October 2016
Finishing Touches
08/10/16 16:52
The final air test is scheduled for the 18th October and we plan to move in shortly after! Currently we are moving our bits and pieces back into 11 Cromwell. A good opportunity to decide if we really need everything - we don't and this involves trips to the tip.
Progress has generally been slow but steady with just one set back. We returned one day to find a leak had occurred in the window area of the guest bedroom and damaged the window board. The water resting on top of some PIR insulation can be clearly seen below.
The damage to the board - which still awaits rework - was expansion through water absorption.
No one is clear how the water entered the house - it was not through the window but might have been wind-driven though a screw-hole attached to the vertical face of the window cill. It occurred when there was heavy rain and strong winds. In the last eight weeks there has been no further ingress.
The remaining Vacuum Panels (VIPs) were used under the stairs to the basement. The shape meant a little PIR infill but this work mitigated the Thermal Bridge where the external wall meets the basement floor. Working with VIPs is much nicer than working with Aerogel!
Ecohaus Internorm returned to fix the damaged window beads caused by water ingress. (see post from the 10th April) and adjust the Back Door - which has never shut properly. Chris (Ecohaus) checked the squareness of the door and found it was bowed by 4mm over its 2m height. He explained that Internorm allow for 2mm per metre and this can be adjusted for using the door's catches. He did warn that if this were not possible the door frame would need to be adjusted to remove some of the bow. After a couple of hours taking the door off and putting it back on Chris decided that it couldn't be adjusted because the 4mm was essentially all in the lower 1 metre. To move the door frame meant removing the screws from the central bracket holding the frame. Where was this? Luckily I had a photo which showed the brackets were external - under the insulation and render! Damage was inevitable. Photo below shows Chris searching for the bracket
Since the door frame had to move the air tightness tape had to be cut (it was repaired later)
After a struggle to 'free' the door it was moved to eliminate most of the bow and refixed. It didn't take long after that to adjust the door so it sealed nicely against the frame. But we were left with imperfect render/insulation.
Pegasus were back on site within a few days and it didn't take long to fill with insulation then apply the scrim and base coat. It now needs to dry before the colour coat is applied.
The doors for the plant room are now in store ready for fixing in a few days. They seem to fill up most of the study!
The new bed for the Master Bedroom is awaiting its first use!
Progress has generally been slow but steady with just one set back. We returned one day to find a leak had occurred in the window area of the guest bedroom and damaged the window board. The water resting on top of some PIR insulation can be clearly seen below.
The damage to the board - which still awaits rework - was expansion through water absorption.
No one is clear how the water entered the house - it was not through the window but might have been wind-driven though a screw-hole attached to the vertical face of the window cill. It occurred when there was heavy rain and strong winds. In the last eight weeks there has been no further ingress.
The remaining Vacuum Panels (VIPs) were used under the stairs to the basement. The shape meant a little PIR infill but this work mitigated the Thermal Bridge where the external wall meets the basement floor. Working with VIPs is much nicer than working with Aerogel!
Ecohaus Internorm returned to fix the damaged window beads caused by water ingress. (see post from the 10th April) and adjust the Back Door - which has never shut properly. Chris (Ecohaus) checked the squareness of the door and found it was bowed by 4mm over its 2m height. He explained that Internorm allow for 2mm per metre and this can be adjusted for using the door's catches. He did warn that if this were not possible the door frame would need to be adjusted to remove some of the bow. After a couple of hours taking the door off and putting it back on Chris decided that it couldn't be adjusted because the 4mm was essentially all in the lower 1 metre. To move the door frame meant removing the screws from the central bracket holding the frame. Where was this? Luckily I had a photo which showed the brackets were external - under the insulation and render! Damage was inevitable. Photo below shows Chris searching for the bracket
Since the door frame had to move the air tightness tape had to be cut (it was repaired later)
After a struggle to 'free' the door it was moved to eliminate most of the bow and refixed. It didn't take long after that to adjust the door so it sealed nicely against the frame. But we were left with imperfect render/insulation.
Pegasus were back on site within a few days and it didn't take long to fill with insulation then apply the scrim and base coat. It now needs to dry before the colour coat is applied.
The doors for the plant room are now in store ready for fixing in a few days. They seem to fill up most of the study!
The new bed for the Master Bedroom is awaiting its first use!