Withington Co-operative Eco-house - joists

Joist sockets (and sprinkler heads)

Robert — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 17:37:44 +0000

One of the issues with internal wall insulation is that joist ends which are set into sockets in the brickwork are at increased risk of decay due to condensation developing on the cut end of the timber (see article for more information).

Fortunately, as our house is mid-terraced and the joists span between the party walls, we only have to deal with this issue in one area - the bay window. Today the builders removed the floorboard and joists within the ground-floor bay:

The next time the brickies are back on-site we will make up the socket holes, and then fit 45-degree joist hangers, which will hold the joist ends clear of the wall, within the insulation:

Meanwhile, the sprinkler first-fix is progressing. This photo shows one of the heads in position, with pipe run within the suspended ceiling void (the red cap is temporary, for the duration of construction works):

The old light-fitting to the left gives a sense of scale.

The sprinkler guys finished at lunchtime (as they always do on Fridays!) and left the floorboards up in the room which I'm using as the site office, which I thought was a little inconsiderate!

The window company haven't got back to me, and I forgot to chase them; first on the list for Monday.

Window meeting

Robert — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 22:02:37 +0000

Today was the long-awaited meeting with the window company. Two of them came, spent a good couple of hours on-site discussing the project and taking notes and measurements. They seem genuinely knowledgeable and passionate about their field - sash windows. But when I discussed timeframes with them, they weren't able to give anything concrete, instead saying they would firm this up by the end of tomorrow.

The inter-relationship between the windows, insulation, and the cills is particularly complex on the rear elevation. Speaking of which, I need to finalise and order the replacement cills soon.

The joist nearest the front wall in the first floor bathroom was rotten, due to historic water leakage from the bath (note, this is a particular danger in highly-insulated houses!). As this wall is to be internally insulated, I asked the joiner to remove the joist; the floor will be cut back to the depth of the insulation. I think he's done a really great job of this awkward task:

Also note the original WC pan connection in the photo, which is made of lead and goes through the wall at a 45-degree angle to the left; this will have to be replaced, again to minimise the risk of water leakage. The soil pipe outside is still the original cast iron, so this will be a particular challenge for me.

Withington Co-operative Eco-house - joists

Joist sockets (and sprinkler heads)

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Window meeting

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