Custard's Project

[custardavenger]

HI chaps.

OK I have now bought my first house and so I am starting a project thread here to make use of this excellent knowledge base and to hopefully be a help to others to learn from what I am doing and the countless mistakes I will probably make.
I will attempt to keep this first post updated with the info I have. So so far...

I have bought a 4 bed semi detached house. The house has suffered from neglect but is big and was cheap so I figured in the end I will have a house that is tailored to my needs.

The basic plan is
1. Get the house back up to good condition, recon and upgrade the roof, upgrade the heating, install a new bathroom and create a second toilet, remove the already part removed chimney, Install computer and tv network. All ready for me to take on two lodgers.

2. Build a two storey extension with garage workshop ground floor and upstairs yet to be decided.

3. Sort out conservatory, porch drive and garden

4. Add room above garage to the rest of the house.

I would like to get 1 done before the end of the summer and then start 2 as soon as possible after that, 3 and 4 there is no rush for.

 

[custardavenger]

So currently I am trying to get a plan for the heating system. I have a combi boiler installed with a seperate on of timer and no stat. There are also no rad stats installed.

I was considering radstats as well as a two zone system (up and down). I would like to replace the timer with a 2 zone with wireless stats. The problem I can see is that the boiler temp can not be controlled automatically. Not sure if I can retro fit something or if it is better to just upgrade the boiler (not something I was planning to do until maybe after the extension)

I am also unsure about the shower. I have an instantaneous shower fitted now. Would I the boiler be a more efficient way of heating the shower or would I be better replacing the shower for another electric model? Once I work out how I will try and do a test on water pressures I guess if I stay instantaneous I can always upgrade with a power shower.

 

[ColJack]

Ok, so since you're planing a network and such and a fair bit of wall bashing, NOW is a great time to get it rewired and future provisions put in for the extension and conservatory etc, even if this is only a conduit / pipe route from the fuse board and network hub area ( under stairs cupboard? ) to a hatch near where you will be breaking through to the extension..

I'd put in conduits to the network points and tv points so you can change the wiring later as may be needed for future network technologies.

 

[custardavenger]

Cheers Coljack

I have certainly got a big plan for the network, Hopefully I'll get all the points in the right place. I had thought of conduit but wanted to make sure there isn't a maximum depth you can chase a wall out.

Everything shall be run from the attic with NAS and a media center PC running the entertainment in the front room. I was planning to put a big pipe from attic through a bedroom cupboard to the living room for the media.

As for the re wire. I will do as much as I can. The only problem I may come across id that I have mostly concrete floors down stairs so I could end up with a lot of discussion out if I want to move too much.

Just for later discussion I have looked at X10 control for the lights and maybe powered curtains so I'll be looking into making the wiring compatible with that too.

 

[custardavenger]

Oh and as for the extension. The house already has a conservatory but I wasn't going to bother networking that, not a very useful room. For the extension I be running pipe work for hot and cold and heating and ending them on the wall to be built on. I will also run a 60A feed for the garage consumer unit and maybe wiring for a couple of rings (bed and on suite).

 

[ColJack]

if you're going to be doing a lot of plastering anyway then you could always put 2 x 1 or 2 x 2 battens up and then surface mount the boxes and conduits before overboarding..
you lose a few inches on the room dimentions though..

depending on the thickness and stability of the existing plaster you could dot 'n' dab over the top too and just sink the conduits back to the brick..

 

[custardavenger]

Ah yeah. Really don't like the idea of over boarding. That's the reason I will never buy a new house. I think I'll be ok though. All bedrooms are getting two cat5e's, 4 in the smallest one which will be a study, 6 in the living room, 2 in the kitchen and 4 in the dining room where all services enter the building. I'll do the extension from the roof down so that can wait for now.

Like I Said there is only the front room where I may need to run extra cables but I'll pipe through the cupboard in the room above so should be ok.

 

[Geps]

Custard, alot of people (myself included) have had problems with X10 systems. I tried to get one to work a year ago and wrote the system off. Even if you do successfully get it working you have delays.

I'm planning a full dedicated Cat5 network for Idratek modules....since you've got the opportunity I'd recommend you do the same.

Just needs to get some final conveyancing out the way and the property is mine!

 

[custardavenger]

Cheers for the feedback Geps, I'll look into those

 

[digdilem]

"ready for two lodgers" "NAS and media centre"

Confused - are you doing it up to rent out, or doing it up for yourself?

Or both? You get two beds, and one each for the tenants?

 

[Bon]

So currently I am trying to get a plan for the heating system. I have a combi boiler installed with a seperate on of timer and no stat. There are also no rad stats installed.

I'm not a fan of combis therefore this may sound a little biased, but I would consider binning the combi and going down the system boiler with unvented cylinder route (provided you have a decent incoming cold water pressure). Mainly because if you are living there with 2 other lodgers, you're all likely to be doing different things during the day & night, for example, one of you might be having a shower whilst another one is making their dinner, whilst the third person is in the 2nd toilet, washing their hands. This will have a dramatic effect on the hot water performance (the guy in the shower will feel it the most!!)

I was considering radstats as well as a two zone system (up and down). I would like to replace the timer with a 2 zone with wireless stats. The problem I can see is that the boiler temp can not be controlled automatically. Not sure if I can retro fit something or if it is better to just upgrade the boiler (not something I was planning to do until maybe after the extension)

I would 100% recommend you get TRVs installed (if you do get a new boiler Building Regs requires this anyway). A 2-zone system would be good, but depends on your existing pipework runs as to whether this can be done on an upstairs, downstairs basis easily. I wouldn't worry too much about your boiler temp as if you get a seperate programmer, you would just turn your boiler up to max temp anyway and let the controls turn it on and off etc...

I am also unsure about the shower. I have an instantaneous shower fitted now. Would I the boiler be a more efficient way of heating the shower or would I be better replacing the shower for another electric model? Once I work out how I will try and do a test on water pressures I guess if I stay instantaneous I can always upgrade with a power shower.

I would also bin the electric shower. The combi you have will provide a better shower (although it will be more susceptible to the problem described above with combis and multiple outlet use).