PowerSwitch

Right, didn't get the flippin' job in Notts, so am still JonB in Rugby.

So, still 35 mile drive to the job. Looking at oil hitting highs and what Petroleum review are saying, I'm not hanging around for another job that I won't get and will crack on with the house. Will think more about work in the spring. So now, overpay the mortgage, and thanks to Ken and others, now have a plan B. Not moving, as the money is better spent here and we have good neighbours.
House front faces East with a bit of South. Far side of the garden gets good sun. Back of the house West ish with a bit of North.
I could so do with some input on this.

1. 2 water butts already on for the garden - put in more / bigger ones.
Got iodine drops (from walking) and buying a filter real soon. Any recommendations?
2. Garage walls to house needs insulating.
3. Front door has some draughts and loses heat - will put in new, outer porch door.
4. Loft needs more insulation. Anyone used pavatex? want to board the middle for storage, will put all the rockwool on side bits.
5. Starting to garden.

Question - have old style DPC with airbricks - anyone put foil type insulation under carpet? Any good? With the Cavity walls done, the floor seems to be the weak point.

Next stage:

5. Price up wood stove for back room - has a chimney and fireplace (fire removed) - need to research the heat distribution hose things etc. Other threads look very interesting.
6. Current old gas combi boiler will not last too much longer. (Bit like North Sea Gas). Piping still in place for tank (now removed). Plan to put in tank with twin coil. ? Wood stove as water heating in winter. Can you have 3 coils???
7. Once all done, price up solar water heater. Navitron sounds good, but all those glass tubes at the front aren't yobproof. Anyone put polycarb over these for protection? Otherwise, solartwin might be no 2. What about tubes front and back as East / West and might do a lot better in winter-(e.g. max sunlight) anyone done this?
8. Look at allotments once I can garden (85% occupancy in Rugby at present)

Off to makro with the wife's card this w/e to do a BIG food stock up. then get water filter etc. Friends with no water in Cheltenham for over a week have made this more attractive to her.

Feedback appreciated.

Jon B (still) in Rugby

All looks good to me! I'll let other more experienced folk add to the other points, but my pennyworth is:

8. There may bea waiting list, or they may only re-allocate these annually. Get on the waiting list. You can lay down mulch of old carpet and whatever and tackle it in pieces when you can, but I wouldn't hang about on getting your name on a lottie. Veggie prices are going to rise.

Cheers.

T

Yeah, I agree with Tattercoats - get your name down now. The rest all sounds good.

I'd add one recommendation - do a permaculture design course - it'll set you back maybe 180 quid but will give you invaluable ideas & inspiration.

Right, didn't get the flippin' job in Notts, so am still JonB in Rugby.

So, still 35 mile drive to the job. Looking at oil hitting highs and what Petroleum review are saying, I'm not hanging around for another job that I won't get and will crack on with the house. Will think more about work in the spring. So now, overpay the mortgage, and thanks to Ken and others, now have a plan B. Not moving, as the money is better spent here and we have good neighbours.

Good neighbours are worth not moving for. But I don't envy you the commute.

1. 2 water butts already on for the garden - put in more / bigger ones.
Got iodine drops (from walking) and buying a filter real soon. Any recommendations?

Other ppl on this site have recommended Katadyn. Pricey, but you only need to filter your drinking water so it should last you after Severn Trent give up guaranteeing quality.

Question - have old style DPC with airbricks - anyone put foil type insulation under carpet? Any good? With the Cavity walls done, the floor seems to be the weak point.

Foil under upstairs carpet/laminate works well. Don't know about downstairs.

6. Current old gas combi boiler will not last too much longer. (Bit like North Sea Gas). Piping still in place for tank (now removed). Plan to put in tank with twin coil. ? Wood stove as water heating in winter. Can you have 3 coils???

Do you have your own wood supply? If not a coal one may be more practical though worse on emissions. Much more compact energy source, and we have the RJB mine N of Coventry.

8. Look at allotments once I can garden (85% occupancy in Rugby at present)

ditto to the other suggestions on the thread, don't know if it's any use to you but I saw Church Lawford are advertising vacancies on their site.

Off to makro with the wife's card this w/e to do a BIG food stock up. then get water filter etc. Friends with no water in Cheltenham for over a week have made this more attractive to her.

Think about what you'd eat with no power, or how you'd heat it if the mains was off. I'd go for some camping meal-in-a-bag things for emergency winter rations, as well as canned goods. The next water/power outage may not be in lovely summer weather.

Thanks to all for the input.
Getting underway with the plan feels good.
Even if there is so much to do
Will try the foil under the carpets as I decorate. And post how it goes.
Redlantern -good idea about coal. I may be in a smokefree zone, so I might need to start with antracite or coke. Can you get dual fuel (wood/coal) burners? I know that you would have very different working temps.

Shopping wise- Makro was rubbish, so Saturday had a very full trolley of tins and UHT milk. Got a few strange looks in the queue. Water filter will be next when I'm paid.

The missus may also be coming round - bought me a wind up radio

JonB

JonB wrote:Will try the foil under the carpets as I decorate. And post how it goes.

I'm not sure that would work - if the foil is in direct contact with the carpet above and floor below, wouldn't it just conduct heat directly from one to the other? When you see foil used in loft insulation panels, I think it is always next to a low-density insulating layer, to be almost like an air gap. I could be wrong though, not having insulated any lofts myself...

I remember years ago my parents putting a kind of foam underlay beneath the carpet - it helped with insulation and made the floor slightly soft as well. Maybe that's more effective than foil?

mikepepler wrote: I'm not sure that would work - if the foil is in direct contact with the carpet above and floor below, wouldn't it just conduct heat directly from one to the other? When you see foil used in loft insulation panels, I think it is always next to a low-density insulating layer, to be almost like an air gap. I could be wrong though, not having insulated any lofts myself...

I remember years ago my parents putting a kind of foam underlay beneath the carpet - it helped with insulation and made the floor slightly soft as well. Maybe that's more effective than foil?

I've seen that - super underlay type stuff. The foil is supposedly insulating as well. Had a look at some today in a DIY store - seems to have foam in the middle.

They also say you can put it behind radiators, so I may get a bit for that and try a sample.

Will post how I get on

JonB

I've seen that - super underlay type stuff. The foil is supposedly insulating as well. Had a look at some today in a DIY store - seems to have foam in the middle.

http://www.depron.co.uk/

Lay depron or similar, and make sure you tape all edges and joints with duck tape.

Quite cheap too

A reflective radiation barrier requires a 25mm air gap to be effective. Aluminium itself has no insulation value, heat will conduct straight through it.

kenneal wrote:A reflective radiation barrier requires a 25mm air gap to be effective. Aluminium itself has no insulation value, heat will conduct straight through it.

My thoughts exactly.

Hi JonB,

I'm pretty sure Clearview do a dual fuel stove that can be adapted so that it burns clean enough that it can be used in a smokefree zone.

Wood-burning appliances exempt from the Clean Air Act for use in smoke control areas:

http://www.uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk/ap ... ?country=e

Andy Hunt wrote:Wood-burning appliances exempt from the Clean Air Act for use in smoke control areas:

http://www.uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk/ap ... ?country=e

Thanks to all. Just the job. Now all I need is the flue liner, the stove, and the money to buy them.

Point taken about the foil stuff. Looking at the literature more, they do show them inside loft roofs. The depron makes more sense. It's like neoprene drysuits, which will keep you warm in 4C water. Sort of.

"quite cheap too"

Those wonderful three little words.....

JonB

PS - asked about planning for panels (would be front of house) and was told the classic "no planning needed for the back if I'd prefer"

JonB wrote:Point taken about the foil stuff. Looking at the literature more, they do show them inside loft roofs.

Be very suspicious of claims about the effectiveness of foils, even in roofs.