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Time to sit them down and explain ... I have a very traditional brickie (55 years old, 39 on the tools) who's had to learn some new stuff - air tightness,in slab UFH, self compacting flowing concrete and insulation below ground in founds amongst other things. I've taken the time to explain the reasoning and he's got it - in fact he's picking stuff up to reuse in the future as he sees the benefits. Its probably cost me a day or two of day rate to get him up to speed but the benefits are self evident - sometimes it's human nature to not ask questions, especially as your contractor may think you don't trust them if they have to ask about basic details which to you may be self evident. Taking a break and explaining the reasons as to how the build is designed end to end may help everyone understand the big picture and get you a quality delivery.

The planning officers views aren't really worth a thing in terms of enforcement, and neither are the views of the ecologist. If it were me I'd just say that I'm going to plant the hedge in front of the fence, in accordance with the planning approval, then sit back and see if they take enforcement action. Frankly I doubt they will have the appetite to do anything, other than a bit of bluff and bluster. Even if they did decide it was worth trying to take enforcement action over that might well take a year or two, and would involve them in some expenditure, by which time you'd have most probably got a hedge that would pass muster and get the enforcement action knocked on the head.

At long last we are starting. 3 months late but at least the weather has improved. Spent all week excavating the slab base. 4 days of digger hire, 260 tonnes of muck removed, 80 tonnes of type 1 brought in. Mbc are laying the type1 as the slab has a ring beam around the outside so it needs to be built up first before the main base is laid

Don't forget that I spent over a year trying to fine tune the slab control system. I know, beyond doubt, what is possible and what is not possible, not in theory, but in practice. The key issue is that this is not anywhere near as simple a challenge to find a solution for as I originally thought it should be. There is no way on this planet I'm going back to using a complex control system, been there, done that, and run around in circles in the process. We now have a reliable, simple, off-the-shelf, control system that works - it maintains the house at a steady temperature with very little variation, and certainly not a big enough temperature variation to be noticeable. I will admit to being a bit annoyed at just how well the simple control system works, having invested a great deal of time in trying to get the rather complex, multi-sensor control system to keep the house at a steady temperature. My switch to the simple room stat control came about by accident, in part, as I loaded a very simple on/off room temperature control code into the microcontroller system one Friday, simply because I wanted to stop the house getting too cold whilst we were away for a break and the system was still failing to reliably control the house temperature. When we came back from holiday and I downloaded the logged data I was more than a little surprised to find that the simple room stat code had done a far better job of controlling the temperature than any of the complex multi-sensor strategies I'd been playing with over the previous year. That finding, together with a decision we made whilst away, which was to take out as much customised, home-built stuff as possible, and replace it with off-the-shelf alternatives that anyone could fix, led to the system we have now. I've no intention of changing it, mainly because it just works very well. I'm afraid that I have no appetite left for installing critical components in the house that are not fairly easily serviced or replaced when I'm not around to fix them. Had I managed to get the original microcontroller system to work as theory suggested it should, then I would have been the critical failure point for the whole house heating system, if something happened to me their was every possibility that the house system could fail and there would be no way of fixing it. It is very easy to fall into the trap of over-thinking things, just because you can, I found. Sometimes the best bet is to just take the simplest solution that's available off-the-shelf and use it, even if you do think you can do better.

Iv been wearing some snickers ones for best part of a year now and they are holding out well. previous cheaper ones always seem to "deflate" after a few months, http://www.sibbons.co.uk/product/6098/0//f3b51237e8e4a7a95dfe92783b29c161?gclid=CjwKEAjwzKPGBRCS55Oe46q9hCkSJAAMvVuMU-PiOwRMaZF1PUj03kGPe0swxw7E1SLLwuzmUo32zRoCsZHw_wcB If anyone else has an opinion on these more expensive ones i would be keen to hear it. are they really twice as good???? http://www.hall-fast.com/safety-at-work/workwear/snickers/snickers-accessories/snickers-9191-xtr-d3o-kneepads/?gspid=116387&infinity=ict2~net~gaw~ar~79294099048~kw~~mt~~cmp~Storage and Shelving Shopping~ag~SS Storage Racks&gclid=CjwKEAjwzKPGBRCS55Oe46q9hCkSJAAMvVuMpdOayGHSPB1Q35Fp7_G9Biz1PMXSfH0A2JkEpk4UwRoCzbrw_wcB#.WMmzgbGcZTY

IMO No. I wouldn't expect to fill it with the pump running anyway.

My guess is that with that sort of volume of water you may well be OK without a buffer, as our buffer is only 70 litres, and our UFH is about the same as Terry's, 3 loops of 100m each.

I would foam and tape the larger gaps if they won't redo it properly. I would agree with jack that it's probably what the guy has done before and had no issues but it's your house your rules your standards so it's your way or on your bike. That's how I would say it.

If the frame gaps are consistent, why would these all be (badly) hand cut? Surely you'd set a table saw up, or even a circular saw and straight-edge, and spend some time up-front banging out what you need at consistent widths with straight edges? It's difficult to know with this one. "Acceptable" probably means something different to us compared to the average British builder. One trick I did use once or twice where we weren't happy with trades was to go back to the manufacturer's instructions. If they say things like "cut with a straight edge", "leave no gaps" and "interference fit is important", then you have some objective evidence to beat the builder with.

Didn't want to go over board

Only 30mm

Yup. Another 'Dee mini-blog' and not looking too shabby either

I can also pass on the number of the rep for the Antrim area, if at any stage someone wants it.

Sometimes a quick design change pays dividends. We have moved our dormers back so they stand on the inner block skin. I may use a thermal block to reduce the thermal bridge (or just a well insulated timber wall) but it meant that the front wall of the dormer became load bearing and the cheek rafters only take half the load from the walls - greatly simplifies the calcs..!

We built a 10m catamaran (that we consequently sailed across the Atlantic) in a polytunnel, it was a great workshop. Our tunnel weathered several gales and from that experience I'd say make your doors well, as you can see from the photo - ours were crap. I had to venture out in my pyjamas on a couple of windy occasions to lash them up. The 'hotspot' tape many 'tunnel companies offer as an extra was worthwhile, preventing chafe on the cover and extending it's life considerably. The chap who inherited the polytunnel from us didn't bother with the tape and his sheeting showed signs of wear within a year. Tunnels get hot. I got tired of boatbuilding in scorching greenhouse temperatures and then one day - idly pondering the greenhouse effect, albedo and other things whilst sweatily sanding fiberglass - the idea of some white cloud cover in the form of an arctic camoflague net came out of nowhere: instant, permanent cirro-cumulus! It worked a treat.

As a coincidence I had the ordinance survey chap randomly arrive at my place today. As you say nice enough chaps and I had no real reason to doubt what he was up to. Wandering around with a tablet and a satellite on a stick he covered most of the boundaries and said he'd come back again when I had final fences etc in place. I don't believe he was at all linked to land registry but I could be long. His opening line was "Hello, im here to put your house on the map!" which I did quite like, yet I'm easily pleased ?

I put all our pir in, every piece was measured and carefully cut to fit tight. Then spent hours with expanding foam. Now the vcl in on Im very surprised how much it billows out when we have a breeze. Clearly air gets in somehow. Got a plan for that. It does take time but hopefully we will have a warm house.

They're one of the suppliers we'll be going to for a price so it's great to hear positive feedback @JamieM, thanks for that. I'll be keeping an eye out to read your other reviews with interest.

Cut them in half and go at 300mm centres. ? ☕️☕️☕️ ?