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Did anyone in this post go for it? I've heard it scratches very easily. Anyone able to reccomend for or against? I've looked at polish concrete but just isn't practical with my limited site access.

Thanks all. I'm waiting on a quote regarding a walk on glass rooflight. Hopefully it isn't too eye watering.

We both have bus pass. It does not get much use. There is only ONE bus per day near us, anything else is 3 miles to the bus stop. We do use them occasionally for instance visiting another distant city where parking is difficult, but we still have to get to the bus stop, so that probably means a taxi. Now a taxi is no less polluting than driving our own car, but do I trust my car left in a public car park for several days? NO. Solve the local link, e.g with affordable (subsidised) electric taxi's and we would use the bus a lot more.

Maybe not the best statement

All non believers to be forced to wear a yellow badge.

If you've got 2 single phase supplies to the HP then you can use a single 4 pole isolator. I ran our data/control cables through the wall tie wrapped out of sight to the outside of the return pipe insulation. The mains supply came via a surface mounted SWA cable

Spend more on your kitchen then.

Can't see the there being space on the worktop to park the car 😀

Fermacell is Gypsum based, like plasterboard. It is not as brittle as cement board. No special requirements for tiling as far as I know. You have done well if you have managed to line the whole place with Fermacell as it is heavy and difficult to cut and fix.

Whoops, 10 times. Fat fingers.

I'm sure you've got to be on a proper wind up today, no?

How many were on the bus. A bus does about 6MPG, my car over 20 times that. So has to be 10 people on bus at all times.

As you've asked, here is the solution: Sorry, I jest.. A few thoughts though. 1. An ex friend was, say 20 years ago, very shouty that global warming was a con. Mostly because of suspicion of anything that didn't suit him, but also because it was snowing. Now he is an advocate, albeit not in an educated way, just that climate change is a problem. What changed? Drip drip of information. Probably one or more persons he listens to. Moral. Education on the facts and the threats and that we can make a difference. 2. Transport. I have a new bus pass. I used it, and saved a car journey. If only there was more than one bus a day I would drive much less. So would others. Scotland has simplified and cheapened rail travel. I think bus travel too but others can confirm. We have travelled several times from airport to home by train and bus much cheaper than by driving. The train cost shouldn't be anywhere near the plane fare. Moral. The authorities can make a difference, if allowed by central government and the taxpayers who have to subsidise it. The service has to be there first. Poss tax fuel even higher after the services are in place. 3. Fine anyone £5 on social media who says "It " is ridiculous and something has to be done about it. There is no point in us doing anything. "They " are all the same, and taking bungs. Spells 'our' as 'are'. And spend it on public transport. 4. Most of all. No new housing, except genuinely social housing, where there isn't the infrastructure. * "It" means potholes, traffic, water shortages. "They" is politicians.

Re: the last post - AI says no. So I guess that's settled that part 😉

They’re probably happening as fast as they can, as technology advances so there isn’t a big drop in living standards.

Ps, are there any compatibility issues with linking any old external sounder box up to the alarm panel? 🤔

Wow, thanks for the advice guys 😁 I think my AI skills are lacking in that dept. When I did try it the Texecom one was suggested to me. Which is where the OP originated from I will definitely take a look at those suggestions. I have an electrician friend, so we were looking at options of self install, if it was a possibility The idea of wireless sensors really suits our needs. Especially if we're looking to link them up to one in the outbuilding at the bottom of the garden. Doesn't have to be graded, but it helps Thanks again 😁

As @Gus Potter says there are strict rules on this. Your wall has to stand up against a severe fire inside your building and the structure remain standing, all to stop fire spread to the neighbour. I expect the Bco will simply refuse you, and await a compliant proposal. This will be for a much more complex wall, clad inside as well as out, and with certified details. Also the steel usually needs fire protection. Your SE foundation design also needs to demonstrate that it won't overturn in a fire. Then post the proposals here and we can check they are practical and economical. I suggest you simply commission your Architect and/or SE to specify it now, to save you several weeks. Perhaps it was already their responsibility ( we don't know your contract terms).

Thanks Gus, We are going to submit everything to building control and see what happens, we’ll try and get away with 40mm insulated cladding, I’ll ask my architect to ask SE if we can beef up the bracing a little…

The best teachers are the ones that are remembered. Both of those are happening, just not at the right pace.

To quite frank, if your new build needs more than £7.5k you are being screwed over anyway. So really wouldn't worry or get bogged down with it. Really wouldn't bother with the grant anyway - and didn't. Heat pumps aren't expensive, and you can build a nice simple system not bogged down with MCS bells and whistles.

Hello. I had my BUS grant voucher issued in December last year so I think it is beyond the 6 months validity period so I think I might have to re-apply. I have yet to do any install of the ASHP and my property is off grid. No mains water, gas, sewage in this area. There is a BUS uplift to 9K coming in July. My heat pump installer says they don't think it applies to new self build properties but I want to check myself and I haven't been able to establish if it applies to me with my self build. Does anybody know or is it only where there is an oil boiler in existence that has to be removed to qualify for the uplift to 9K?

I never said I had a solution. Do you? If your solution is education, it would depend on who is doing the educating. It’s not exactly a well thought out solution. At the risk of going off topic, it’s a bit like people who just say ‘wealth tax’ when presented with the problem of the super rich getting richer and everyone else poorer. I think 99% of the population would be in favour of redistribution from those super rich to everyone else, trouble is they can just avoid it and any wealth tax ends up being counter productive. Maybe if every country could come together with a solution… but we’re back to climate change now - a utopian dream unless it can be done without a reduction in living standards.

I am about to tile onto Fermacell - quite large format limestone. Its not in a wet area - basically an alcove in the hall. Anything specific about tiling on Fermacell to know about that is different to using hardie cement board ? thanks

Hmm, no. The logic defies me here. There is no possible means of producing a proper objective measure in comparison. Instead I'd hope that Rasmus et al would be making more sensible decisions around the necessity and means of travel and thus reducing it as far as possible, not trying to justify it on the basis of 'I do more for the environment so it's okay for me' which just gets us into more trouble and bickering. To affect change in behaviour there needs to be systemic change, because the system absolutely rewards air travel financially as a start right now - just think of the cost of a short flight from the SE to Scotland for example versus the equivalent cost of taking the train. The economics right right are shear insanity. But there are also other systemic factors that blind people to the environmental cost of activities and decision - so this becomes a societal aspect, but then there is of course the individual responsibility about taking a stand and making a statement, which in itself may affect the societal and systemic. But who is actually making this kind of stand in such a way as to shift the curve? Our politicians aren't, nor are other leaders, nor are celebrities really doing this to a great extent... but there are lots of more quiet people just getting on and doing it - maybe they're the ones that will eventually provide the gravity necessary to shift things from the bottom up? Who knows, but the winds are blowing in a direction that rather depresses me right now - it feels like taking a positive environmental stand is the higher risk path, both personally and professionally versus embracing and continuing with the status quo.