but maybe 2C or 3C overnight (current weather forecast gives 3, 3,3,5,2,1,1 for next week (daytime 9, 8, 9, 10, 8,7,7).

Presumably so long as it doesn't freeze it'll be OK, but will just cure very slowly (any idea how slowly - it took 2-3 days in Autumn?) I understand that MC55 is a lime-based plaster, although with various other things in it to make it easy to use.

The incentive for not waiting another few weeks is a) it needs doing and have time and the weather/ground is dry and b) the bulbs are coming up in front of this bit of wall so It'd be good to get it done so I don't destroy them all doing it later.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17552 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17552 Sun, 28 Aug 2022 08:36:24 +0100 kristeva
I'll be plumbing the bathroom soon and just wanted to canvass thoughts on the copper v plastic conundrum.

I've got a number options, push fit, copper and push fit joints, compression & copper, or even copper and solder although I'm not greatly experienced and bit nervous waving a blow torch around an old house in tight spaces!

All have there pros and cons, notching is less kind to joists, so many scare stories about plastic fittings (rodent attack / leaks, etc), if I use copper I'll have to get a pipe bender, more unseen joints with push fit.

Cheers


P]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17585 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17585 Wed, 28 Sep 2022 19:25:14 +0100 Jeff B
My question is: is it safe to mount the pattresses inside wooden boxes? I didn't think it would be a problem as I have seen, for example, pattresses mounted on wooden noggins before but my wife just raised the question and put doubts in my mind!]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17587 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17587 Fri, 30 Sep 2022 13:34:26 +0100 JT101
About 10 years ago I insulated the two smallest rooms in my house internally which are both solid brick wall.

I used Insulated backed plasterboard with 25mm PIR at the time.

Now I'm considering external wall insulation. Probably will end up using XPS on the outside, but want to look into PIR as an option.

In an ideal world I won't rip off the internal wall insulation and all that would entail. But if I keep it, presumably there is potential problems in the brickwork itself if I insulated externally. XPS breathes, but PIR doesn't, but maybe the render wouldn't breathe anyway.

Or should I just not worry about it? I did a pretty good job of taping and sealing each board, but have of course drilled holes for fixings.

Any thoughts. Thanks]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17576 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17576 Thu, 22 Sep 2022 14:10:47 +0100 wookey
I am trying to decide how best to deal with airtightess at the upstairs ceiling level. It's not terrible with just the existing plasterboard but it has been hacked-around where the loft hatch got moved. I've put some blowerproof on the joints but interesting that hasn't worked perfectly. Seems like 2 coats is a good idea.

My main question is about putting up a membrane, and the pros/cons of plastic sheet, breathable roofing membrane or smart intello-type membrane.

Obviously best practice would be pull down all the ceilings, take off the internal wall-tops, make a truly epic mess and put a continuous intello sheet across the whole ceiling. (Or decide to fit a warm roof). I'm not doing that :-)

However I am considering putting up a membrane in each room between the walls (wet plastered block so reasonably airtight) under the existing ceiling, tape it to the walls then put in a new ceiling with a ~20mm service cavity for light wiring.

I have already done this in the main bedroom a few years ago. I just used cheap green polythene sheet from the builders merchant, held up with orconF during installation (then screwed battens). So there is no vapour permeability. The question is how much does this matter in a building with MVHR and a ventilated loft?

A vapour-permeable membrane would be more robust long-term as it would allow drying down as well as up (in the summer at least when the loft is warmer than the house - not sure if any vapour would move down towards the warm side in winter?

So I _could_ buy a roll of intello but it's quite expensive and I'm not sure there is much point in this application.
I do already have a roll of Cromar Vent3 roofing breathable membrane which is specified as wind-tight and breathable with an Sd of 0.02 m
https://www.cromarbuildingproducts.com/products/vent3/
What it doesn't specify is whether this stuff is deemed airtight.
I guess I could do a test.

Has anyone tried using these roofing membranes as airtightness membranes? Is it a bad idea for some reason?

Apart from being 2.5 times cheaper than Intello, I can easily go to screwfix and get some more if needed (£114 vs £249 for 1.5 and 50m)
I also still have loads of green plastic which is very cheap, and wider so fewer taped joints.

I think the impermeable plastic is probably fine under normal circumstances. If there is any condensation then it'll go into the plasterboard and diffuse then evaporate into the loft. I know my loft is well-ventilated due to a major leak a few years ago (in Jan, which dried out by about March without any significant harm occuring to timbers). A leak like that again would presumably dry out more slowly with a vapour-impermeable membrane in place (but also with a vapour-open one and a second ceiling).

So what do we reckon. Is just plastic really a bad idea here? Any reason not to try something like Vent3? Are you all going to tell me to just go any buy a load of intello?]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17317 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17317 Wed, 08 Dec 2021 10:26:14 +0000 michaelf
The lath and plaster is blown in places and I have done some initial investigations and the current structure appears to be as follows (from the outside) - Tiles, bitumen felt, mineral wool, lath and plaster, skim coat. The studs are 140mm deep.

The tiles are in good order and so removing them to replace the bitumen felt, etc. would be costly prohibitive so I was planning to tackle this from the inside. My plan at this stage is to remove the lath and plaster, fix timber stop battens, install 90mm Kooltherm K112 (or similar) to leave a 50mm air gap to the felt/tiles and cover with insulated plasterboard with an integrated VCL.

Does this sound like a sensible solution or am I potentially introducing issues with the timber structure? Is there a better/more cost effective way to do it?]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17592 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17592 Sun, 02 Oct 2022 12:31:44 +0100 minisaurus
If I remember correctly it goes like this:

- fill the sub-floor void with EPS beads
- replace the vents with bricks to make air-tight.

Have I remembered correctly, or can someone link to the original discussion?

I'm asking for an elderly friend who lives in a victorian end terrace and needs to save cash.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16853 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16853 Thu, 24 Dec 2020 13:10:04 +0000 deniance Last year I posted here about insulating my attic!
I was getting lots of condensation on the felt which was dripping down into the insulation!

Well.... I thought I’d fixed it, sealed all holes and penetrations and was thinking it was good!

Just been up there this morning and it’s exactly the same!! Just as bad as before!!

Any ideas what else I can do or even some method of monitoring where it’s coming from?

Only 3 rooms upstairs, one is a bathroom, so, I’ve ...

Made an insulated hatch with a sealed lid
Sealed all cable penetrations
Checked the bathroom fan connection
Sealed all wall plates of internal walls
Foamed up gaps
Sealed any gaps in coving below

All of the above were massive sources of air from the house getting into the attic, used a fan to find all the leaks, I also bought a box of 50 lap vents that you slide in the felt, you can see daylight through some of them and there is very good airflow , you can feel it and see the cobwebs blowing about!! But there is still enough air condensing to overpower this! Just can’t figure out where!

I thought all the work I did would make it less but it’s just as bad as before! Like someone’s gone up there with a hosepipe and misted it all!!

All I can think of is, the chimney wall as it passes through the roof does get a bit soaked when it’s raining, not dripping wet but just soaks up the moisture and the bricks turn dark, I wonder if the log burner flue dries it off and this then evaporates and floats across the attic and condenses again? Only had the burner on for two days so I’m doubting this theory!
Or maybe because it’s a terraced house, I wonder if it’s floating over the top of his attic and making it into my side??

Gotta try and sort it out, everything is going mouldy!!
Any ideas folks? Cheers]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17588 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17588 Fri, 30 Sep 2022 14:59:48 +0100 KmcK
I've been reading the various threads about insulating suspended timber floors, and thanks to everyone who's contributed - we've learnt a lot. Our situation is slightly different to the other threads and we'd appreciate some thoughts on the best options for us:

We're insulating the full ground floor (approx 50sqm) of a Victorian house, with suspended timber floors that we can easily access from below - there's a cellar running underneath the full house. For this reason (and because we're living in the house and couldn't manage the disruption or cost of taking up the floors) we'll be insulating from below.

The joists are 180mm deep, and we've already had a re-wire completed, with most electric cabling running underneath the joists, but some notched through the joists. We've also got some heating pipes underneath the joists.

We're improving the ventilation to the cellar as part of this work, but have a bit of damp down one section of the external wall. The joists run parallel to the wall, and the closest joist is about 50mm away from the wall

Finally, our finished floor surface above the floor will be stripped wooden boards. We've got some fairly gappy boards, and may look to seal these from below or from above, if it's worth the effort.

From what we've gathered from the other threads, our approach will be to use an inorganic quilt insulation between the joists, and to staple a breathable membrane below the joists to help with wind wash of the insulation and to ensure any moisture can escape. Our questions:

- the insulation material we're planning to use is rockwool, or Earthwool (which is slightly cheaper) - any reason to pick one or the other? We plan to use 200mm which compresses slightly to fill the depth of the joists

- for the breathable membrane there are lots of different ideas across the threads and elsewhere online, from a weed membrane, through to a Pro Clima membrane, and so a lot of price difference. What do we need to look for, here? Balancing out cost and performance, would Tyvek Housewrap work? The Pro Clima Solitex Plus comes in at circa £4/sqm, whereas the Tyvek is £1.63/sqm, and the weed membranes might be cheaper than this?

- I've seen in one thread on here the idea of using masking tape from below to seal the gaps between boards - is this worth doing, if you're insulating and putting a breather membrane below? We'll likely have some minor liquid spillage onto the floor above (we have a toddler!), so if it's worth it to prevent water interacting with the insulation then we might do this

- for the section of damp wall, what do you recommend? As detailed above, there's a joist running parallel to this wall at about 50mm from the wall, so we could foam this gap with an air-tight foam, but I don't know if that's a good idea? If we were to do this, would you recommend running the breather membrane below this, and therefore taking it to the external wall, or would we be better taking this to the closest joist to the wall, but no further?

- how important is taping the joins of the breather membrane and how important is taping it to the external walls? We're having a tradesperson do this work for us, as we have hectic jobs and the toddler, so keeping the work as simple as possible is best for making sure it gets done well

- we'll chat to our electrician about the cabling notched into the joists, and whether this needs to be de-rated

- finally, do we need to consider whether we're making the floor too airtight? We don't have mechanical ventilation, so will be relying on opening doors and windows to ventilate the house above. We don't have a woodburner or anything that would further compromise our air quality.

Thanks in advance for your ideas]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17457 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17457 Wed, 20 Apr 2022 09:39:36 +0100 lineweight
Increasingly I'm seeing it suggested as a preferred (and cheaper) option by builders, in place of more conventional methods.

I know there are some very long threads on here on the subject - but not much activity on them in the past five years or so.

My question is; has thinking changed significantly in the past ten years? Has additional testing proved their worth, or has technology improved such that they are now more effective?

Is it an option that I should remove from the "probably snake oil" category?]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17577 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17577 Sun, 25 Sep 2022 08:35:10 +0100 minisaurus
Does anyone know more detail? We’ll need quite a bit of battery storage if this is going to work, I think?]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17581 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17581 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 23:45:06 +0100 newcomers
purchased a new build 4 years ago and after the 1st winter we knew had a problem. Had thermal imaging survey done which showed no continuous ribbon of adhesive and either no or incorrectly fitted cavity closers. Had expert witness structural survey done which showed no dpc around doors and frames, plus issues in loft and many other defects. Went legal and now 2 years later we have reached a settlement with the developer. The sum awarded to me would cover 75% of the costs involved to do the following:

Remove all dry lining and apply ribbon of adhesive along with new skirting boards. Removed windows, doors and frames, install dpm and cavity closers. Replace carpets and redecorate.

Would I achieve similar results by removing skirting boards and using foam to seal along the bottom of boards and wall? Could I inject foam along the tops of walls on both ground and first floor?

It has been suggested to me to remove dry lining and then wet plaster instead as this would reduce heat loss even more, but unfortunately I dont think the sums awarded to me would cover enough of it.

For the windows and doors I think the only way would be to remove them all and do it properly unless anyone has any ideas?

I ask because Im worried that I will use all of the money awarded to me, plus a lot of my own money doing it the right way (full removal of dry lining etc) only to find it hasnt made much difference. Im also worried that injecting foam wont make much difference either!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17583 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17583 Tue, 27 Sep 2022 20:00:12 +0100 SChoules Cheers,
Sue]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17580 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17580 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 21:22:15 +0100 John Pedersen I've just got planning permission for a 50m2 timber house in France. I own a few acres of forest close by, mostly Oak and some Scott's pine.

I'm wondering about chopping down a few trees to use to build the house - pine for the 6x2's to support the OSB walls, and Oak for the cladding.

I'm intending to build it as airtight as possible and have thick insulation along the lines of the passivehaus standards. This should pretty much eliminate condensation within the structure, so I'm thinking that using my own timber, untreated, might be fine.

I'm still working on the design of the house and beginning to make a tree inventory to see if this idea might work.

Any suggestions or advice would be most welcome.

Thanks.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16903 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16903 Sat, 23 Jan 2021 15:56:50 +0000 owlman Looking around at available info., it seems that you're stuck with whether your supplier does it or not, and I assume once they do an install you're stuck with them for a while.
I've no idea if they charge for installation or if you can have one done privately and then drift around the various suppliers for the most lucrative tariff.
I spoke to one supplier who said they have differing Winter and Summer Economy 7 tariffs which sounds interesting, but the guy was new to the job.

Does anyone have first hand knowledge of a recent install with costs etc., and how it works?

Thanks.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17579 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17579 Mon, 26 Sep 2022 08:21:13 +0100 Sandfordbarn
Does anyone have any experience applying it directly to stone walls, in particular the blanket rather than the boards. Then direct plaster/lime over that?

I'm keen on this finish as I'd prefer a more irregular finish, rather than flat boards.

I've seen some European company are applying aerogel render externally (with aerogel granules in the render mix), but I've not heard back from any of them.

Any shared experiences on this would be very helpful - it seems to be a revolutionary product?]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17566 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17566 Tue, 13 Sep 2022 16:42:11 +0100 ComeOnPilgrim
Any thoughts on ratio, depth, anything else?]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16603 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16603 Sat, 13 Jun 2020 13:07:09 +0100 Peter_in_Hungary T&G 12mm planking
VCL
100mm x 100mm rafters with mineral wool between
20mm sarking boards
battens and slates (concrete/asbestos)

The plan is to remove the battens and slates and add
50mm x 150mm (fixed vertically) with mineral wool between
Breather membrane
battens and new slates.

Using Ubakus.de shows no problems - however if the internal VCL is removed then serious problems occur on the inside of the sarking boards if the internal RH goes above 50% and the external temp goes below +6.

Up until now the place has been used as a holiday home with minimal to no winter usage but now the plan is to use it year around so interstitial winter condensation could be an issue. If the VCL was put up with the same work quality as the rest of the works then there will be holes and bad joins within the VCL

I would rather not take down the T@G or remove the sarking boards due to the work and expense involved

You read here about electricians and plumbers making holes in the VCL with gay abandon but how much damage (or poor installation) can be tolerated in a VCL before there is a danger of interstitial condensation?]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17564 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17564 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 15:26:06 +0100 Newbuild
Essentially we have 500mm of rockwool horizontal loft insulation in an unventilated loft and where this meets the roof at the eves it shrinks down to the available rafter depth, circa 60mm minus 20mm. Unfortunaly there is no hip in the roof to accommodate a deep amount of insulation over the eves.

I have retrofitted ventilators on the wall plate since there is an over eves ventilator but it was blocked by the roof insulation initially - The insulation itself cant be carried over the eves so much since there is a cavity tray running horizontally where a double height lintel protrudes up level with the wall plate. The cavity below is 100mm full fill.

Is there anything I can do to improve this junction? I am just weighing up options, I would mostly like to avoid air infiltration down the cavity or worse down the void behind plasterboards.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17575 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17575 Tue, 20 Sep 2022 21:27:23 +0100 quinnj3
I hope someone here can help me. First some background on my system.

I DIY installed my MHRV about 13 years ago using a Vent Axia Air Minder plus ventilation unit. The pipes are all solid (apart from direct connections to HRV unit) and are either within the insulated layer of the building or wrapped with 40mm fibreglass foil wrap and taped up to avoid cold air pockets. There are a couple of condensate drains tied to the overflow of the house to carry away condensate that may build up in the extract pipework as it leaves the insulated layer to the uninsulated layer. In theory the unit is perfectly sized. In practice I believe it to be oversized as a draft can be felt at times when standing near the inlets. It's also quite noisy and I never need boost mode. It's permanently on low vent mode.

I have to admit I've somewhat neglected the system as it's always just worked. I wash and clean the filters at least once a year but they are always filthy. I should be doing it 4 times per year. I've only previously opened the unit up and cleaned the heat exchanger once about 5 or 6 years ago. At that time there was no mold present except for a small bit around the condensate drain; the unit was very clean otherwise.

We dry our clothes in the house and due to the effectiveness of the MHRV a clothes horse dries in less than a day. Over the past year or two we have noticed it is taking a couple of days to dry clothes. Up until recently (the last few months) we have had zero mold in the house; now we have noticed a small amount developing in our main bathroom.

Over the past few weeks the unit has been getting quite noisy to the point I've switched it off a couple of times at night. This evening I split the unit to find the extract fan appears to have a failed / failing bearing. Of more of a concern was the dirt and mold on the H.E. The extract blower is caked in what appears to be dust and mold also. The inside of the unit is largely dry except for a small damp spot at the condensate drain. The unit is exceptionally dirty also. Fortunately the air inlet fan and ducting is pristine so the filtration appears to be working there.

Obviously I'm really concerned with the mold issue and would like to get to the bottom of it. I can't tell 100% just yet but I believe the HE may have blocked with dust (even though it is filtered), reduced the air flow through it allowing the damp extract air to mix with the dust and facilitate mold growth. Is this a likely scenario?

Comments and opinions welcome.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17574 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17574 Mon, 19 Sep 2022 22:29:29 +0100 tony
Emulsion paint in plastic tubs: on opening I scrape the paint off the underside of the lid and remix it using an electric mixer on an electric screwdriver, depending on how thick it is in a pot with paint or paint and water, when smooth add to tub and mix in. Wash and clean lid. When there is paint left over the sides of the tub are scraped clean with a broad filling knife and an eggcup full of water tipped on top of the paint before revealing the lid and putting on a shelf.

Tins of water based paints, open clean lid into the paint, mix, use, when done add a spoonful of water, put the lid on using a block of wood. Store on a shelf.

Tins of oil based paint, as above and at the end re-lid and store upside down for a couple of weeks then turn the right way up and store on a shelf. A friend keeps his tins upside down til re-use!

Paint is too expensive to waste.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17559 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17559 Thu, 08 Sep 2022 07:23:49 +0100 an02ew http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17567 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17567 Wed, 14 Sep 2022 21:30:52 +0100 fostertom
"While LED lighting is more energy-efficient and costs less to run, the researchers say the increased blue light radiation associated with it is causing “substantial biological impacts” ... its ability to suppress the production of melatonin ... can worsen people’s sleeping habits, which in turn can lead to a variety of chronic health conditions over time .. findings on how local street lighting has dramatically reduced the abundance of nocturnal insect populations ... some authorities are ... changing the bandwidths of their LED bulbs to produce less harmful blue light, as seen on the Isle of Wight, which uses warmer bulbs that emit less blue light"]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17572 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17572 Mon, 19 Sep 2022 14:42:32 +0100 Rex
My building insurance is soon due and the renewal premium has rocketed by 50%, probably owning to a £1700 Storm Eunice claim.

In checking the various internet comparison sites, one question arises regarding the alarm. Mine is a plain vanilla alarm, only has internal PIR and activates the external sounder. Fitted it myself during the build, test is annually by ensuring the PIRs are working and the sounder activates, and every five years, change the back-up battery.

But the questions all relate to having an annual approved expert check and test the alarm as well as 'was it installed by an approved installer?'

I never know how to answer this question; it was installed ten years ago.

I know insurance companies will find any reason to discard a claim, but how does one safely answer this question.

Thanks and toodle pip]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17573 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17573 Mon, 19 Sep 2022 14:48:34 +0100 Rex
Further to my previous insurance question regarding alarms, I am always 'frightened' by another question on all insurance forms regarding the proximity of trees within 5 m of the property.

We have leylandii within five meters, some are the neighbours and are well over 10m tall. They were there when we built but the nature of London Clay dictated that we have piled foundations.

So neither the trees nor the clay is an issue. But insurance forms do not cover this fact; there are either trees which are dangerous or not.

So I always ere on the side of safety and say we do have trees, and I imagine that as a result, the premium reflects that fact.

Is there a way around this unreasonable premium hike?

Thanks and toodle pip]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17568 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17568 Thu, 15 Sep 2022 18:51:00 +0100 daveking66
I need about 100ml to complete the wall I’m priming.

Thanks]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17562 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17562 Sun, 11 Sep 2022 20:14:18 +0100 ralphpr
I've been lurking for years and finally have an interesting project.Your help is sought.

It's a rectangular 550 mm wall solid stone built 110 sq m cottage in Wiltshire with bats in the attic.

Permission was granted in the teeth of the tree officer to extend it as an L shape ( a double pile was sought but encroached on two protected oaks so the wing doubles it in size hanging down on the eastern wall allowing good southern insolation to most windows)

The dream of making it EnerPHit was stymied when we realised that 200mm of floor insulation would have required £30,000 of underpinning due to the lack of foundation -so we applied to demolish the unlisted building and replace it exactly as before benefiting from the VAT newbuild concession.

And we nearly got away with it; on the eve of planning being granted, someone mentioned bats.

£5,000 worth of surveys ( that found five bats and their DNA) and six months delayed we have reverted to the original planning and are out of the ground with the extension - alas only 100 mm full fill thermal block cavity as we need to match the stone coursing of the undemolished cottage on the outside, but 200mm floor fill.

The cottage now has a reinforced concrete floor tray with a 125mm upturn allowing for 200mm there too and 125mm IWI. Triple glazing throughout to replace the Critalls.

My first question is what to do about the bat attic.: the licence to remove them will come in November by which time we will have completed the shell.

Do we strip the roof then and retile using a warm roof insulation or is it feasible to have an icy bat palace attic sitting on top of an insulated two floor box? The extension will be bat free and can have a warm roof.

Second question on pargeing - I'm aiming for 3Ac/hr to be realistic for MVHR . I need an IWI soultion to optimise the 125mm.

Many thanks

Ralph]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17569 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17569 Fri, 16 Sep 2022 00:41:39 +0100 fostertom
Now for a pole hedge trimmer. The Bosch one isn't well reviewed, so we may not be able to share batteries/charger with the strimmer. A Gtech one is well reviewed, with different pattern of 18v 2Ah battery as standard but very weak recharging - a 13a plugtop type one with wire to a co-ax plug into the battery - 4hr recharge!

First question - would it be safe, for the battery, to find a stronger plugtop-type charger with same co-ax plug? Or do they only exist in 'weak' rating?

Second - would it be fair to say, as the Bosch hedge trimmer quotes 45min runtime on 18v 2.5Ah battery, the Gtech 60mins on a 18v 2Ah battery, the Bosch's motor must be consuming 3.3A x 18v = 60W; the Gtech 2A x 18v = 36W? That wd be odd, as the Gtech blade is 510mm vs 450mm Bosch, and can cut a 25mm branch vs 19mm. Motor power seems never stated, for cordless garden tools.

Third - first (and only) time I used the non-Bosch 3Ah battery in the strimmer, the motor burnt out, replaced under guarantee - it had actually smoked a bit once before, so was poss an original motor fault. Or is it poss for a (cheaper, non-original) Li-ion battery to deliver xs voltage or otherwise confuse the strimmer's electronics?]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17563 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17563 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 14:24:04 +0100 BenM
I was just wondering if anyone had any recommendations on tanking slurry products?

Seems to be quite the choice, and just interested to hear from people who had a particularly good experience with a particular product.

Just getting ready to do the floor floor and walls of over brick lined cellar, follow some extensive paint stripping!

Cheers

Ben]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17556 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17556 Fri, 02 Sep 2022 20:19:02 +0100 SimonD
Available free to a new home.

Can be collected from near Bath.

http://www.thermoflocinsulation.co.uk/cellulose-based-insulation-loose-fill-insulation/]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17543 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17543 Sun, 21 Aug 2022 08:56:37 +0100 Davycrocket
I'd like to think I can repair these areas with your help.

What is the method for these repairs please ??


Thanks in advance]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17565 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17565 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 20:29:26 +0100 jamesingram Could anyone help me out
thanks]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17561 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17561 Fri, 09 Sep 2022 15:32:04 +0100 marsaday
I had my solar panels installed in May and I am still waiting for my battery.

IS this company specific or across the whole industry ?]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17481 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17481 Wed, 01 Jun 2022 15:48:33 +0100 neelpeel
PVGIS tells me I should get 500-550kWh per month in the summer months and down to 80-90kWh in the winter months for a 4.5kW setup (3970kWh/yr total).

For my EV I average between 5 - 10kWh use each day. Sometimes none, sometimes 25kWh. So I reckon I should be able to cover most of my miles.
I don't have a water tank so I can't easily dump excess solar, but I am planning for a A2A ASHP install.

I'm planning to DIY for the most part and looking for Used panels to keep the up-front cost down. I'll get an electrician to do the electrical commissioning.

This means that I will probably NOT be able to get MCS signoff.

- Does that mean that I can't tie to the grid at all? Or just that I can't claim for export?

- I know there is a 3.68kW limit, but my thoughts were to slightly oversize (4.5kW) and use an inverter limited to 3.68kW. I assume there could therefore be some 'clipping' in the summer, but I would get better output in the winter. I could also try and mount some panels for winter generation. Does this make sense?

- Is it possible to supply the EV (via Zappi charger) and house without grid tie-in? Which, if not grid-tied, I assume I could then bypass the 3.68kW limit?

- Am I daft to ignore 'export' and just go for MCS install and grid-tie?

- Any ideas for 'dumping' my excess solar in the summer given lack of water tank?]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17554 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17554 Wed, 31 Aug 2022 10:52:23 +0100 greenfinger
Apologies for another question so soon... Having removed the concrete render from the back of our house, I've also removed the soffits which I'll replace after repointing. I don't know much about building, but I presume the wood on top of the wall is the wall plate? On the right hand side, this seems to be as I would expect - firmly on top of the wall, leaving space in front for ventilation, with small pieces of wood to attach the soffits to. But as it goes along the wall, the wall plate gets further and further away. By the time it reaches the left hand side, it is no longer on the wall at all!

Aside from potentially being wrong, the other problem is that I plan to install ventilated soffits. In that area they won't be very effective because the timber pretty much spans the gap the soffit will span, so not much air would get passed.

Bit stuck as to whether I am over worrying, it is totally wrong and needs remedial action, or something in between. Any help would be fantastic.

The first photo shows the full length.
The second shows only half the length, looking in the opposite direction, and starting from where the wall plate/timber starts to move away from the wall top. I've put a green line on to help show the timber edge.
The third is a closer look at the timber off the wall.
And the fourth is the same, but looking from behind).

Please ignore all the plastic bags etc which have just been put in to prevent unwanted visitors.

Many thanks]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17558 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17558 Sat, 03 Sep 2022 19:03:33 +0100 ioanaoprisan
I am working on my dissetation with the title “Is BREEAM the Key to a Sustainable Future? A Study Assessing Its Influence on Commercial Property Value” which analyzes if a commercial building gains benefits in terms of sale price, rental value, speed of transaction, ability to secure finance and corporate image and prestige value, by obtaining a BREEAM Certificate. In order to gain an in-depth analysis, I created a questionnaire for potential participants who have knowledge in terms of BREEAM and commercial real estate. The responses would be anonymous and further used for research purposes only.

If you would be able to complete this questionnaire it would be much appreciated and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I will attach the link below and then you can decide if it is something that you would be interested in completing.
Thank you so much for your time!

https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2nOwigO3YHaKrem]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17555 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17555 Thu, 01 Sep 2022 16:52:45 +0100 fostertom https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/sep/01/crab-lobster-shells-could-used-make-renewable-batteries
Makes it sound very significant, altho early days yet.

Chitin common not only in crustacean shells, but in v large quantites of present food waste.

Apparently not the only possibility under development for hi-performance batteries which don't require those naughty rare earths, also biodegradeable to compost, and the zinc readily recoverable.

What this means
- the world no longer beholden to China, which has cornered most of the rare earth sources
- no shortage of battery materials
- no more asset-stripping of poor countries
- no more slave labour in the mines, quarries and open-casts
- no more Renewable intermittency problem, therefore
- no need for nukes or other 'base load'.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17521 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17521 Wed, 20 Jul 2022 15:19:38 +0100 lineweight
I understand the basic principle and for sure it is good advice in many cases, but it doesn't necessarily make sense in all buildings, does it?

For example, presumably anywhere with limited thermal mass indoors (eg internally insulated buildings) will see much less benefit from this strategy than buildings with a lot of thermal mass (and especially exernally-insulated solid wall buildings).

In may cases it will rely largely on stopping a volume of cool-ish air from (a) being replaced by warmer air from outside and (b) being warmed up by heat energy making its way through walls and windows . Without very good insulation and some amount of thermal mass, surely it's only a matter of time before it reaches a similar temperature to the outside air. Isn't it likely that that amount of time might only be a few hours in many UK buildings? In which case, keeping the windows closed beyond mid-morning or lunchtime might become counter-productive.

The other issue (and the reason I chose to keep certain windows open during the last couple of days) is that you lose the benefit of changing the air (for stuffiness) and if there's a breeze the benefit of moving air (for cooling).

I was interested to see if there was anything I could look up to compare the cooling effect (on a human) of, let's say, stationary air at 30 degrees versus moving air at 35 degrees.

I can find various "wind chill" calculators but they are all aimed at examining effects at much lower temperatures.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17549 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17549 Thu, 25 Aug 2022 21:02:53 +0100 tony http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17553 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17553 Wed, 31 Aug 2022 09:57:10 +0100 greenfinger
I've got a repair to do where an old wood stove flue used to go through the roof, but has since been taken down. Water had been leaking through and caused some rot to the rafter, which I will "sister" with some new timber.

What I don't know is whether it would be a good idea to repair/replace the sarking board, and the felt on top of it? If so, is it possible to do what needs doing from inside the room? Or is the only option to strip back slates and repair from above. Would prefer to do it from inside if at all possible.

Any opinions and suggestions on how best to approach this would be most appreciated.

Many thanks]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17542 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17542 Sat, 20 Aug 2022 13:08:32 +0100 richardelliot
We're aiming for a four bedroom highly energy efficient home. Getting Passive House certification isn't a requirement, but we'd like to be approaching that level.

We are considering using the architect that we used last time as we know we have a good working relationship with them, they are local and they have experience getting challenging planning permission applications granted (we have a tricky sight). On the downside they have very limited experience with Passive Houses. They are currently designing one for another client. As they don't have anyone qualified in the office they are using a consulting firm for advice, PHPP modelling etc.. None of the contractors they work with have built a Passive House before.

One of the other architects we're speaking to has been Passive House certified since 2010. They have done multiple new build and retrofit Passive Houses. Clearly they know how to reach Passive House standard and have relationships with timber frame companies and contractors who have achieved it in the past too. On the downside we don't know how well we'd work with them (I'd rate the relationship with your architect as the most important one of the whole process as it can be a 3yr journey together) and they are based a bit further away lack some of the local planning knowledge and convenience.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? I think my main concerns are:
1. If you use a non-Passive House qualified architect can you effectively supplement with a Passive House consultant (there do seem to be a view about and most successful PH projects seem to have one)? Or do you really need to be going with a certified architect?

2. If you go with a timber frame company that has a Passive House option (e.g. MBC) when they create the structure will they include all of the designing out thermal bridges or do you need your architect to have done that?]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17550 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17550 Fri, 26 Aug 2022 12:00:43 +0100 dereke Dimensions are 1200x400x200.
I mostly just want to get rid of it so open to offers.
I am in Stroud and you would have to collect it but you are welcome to split the pallet open and take them in batches if need be.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17321 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17321 Sat, 11 Dec 2021 18:20:46 +0000 RobinB 4.8kw LUX AC Battery storage system
• LUX AC Unit
• 2x 2.4kw Uhome Batteries


second option being Powervault whose prices have annoyingly just vanished from their website.

and what else should we consider?]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17545 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17545 Mon, 22 Aug 2022 18:55:00 +0100 Rex
When we built the house and before the foundations where constructed, we installed a 6000 litre roto-moulded ploy tank to collect rainwater.

A few months later, there was a problem in that since it was yet to be connected to the downpipes and since the groundworkers had been using the water to clean their machinery, hydro-static pressure got between the tank and the concrete, causing one convex end to 'pop' inward to become concave. I had an engineer report but insurance wanted someone to be guilty. The ground workers had long since gone and had more or less, installed it correctly; it has not 'floated' out of the ground. There was no way to prove that the tank itself was faulty; result was that we have managed to live with a reduced volume, probably around 5000 litres.

However, due to this prolonged period of no rain, the tank is empty until a few weeks ago, when we had a bit of rain in the south-east. The tank is now around 1/3 full, but when I was checking, I think the concave is increasing, which means there is hydro-static pressure behind the tank. That in itself is strange as we have not had sufficient rain to raise the water table.

So my question is, what can I do? Removal is pretty much out of the question. Grateful for any ideas.

The photo is of the interior with the red line 'kinda' showing the concave end, which sold be 'popped' the other way.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17546 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17546 Mon, 22 Aug 2022 23:42:58 +0100 Tyrone_
As you can see access is limited (just under 30mm) but I have 340mm long nozzles (for silicone etc cartridges) which could apply sealant to the vents.

Which sealant might last longest? (Mastic, Tec 7 etc.)

Any other ideas welcome.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17548 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17548 Tue, 23 Aug 2022 12:36:19 +0100 Ally
I'm wondering if using a click system and floating the floor completely over an old fashioned fibreboard type underlay be a possible solution to optimising breathablilty on top of a limecrete sub floor?]]>