Green Building Forum - Essential for Newbies

Intro from 1960s Bungalow Retrofit Newbies

GreenApprentice — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 08:55:30 +0100

Hi all,
We moved into our â€˜old personsâ€™ 1960s brick-built bungalow in October 2022 which needs fully updating so thought it an ideal project for an eco-retrofit.

Iâ€™ve been stalking the forum for a while, taking in advice and comments on approaches etc, and thought it time to join to get some expert views on our approach to help get it right.

This is our approach based on my research, but things are still fluid, we will be getting started with renovations in about 3 weeks. We will be living in the property during this time, just to add an extra challenge!

- there is existing fibre cavity insulation, which we will get checked with a view to rectifying if required
- We have ruled out EWI due to cost (Â£19k :shocked:)
- replace all windows and doors using airtight methods
- remove all fibreglass insulation from loft space, replace with under-rafter insulation and make loft space airtight to create a warm loft
- Install MVHR
- insulate above the suspended timber floor, replace or alter door casings (only 3 will remain due to layout changes), replace all skirting (would do anyway) make airtight. We decided it would be less-disruptive than insulating under the floor and room height is currently 2.5m
- Install airtight wood burner in living area (1/3 of the house footprint)
- We have been considering a combined heat pump for some heating/cooling with infrared panels and maybe electric UFH to supplement but these are energy intensive, and I have seen very mixed views on the combined units, so currently looking at water UFH with either an electric boiler or ASHP (at a min of Â£6k, this isnâ€™t a favoured option :cry:)

Due to the house layout, hot water delivery means a lot of wasted water, so I am considering heating at the point of use. We donâ€™t have a bath, will use a dishwasher and itâ€™s just the two of us likely working from home, so requirement for hot water is low.

As the loft roof is so low, the purlins prohibit access to the edges, so we plan to drop the ceilings enough to gain access to insulate, make airtight, rewire and install vents (and do any remediation for thermal bridging - I havenâ€™t researched this yet!). The roof is the original construction, but we will be looking to replace after at least another 10 years (hopefully solar tiles will be an affordable option by then), so need to bear this in mind, which is why we are insulation below the rafters - they are very shallow anyway.

Any advice or comments on our approach are very welcome.

Many thanks in advance,
Denys and Keith (North Wales)

Simple Heat Loss Calculator

PeterW — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 09:57:25 +0100

Hi all

Following a couple of discussions, here is a simple Excel based heat loss calculator and domestic heating sizing method.

Based on the Energy Saving Trust paper fact sheet and calculator, you will need to download both as the instructions are in the PDF

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Publications2/Housing-professionals/Heating-systems/Domestic-heating-sizing-method-2010-edition

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4rLWre5MvQQWm5CMVJ2VTdUcUE/edit?usp=sharing

If you do spot any errors in it please let me know and I will update it

Thanks

Peter:bigsmile:

Hello! I need help and found this interesting forum...

BiscuitsAndTea — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 18:43:42 +0100

Hi!

I wish I was joining with a more upbeat tone, but sadly I'm not.

I've found this forum and am really in dire need of some advice, on where next to turn, regarding our hallway in our 1920s semi.

I'm a female, project managing on my own really, as my partner is not wanting to be involved.

There is a lot of pressure on me now, as I've got us into a right state since April, when we got the lime plaster in our hallway and landing removed by a certified asbestos company, because I had it tested for asbestos and the walls of the original hallway and landing where found to have a chrysotile artex coating.

I have a 6yr old and I'd watched 'hidden killers' on the BBC iPlayer and just freaked out because we had cracks behind the hall radiator and near the window in the landing and around skirting boards and a big vertical one down the corner of the internal wall behind the stairs and the external wall.

We hoped to just be able to get it bonded and skimmed over, but I just didn't want to risk it not working and hammer a picture up one day and release the Asbestos fibres!

I know... Sounds over the top, but I couldn't find research to show that I shouldn't be worried.

So all the plaster has come off. And it's been 4Â½ months now, without any plaster going back on because we can't get a lime plasterer to stay long enough to reinstate it, (we've be let down by a really good one, who cancelled 2 days before the start date, after we waited 6 weeks for him, and then another, who was recommended to us from the local lime supplier, but he walked off the job after 3 days! That was 3 weeks ago.

Now I'm worried about impending Winter with gaps all around our suspended floors downstairs, as all skirtings have gone, and, I read on here that building regs could potentially affect it! Last Winter was cold enough, and we were spending Â£140 a month on gas and electric for what is a 3 bed semi.

No builder or plasterer we've had round has mentioned this and we were originally going through one before we got the plaster removed, but I cancelled him, as he wanted to dot and dab plasterboard to the external solid brick wall!

I don't know whether to continue my tale here, or on another subject thread?

Thanks in advance for any interest and help.

Gaden Room

betamaxbandit — Sat, 27 Feb 2021 23:57:26 +0000

Hi,
first time posting here.
I'm designing a garden room. It will be split in two; one area for entertaining and another for an office for use all year round. Dimension are 3 x 7 metres. Location Bristol, UK.
Thinking of building using SIPs (250mm from http://www.supersips.uk.com/). I hope to achieve a high airtightness level.

I'm just started to feel my way around in the SIP area and have a few questions.

I take some inspiration from Matt Risinger's youtube channel. Located in the US, he promotes the use of Huber ZIP SystemÂ® Insulated Râ€‘Sheathing and Flashing: ZIP Systemâ„¢ stretch tape.

1) I'm assuming these are not available in the UK. Can anyone suggest an alternatives please?

2) The entertaining area must have a large door opening. I'm thinking of a bifold door. Can anyone suggest a mid range priced unit that will give reasonable airtightness (good seals) and good u values?

3) Where do I start trying to choose windows and doors and getting a good installer who knows about passive house principles (eg tapes)?

4) If I achieve airtightness levels I assume I'll need some ventilation in the building. What do people recommend for this; single room heat recovery?

PAS2035 & edge thermal bypass

cc64 — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 07:22:43 +0000

Has anyone seen a copy of PAS2035? Looks like a great solution to a lot of woes, if only we could find the staff that could be relied upon to do a job...

PAS2035 is understandably big on boundaries edges junctions of retrofit insulation. And this is focus of my query.

Have retro fit of early 90s terrace apparently built by apprentices. External walls will have IWI applied. Question is whether to extend this down party walls. I don't really want to do that as the intent for party walls is to apply acoustic solutions so I don't hear quite so much of the neighbors.

Block and brick. Party cavity 10cm will be rockwool filled. External cavity 10cm will be EPS bead filled. Blob and dob plasterboard will be stripped from all blockwork walls before application of IWI to external and acoustic to party walls.

Question is do I need to extend insulation some distance down party wall to prevent thermal bypass of IWI on external wall.

M

Hello from former hop farm in Surrey

kristeva — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 20:48:38 +0000

Hello everyone,

I purchased a house in the summer which forms part of a very old hop farm (early 1800's). I had no idea how old it was, but then again neither did the estate agents. The last incumbent lived here well into her 90's and as a consequence the house saw very little maintenance.

So I inherited a house with damp walls, mainly due to excessively high ground levels along the perimeter (how damp the walls are /were is open to debate). The plates in the dinning room floor were entirely shot and there was a huge hole in the floor under the stairs, much of this due to failing air bricks and woodworm dining out all over the house. The electrics are stuck in the first half of the 20th century, both gas and electric meters are in the most stupid place imaginable, and the kitchen is a toxic nightmare of asbestos and lead painted brick.

But funnily enough I really love this place, and after making a few early errors (yes, expandable foam I'm looking at you!) I feel strangely committed to doing right by this house. When I started to plan and research the subject I soon realised there was an alternative body of opinion regarding how to treat older, sold brick properties which seemed to divide modern and traditional building techniques. At first this just made everything more confusing, with no clear path to follow, so i thought I ought to reach out for some support and expertise from like-minded folk. Whilst doing my research this forum seem to pop up a lot. I'm doing this alone, apart from the odd professional here and there (BC will be happy to know I'll be going no where near the electrics), so I'll apologise in advance for any dumb questions.

Cheers. P

passive spec window installers

cc64 — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 18:21:54 +0100

hi folks,
I hope all here are well.
Looking for some suggestions on windows installers who will work in the North London area capable of installing using illbruck's tapes and foams system to an air tight standard? looks like my installer has gone badly down with something nasty - probably covid - and is not going to be out of hospital much less available when the windows are delivered. Leaving me in a fix. All suggestions welcome. ya

1800's Stone Cottage Renovation

rosecottage — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 18:00:41 +0000

Hello and happy festive period to all.

We have recently purchased a solid stone detached cottage in the East of England. All planning has gone through and the more we searched for information (this is very much a self DIY project), the more the forum kept popping up so we took the plunge and joined!

The original cottage was extended and doubled in size around the 60's with again, solid brick. It is currently rendered, but removing internal plaster and wood cladding (lovely 70's ski chalet look) it is consisted mainly of brick but one wall (internal now, originally external) is mainly flint in construction. Needless to say there isn't a spot of insulation anywhere, thought we have discovered the roof is straw clad.

Scaffold is up and we are starting on the roof tomorrow, the current idea and thoughts are:
- Above Rafters Insulation (we are opening up the eaves on the inside and there are some lovely hand cut purlins which we would like to keep visible)
- EWI (likely later in the summer)
- Underfloor

We will also be converting the existing attached garage and we will finish up sorting an old flint outbuilding at some point.

I am sure we will be posting many questions to gain feedback and thoughts, so please do throw in any!!

Thank you

An Edwardian chalet bungalow semi

Dur — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 14:16:37 +0000

Hello

Renovating an Edwardian chalet bungalow and discovering lots of challenges!

It was t'n'g paneling upstairs with precious little insulation so I knew that would all have to come out.
Then realised that a beam which should have been installed for a 70s extension had not been put in so got an SE in.

One thing led to another and now have ended up with three new flitch beams and three substantial steels.
Just building new knee walls on the beams and figuring insulation in the eaves.

Also needs a heating system, all new electrics and plumbing etc etc.

Enjoying the work but it is evening and weekends so slow going and considerable pressure to get some habitable space so we can sell current property.

Then trying to research just about everything in whatever waking time is left. Hobbies and life are on hold for the time being! Probably would not have started with hindsight!

Now realise that just about everything is a compromise and trying to research the best decision regularly finds me on this forum.

Dreams of high level of insulation thwarted by reduction of living space and/or cost but at least it won't be bleeding heat the way it used to.

Oil heating packed up years ago so maybe will do ASHP but concerned that it is least efficient when you need it the most. I will just about meet renovation standards on roof insulation and struggle with the exterior walls but should, eventually, be able to remove the suspended wooden floor and put UFH downstairs.

So anyway, that's just me saying hello.

Embarking on refurbishment of a Victorian semi

modernvictorian — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 12:19:49 +0100

Hello, I am starting a big refurbishment job on an old Victorian semi. Big ambitions for energy efficiency and eco-friendly solutions but maybe not such a huge budget!! Keen to tap into the collective knowledge on this brilliant site. Many questions to come...

A list of home energy efficiency info websites

jamesingram — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 20:00:37 +0000

Of course this one the best but..
Any pointers to what the best out there currently?

My old favourite
http://info.cat.org.uk/energy-conservation/
Seems a bit dated
And
Http://www.Greenspec.Co.uk
A bit too technical for those new to it.

greetings from mid Herts

cc64 — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 20:00:38 +0000

Hello All,

Newbie here, embarking on the remediation of an early 90's plasterboard tent; this a test 'Hi!' entry to see if I can start a conversation after my previous attempt failed at the final hurdle...

possibly more to follow

Best

-- Mat

Informal design help for Segal/Vernacular shed build?

Pord — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 22:05:12 +0000

Hi all

I'm hoping to find someone who can help me put together basic construction plans and materials spec for a self-build wooden shed for storage and a workbench. I have planning permission for a 6m x 4m monopitch design, 3m high sloping to 2.2m. Timber frame and cladding, profile metal roof, foundation pads. I am keen on a combination of Segal and Irish Venacular (http://www.irishvernacular.com), both of which are within my capabilities provided I have a plan to work to and advice on which materials to use. It would be perfect to have something like this: http://www.irishvernacular.com/step-by-step.html adapted to suit my design and extended for the whole build.

This is part of the development of a larger rural site as a smallholding, including an offgrid strawbale house. I therefore have a very tight budget for both materials and fees, but would of course be happy to pay a fee for support.

Anyone game...?

PS I'm in Scotland

Hello from Malton

peacebabe68 — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 15:13:46 +0000

Hello. Just bought a house near Malton with the intention to wrap in insulation and render, put in triple glazed windows, solar panels and we were thinking biomass but seen a report on the BBC saying that its not such a good idea. Its a big job and I am currently battling my way through quotes for windows and EWI. Any one has any suggestions I am all ears..thanks very much in anticiption:bigsmile:

1915 Stone built house - to buy or not to buy???

alexw — Mon, 02 May 2016 09:02:19 +0100

Hello everyone, this is my first time posting on the forum, a very inexperienced newbie who thought he knew a lot about DIY until he found this site!!
Iâ€™m in the process of selling our large 1994 detached 4 bedroom home. We installed new double glazing and had cavity wall insulation but the house always felt cold and needed the heating on frequently â€“ which I hated, but my wife insisted on.
We are in the process of selling (fingers crossed) and looking to buy a 1915 large 7 bedroom detached house, which is made of stone with a render which starts from about 2 ft from the ground. There is a veranda that runs around 3 sides of the house. It has solid floors, and gas central heating installed at sometime? It has also had the loft converted which houses 3 of the 7 bedrooms. The house appears to have original wooden sash windows, the house is not listed or in a conservation area. The house is liveable but does need a complete refurb, kitchen, bathrooms, decorating etc.
We had an offer accepted and things are progressing and I am now rethinking my budget requirements after finding this wonderful site! Iâ€™ve spent several hours already ploughing through multiple threads, but time isnâ€™t on my side so I am after some general guidance, and any help would be very much appreciated, so a few questions. Assuming that the move goes ahead we would be looking to make this our home for at least 15 years to allow my two young children to go through school.
1.) Should I run a mile??
2.) What should be my order of priority when considering making my house more energy efficient? My thoughts are, windows, doors, loft, walls, boiler, floor??
3.) What would (very rough) ball park figures be for doing each of the above?
4.) Would the veranda complicate/cause any issues if we had EWI fitted?
5.) Should I consider having the plasterboard taken down in the loft conversion and look at having it re-insulated?
6.) Would floor insulation be worth the outlay? I have already run the idea of excavating the existing floor out and judging by the look my wife gave me, this may not be an option. The ceilings arenâ€™t ridiculously high, but Iâ€™m assuming that it would involve all the feature skirting boards being removed if insulation was added on top of the existing floor?
I will of course continue ploughing through the many threads on many of the topics listed above!

Many thanks in advance
Alex

Floor insulation nightmares

shandyd05 — Sun, 24 Jan 2016 15:53:42 +0000

Hi all,

new on site although read quite a few threads in stalking mode:wink: I'll debut by opening up a possible can of worms here (based on prev threads) though I haven't found anything analogous to my situation in the threads so far (apologies for the length a few things to explain) ...
insulating a beam & block floor!
My house is a late 1960s bungalow built on a hill with B&B floor but the voids are huge - in fact roughly 25% under the house is garage, another 25% a store room/workshop and the height to the bottom of floor here is well over 2m; the height at back of house is less dropping to as little as maybe 1.35m in 1 corner. The bottom of the B&B floor is around 390mm above ground level at the back ( over 2m at front) beams sit on the internal brick leaf on a dpc and solid concrete cavity fill below dpc, insulated cavity above. The ground under the cavities is either concrete (50%) or dry earth.

The floor itself is currently un-insulated and no dpm, total depth to top of (newest) tile surface around 200mm. I know the general recommendations seem to be insulate above but 50mm (or greater) celotex plus boarding on top then a finish is going to play havoc with my door openings which are currently 1960mm; ceiling height at 2410mm is less of a concern but there are also 2 fairly new (and expensive) external doors to consider.

My initial thoughts were some kind of solid insulation bonded to the bottom of the B&B floor given the access is so good but I'm picking up warning signs about ventilation under the beams to avoid moisture build-up and the fact that thermal bridging may be an issue!

So in a nutshell any bright ideas? Does my floor still count as a ground floor given the size of the voids?
I'm due to start a new kitchen installation in a few weeks so want to sort the approach by then.

Thanks for reading!

Hello from Oxford

simonbea — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 10:32:04 +0000

Hi, I recently signed up as a member of the AECB, I found their forum which looked pretty quiet but reading a few different links I eventually ended up here which seems a lot busier!

I'm an architect at ADP llp, and fairly recently a first time home owner of a 1960's mid terrace property in a village just outside Oxford. I'm hoping that the fourm will be a great place for me to share my knowledge and experience as well as be a good resource as I look to make improvements to my own property.

At the moment my passion lies with trying to absorb as much as I can about Passivhaus certification and principals, I haven't had the opportunity to work on such a project yet but that is the dream!

Regards,

Simon

keeping RH and T under control in a rented flat

runcyclexcski — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 19:45:20 +0000

Hi all,

I have relatively recently moved from the US (CA, VA, NY) to Leicestershire. Prior to the US, I lived in Russia; both countries have subsidized energy costs (enabled by however many wars they have to maintain, which is OT). A minor positive was that keeping a flat warm and dry in the winter was never an issue (no winter to speak of in CA anyway).

Now me and my partner are in a relatively well insulated (2006) 2-br rented flat which are are struggling to keep warm, fresh, clean and dry (seem to achieve only 1-2 out of the 4 at any one time). The air quality is important b.c. we both have asthma. The warmth is my partner's deal-breaker (I used to sleep in a hat when I lived by myself). I am generally good with DIY (w/o upsetting the LL), and generally know what's thermodynamically possible. E.g. a dehumidifier sounds too energetically expensive and noisy to run 24-7 (and good DHs... i.e. ones that do not smell like burnt plastic all the time, are not cheap). I hope there is a more elegant solution.

I would like to maintain at least 1 bedroom at 40 RH, and I already positively pressurized it with HEPA filtered air, via a 20 cm duct from another bedroom. But, on the whole, the flat is sealed to keep the warmth in. Combined with the European habit of drying clothing inside, it's a dampness and asthma disaster, even though the bathroom fan (unknown m3perhr, probably crappy) is on all the time... not sure where the air gets sucked in from ... may be the shared hallway or the oven vent).

A heat-recovery fan sounds like a good idea, but I am not sure where the best spot for it would be, or if I would even need more than one. One idea is to run the ducting from the balcony, via a hole in the balcony door (I know how to do it w/o upsetting the landlord). I would probably want the HR to be positively pressurized, so that I control where the air comes in from (e.g. not from the oven vent). I also I don't want the fan to draw the humid air from the bathroom into the rest of the flat, so I somehow need to balance the fan in the bathroom with the HR fan. But the bathroom has no windows, and its fan exhausts who knows where -- some shared duct may be, we are in the middle of a building. The cloth drying disaster can probably be solved by making a contained tent/cupboard, a non-heated fan inside, and exhausting it into the wild >> even more need for a positively pressurized HR unit. And no, my partner won't go outside in the cold to hang the clothing on the balcony :).

Any advice would be appreciated! The budget is 1,000 quid, can push it to 1500.

Cheers, and I apologize for the lengthy message!

P.S. There could be some kind of warning that there is no keep-alive javascript while the user is typing. I have the habit of typing in an editor, but others may not.

Hello from Bedfordshire

vord — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 16:14:41 +0000

I've been rude and posted without saying hello. Hello all!

I bought a run down pub with planning for residential use. Being a tenanted building it has been neglected for a long time. Neglect is brilliant - it still mostly has original windows, lime mortar and plaster.

I hadn't really planned on 'doing it up' as it's a lot better and cheaper to run than the rented place I lived in before, but Part L1b for change of use is a good motivator to insulate. 300mm of insulation in the loft and 150mm Celotex around the attic make an enormous difference. I'm planning to fit pretty carpenter made secondary glazing rather than the aluminium stuff next year (once I've figured out the seals). Internal wall insulation should go in next year too. I've already run out of money.

Using expanding foam overhead.

ringi — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 21:45:51 +0100

I am insulating the roof of a dormer using â€œkingspanâ€ type insulation between the rafters. I have just done the side walls by cutting the insulation about 2cm smaller and forming it in, so getting a good air seal.

But the cans of foams donâ€™t work unless the can is above the gunâ€¦.

So how to I form in insulation board overhead?

(There will be a 2nd layer of insulation boards before the rafters.)

Hello from West Yorkshire

ChrisinYorkshire — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 23:13:44 +0100

Hi everyone,

Im in the middle of renovating a 200+ year old terraced weavers cottage built into a valley side in West Yorkshire. Have found the various topics on this forum very useful for research purposes but am starting to build up a number of my own questions so hoping some of you can help!

Its an upside down house with entrance, kitchen and living room at the top, and bedrooms/bathrooms on floors beneath. Other than the top floor one side of the property is built into the valley/bank, but we dont appear to have any penetrating damp, just bad condensation during winter months from poorly ventilated bathroom. There's a visqueen DPM on the valley side (installed about 20 years ago), with a break in a crawl space between the floors which we're guessing allows that side of the building to 'breathe'.

We (my wife and I!) are doing as much work as we can ourselves including insulating with pavadentro and using lime mortors/plasters. We've uncovered a roof structure with original? (v old) beams including some rotten purlins and multiple leaks, a new roof which is partly held up by a defunct chimney breast and an odd retrofit cavity wall which I have some questions about.

More posts to follow!

Chris

Hello from Todmorden , West Yorkshire

RoseMill_DandR — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 15:55:42 +0100

We're two couples converting a small victorian warehouse into two homes. We're trying to do as much as possible ourselves. It's now got a new roof and most windows.
We're still looking for a plumber / heating engineer. And also someone that will move an electricity meter with all the paperwork. Oh and someone to make a bespoke staircase.

New place in Orkney

Woo — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 11:07:02 +0000

Hello
Long-time lurker, now got a reason to post something.

Just bought a not-quite-sure-how-old-probably-19thC stone cottage in Orkney, lovely exposed coastal location, nice thick walls, weird layout. The plan is to knock some walls down and 'ecovate' it as much as possible.

While all advice is welcome (it's a bit late for "Buy a sensible building somewhere else", mind :bigsmile:) for the renovation/retrofit of various elements, we'd be very interested to hear any specifics about the windows.

It's currently got 2 over 2 sash windows nearly everywhere, and uPVC casements in a modern extension on the back. There's also a couple of unused doors on the front, SW face which we want to turn into windows. We've had some advice to suppress the windows on the rear, NE face, but that's not going to happen - on the contrary I want to make bigger ones...

Given the deep recesses, the climate and exposure (mmm, wind-driven rain off the North Sea), what would the collective wisdom be?

- Concentrate on insulation and draught-proofing first, rehab all the sashes and keep them, u-values be damned?
- Secondary glazing?
- Replacement - of which? With what? I keep seeing references to alu-clad timber frames in places like coastal Maine, and then reading that alu-clad timber is useless for anywhere damp/salty... Is triple-glazing worth it anywhere?

I've had a bit of a browse on here and I know there are a couple of hardy souls in Shetland and N Scotland - any tips?

So many questions...

Wotcher

Airhead — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 20:49:56 +0000

Greetings All!

Just found this forum -I'm normally too busy to spend too much time on th'interwebnet. Am slighty obsessively fascinated by eco & green stuff in building. I'm an Air Test Engineer and happy to share knowledge.

Cheers :bigsmile:

Hi from Staffordshire

romi99 — Sun, 04 Jan 2015 17:59:55 +0000

Hi. We are just about to embark on what is called 'our last project'! We've done some renovations before, but this is different. We will have problems, run out of money, be defeated at times....but looking forward nevertheless. Hoping to pick up green tips here. Once we sign the dotted line we will be seeking advice here :wink:

Newbie pleading for advice on best new build heating !

theloneboarder — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 23:44:39 +0000

Hi all,

I hope one of you smart chaps/ladies might be able to share an opinion.

I am currently building a 120sqm single story house. It's not going to be passive but it will be very well insulated.

We are having a UFH system throughout the whole house (stone floors except for bedrooms). We will be on mains gas and also have a woodburner stove in the living area.

Here is the question.... is it worth me having a thermal store and a stove with a back boiler ?

As we are on mains gas, I intend to have a combi boiler and as I see it, the options are either: combi & expansion vessel or combi, thermal store and back boiler.

Other points to consider are: the stove is to be a feature so I don't want to go down the industrial back boiler route, I cannot install solar panels, I have a free supply of logs.

Basically, I think that the combi/expansion would suffice but is it be worth the extra cost of getting the thermal store and back boiler so that I can make use of the free hot water created by the stove.

I don't like the idea of sitting in front of a fire and thinking "this could be heating my hot water for free" and I also don't want to pay Â£1-Â£2k extra on plumbing just to have a thermal store that will take me 10 years of burning logs to get it to pay for it's self. Assuming that I will be in the house for 5 years, will the back boiler save me the cost of heating the hot water through the wood burner vs the combi boiler ?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:

Scottish Stone Cottage Renovation

Motorhead — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 15:09:16 +0100

Hi, I am in the middle of buying an old farm cottage on an estate in the NE of Scotland. the house hasnt been lived in for a few years, has damp issues, roofing issues, been on fire, maybe flooded, needs extending, has no heating or hot water, all the copper has been stolen and all doors internal and external and windows infact all wood work not infested with woodworm needs replaced...but apart from that its ok.
I will need all the help I can get!:bigsmile:

hello for the black country

terracedpete — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 19:42:31 +0000

hi all pete here.
trying to work out lots of great plans for my 1901 mid terraced house, now where near ready to start work, i have all the designs and drawings and building control and planning to go through yet.

here to learn and to help where i can . i have loads of questions to ask and will be attempting to try for the dumb question of november awards this year, lol

very practical person, just the designs and details i need to find out the answers for , every thing else is the easy bit as it involves BIG HAMMERS:bigsmile::bigsmile::bigsmile:

A proper hello from Cambridgeshire

sparklyfish — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 21:23:13 +0000

Hello,

I have lurked on here for a few years, and have been very grateful for answers to the odd question I've had. I'm now starting think about properly greening our house, and thought I should introduce myself and my house properly!
Me first: happy with most DIY, experience gained on doing up first house and labouring on my parents' new builds (mainly labouring for the brickie and roofer, some groundworks, and first fix electrics). I'm at home with the children (3, 5 and 8), so have time in the day to do DIY. We're just south of Cambridge.
The house: fairly boring 1970s detached house on an estate of loosely similar houses. Block inside and brick skin outside and a filled cavity (although no idea when or how well; it's fluffy polystyrene-ish stuff). I never *ever* want to move again, so we're planning on making this house comfortable for us and our offspring for the very long term. We hope to extend on one side, possibly two, and are considering EWI on the remaining two sides.
We had a Home Energy survey done by Parity Projects recently; seeing the numbers all laid out is very useful for a novice like me.

We had problems with condensation in the loft when we first moved in 2013 (which I posted about at the time). Got soffit vents in, monitored, and that seems to be good enough for now. However, we have no ventilation in the shower room and bathroom other than windows, so that's the next job. I'm currently considering MVHR now, thinking that the house will eventually become more airtight, and have a whole heap of questions on this that I'm hoping you guys won't mind helping me with...

newbie from Sussex

jccamp — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 18:01:28 +0100

Hello, wanted to introduce myself as I often run through the discussions with interest on the search for knowledge. I run a domestic building company doing refurbishments, extensions and other works. I am embarking on a timber frame extension on my own house currently when work allows. Looking forward to posting and hopefully being able to offer help to others.

Hi from south northants

shuff27 — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 13:58:38 +0100

Just joined - great forum!

I completed my self build last summer - SIPs (including roof) with stone/brick facing walls, slate roof, ASHP (no mains gas in our village), UFH on ground floor, 5000 litre rainwater collection tank under drive.

Then built a similar house on the adjacent plot & sold that 3 months ago.

Now looking for another village plot to develop & sell on!

shuff27

Information sponge from Northern Ireland

slidersx200 — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 19:35:45 +0100

Hello to everyone!

Like many others I have been regularly visiting here as a guest user in search of inspiration, information and explanation, but as my build plans gain momentum the time has come to join the community and get involved.

My wife and I are hoping to build a 1.5 storey home of around 335sqm with a traditional vernacular farmhouse appearance and an ambition of finding the sweet spot between capital outlay and low energy bills/ good comfort levels.

We're at the Building Control stage at the moment so my arrival here is in many ways to sound out ideas in a bid to make them work cohesively as a cost effective package. While I admire and draw inspiration from the Passive House principles, PHPP was not our starting point and as time has gone on I am realising the rules of diminishing returns can be applied to many decisions the would be self builder faces. This has been a tough pill to swallow in some ways as both my wife and myself are only children who like our things to be perfect!

We've had the pleasure of meeting Seamus from Viking House and as well as pricing us a timber package he showed us a recently built home primarily heated by a large solar collector.

Well that seems like plenty of rambling for now, time to explore the full realms of the forum as a paid member!

Hi from Edinburgh

Jillzhao — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 17:17:55 +0000

Hi, I'm a PhD student in University of Edinburgh, doing research on Passivhaus. Glad to join the community here.
I'm wondering if there's a discussion group for green building users? Cheers!

Hello from N.E.Lincs

woodbutcher — Thu, 01 May 2014 11:11:07 +0100

Long time lurker, decided to join today as it seems a friendly and knowledgeable forum and i'm looking for some ideas.

I am a joiner/builder but have spent most of my working life in your typical site situations, not really knowing or thinking about sustainability and just doing whatever it took to get the job done.

As i get older, i am getting more interested in green building methods, so am looking to learn as much as i can.

Steve.

Advice on solid wall insulation for an ignoramus!

JaneBucks — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 16:46:51 +0000

Hi to everyone on this very busy and knowledgeable forum! I am not at all clued up about green building issues, but I'm really hoping people can give me some basic advice and signposts, having read some of the relevant threads but feeling a bit out of my depth.
I own a 1914 semi which is part rendered at the upper floor level at the front and some of the side of the house (and the latter faces north east). Below the rendering at the side of the house there is a substantial car port which is securely fixed to the house wall and may perhaps give some shelter to the ground floor room (which is the living room). When we moved in over 3 years ago, I had some IWI fixed to the two external walls in the smallest bedroom, as we were redecorating it. This was done by a general builder as I had no idea this might raise technical issues for condensation, and I think it involved some batons with insulation between them, and plaster boards over that. So far we haven't noticed any problem with this work.

I am now ready to redecorate the other two bedrooms (both of which include walls facing north east) and originally thought I would just do much the same for these bedrooms that I had done for the small bedroom, but now realise that there is a great deal more to think about than I had previously realised!

So, here are my questions...
- would I be better to consider EWI rather than more IWI, and what are the main issues I need to consider on this?
- if I were to go with piecemeal IWI for the other two bedrooms as I originally envisaged, should I just follow the advice available from the energy trust website and use one of the registered fitters, or can I use a general builder again, to do an insulation installation that will be effective and proof (no pun intended!) against any damp or condensation problems?
- am I right to think that the car port is providing some shelter for the living room?
-will I have to finance all this myself, or are there grants available to help?
- should I seek out a chartered surveyor to come and give me specific advice for my house, and if so, how do I find one who is knowledgeable about SWI?

So, just a few simple questions, hoping for simple answers (I'm such an optimist!). In truth, the complexity of all this feels quite overwhelming to an ignoramus, and raises considerable fears of doing something which turns out later to be the wrong thing.

Many thanks, Jane

New project - advice needed on weatherboard and windows

debbiel — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 19:10:38 +0000

Hello,

I'm planning to build a timber frame house on a VERY tight budget! I would like the building to be as green in performance and sourcing as possible within my budget, plus a healthy living environment.

I'm just getting everything ready for planning application, but there's some things I could do with some help on.

Firstly, I'd like to use weatherboard cladding, and I'd prefer to use one of the woods that doesn't need preservative such as Western red cedar. Does anyone have any advice about which timber might be best, and also good suppliers?

Secondly, I'm having trouble deciding about windows - it would seem timber frames are much more ecofriendly than UPVC but with the price being over double I'm wondering if there is any alternative I might have overlooked? Has anyone managed to get second hand windows? Any ideas welcome.

I'm in Buckinghamshire.

Thanks,Debbie

hello from hebden bridge well sort of.

hebden-passive-house — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 13:55:14 +0000

Well I am a sparky who currently lives in Huddersfield but I am looking to buy some land in hebden bridge and build a eco house. I like it to be passivhaus but I am on a budget so I am going to make it as near as I can.

How do I remove a redundant post?

daveking66 — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 09:12:28 +0000

I have an old ad in the wanted section that is now redundant and can be removed. Any ideas how to do this? There doesn't to be an option for cancelling a post?

Hello

Shah — Sat, 21 Dec 2013 21:25:36 +0000

Hello everyone,

I have been reading discussions for a few months and has finally signed up. I hope to gain more knowledge and learn from everyone and hopefully help others where I can.

Shah.

Undecided in North Hampshire

creamcheese — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 10:41:38 +0000

We are going round in circles with our project. It's a very long and thin, 24m x 5.5m (4m wide upstairs) dormer bungalow at the front of the plot. Our options are:

â€œPlan A â€“ refurb and make the best of what we have, with internal & external insulation, minimise thermal bridging and make the house look prettier with replacement tiles.

"Plan B" - the current planning consent -- gut and renovate the existing ground-floor structure, building a completely new first floor at full width, raise the ridge height with new roof, adding single-story garden room extension, and two storey 'sunset' projection over large porch. 300 sqm refurb!

â€œPlan Câ€ - rebuild on current footprint with existing foundations

â€œPlan Dâ€ - relocate to a better position, and rebuild with a squarer footprint. This plan almost certainly overrides plan C. Planners have indicated that this should be acceptable.

With so many "unknown unknowns", it's really hard to decide what's best. We've had estate agents advice as to potential value, and it's a close call on whether or not we will lose money if we had to sell it upon completion. Advice also seems to be that the outlay for eco initiatives don't transfer to increased value. Buyers are still very shallow, and it's all about glossy kitchens and smart taps.

Hope to get some advice on here along the way.

Hello from Cambridge

markocosic — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 13:34:22 +0000

Hi folks,

Cambridge (Arbury if you're local) based, currently planning a 50-60m^2 garage/guest cottage at the end of the garden that I'm hoping to squeeze in under permitted development and use as an experiment for green building techniques/tech to use elsewhere.

Day job: designing solar thermal for retrofit in occupied properties. One morning installation and economic vs gas without subsidy are are the targets, but more on that as we're closer to a finished concept.

Hello from Isle of Man

Dannyboy — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 17:58:40 +0000

Hello all

Stumbled across this site while googling "air tight building" and amazed at all the info here.
I'm just in the process of buying a plot for a new build so will be trawling through all the threads for ideas. Not sure how far I'm going with regards to renewables but it seems the best insulation possible from the start is the way to go.
No doubt I'll be asking a few questions soon....

Greetings from Bath

atomicbisf — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:05:41 +0100

Hi all, I thought I'd better introduce myself here even though I have made a few posts already.

Last December we bought our first house in Bath and have set about renovating it, it is a British Iron and Steel Federation (BISF) house built in 1949 ( I know this as the seller's father lived here since it was built till his death).

I did not have any experience of renovation so it has been quite a learning curve, especially as the house if of unusual construction so it required quite a lot of research, though I've had a lot of help from the BISF House website (www.bisfhouse.com). I'm not connected with running the website, but it is a nice little community. Having said that about the construction, it does have its advantages as you're only dealing with dry walls and dry linings which is easier than masonry I think.

As I love mid-century design there is a lot about the house to like such as parquet floors, original solid wood doors with glazing above, built-in wardrobes (advanced for their time I think), picture rails etc. I'm trying to preserve the original features while upgrading the insulation, electrics, communications etc.

I'm doing it room-by-room to make it more manageable, so far I have done one bedroom and the living room with the other two bedrooms, dining room, kitchen, bathroom and hallway left to do.

Ed

Hello From North Yorkshire

Pigglet — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 08:35:01 +0000

Hello, I've just found this forum and joined after a couple of days lurking as a guest. What a great forum!
I've been renovating an old 50s/ 70/s bungalow (which is off the gas grid) for the last couple of years and wish I'd found the forum sooner!
I'm keen to improve the propertys efficiency so will be posting in the relevant sections about heating and insulation etc. I've just finished an overhaul of the heating system invovling fitment of thermal store and multifuel stove which was a complete nightmare due to the incompetency of the installers and stove manufacturers so will be asking for a bit of advice there too.
David

Hello from Brum

genau — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 12:57:16 +0000

Hello All,
have been lurking for a while now and thought it about time to make my first post.

I want to undertake an extension (ca 100sqm which will involve a mix of 2 storey and single storey building) to our existing 80's Barratt box. I plan to do as much of this work myself as possible as much for the mental challenge as for the cost benefits. I confess some of the maths I read in posts loses me in seconds:shamed: however I am not afraid to ask questions so I hope you will go easy with me.

I will post some questions soon,
cheers
Matt

Hello from Cambridge

jadam — Sat, 12 Oct 2013 21:35:40 +0100

Hi all

Just thought I'd do a general hello message before I start asking lots of questions

I've just moved into a 1930's 3 bed semi outside of Cambridge. Its is OK condition, but could do with a lot of decorating, and I'd like to do what I can to improve its energy performance (now its getting cold outside I'm realising how important this will be - it gets pretty chilly in-side)(single glazed, solid walls, no insulation, <100mm loft insulation (with lots of big gaps around all the downlighters :-( )

Long term we're probably going to extend, so will be looking to make the most of that opportunity to get some more insulation in the new walls, and put IWI in the front of the house. But these will be the subject of lots more questions later!

Joe

Greetings from Swindon / Bristol

dolph82 — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 16:23:43 +0100

Hi guys.

Just would like to say HELLO to everybody outhere.
I finally managed to join the Greenbuildingforum.
I am a mature student currently studying my final year of Climate Change and Energy Management at UWE in Bristol. I am doing my dissertation on IR imaging. Beside thermography I am also involved in external insulation business. We specialize in Baumit and Bolix external insulation systems and provide reliable and affordable services.
If you are either UWE student or interested in thermography, external insulation or just want to say Hello send me a message...
Regards
dolph82

Newbie saying hello

zak99 — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 18:39:36 +0100

Hi All,

Just saying hello. We have a 3 bed bungalow in Essex. 70's built so its cavity wall. We spent a lot of time recently considering a roof off & new trusses loft conversion but for one reason or another are opting for a much cheaper makeover and upgrade.

Things we are interested in

- external insulation and probably timber cladding. We had the cavity filled by Milfold under a grant some years back but we found that they only partially filled the cavity when we opened up a window.
- Possible concrete floor insulation
- possible budget Telebeam loft conversion
- Replacing our old rubbish double glazing, we've bought a few C rated timber windows to go in (off ebay). Not the best but a vast improvement we hope.
- We have an old worcester danesmoor oil boiler, its working ok but noisy, theres no gas near us unfortunately.
- We have to do the groundwork outside as well, been considering mesh pavers for some of it.

I spent last weekend insulating my workshop, with some supercheap celotex, only 35mm but better that nothing eh. Hoping to rebuild my old Triumph Bonneville in there next winter.

that's it for now

all the best

Les

Using 'Specific Fan Powers' to Compare HR Units?

Gotanewlife — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 18:45:58 +0100

I am trying to compare numerous HR and Extractor Units. They don't all give full info on power usage...I have found Specific Fan Power quoted from 0.5 to 3.4 W/l/s but taking one example Xpelair Xcell 150: it gives maximum SFP of 3.2, maximum supply/extract (FID) of 161 M^3/h and Max power usage of 146W.

Just being logical, I assumed that if I convert the max extract to l/s (161 m^3/h = 44.7 l/s) and then multiplied it by 3.2 I would get 146W but it is 134W - OK 10% out is not much but it worries me.

Then of course can I also extrapolate using the SFP in any way perhaps by assuming some sort of extra % for system losses/duct runs etc? In this case I find on the performance dia 100m^3 at 50Pa is exactly speed 2 of 6 - can we guesstimate how many Watts that is?

Another HR unit gives 5 different Watts values with corresponding supply and extract rates but at 110 Watts supply is 253 and Extract is 371 -(FID) how does the SFP work in this case?

What Does "Temperature Efficiency" Mean in a HR Unit?

Gotanewlife — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 11:25:20 +0100

Struggling to compare various smaller HR units. Some just say "Efficiency 92%" and have a balanced flow, that I can compare but when for example a Unit says "Temperature Efficiency up to 70%" and gives as 1 of its max performance as "Supply 253 and Extract 371 m^3/h", that worries me! (the latter Unit being the Vent Axia HR200V), what does this mean?

OK I understand that efficiency includes an element related to the energy required/gained to change the Relative Humidity but in terms of comparison that isn't important - just as well as I am never going to have the time to get to grips with that!!! So, should I run a mile from the HR200V?