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So not on the "sod it, the bathroom thread is only a million pages long so what's another delay" basis then?

Finally got watertight after much fighting with Velfac doors, wrestled with insulation, polythene, underfloor heating, shuttering for liquid screed, access for 3x concrete trucks. Anyway the pumped screed was finally completed today and this has always been a major milestone in my mind. It also happened to coincide with the day the scaffold came down which has put today up there with the best days of the build so far for me. Sitting back with a brew now enjoying the moment after having quite a few low times feeling rock bottom over the past 10 weeks! Such is the emotional rollercoaster of self build. Big Travis delivery coming first thing tomorrow with all the CLS so I can start on studwork and materials for cousin to start external rendering on Monday. Externally the place should look finished within a couple of weeks, internally a slightly different story. Ive always seen this journey as split in to thirds - first third was admin, raising funds completing the purchase tendering for builder etc, lots of work with little achievement, second third was all the work I put out to my builder (watertight shell), final third now is me finishing the build and turning it in to a home. 4-6 month push now starting tomorrow morning, on the home straight! P.S big credit to @jamiehamy for posting me some samples of the Cedral light oak cladding, it firmed our decision to go for it and we are really pleased. He wouldn't take any payment or gift of thanks so here's a public thank you at least!

My advice, as someone who has regularly appeared in court giving evidence in cases involving liability, is to never voluntarily accept responsibility for anything, unless you are 100% sure that you have no alternative. An example from personal experience: An acquaintance offered to help a pilot friend carry out a simple, authorised, factory safety modification to the pilot's own aircraft. There was an accident, both the pilot and the passenger were killed. Because the chap that had helped had freely offered assistance with the modification, and because there was a possibility that the incorrect embodiment of the modification could have been a contributory factor in the accident, the chap that helped, out of goodwill, was charged with double manslaughter, lost all his savings and equity in his house in paying for his defence, had a nervous breakdown and was eventually found unfit to plead. There was no evidence that the work by this chap had caused the accident. It was more likely that the pilot was the one that made an error, or series of errors, but he was dead. The only sensible thing to do is to refuse to accept any responsibility, or act in any way that could be construed as accepting a role, in this case under CDM 2015. Leave the ball very, very, firmly in the court of those you employ. Remember you are a domestic client as a self-builder, and strongly resist any attempt to convince you otherwise. Contractors may well be unwilling to accept their responsibilities, and may not be familiar with the fact that domestic clients cannot, and must not, perform any action, even the delegation of roles, under CDM 2015, without opening themselves up to an argument that they have accepted a role that has a greater duty of care than would be expected from a domestic client.

"steered" and "wander" are interchangeable, depends which one you were trying to sell

If it's anywhere as good as the Parkside multi tool it's a steal.

This thread is vying for the longest with my bathroom! FFS someone lay a block or something and post a photo!

Just to close this off the definition of business is clear here however in the Companies Act you will also find the legal definition of "undertaking" which is very relevant to this discussion. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/part/38/crossheading/meaning-of-undertaking-and-related-expressions

Rain has put a hold on me roofing the shed for the past hour, so I've pulled up the SI's to have a look. First off, here is a direct link to The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015): http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/51/pdfs/uksi_20150051_en.pdf Before delving into the detail of these, we need to look at the empowering legislation, which is referenced in the heading to the above Regulations, and is contained within the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (H&S@WA 1974). Sections 15, 80 and Schedule 3 of the H&S@WA are effectively the empowering and enabling legislation that gives the S of S the authority to make the CDM 2015 Regulations. Schedule 3 is key, as that refers very specifically to requirements placed on employers and employees related to the subject-matter of health and safety regulation. Note that, because the H&S@WA 1974 applies to employers and employees, in general it does not apply to customers or clients that contract for the supply of goods or services. As such, it is arguable as to whether the S of S has the lawful authority to make legislation (the CDM 2015 Regs) apply to a group of people that are outside the scope of the empowering and enabling legislation for the Act. It seems likely that a court would reject a case brought under CDM 2015 against a domestic client on that basis alone. It's also worth noting that domestic clients and customers were outside the scope of consultation for CDM 2015, as stated in this paragraph at the head of the document: "Before submitting those proposals to the Secretary of State, the Executive consulted the bodies that appeared to it to be appropriate as required by section 50(3) of the 1974 Act(c). It appears to the Secretary of State that the modifications to the instruments marked with an asterisk in the table in Schedule 5 are expedient for the purposes of section 80(1) of the 1974 Act. It also appears to the Secretary of State not to be appropriate to consult bodies in respect of those modifications for the purposes of section 80(4)(d) of the 1974 Act." Again, it could be argued that not consulting with people like self-builders was an omission by the S of S of a key target group, IF the intention was to make them liable under CDM 2015. The next section of CDM 2015 is key. It contains the interpretations that define the roles and responsibilities which all other parts of the Act use. The key interpretations, with regard to a self-build client are these: “the 1974 Act” means the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; “the 2007 Regulations” means the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007(a); “the Management Regulations” means the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999(b); “business” means a trade, business or other undertaking (whether for profit or not); “client” means any person for whom a project is carried out; ................. “contractor” means any person (including a non-domestic client) who, in the course or furtherance of a business, carries out, manages or controls construction work; “design” includes drawings, design details, specifications and bills of quantities (including specification of articles or substances) relating to a structure, and calculations prepared for the purpose of a design; “designer” means any person (including a client, contractor or other person referred to in these Regulations) who in the course or furtherance of a business— (a) prepares or modifies a design; or (b) arranges for, or instructs, any person under their control to do so, relating to a structure, or to a product or mechanical or electrical system intended for a particular structure, and a person is deemed to prepare a design where a design is prepared by a person under their control; “domestic client” means a client for whom a project is being carried out which is not in the course or furtherance of a business of that client; I could go on to cross-reference all the relevant references between the handful of statutes that spell out all the detail, but the above highlighted interpretations are very clear in and of themselves. The fundamental point is that a self builder CANNOT undertake any of the highlighted roles under CDM 2015, because all require that they be in business. As we all know, you cannot operate as a self builder in business, as this conflicts with the concessions that are specific to self builders, primarily those surround VAT and taxation, plus the payment of duties. Note that a self-builder cannot be a contractor, or a designer, as both are tied to being in business.

I used one of these which I purchased off eBay, though mine was an older model with an analog dial and not a digital display (no batteries required!) http://www.merlinlazer.com/Hygrohood-Relative-Humidity-Floor-Box I probably still have it around, so if interested we can do a deal.

Thanks for the info guys. I've submitted a quote request to Sennocke (Build Zone).

Okay, but right now I need to get back to "keeping the wolf from the door". I'll post later. p.s. "self build by an individual" is DIY which is clearly exempt from the SI. If you are not DIY, then the SI applies in all cases.

Oooooh.

I could not make a more powerful argument for the art, the effort, the energy needed to make complex high-stakes information simple to read and understand. Unless, of course there's a conflict of interest: and that's been alluded to often in this thread.

Contact Sennoke Insurance - they warrantied @PeterStarck build with a passive slab I found them cheaper than LABC too

More of a "build it, show her the benefits of sustainable energy etc in the hope she might stop living in the past & come on board for the big decisions like EWI, new plumbing and a new roof needed to fix the place"

Just that when people are actually living in a place, habits change. So doors may be left open a bit, windows not fully closed, filters block up at different rates, all sorts of 'other things' go on.

The avatar sort of hints at issues...

Just pile/stack the deliveries around the offending car.

Work is racing along now. Big job now is putting current house up for sale, so need to finish all the little jobs I have been putting off. The end wall of our bedroom has to go up here before they can put the steel in for the main roof. There will be a chimney on this end of the house around 13m high. I'm a bit scared for it in high winds! Roof trusses going up along one side of the house, then we can get the parking on to get it water tight.