Keeping your home warm / heating / energy crisis / insulation etc

hm ok, bit weird to soundproof the attic but if its no harm I'll leave.

@midlife rope of sorts, or rat tail

Removing the old stuff should let you get a neater install of better performing insulation, so maybe worthwhile.

If its lath and plaster, removing all the old stuff may damage the integrity of the ceiling by breaking off the mushrooms.
Id carefully remove obvious loose rubbish and manky insulation.

Is lath and plaster.. careful removal?

Found similar in mine the other day leaving it there as most of it is boarded out now and fuck moving insulation around, horrible job.

Small win, finally got around to foaming the big gap around our door as it became very obvious that cold air was pouring in. Just have to sort out the utility meter cavity now which appears to have a whole brick missing where it joins the door and replace the door seal which seems to have been crushed by the latch, though not sure that won't just happen again.

Getting a bloke in to fit vented caps to the disused chimneys too, mostly to prevent water ingress though I'm hoping it's going to reduce draughtyness further.

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^Edited. .Unless it's already over-boarded, it's probably not worth the near future mess of a collapsed ceiling,
by damaging the integrity of a sound lath and plaster ceiling.
Remove the litter, rubbish and loose crap. But don't disturb the layer surrounding the plaster that's squeezed up through the laths.

It’s snowing in east angular. Free insulation!

replace the door seal which seems to have been crushed by the latch, though not sure that won't just happen again.

It looks like the squashed/cut away part is where a separate deadbolt keep may be on the frame. It looks similar to an old GU locking mechanism and two part centre keeps are common with them.

If the keeps on the door frame are two separate pieces for the (upper)latch and (lower) deadbolt , the seal may be compressed there, if the deadbolt keep is proud of the frame. In which case it will happen again in the future, meanwhile the extra compression will put more pressure on the locking mechanism.

Trap a thin sheet of paper or plastic in the door when you close and lock it. If the paper needs a slight tug to remove it, I would be inclined to leave it. If the paper slides ip and down easily and offers no resistance to being pulled out, definitely look at adjustment of the door and mechanism, then maybe replace the seal.

Thanks, they're one piece, definitely slightly proud of the frame. I feel like it may be missing a part as the latch actually does nothing and I have to crack the handle up (which presumably extends the deadbolt?) To get it to stay closed). Might be another case GSI (get someone in) as I think the door has sagged slightly and my back door needs some attention too... ahem. At current DIY rates I'll not get to it until spring and then likely forget about it again.

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Get a cheap shop vac and suck up the old stuff?

The free Henry, gifted to me by Dov, has lifted several hundred weight of loose plaster and rubble since I had it. Don't know how I did any DIY without it. Very satisfying lifting all the crap that previous cowboys have just swept under floor boards. Even more satisfying when the hose gets bunged up with rubble, shake it free then hear it all get sucked into the bag with a thunk.

I've got an old house vac that refuses to die I use for similar jobs. When it does, Henry and I will be getting acquainted.

yeah I can do that - have a titan shop vac

OK, I'm gonna do it, while trying to avoid disturbing the lath. Mainly because it just feels like the right thing to do rather than having loads of crap still there hidden under another layer of insulation.

Meaco ABC back in stock. Have bought one for my parents. Will hold off on my new one.

Lath demolition makes lots of dust, a mask is a good idea.
Asbestos was very popular at one time, you don’t want to inhale that stuff. If you suspect asbestos don’t even touch it.

If asbestos is suspected, "grab a mask and crack on" is very poor advice: do NOT disturb it.

Ours was similar, seemed a bit of a fire risk too but in the end it was so filtthy and gross i pretended like 'extra' insulation is better so left it under the new loft insulation.

those buying dehumidifiers why not get an aircon unit that does both?

looking to get an air conditioner next year before the inevitable heatwave and most seem to have this function built in.

We're struggling to get our rads to heat the house effectively, and suspect it may be to do with blockages in the pipework (fnar fnar). The house was built in the early 90s with a gravity fed system linked to an immersion heater and gas boiler. It has microbore pipework throughout and I'm hoping that getting the system powerflushed may help move the water around a bit better. Anyone have experience with this or opinions about what make the system perform better? Suspect we may also need to change the valves to a number of the rads, but think that should wait until the system is 'clean', right?

Would love to rip the lot out and start again with a heat pump and solar panels, but with two little'uns running about we don't have the stomach for a wholesale job involving pulling the floors up/getting into the walls.

Because £400 Vs 150? Plus I'd need 4.

surely lath & plaster predates asbestos?

There is a tragic irony that as the world gets hotter people start installing aircon to stay cooler!

Size and portability no?

If you've got somewhere you can strap it on to the side of the building, then it makes sense.

Otherwise dehumidifiers are generally quite small. Whereas portable air con units are massive and have a hose you need to run out of a window.

it's for those few weeks of 36°-40° temps that are only going to be more frequent in the coming years.
Current place i managed with a decent Meaco fan as east facing and in the afternoon the sun moved off the roof and was dual aspect for pull through ventilation.
But a 4.5m long window in the south facing lounge at next place means i'll need it as i don't do well in the heat. Low-E secondary glazing/blinds will help but i don't think it will be enough.
Not after chilled food isle temps just a bit more comfortable to work in.

An Aircon unit which will actually make a difference to a decent sized room is big and heavy, 30kg+. Also I don't think they're as energy efficient and lots don't have a proper water tank.

Right so a power flush won’t work on microbore. Folks might say it will but from experience it’s a waste of time. You could drain the system and take the radiators off too that you feel need a flush and take them out the back and hose them, that’s a trick we do sometimes too but if so bad it’s a change rads

If radiators aren’t heating it’ll 100 percent be a blockage, look for a manifold that’s where we always start and if worst comes to worst repipe the ones that are shit.

A modern combi is pressured so batters the water round the system, or do you have a standard system?