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Pushing health and safety legislation firmly to one side... I recently had reason to reference Figure 2 below from 'Getting to grips with manual handing' a short guide by the HSE and thought self-builders might also find the diagram useful, as I feel, everyone tends to lift and move goods, building materials, etc. well beyond the weight limit guidance noted in the diagram. Might be of particular interest to those in their autumn years who suffer occasional back issues like me. Figure 2 Lifting and Lowering Use Figure 2 to make a quick and easy assessment. Each box contains a guideline weight for lifting and lowering in that zone. (As you can see, the guideline weights are reduced if handling is done with arms extended, or at high or low levels, as that is where injuries are most likely to occur.) Observe the work activity you are assessing and compare it to the diagram. First, decide which box or boxes the lifter’s hands pass through when moving the load. Then, assess the maximum weight being handled. If it is less than the figure given in the box, the operation is within the guidelines. If the lifter’s hands enter more than one box during the operation, use the smallest weight. Use an in-between weight if the hands are close to a boundary between boxes. The guideline weights assume that the load is readily grasped with both hands and that the operation takes place in reasonable working conditions, with the lifter in a stable body position. Twisting Reduce the guideline weights if the handler twists to the side during the operation. As a rough guide, reduce them by 10% if the handler twists beyond 45°, and by 20% if the handler twists beyond 90°. Frequent lifting and lowering The guideline weights are for infrequent operations - up to about 30 operations per hour - where the pace of work is not forced, adequate pauses to rest or use different muscles are possible, and the load is not supported by the handler for any length of time. Reduce the weights if the operation is repeated more often. As a rough guide, reduce the weights by 30% if the operation is repeated once or twice per minute, by 50% if the operation is repeated five to eight times a minute, and by 80% where the operation is repeated more than 12 times a minute.

Ok, the cheap option, over stock SIPs panels from here https://www.secondsandco.co.uk/s-i-p-pannels SIP PANEL 142 MM THICK 1.220 wide x between 7.3 and 7.5 m long ---- £175 each

As usual, elegantly written: captures my mood well.

Sorry, but can I ask what's wrong with having a ramp/level access? We designed it in from the outset and cannot imagine why we'd want to replace it with steps and, as mentioned earlier in the thread, many of us may need such access in years to come (never mind for visitors).

@Nickfromwales Haven't decided yet. Was thinking about gaining some experience before I go self employed but yes is the short answer. if in doubt cut the brown one ?

@Crofter I had exactly the same issue that you've got but the plumber sorted it out using an Aqualisa shower with this remote: https://www.bathstore.com/products/41510004120.html http://www.aqualisa.co.uk/showers/shower-ranges/aqualisa-visage™-smart-mixer-shower The extra control is fixed to the wall just outside the shower enclosure and allows you to turn the water on & off and switch the water between the 2 shower heads. The light on the control blinks a blue light until the water is up to temperature then it goes a solid blue. There's a duplicate control in the shower itself next to the shower head which also allows the temperature to be varied. We didn't panel out the side wall of the shower. The thin control cable went through holes drilled in the center of the studs

Here's my take. Floor: Suspended 6x2 joists at 400ctrs (£100), filled with rockwool (£30); 9mm OSB underfloor layer (£20); chipboard on top (£50)= £200 Walls: 2x4 studs, 150m tot (£300), filled with rockwool (£65), with 9mm OSB sheathing outside (£70) and plasterboard inside (£50)= £485 Wall cladding: battens/ounterbattens (£30); corrugated steel= <£300 Ceiling/roof: 2x4 joists at 600 ctrs (£40) filled with rockwool (£20), plasterboard under (£15), 11mm OSB over (£30), then final roof covering- see below Total structure- £1120 To add to this: vapour barrier (probably <£50); windows/doors (Gumtree?); wall breather membrane (under £100); sundries like fixings, joist hangers etc; final roof covering. EPDM would be a good option, but you'd need to arrange a ventilation space. Could use more steel, at a cost of under £100, plus a bit for the battening etc, and would need to arrange sufficient slope. Insulation is obviously pretty minimal in this design- especially on the roof- this could be improved greatly by visiting secondsandco to get a load of cheap PIR to line out one side of the wall/ceiling buildup.