Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

The last few days have been difficult with the weather being so cold, we have however pushed forward as far as we can with the roof and today we will fit the vapour barrier which will make it water tight over the Christmas holidays. The setting out of the roof lights has proven difficult as we had to align them in such a manner so when they open they do not foul on the steel beam. (hope we get this right)

It is unlikely that we will do anything else this week after today as the sub-contractors are finishing after today.

Merry Christmas to you all and a happy new year.

Rebuilt I-Joist roof to rear extension to increase insulation

Rebuilt roof to rear extension

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

Today we have completed the block work to the extension and started the plaster skimming. We have routed the solar panel pipes from the roof to the kitchen boxing which proved to be more complicated that it looked at first. The problem was that the pipes are in one long length and to thread them through walls and floors without using any sharp bends was quite difficult. 

The house is significantly warmer that the other houses we are renovating for Sanctuary, we noticed this when we put on some temporary heat and within five minutes we had to turn off the heaters as it was to warm to work.

Minimal boxing for MVHR supply Ducting in Bedroom

Visible return for internal insulation to party wall

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

The weather has finally warmed up enough to allow us to start the rear extension, the front door has been fitted and when shut you can tell the difference in sound insulation compared to a standard door.

New Front Door

Re-building rear extension blockwork

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

Today we have inserted the foamglas packer to above the steel beam, the windows have been completed and the intello tape fitted to the frames. The temperature has finally got above 3deg and work has started on the rear extension.

Foamglas bearer for steel

MVHR Kit in cupboard

Triple-glazed window installed 

Woodfibre insulation returned at party wall

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

Yesterday and today we have been fitting the windows and started the fibre board to the f/f, the fibre board has been difficult to cut and needs a hand saw to do this. We tried to cut it with a power saw but the fibres clog up the saw. The windows so far have been easy to fit even though they are quite heavy, the membrane has been attached to the windows as per the manufactures detail and has had extra tape applied to give a better seal.

Woodfibre lining board to external walls 

Plasterboard ceiling with air-tight grommets for cabling

Air-tight taping to triple-glazed windows

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

Today we have had a pre plaster air test, the result was 4.5 which leaves some room for improvement. The main areas of leakage were as follows;

• Through the electrical back boxes. We hope to remedy this by sealing the inside of the box with intumescent mastic. For future projects it would be better to use airtight back boxes.

• The junction between membrane and plaster in corners and around joists. This will be rectified with the use of the Orcon F mastic to form a better seal.

• All penetrations through the g/f membrane. More attention to detail around the pipes.

• Walls in general that are plastered and need patching, the air test engineer has stated that a continuous plaster covering as opposed to patching will be better for a lower result.

• The staples to the membrane although we have fixed them as specified would show a collective hole of approx 50mm when added together. To rectify this we will apply the Tescon No1 tape over the staples. (see photo)

Staples taped over on airtight membrane

Ceiling membrane with tape applied over staples

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

Today we have patched the plaster and sealed in the rear elevation prior to the air test. The MVHR ducts have been taken as far as we can go and the membrane has been completed to the main part of the house.

Services and ventilation supply duct within first floor

MVHR system specified with double plastic pipes to each terminal to reduce flow speed

Stoke Site Snowscape...

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

1st fix ductwork and electrics, fit rear steel internal flooring to g/f, plaster intello membrane in. The main problem we have come across over the past few days is that the instructions for the MVHR products are in German. My highschool grasp of the language is limited to ordering coffee and getting a hotel room with a shower.

MVHR ducts within first floor for living room supply

New steel beam to rear wall opening

Cabling through ceiling airtight membrane

Cabling through ceiling airtight membrane

MVHR Baffle boxes to spilt ducts

MVHR Baffle boxes to spilt ducts

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

We found out today that it was ok to use 100mm blocks laid flat as a substitute for a 215mm specified block. This will help with the manual handling issue we would have had if the 215mm block were to be used. The plasterers are back today and will be plastering in the intello membrane along with the completion of the 1st fix electrics. The intello grommets work great for a single cable we have yet to use the muliti cable grommets.

Air-tight grommets for cables

Plastering into the air-tight mesh / tape

New slab poured for rear extension

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

1st fix elec and pour new solid floor slab to rear extension (to be insulated above).

All cabling to remain inside of air-tight membrane so not pierced

Reinforcement ready for pouring rear extension slab

Site Meeting 03 - Air-tight Barrier & MVHR Planning

Over-slab EPS insulation to ground floor being installed

Front wall & ceiling membrane over window (to be installed!)

Air-tight membrane continued over internal solid partition walls

Fantastic mock-up of MCHR made by subcontractor to plan installation with silencers & ducts 

Air-tight detailing around floor joist

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

Build sub structure blockwork and fit intello membrane to internal face of sheepswool framing to external walls. Fix tapes to membrane to be plastered into party walls. Prime floor joists to tape air-tight tape to seal to wall membrane.

First floor ceiling membrane with mesh tape to plaster into walls

Continuous wall and ceiling membrane with mesh to plastered walls

Floor joists primed and taped and sealed to membrane

Sub-structure blockwork to rear extension

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

1st fix of the ground and first floor plumbing and pressure test for this installation. Formation of external raft detail for new solid floor to the re-built rear extension,  including the underground drainage.

Damp proof membrane on slab sealed to wall air-tight membrane

Insulated heating pipes to radiators

Underground drainage below rebuilt rear extension

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

Toolbox talk for the intello products for the air-tight barrier, we found that they had no solution for getting the cables through the membrane in a tight corner. To overcome this we have wired all the switches on the f/f downwards and brought the cables through the membrane in a service void that has a flat area to fit a multi cable entry grommet. F/F joinery to g/f continues.

Site Meeting 02 - New Floor & Internal Lining

Solar thermal panels installed

Carpenter insulating external wall

Internal sheepswool insulation

The works are moving on a pace on site....The new concrete ground floor is being poured; the first floor ceiling has been removed ready for the air-tight membrane to be installed; the chimney's have been removed and the stack propped; Solar panels are installed on the roof, and the extract and intake vents for the heat-recovery ventilation system have been installed.

The carpenters have also started work on the internal wall insulation lining of timber studs with sheepswool batts. The carpenters only gripe with the sheepswool insulation was that it could not be cut with a knife, scissors had to be used, so it was taking a few more minutes per batt to install.

The fitting of the air-tight membrane is programmed for the 15th November, and the Intello membrane & tape supplier, E.H. Smith, will be visiting site to give the site team a 'Toolbox Talk' about installing the air-tight barrier - watch this space for an update.....

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

1st fix joinery and sheeps wool insulation. Sheeps wool is difficult to cut with a Stanley knife, it is cut more successfully with a large pair of scissors. Pour rear conc floor slab.

Two layers of timber battening on external wall 

Sheepswool insulation friction fitted between battens

Full-fill sheepswool insulation between battens

Reinforcement & DPM under slab with drainage penetration

New slab to kitchen being poured & leveled

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

Cut back floorboards to first floor to allow air-tight membrane to be taken down the entire face of the external wall, and allow access patch plaster detail continuously between floors.

Fit lintel to lounge window and divert water service.

First floor floorboards cut back for insulation & airtightness detail

New lintel to replace rotted away timber lintel

Diversion of water supply below re-built rear extension