Hi Jeananne,
Answers interspersed below:
I have noticed several small damp patches on plasterboard in attic partial conversion near ( but i think unrelated to ) velux window in our 7 year old house - this has happened in the last week and I assume has something to do with the very cold weather and condensation...
It may not be unrelated to the velux - they can cause pockets of dead air to be created above and below them by the trimmer rafters interrupting the continuous 50mm air gap there should be above any insulation following the slope of the roof.
Here is a link to Part F to help explain that
http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/BuildingStandards/FileDownLoad,1647,en.pdf
Dia 6 P. 11 refers
Checked out attic insulation and discovered one area between rafters, about 5 feet in length had no insulation at all ( I've filled in the gap with some spare ) and also in the main attic the extractor fan from the infrequently used ensuite vents directly into the attic space !!!
Is this a big deal and can I fix it by attaching a hose and directing the extractor air to a nearby vent in the eves ???
It depends on whether or not this vent was intended to receive a hose - it should have a facility to receive a circular hose or clip a connector into place.
It may have been added to help vent the attic in which case attaching the hose would prevent this - in that case, no, not a good idea.
Also while i'm up there should i cover the 2 large water tanks and if so with what ?
Thanks
Solid insulation board is usually used for a cover, and quilted insualtion is usually used for the sides.
Cover and surround them but keep the underside of them clear of insulation.
Unfortunately the problems you describe are all too common in the building industry. Deadlines within which to complete works stages, rolls of insulation not being delivered or even being pilfered off sites mean that problems not addressed can get covered up by even the most well-intentioned contractor.
At the risk of veering wildly off topic there are new developments coming down the pipe which will affect us all.
[broken link removed]
Sorry for the ridiculously long URL, but that's the way it came.