Recent content by cwhaley

I think the key is going to be airflow. Although I do have the windows open permanently, there aren't any windows I can open at the front. I think controllable vents at the front and rear would help direct fresh air through it as you've described.

I ventilate the upstairs of my house 8 hours per day and get very little condensation and no mould. I'd say it's essential for reducing ambient moisture levels.

I've never not ventilated so I don't have a comparison sadly. I open windows at either end but I am thinking of introducing two mechanical fans to push air through the garage.

Thanks. First thing I did with it when moving here was to dig a channel all the way around (to reduce the ground level sat against the brick work). Was just hoping there was a way of stopping or at least reducing the amount of water wicking up the wall. I'll look into the weather seal. The...

Hi all, have a brick garage built from a single skin of reclaimed imperial bricks. Nice and solid but the recent period of relentless rain has exposed a problem caused by having no DPC. Former home owners just had it built with absolutely no form of damp proofing. Exterior walls are visibly...

Yes I agree, and as temperatures drop at night that's why I suggested powering them overnight. Thermostatic timing sounds good - I will look at those as I didn't know they existed. The probe looks better than measuring air temperature.

I no longer have a greenhouse and wish to grow this year's seedlings for the allotment in a summerhouse. It gets plenty of light but it's not very well insulated so can get cold, although definitely warmer than the greenhouse! I've bought heated seed mats. Just wondering how best these should...

Hadn't thought of doing it that way, thanks a lot. I think that would work quite well. I'm starting Sunday. Will take some pics along the way.

Cheers wasn't aware of this. I'll drain the system at the stage needed in this case. Was only a "nice to have" thing. Yes have inhibitor, this is in step 4 of my post. Plumber wants £300. He's got to cover his costs and make a bit of profit, but when I have all the materials and the brain...

I need to move a radiator and just wanted to share my plan. I'm able to solder end feed properly and have installed new rads before, but I've left teeing them into the existing circuit to my plumber, purely to avoid draining the system. I have a radiator currently on a kitchen wall. I would...

The house is quite a nice Edwardian detached, with many original features. I couldn't bring myself to get rid of them. I think what might happen is they reinstate two original pots for the working flues, then install two appropriate venting cowls for the empty flues.

£600. Everything I will do in this install (like the last install) will be by following the appliance's manufacturer's guidance and by following the latest revision of document J. Energy security in this county has a very bleak future, so I'm doing what I can to try and mitigate against all the...

Haha wonder no more my friend, they're in my garden. Update as of this morning. I'm requesting the pots be reinstated with the cowls fixed to the top. I had bought them specifically to fit these pots after all. I still don't know how much rain would actually end up down the chimney had I left...

Absolutely, but that gap sits sideways on. The open pots sit facing the sky like an open bucket. My cowls have a large overhanging hood and the flaunching slopes away from them. I figured this must be enough to keep most of the rain out, but I'm not confident enough to say for sure hence...

Thanks Stuart, appreciate the detailed reply. Two flues as you can see. The one closest in the picture doesn't serve an appliance and has no liner. It serves an open and unused bedroom fireplace. I had the cowl put on to allow that flue to breath. The liner is in the rearmost flue in my...