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Just after some thoughts on the above. We are nearly at first floor level and have concluded that the proposed first floor rear windows that overlook a paddock and woodland (not visible otherwise) are too wide and we want to shrink the width from 1125 to 800 and also make the bathroom window which was 1125mm wide 800mm and full height like the other two windows. I don't want to stop development and the net outcome is a slight reduction in the amount of glazing. I am happy for the builders to continue as I don't see an issue and just wanted to ask whether I can submit the form and they carry on or do you have to cease construction until it's been decided?

Hadn't thought of that. But it would I fear be sensitive to anything in solution. Needs to be specific to molybdate I would have thought. Will see what original vendor says, have been adjusting bathroom door hang today while OH lays carpet. Tmrw back gate rotten corner needs reinforcing and re-hanging, no end to it...

Floor scraper? Never used one mind but they look ideal if they can get purchase into the adhesive. Or go at it with a floor grinder and create a load of dust!

You can get scraper bits for the SDS which would be much better for the job.

Tend to agree. Didn't really stand out to me first go round but noticed on the most recent version. Keeping the wall straight but with the roof/walls overlapping the outside (as shown in many of @ETC's previous designs would seem nicer and less complex/expensive to build. Might get your covered area automatically if doing a space frame construction. It's just another unit or two in length. @Square Feet by space frame do you mean the i-joist/beam type that one or two others here have done? Could see that being a good way to go if doing a lot yourself and likely doesn't need that kitchen wall/divider to extend so far as no roof supports needed.

Initial thoughts, it looks good. Internal wall are most likely going to be 100mm thick, may have been answered already. Can you make the lean too more flat roof to help with head heights? Or start it further up the roof? Or get rid of it altogether? Use the the space used by the angled wall in the living space, and over sail the roof more for a covered area? But not liking that angled wall, it kills your living space and gives nothing much outside either.

You might consider whether the lean to part adds more cost than it's worth vs a slight larger main building. Yes you plan lower insulation etc, not part of the main space but I'm not sure that is a saving (more likely a cost due to extra complexity/junctions). Could still have covered porch area but remove the need for proper foundations. Are the eco insulation products part of a concept to get planning? If not, they are generally a more expensive way to build for relatively limited environmental benefit. Choosing the low impact but more standard options might save money without a big environmental impact (especially if that then allows you to use the money elsewhere for other low impact things). Keeping to dimensions that allow standard off-the-shelf construction materials likely is a benefit, though I'd guess Gus has already talked about that. But that leans towards longer but narrower vs wider but shorter in trade offs.

I'm still working on this, but here's the latest iteration.

Hi thank you for the reply, yes we had considered that I just don’t know how to get the adhesive off the ply. I’ve tried a chisel bit on a sds but it seem to gouge the ply. I was going to try and get the ply and osb up and pump screed over the ufh and keep the insulation down. This would be 32mm to back fill. My issue is getting the ply and osb up. Unless like you say I just get the tiles up, I just don’t know the best solution to remove the adhesive to lay LVT. It is a bigger of a job!

It's purely financial - money's too tight to mention. I won't have much money on a day-to-day basis at the end of this either, so keeping it small and manageable will help. There's always compromises to be made.

It looks like a bitch of a job. Have you considered just taking up the tiles and fitting LVT flooring? It will feel far less cold underfoot and they do a great range. With the lack of underfloor insulation - which should be 150mm thick minimum for UFH - you won't get a perfect solution. You may be able to incorporate some radiators for the problem areas.

One question: What restrictions are you working under with the overall size of the design. Obviously cost, but in terms of planning/site? I'm thinking whether it would be possible to add length or width (or trade one against the other) if it made the overall layout easier? I could see a wider but shorter layout possibly solving some of the trade offs we have talked about for example.

I should maybe say that I work as a delivery driver so I don't need WFH or client visit space. I do use my computer quite a lot though, I think it's just a tool that we all need in modern life and I do love being able to do things on my desktop so that I can properly see what I'm doing. I probably spend too much time on it atm, so I don't want it in my main living space where it might tempt me to use it more.

It's a good idea that I can see the merits of, but I love my dining table and sitting around it with friends. I enjoy cooking but I don't go to town on it - the kitchen isn't a big part of my life. I'm going to dig my heels in and say that I really want the dining and kitchen round the way they are, but I really appreciate the opportunity to fully think that through.

Hi all. We are currently in the process of trying to remove 800x800 porcelain tiles from our open plan kitchen. The tile are coming up no problem but it's leaving a lot of adhesive behind. Our plan we to uplift the tiles, which are laid on 20mm EPS150 Wet UFH system, 20mm T&G and 12mm ply. The adhesive is sticking to the ply, also the ply and OSB are stuck together with screws and possibly adhesive. Ideally I want to get back to down the insulation and UFH pipes and pump a screed sub floor back in removing the floating floor system. What would people opinions be about best approaching this?! We've started in the ultiity and haven't been able to uplift a section of the sub floor yet.

Sent you a message.

Like I said, the BUS Grant is 2 figures for A2W and your figures are only if you're just considering the heat pump, wiring centre and controls and even then any premium heat pump over a Haier is going to bump you over that very easily, especially if you want to take advantage of the longer warranties where many manufacturer's require a commissioning from someone qualified. If you also count in a heat pump cylinder and parts for the heating system, then you're getting a grant to cover most, if not all of your heating system costs. If you go with an umbrella firm, which you'd have to do to qualify for the grant, you're then having to fork out something like £1500 for the pleasure of their design, commissioning and paperwork. And if it's a decent umbrella, what you're doing here is getting a design that then doesn't require you to fiddle around modifying and adjusting to work. So the reality is that you're not going to be applying for the grant to earn any money, not if you take the full picture into account. I think everyone has to take their individual situation into account and decide on what's most appropriate for them.

They could just pull the main fuse out. My anti theft devise is to be poor and have nothing worth taking. I live in a place where cars get dumped, not stolen.

Do you engage the umbrella scheme beforehand and go with their spec then? Does it limit your choices

+1 But regardless of the regs you may prefer to have a solution above the regs that you’re happy with. Some countries, of course, have mandatory sprinklers, and my feeling is that UK fire regs for domestic dwellings are a bit lightweight. I wonder whether you might get some help from the vendors of mist systems. Yeah, they’re trying to sell you stuff, but you may at least get some educational help out of them and an idea of cost. I reckon that most fire consultancy is directed at commercial, public buildings and blocks of flats for economics reasons. Also the regs are more thorough for those - which probably generates some juicy retrofit contracts.

Well congrats, probably quite quick given some other people’s experiences (including mine) with their planning departments. There’s a sense that ‘you’re not a customer, you’re just the product’ - hence they felt no duty at all to inform you of their changes in circumstances or timing. After my experiences with planning, I think that many planners & departments think that their role is simply to stop or discourage as much development as possible. Their stock in trade is delay, which they know is expensive and discouraging for you, and inventing new costly hoops for people to jump through.

Why do you need a specialist Fire Engineer? Is there something unusual about your design? It seems you have a 'fire boundary condition' but most are covered by building regulation guidance and your SE or Architect should be able to handle it. the same applies to a big room. Maybe it's an unconsidered wording.. I know I do it. But implying that Fire Engineers are useless isn't constructive: it is very specialist. They have no obligation to accept any commission so tact on approach is prudent.

A good view is a big asset, but so is space - so how many hours per day will you be sitting down to eat in the dining room (during daylight), vs how many hours will be spent in the kitchen? And if you turn the worktop extension I proposed into a breakfast bar, you would see the view through the kitchen window too. Tip: make the bottom of the kitchen window flush with the worktop, and site the cooker & sink to one side, so that there's minimal interruption to the view. Also bearing in mind that anyone in the dining room on the wrong side of the table doesn't get to see the view, and in summer you might be eating outside, rather than inside Of course if 'dining room' actually means 'office', then keeping the view on the dining room side is easily justified!

A few sketch designs I completed a few years ago.

Sure….happy to take a look…..will get back to you next week….