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Do we allow ageism on this forum? The problem with generalisations- whether they are based on race, gender, age, income, whatever- is that they are wrong. Not just morally wrong, but factually wrong as well. No group of people is entirely homogenous, so as soon as you start using terms like "they are all lazy/greedy/etc" then you are onto a loser. Can we get this thread back on topic, please?

As more and more warning lights appear on my old '08 A6 Avant TDI, I'm looking at ULEV for my next car. I plan to keep the A6 (as its resale is pitiful, especially with the knocks and scrapes it's picked up during the build). As we're in Berkshire and the wife's family are in Lanarkshire, that's the max distance we need to cover (about 380mi). Interesting to look at the location of charging points on the main UK routes, for me thats where the infrastructure investment needs to happen. Widespread access to rapid charge facilities (getting you to 80% in 30 mins) are the only really viable options, until then we're still going to be somewhat dependent on hybrid and range extender models. Regarding the 'millennials' - sure, they're more likely to live for the moment unlike us Gen-X and Boomers but then again, unlike us they are burdened with uni debt, are unlikely to purchase a property until their late 30s / early 40s, don't have long term job security plus an equally uncertain future of pensions and NHS and they are bombarded with realtime reminders of how their peer group are doing with all the associated pressure to keep up and put on a good show. I don't envy them one bit...

Page 8 uses the word NEVER a good few times when referring to drilling into / through the chord. I'd never drill or notch one myself, not even to appease a customer . Accommodation of pipework should have been considered at the design stage so best to shout at someone else.

My guess is people wont park their car by their home at all. You will get out of your car at home - then the car will drive itself to an underground car park nearby, charge itself, and be ready near your house when it predicts you will need it next. In fact the whole idea of everyone owning a vehicle will probably disappear - you will just press a button on your phone and one of millions of shared vehicles will arrive seconds later. On the original subject of this proposed future ban - I support it if the idea is just to signal to people that they should think more seriously about buying electric vehicles. However I hope they don't actually go ahead with the ban. By then IC engined cars will be a niche for enthusiasts only - and why not. I don't like the idea of big brother prohibiting things unless there is a very good justification.

Found it. "Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the much older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days." The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."She was right -- our generation didn't have the 'green thing' in our day.Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.But we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household garbage bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property, (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.But too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then.We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.But she was right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day. Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day. Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.But she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then.We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.But we didn't have the "green thing" back then.Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's $45,000 SUV or van, which cost what a whole house did before the "green thing." We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then?"

We have stick built primarily for cost saving, will share the actual cost later but hopefully £50K+ saving, fortunately have some time and energy though I do feel a bit bushed in a good way at 53 and the challenge and satisfaction from it all. Also having the support of my Dad, he's 74 has been invaluable and an opportunity to spend time together. Maybe that sounds a bit odd. I am still enjoying it.....

Moved in to our house in dec.Its not s major project but there is plenty we want to get how we want. We are currently doing a roof lantern in a flat roof which we are going to fit next weds. After that I intend to knock a wall out from the dining room to the room where the roof lantern will be. We have architect drawings and planning for a further extension to the back of the house. I intend to do most of the work myself with the help of my dad who is a carpenter. The wall I knock out obviously needs RSJ to support. I have the architects drawings with the structural calculations which I don't quite understand. Would anybody know what these numbers mean? B1 2/203* 133 UKB 30s.

A bit slow to update the blog, been busy making frames up to the first floor, Caberdek laid to make it all a bit easier to work off, second hand Kwikstage up and 2 x 6m glulams for the ridge. Rafters and counter battens on top for the 35mm Isoroof. Membrane on top. The weather has been great until today. Some photos enclosed.

Can you get two 45 bends on it to kick it into the wall as soon as it enters the room. If you check with the manufacturer of the joists they will tell you if you can drill or not.

My Dad engineered the frame and I designed the building wth some help from an architect friend. We employed an SE for the ridge beams and first floor load. PM me if you want more info.

Yes, yes and yes. For all but the wealthiest and car-obsessed, this is how it will work.

Not sure you can - 40mm in a 150mm would cause issues as you aren't supposed to drill the chords.

Not sure what all the fuss is about. The car will have evolved enormously by 2040, as it has in the last 23 years. For example, the European Car of the Year award was won, in 1995, by that shining example of modern motoring, the Fiat Punto.

Where did you hear 2050? I heard that there was no date for taking existing ICE vehicles off the road. It would be nice to think that a solution can be found whereby the small numbers of classic/older vehicles, doing very small annual mileages, can be kept on the road. Perhaps a mileage based system?

Opps. You are right - just checked and it was 0.087! It was the lowest that the air tester had ever done in 30 years of testing. http://www.houseplanninghelp.com/hph183-how-to-achieve-an-outstanding-airtightness-result/

I wanted to use Genie lifts but had to get six 7.7m beams into the roof space which was a challenge due to having an existing roof in the way .... We used this bad boy ..! Thats a 4.5m jib on an 8m telehandler ..!

There was me thinking the OP was a youngster!

Really? I'd love to see some supporting evidence of that theory. The younger generation are so spoiled and have such a sense of entitlement its sickening. New phone, clothes, cars - no make do and mend here. No valuing what they have an making it last. No second thoughts on jetting halfway round the world on holiday twice a year and off to Ibiza for a long weekend. No chance of being seen dead with a phone more than a year old. What you find with the younger generation as far as I can see is the worst of 'do as I say, not as I do'. They think austerity is not getting their travel expenses paid for at Uni. I could go on, I shan't, I'd be here too long on the sheer hypocrisy of the younger generation, a generation I could be deemed part of.

Just an idea, but can expansion slots be cut in and then finished over?

Surely that is also why Osbo killed the CO2 tax bands last year - haif of the cars were exempt from road tax.

Will you all stop writing interesting posts please. I need to stick to the knitting and get SWMBO's bathroom designed in Sketchup.

Yes but which Technology and Why is it complicated? I am not quite with Jeremy and others on this. I think, can probably prove to most peoples satisfaction, that where we are now is not a particular indication of where we will be in the future. This because although the future itself is not predictable the Soft systems (humans) perhaps soon to be aided by AI that underpin development are predictable in their unpredictability. Although high costs are indicated in moving from one technology to another and vested interest is a serious challenge to change we have, as humans, often demonstrated that such changes when provided with enough pressure (push or pull) our ability to make such changes. So from the time the flint knappers were wiped out by the bronze using hoards to the railways replacing the canals, to the Jet engine replacing the piston engine (and the attendant move from wooden air frames to metal ones) and so on we have demonstrated our propensity to move quite quickly and find the money. Many loose their proverbial shirts while others clean up (pardon the pun). Was it ever thus?

I actually support it despite being a complete petrol head. However for reasons that typing on a phone would take too long to elaborate, I can't see it ever happening.

I would have thought its good.

We would all invite you out. Just remember to bring your trowel

Now you know why I packed in Foremanship... The basic,elementary mistakes brickies make when you're not babysitting them-just shocking. As above-laying hard to the line is a common one,as is offering the level up against the wall with one hand rather than pinching it against the wall below with your foot or knee to get a true reading,not checking for plumb after four courses,not keeping to gauge height blah blah blah. Christ,I'm boring myself now. No wonder I don't get invited out much now...

You can also by very long straight edges onto which you can put a spirit level these can run up to 3m and longer. One technique an old brickie taught me was to use two post at each end of the wall being built with nails in at each course level he then just moved the string up by a nail at each end once a course was complete. He marked them out together and leveled them with a dumpy level so each end was perfect. He had two lead weights on the ends of the string to stretch it straight. He told me the line drooped about 1/16th inch over 20 feet when held taught by these weights.

It's called a spirit level usually a 1200mm length although stabila do a very good 1000m version. You could if you wanted use an 1800mm level to check stuff but it would be a boomerang in no time if it was used by a brickie. If you are paying for a builder who doesn't own rolls of string line then he's not the one for you. And if the said lines resemble a set of rosary beads as he has cut the line that many times then they need replaced.

I did a rough and ready cost comparison for debate on the old forum http://www.ebuild.co.uk/topic/14185-heating-and-dhw-using-an-ashp-or-immersion-based-system-a-comparison/ The conclusion was that if your heating and DHW energy requirement was around or below 2500 kWh/yr each, then direct electric was the most cost effective. As energy requirement increases, so the balance between capital and lower running cost changes. Working out what your actual energy requirement is going to be is something you need to do, especially in relation to DHW as in a well insulated house, this will probably be the higher of the two in terms of energy required. Working out the total of running and capital costs for various permutations of technology and energy requirements lets you make an informed decision which way to go. For us, we went ASHP with wet UFH, 300L cylinder for DHW fed by the ASHP. That configuration works for us because of our heating and DHW requirements. In addition it gives us the capability to cool in summer. The comfort of UFH vs A2A was something I was willing to pay a little extra for (I can't stand A2A heating systems).

I spotted this a few months ago:

And from DEFRA... http://stopsmartmeters.org.uk/official-defra-confirms-smart-water-meters-are-not-compulsory/

You have a right to refuse a smart meter according to Which and Ofgem... http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/do-i-have-to-accept-a-smart-meter https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/understand-smart-prepayment-and-other-energy-meters/smart-meters-your-rights

The one thing they cannot do is use it to cut off your water supply, they are prohibited from doing that with even a manual tap I believe. One thing you can say for sure is that the variable rate tariff will push people into more use of grey water in toilets and the like - much the most sensible thing to do IMO! I am hoping, budget permitting, to have an under garden grey water system for our flushings in the house, Looking at smart meters and factoring in rate rises the cost effectiveness of such a system becomes yet more attractive.