We're two days in to the window fitting now (Monday, of course, being a bank holiday).

The manufacture of the windows is first class - all detailing as expected, dual colour painting carried out as specified (white inside, brown outside), and subtly incorporating the deeper than average DG units. My only gripe is that the plant room window was a little too short, and had to be packed out with timber and expanding foam - but that was duly dealt with.

United Utilities have confirmed that they're (another) two weeks behind schedule. The window company still want to go ahead with next week though: they'll be bringing the windows two or three per day, in a small van, and we'll be carrying them down the pavement into the house.

Also, the building society surveyor came today to do a re-valuation...

It's rather ironic given today's events in Balcombe that, as far as the Withington Co-operative Eco-house is concerned, roadblocks are bad news, and burning gas is good (well, less bad, at least).

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...

Meanwhile, the sprinkler first-fix is progressing...

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...

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!)...

Got an email from the window company saying tomorrow's meeting is to be postponed by a week, to next Tuesday. Apparently the guy fell off a ladder!

It's been drizzling for the past few days so the builders have been working inside instead. Having knocked the plaster off in some areas, we've discovered two cracks in the walls...

At the front of the gable there was originally a ridge finial - still to be seen on neighbouring properties. Some Googling lead me to this website, where believe it or not this guy specialises in making reproduction finials - amazing what you can find online! This one is a close match to the one our house would have originally had...

Today I had a meeting with the window company. They specialise in manufacturing and refurbishing sliding sash windows. Their main market, unsurprisingly, is conservation-focused projects - so like most people working on the eco-house, our project will be new territory for them. The broader issues about the windows in this house will be saved for a separate article, so here I will write specifically about today's meeting.