Wood, Gas and Solar on the cheap in a Old Terrace

[Stuart]

Hello All,

about time i posted some pics of my progress to give you some entertainment, and maybe help those that think because there house is small and they don't have a big pocket they couldn't benefit from all these wonderfull technologies!

Bit of back ground, bought this house with my savings. Needed damp proof course, this Parkray was the central heating etc...



tiny firebox and no grate, it had been quite abused and the contorted pipework upstairs made sure thermosyphoning didn't really take place on a usefull timescale.



the melted tank and overflow further convinced me of this.



So it had to go



Given the flue connections were bits of odd pipe sizes next to each other and a bit of cement round them meant I wasn't terribly impressed with the HERTAS installer,
although the liner was 2 years old and 904 stainless no worries there



now what to do with that mess?? get some bricks in, I'll use these handy Victorian bricks....just a minute there not square!



And the other wall is loose, very loose....ooh er?... and the plasters rubbish, and dont like that artex ether... well it will all have to go then!



After a search of the local fireplace shops a fire we liked was found, and then later that day my long suffering girlfriend Eleanore found the same fire on the internets for half the price,
with the aid of a paypal voucher, it was purchased with an additional £70 off   also found a thermostat kit secondhand cheap so got that too.

Found a local supplier of oak, so took down my measurements and helped him cut the beam. No more messing with wobbly bricks ether! 7N blocks for me, There also a concrete lintel behind the wood to give the support and isolation from the flue. Also had to make a flue gatherer (didn't fancy paying hunter £135 notes for what is a simple box!)



another view, once rendered up on the inside.



and with the temporary fire in position, which provided some heat during the long winter we had. Note the offcut of flue pipe has found a use!



leaping forward a bit, fireplace tiled and a coat of paint while its easier to get at.



an outbreak of plumbing!



Done! well almost.



Think that will do for this installment, enjoy!

Edit: fun with aspect ratios of pictures

[Billy]

Stuart, 

I really ought to smite you for all this well intentioned stuff here.  I too had the joys of a 18 something terrace with 3 fally down chimneys and you have taken me right back.  Yes, I reckon you have undone years of therapy and my right eye has been twitching since the first picture. 

The tide is in and the barge is gently rocking, I might just get through this flashback.  I never want to see another "soft red" again, ever. 

YYYYYYYours gibberingly,

BBBBilllly.

 

[wookey]

That dodgy chimney brickwork really does deserve an award! One wonders how many times it's been bodged over the years. Noticeable how the standard of fettling on this forum is extremely high. Better than a lot of 'profeshnuls'.

[MR GUS]

Very nice.

 So what's happened to the hand crafted Artisan stove? is that going in a workshop or owt?

[Stuart]

Billy,
luckily just one dodgy chimney here...and special pictures just for your    

note my flue exits next doors pot! 





Wookey, the remains of the original chimney was thankfully tied into the wall with some very big stones, least now I've got it shawed up better than before.
here's the view from the kitchen below rear bedroom, when I took down the ceiling i discovered the hearth was still there floating in mid air, with a few old floor boards nailled up and there was no support for the breast upstairs, nice crumbly lime mortar and brick one. The floor joists used to be tied into the non existant breast in the kitchen and were hanging  

Here's what the few dodgy floor boards were holding up


and nicely tied together and into the wall


Gus, the artisan stove will be going in the garage/workshop when i build it. Unfortunately Eleanore banked it up one night with ash, instead of something greener it must have got damn hot as its a little buckled

[Billy]

Eeeeeeeeek,   

That's it, take that, I did warn you.   

I just can't bear talking about chimneys smoke stack, especially ones that are held up by nothing and when the stroppy teenager slams the door the whole lot comes crashing down, with the missus in the bath covered in soot.  Or when the new neighbours moved in next door and says every time you light a fire my house fills up with smoke (his house having been empty since we moved in).

No, I'm really sorry but I just can't do that any more, at all, ever, got that, ever, ever, ever, ever, hee hee, ever, .......... no not ever, ever, ever again, hee hee.

Billy.

 

[Stuart]

Had some bother making the connections on the fire water tight, the 1"bsp brass 90's thread stops just short of the flange so cant get them all the way in.

tried PTFE 1st, dismal failure. Hylomar blue has sorted two, so just the two left to sort.... the difficult ones on the bottom of course.
Any tips?

[lightfoot]

Use straight fittings with a BSP taper male thread, not parallel - and don't back-off at all when using PTFE tape.

[Stuart]

thanks Lightfoot, of couse I bought the parallel ones

[lightfoot]

Fittings with BSP parallel male threads really need a grommet/washer - that's why they have a flange.  Try using some hemp and boss white etc.

[Stuart]

OK some more pictures, hopefully wont wind Billy up too much..

Little attic hatch had to go, couldn't get boards etc up there so installed an all in one unit.



After much vacuuming up dust and bits of the old roof debris, and a few days fighting with some horrid scratchy yellow stuff


so that's two layers of 100mm, prior to the 22mm flooring
and some of this stuff to start going on the roof, till lack of washers stopped us.



on the subject of usefull insulation, the two north facing walls in the study and bathroom were next, double layer brick without cavity

Take some foil sided PIR


Apply Glue


add plaster board and allow to set, can make a big pile as it helps press everything together nicely


As I'm using fairly thin PIR (as I got it cheap) knock the old plaster off and make a nice level first layer with boards on there own, Stick to wall with expandy foam and foil tape joints


Next stick on your pre made composite boards with more expandy foam, and add a few hammer fixing to help level and hold in place.


Tape and fill joints with easyfill


Skim and enjoy the warmth

[Stuart]

Adding value to the house

Mark wall


Start saw


Done! well actually took 2 days of smashing out the hardest bricks I've come across, have to put it in with expandy foam too. Northen gas dont like fixings in the box up here, even when you seal them as per the instructions on the box! there allowed to crack it putting the pipe in of course 

[daftlad]

I can see an earth spike, you must have a TT electrical instalation, hark I can see desperate coming over the horizon to ridicule me for my electrical geekery (with relation to earthing) come on then, do your worst.
All good stuff Stuart.
ta ta

[Stuart]

hehe yes TT it is

Have Improved the shoddy wiring from this....


To a more open plan layout....perfection  

[daftlad]

shudder,       shudder,           shudder,







shudder.

ta ta