Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Jan 20, 2019 10:01 am Our windows extend down to skirting boars height, with bottom pane being fixed, and top section usable opening window. So we can expand wall space I am thinking of walling in bottom section of these windows internally, and covering externally with weatherboard cladding. Can the glass be left in place and we just frame/clad around this? Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Walling over windows 2Jan 20, 2019 2:24 pm I don't see why not although I vapour barrier behind the internal cladding may be a good idea otherwise you welll get moisture on the glass which can be a source of rot. The following link explains about vapour barriers anewhouse The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Walling over windows 3Jan 20, 2019 7:06 pm But be careful that this vapour barrier is not punctured sometimes later. In your case it is just one wall, so it is okay, but I am really against internal vapour barriers on the internal walls, especially, if a vapour impermeable cladding is used from the outside (and most of it is vapour impermeable). 1) barriers oftentimes get punctured during plastering or later when resident decides to put a hole in the wall and punctured vapour barriers are the recipe for trouble: vapour leaves through the hole in the barrier and condenses inside insulation and frame, as there is a piece of plywood or vapour impermeable cladding from the outside of the frame, which prevents vapour from escaping outside. Once the moisture content in the wood reaches 20%, the frame will start to rot. 2) with vapour barrier inside, the walls become "unbreathable". Breathability of the walls is very important factor for keeping proper humidity and pH levels inside your house and keeping the mould away. Not a lot of builders or architects understand what the breathable walls are about. Breathable walls pass this vapour excess and moisture through themselves to the outside. If your walls are unbreathable, you would need to rely a lot on the mechanical ventilation in order to keep removing excess moisture out of your house, which is not always the best thing as it is often unreliable, can be broken, rarely used, etc. Much better approach is always to install and use vapour permeable sarking (builder's wrap) on the outside of the frame and maintain an air space between frame and cladding which will be helping to drive the water/moisture away. Obviously, insulation has to be water permeable and hygroscopic (polysterene won't work well here). This is also the reason why framed-based construction with rendered EPS-based cladding (getting popular those days) is the recipe for trouble (rotten frames, mold, etc). Hi everyone, Looking for some advise. We are about to build an above ground pool in our backyard. There is a private sewer line running under the pool at 1.6m… 0 11763 Much a do about nothing. You can see the fall heading to the actual drains. Stormwater ingress will be minimal and it's far better to have the top sitting flush rather… 12 6251 Levelling compound Ardit is the best but buy a bag of sand and make sand dam to protect your wood floor 2 15258 |