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

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

Fit solar panels and formation for lounge floor. Solar panels were a dream to fit, flashing kits were just like a velux window. The next day, complete fitting of solar panels.

Hardcore going down for new slab

Existing front roof ready to take solar panel

Solar thermal panels being installed

Solar panel being flashed into roof tiles

Complete solar panel to front roof!

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

Started to support existing chimneys above ceiling level and fit pad stones.

Insert steels to chimneys, this was able to be done by removing the roof tiles and sliding the steel out then back in again. Insert rear steel and joint together.

Chimney breast propped in loft for removal below

Concrete padstone for beam on external wall

(Note: The chimney stacks are being removed as they are a major route for draughts and heat loss, and we will gain additional floor space that has been lost when we internally insulate the external walls).