Wednesday 28 November 2012

Airtight! (We can still open windows though - in case you're worried...)

Here are a few pics of the window/door fitting, membrane sticking and MVHR pipework...I'll take some of the windows and doors themselves, and of the MVHR unit at the weekend.

But for now, they had to cut away the blockwork to put in the compac foam with enormous screws to support the doors (this is the front door). Then we'll have to build back around it...


I think this is the downstairs bedroom window - it has been covered on the outside to protect the window box from the endless RAIN: it is just ply at the moment so we don't want to let it get soggy. When the exterior trusses are built there will be another 300ml of Warmcel added to the outside to meet the weatherboard etc and the edges of the window boxes...and we have quite large interior as well as exterior window ledges as we like the idea of them...you can see the redder ply here, which will be plastered:


Below is a shot of the MVHR pipes (which transfer warm air around the house) snaking around the ground floor ceiling - apparently they need to go back around and add all the bolts - the pipes fit neatly into one another but to avoid rattling they need to be connected. And then...Rob found an unopened box of specialist foam...which should have been placed around the pipes where they come into contact with the wood...so he got as much in as he could yesterday but some sections have been plasterboarded already and we can't get to them!


Our house being wrapped up!


And proof in the pudding...it was a bit nervewracking but after some drying (with hairdryers!) lots of taping, and lots of crevice filling, the first airtightness test came in with a figure of .35 on sucking and .5 on the blowing...rather good apparently! (I think 10 is the required level for new homes?)


We know this good figure will be weakened by a few things - the membrane will be punctured as the trusses go on and the MVHR unit now has got its hole in the side of the house, for example - but fingers crossed we'll be very snug!

Roofing: trusses, tiles, solar & even insulation!


It has been over a month since I've put any pics up and the longer I leave it the more enormous the task seems to catch back up!

We seem to be hurtling towards Christmas now and so much is happening that Rob is eating, sleeping, breathing house details - so many things need ordering yesterday: tiles, bathrooms, sockets, door knobs, cooker, and all the stuff we've forgotten. But it is appearing before our eyes at least and looks good, in spite of the endless rain.

Back in October our kitchen living room was coming together - these windows were the last to be put in as we had a few issues with the door going out into the garden/mud swamp - like no handle on the outside...isn't it normal to have a handle so you can get back in? We ended up keeping the frame and they are sending us a new door...pics later.


And meanwhile the roof was covered:


Battened down - and solar panels photovolatic panels attached: 


And then tiled beautifully! We got up there on the scaffolding and really like the scuffed texture...


We went for grey ridge tiles to match the slates - mention red ridge tiles to Rob and stand back for the response...(I have to agree though, especially since we don't want the house to stick out any more than it already does!)


So, with a roof on, the Warmcel folk came over from Meifod and filled it with 300ml of insulation from their van through these holes:

Which meant the builders could start with the plaster board - and the dark orange walls are at last covered with something a bit brighter and I can imagine what our bedroom might look like:


(I'll try and do a post on windows next week btw)

And finally, trusses go up on the playroom/studio so that we'll be all roofed over really soon!