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Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

PLEASE NOTE: A download link for Volume 1 will be sent to you by email and Volume 2 will be sent to you by post as a book.

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    • CommentAuthorStuartB
    • CommentTimeJan 25th 2008
     
    Is it possible to have a catflap and keep a house airtight? ....or would you need a super dooper double glazed catflap that isn't sometimes blown open by the wind?
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeJan 25th 2008
     
    How about double air locked cat flap i.e. into and out of a porch.

    Even the best cat flaps are draughty, and can as you say be blown open by the wind.

    Even fully open they could represent only a very small proportion of the air leakage area of a house that passes current building regs :smile:

    What do you mean by air tight?
    • CommentAuthorStuartB
    • CommentTimeJan 25th 2008
     
    Tony,

    I am not in the building trade so I don't know what constitutes airtight.... It just occurred to me at 3.40am this morning when I was awoken by a rat a tat catflap. I will need one in my earth sheltered new build (planning dependant) and just wondered if anyone had any experience of this.

    Going by other threads some are concerned about air escaping through solid brick walls so I just thought a gaping 20cm X 20cm hole in the wall is probably not a good idea!

    I like the double airlocked idea:bigsmile:
    • CommentAuthorRimu Homes
    • CommentTimeJan 25th 2008
     
    Cats can operate simple levers, we've all seen them flush the dunny, Maybe a lever with a slight cam on it.

    I was awoken on christmas to people talking in our lounge it scared the S***e out of me, our cat had opened a toy tractor and it was singing old McDonald. Scary stuff those nursery rhymes.
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeJan 25th 2008
     
    My kids left a PMR handset on once. Woke up early in the mourning to hear the farmer next door talking to someone on his.
  1.  
    Posted By: CWattersWoke up early in the mourning


    Nothing worse than falling asleep in a funeral ;)

    Paul in Montreal.
    • CommentAuthorTheDoctor
    • CommentTimeJan 28th 2008
     
    you can get cat flaps that are electrically controlled by the cat's collar.
    This is to prevent the neighbourhood wide-boy cats enjoying your sofas

    are their any fancy electronic flaps that have a better seal? As they dont rely on a nudge from the head, maybe there is one that is a bit more 'star trek' that gives a good seal?!!
  2.  
    Hi Stuart, Are you going to incorporate a buffer space/corridor into your ESH? A porch at one end would make sense with a double cat flap.
    • CommentAuthorStuartB
    • CommentTimeJan 28th 2008
     
    Yes we will have some sort of porch so I think I will go for the double cat flap idea.
    • CommentAuthorildam
    • CommentTimeMar 28th 2008
     
    I've just installed a 'Pet Porte' cat flap that reads the microchip in the cats neck (so no collar required).
    The flap itself is fairly robust compared to my old Staywell one and while not 'sealed' as such is fairly snug fitting. It's also magentised at the bottom - it would take a fairly strong direct gust to blow it open in my opinion.
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeMar 28th 2008
     
    It is not necessarily gusts that would worry us it is all the little gaps and cracks in and arround it as well as the lac of insulation in the thing.
    • CommentAuthoricyloft
    • CommentTimeMar 31st 2008
     
    I haven't got a cat now, as it died some years ago. However, when the cat came in and out there was always the issue of drafts, but the thing that annoyed me more was that the cat would rush in at 5 a.m. and then run up the stairs, and the noise would often wake me up. So I would opt for a "silent" cat flap, if one was available.
    • CommentAuthorJohn B
    • CommentTimeMar 31st 2008
     
    I suppose I'll need a dog flap when I get another house. Leaving the door open for him while he goes out for a wee does let in a bit of cold air :smile:
    • CommentAuthorSimonH
    • CommentTimeApr 8th 2008
     
    On a plus point I came across some info that a cat emits about 11W of heat. So you can design that out of your heating system ;-) If your cat is an indoors type in the winter it might go someway to compensating for the ventilation losses. Although I think for the same heat output, natural gas or even LPG is probably a lot cheaper than Whiskas cat food.

    You could design a spring loaded cat flap which makes a good seal with the door. This would allow the cat to get out for doing you know what, but it would have to wait till you get back home to come back in and so you'd need to make him a little eco yurt in the back garden.

    Have you though about a hamster instead? You could run a small LED light off a dynamo attached to the wheel :-)

    Simon
    • CommentAuthorchipedwood
    • CommentTimeApr 10th 2008
     
    erm, whats wrong with opening the door or window when the cat wants in or out?

    I've had cats for year and still do. Never used a cat flap. Just let the mew at you when they want out or in. They learn soon enough which windows are by your computer or living room to get your attention.

    Unless you cats are quite old? But then they tend to stay in more.
  3.  
    Our puss uses the cat flap as a gloried door knocker. He bats it and bats it and eventually we give in and come and open the door for him. I'd not given the heat loss a thought. If we made him run around a lot would we get more than 11W of heat to pay us back?
    •  
      CommentAuthorfostertom
    • CommentTimeMay 7th 2008
     
    Posted By: SimonHa cat emits about 11W of heat
    Quote I saw by Amory Lovins: " I recommend a 150W dog, which can be turned up to 300W by throwing a ball".
    • CommentAuthorArran
    • CommentTimeMay 7th 2008
     
    Our cat can not use a flap even after 12 years. We bow down and open the door every time. I did do plans for a flap that 'slides' when pushed and closed after a period of time (magnetic or spring). This made a better seal. I am in the process of a new build design and an extension and would love to try this out, problem is the electric or battery power circuit required, oh and the cats age. Regarding pressure testing does any one know the difference as tests are commonly done on front doors and flaps are on the rear and new builds never really have a cat flap installed.
    • CommentAuthorludite
    • CommentTimeMay 7th 2008
     
    "On a plus point I came across some info that a cat emits about 11W of heat."

    But they are so well insulated, you're not considering shaving it are you?
    • CommentAuthorStuartB
    • CommentTimeMay 8th 2008
     
    How did we get from airtight house to shaving pussies?
    • CommentAuthorludite
    • CommentTimeMay 9th 2008
     
    :clap:
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