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I reckon that the real half way point is when you think that the build is around 90% complete: http://www.mayfly.eu/2014/04/part-twenty-eight-90-finished-so-only-around-90-left-to-do/

Before you fill any more holes go over it with a coat of white emulsion. You’ll see the worst ones better on a white surface and you can just fill and go with the next layer before you paint again. I use this stuff for small dinks and scratches as it’s white and hardly noticeable and dries really quick.

I too like Multi-Panel, mainly because the large, smooth , unbroken surface is easy to clean and dry - no grout to grow black mould. However, what is the point of using a panel that looks like tile? You get the worst of both worlds. Ours is a sort of glitter effect, doesn't pretend to be anything other than a decorative panel. I don't think it looks anything like a park home - it's about 4 times the size apart from anything else, but opinions differ.

There were 3 Aldi drywall sanders left in store near me last week. Reduced to £30

Easyfill every day of the week....

I'd use screws - nailing up there may result in you patching the plaster board downstairs when the nails pop out. I learnt this the hard way.

Prob is, your brain says use the diamond tipped drill. You convince yourself this is right. Wrong. The drill bit causes the glaze to shell off away from the hole edge and ruins the sink. Do as the manufacturers say and hit it out. Sharp, single taps almost a clout and bingo. It'll snap clean out. They kind of put it where it needs to go . I foubd a pin drift ( a flat faced centre punch ) the best. You won't smash the sink it's porcelain. If you cut with a holesaw you'll regret it. If you were supposed to cut with one the manufacturer would say so. They don't.

It will be hard to compare as everyone will do things in a slightly different order. We built a large garage towards the end of the build and put an extra room on the back. Other people will probably build their garage at the start. And my husband did quite a lot of the labour beyond the watertight stage whereas we had a builder to put the main structure up so it's difficult to make a like for like comparison. However if you do want one we hit half way after the timber frame and insulation were complete, the roof was done, blockwork and rendering were complete, windows and doors were in, first fix electrics were well on the way and we had bought the UFH kit (but hadn't installed it at that stage). Circa 100k was vat reclaimable materials (excl the vat), and circa 30k labour and hire of plant / scaffolding at the halfway (in terms of costs only!) point.

Well I did a reasonably accurate costing to try and work out how we are going to finance the last bit, we have spent about £200K with another £20K to go. So I guess that puts me pretty well at the 90% done stage, so only 90% left to do then. Purely on the basis of finance, half way did not even get us to a wind and watertight shell, that is probably more like 75%

We have slated and rendered the house and garage 90% of electrical is done Three bathrooms are fully tiled I’ve started fitting the bathrooms out but still have baths and taps to buy All plastering is done All sash widows are in and external doors Still half the bifolds to pay for UFH is in downstairs 150 mtrs of ditra is paid for and awaiting the arrival of a 150 mtrs of floor tiles from Italy Spend so far is 135000 and change £21000 of that is laboure mainly on brickwork and some ground works Most other works done ourselfs Exspect to spend another 65000

Our halfway point in costs was a weathertight shell c/w insulation, windows, roof and cladding. Also included was the u/f heating

Of course there is / are. Thats why you mitigate against that with either a blending valve, or a combination of a blending valve and a temp sensor that closes a zone valve at a set temp rise. It'll be as safe as you make it, or it'll be as safe as the manufacturer deems fit to make it as per the instructions that will accompany it upon its delivery. The second resettable stat on the oil boiler will likely not have not operated in time to save the Sunamp unit, however as I have not designed for a boiler instance as of yet, I must admit I haven't asked the question or explored that marriage fully enough to be able to advise definitively.

There is definitely a sense that there could be more hands to the pump. AndyT must look at my name coming up on his phone and cringe, as I think I take up a fair bit of his time with my many Q's and A's. . This week must have been crazy in fairness, but that's not an excuse for you to have not received any attention. For a bit of clarity, SA sell boxes filled with magic goo. A retail supplier. Nowt else. They don't design systems they just give an indication of what type of unit would match your basic remit and give indicative costs thereof. If you went to Baxi for a combi boiler and asked the same of them you'd be given the same response, and then be told to go and consult your plumber. Im not here to promote SA or 'stick up for them', I just like the product.

Plaster doesn’t need a key for paint to stick ... and the easyfill will soak up any dust - if in doubt just wipe with a wet rag.

The panels in the shower room are new sandstone, slightly textured, finish ones, the other bathroom is done with left over travertine style gloss panel offcuts that I'd saved from when I refurbished the bathroom in our old house, so were around 6 or 7 years old when I installed them. I've just checked, and the panels in the old house were installed in 2010, so are 8 years old, and they still looks as good now as they did when I fitted them.

Park home....those static caravans that are on residential parks.

There are some photos of the bathrooms in our new house here if they help: http://www.mayfly.eu/2014/09/part-thirty-three-system-details-and-the-bathrooms/

I'n very impressed with the Mirka hand sander you attach to a vacuum cleaner btw. Expensive at £36 but you can sand overhead and it's nigh on dustless: https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p86220? YES, I know getting a proper spread in would have meant no sanding but it's really very little.

We've had the plain finish Multipanel in the bathroom at our old house for a few years now, and been very impressed with it. Easy to keep clean, no grout lines to clean and get mould off, and a smooth surface that is easy to just wipe clean and remove limescale from. We're so impressed that I've used plain finish Multipanel in the new house, really just because it's easy to clean and stays looking like new for years. Not sure about the simulated tile stuff, TBH, it looks as if it's trying to be something it isn't. The plain Multipanel doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is, a laminated ply waterproof wall board.

2 beers in I'm going to have a go!

Yep - straight on, no dicking about with PVA, SBR or peeing on the walls ....

I'll start by saying I am not a fan of multipanel and would not have them myself. Some friends have had the tiled effect ones in latest house (they had the regular ones in last house) and I can't say I am impressed at all. Looks like a park home to me but what do I know LOL

Ill add more to this later. ? The PCM 58 would do it, and will recharge off the boiler. You just need to cap the max temp of the flow so you don't (cannot ever) cook the PCM and kill the SA.

I think I would want to compare them with other similar products rather than the 11mm multipanels ... for those the popularity is based on the plywood not mdf as used by other competitors core, and the aqualock joints, and long experience. The simulated tiled ones seem to be 3mm thick made of plastic of some sort and are therefore a different animal. The good reputation of the others says they are likely to be good, but would not convince me to take a flier without a recommendation. But I am conservative on such things. F

You know those postcards of Cornwall, they were taken on one day in 1976. Fake News was invented here by Newlyn School of Artists. They don't really show rosy cheeked children because they are healthy, scarlet fever more like. The wives looking out to sea on a stormy day is not because it is exciting, it is anguish over lost loved ones. But the sun is out now, and I have some new cycling longes, so going to try them out. That should scare the children.

Thanks. It seems that EBay are also offering 3% cashback via QuidCo today. F

I heard they emptied most of the reservoirs to dredge them out expecting our usual wet summer and where caught out when that big yellow thing decided to stay for a while. It's either that or all the Belfast Millie's had to get baths to remove all their fake tan caked on from last October. That would lower our water stores by quite a bit.

See @LeanTwo now you know lots of things. The correct way The wrong way An in between way And the joy of buildhub???

What is needed is a change of attitude. Yes it is hot here, but I don't see my water usage increasing massively. I don't feel the need to water the grass, it has pretty well stopped growing just now, why would I want to change that? I don't see the need to clean my car more often. We don't see the need to have a paddling pool. I might shower more often but that is it. So perhaps a hosepipe ban is what is needed to stop people making bad decisions and simply wasting water?

eBay from the Vodafone store? £194.75. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seek-Thermal-Compact-Thermal-Imaging-Camera-for-iOS-Lightning/171986847840?epid=1042037486&hash=item280b370860:g:e80AAOSwX3Fa~orH

The bottom of our service trench was around a foot or so below the water table, so that trench filled with water. It would fill up overnight, so we'd just pump it out the next morning. I think we had the pump running in a hole in the bottom of the trench when the DNO jointing team came out to make the new mains supply connections. I know for sure that their pot joint is under water, as the yellow marking tape was floating along the trench the next day. The intermediate earth strap and rod they put in next to the new pot joint was certainly getting a good low impedance, as it was constantly submerged in water.

Is there perhaps a burst / leaky pipe somewhere?

Is the sink maybe reversible. As in drainer on right or left. Would that mean two overflows?

Dig a hole in the trench deep enough to put a builders bucket in. Bale the water out and take a photo of the trench with the pipe sitting in nice clean gravel. Fill the trench back in and leave both ends accessible for them to do their work. If they ask why you backfilled it tell them it was collapsing in so was a H&S risk. Doubt they will really ask but you will still have the photo just incase.

Perhaps put some gravel around the water pipe so the water from the spring follows it off site.

My normal approach to these is to build them out of OSB or anything else around, precut them and install across the joists above the first layer of insulation, the; put the next layer on top to be removable, and put a notice by the loft hatch. And drill the arrangement into tradesmen quite firmly. But that keeps the heat loss down. Yes to screws. F

Do they need to see the empty trench? Put your pipe in, fill most of the trench and leave just the ends exposed?

I'm too old for childbirth too lol

If you could let me know...I've forgotten...being 61 and all that!

Yes, Openreach removed my overhead supply before demolition in late 2014/early 2015. As I remember, they were remarkably efficient with virtually no lead time and it cost nothing. One guy was on site and it took 30 minutes max.

I’d use an air to air heat pump (ie aircon) as it can cool as well as warm. You can get a self install split unit for £350 and it would be easier and quicker to get the place warm.

Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash!"

Nope - already so far over budget - there is no point in paying an extra £200 to have one wall hung toilet. Advised by architect - and then by builder - could do it all for 100k. Budgeted 25k for contingencies Spend so far £137k