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To ProDave and everybody else who helped me here, thanks so much! All works a treat now and no more loose wires about! Wago connectors worked brilliantly! Open neutral it was indeed. Whats great is that I have also learnt something in the process.

Well it has been some time since I did an update. Really busy at work and of course with the house. Things have slowed now as money reaches an end, and as time goes on the finishing will be on a "when can afford" basis, but we always knew this, and one of the points of this whole exercise was to end up with a house we could never have afforded to buy of course. So the stonework is all done and looking great, and I have built the stairs and gave them a temporary coat of paint (they will be carpeted and the outer wood stained and varnished). We even have a stone from a Saxon church incorporated into the house wall. This was found incorporated into then old drystone wall on the site which had collapsed and identified by the archaeologist we had to have on site. He said use it maybe as a garden feature but I felt that it would one day be lost so had it incorporated into the house wall - I plan to get a little plaque made for future generations to know what it is (there had been a Saxon church on the village green about 10 metres in front of our house before the "new" Norman church was built). Next job is to finish the floor insulation. This is to be 200mm thick with a 100mm screed and just under a kilometer of UFH pipes laid in. So far we have the first 100mm in and I saved a fortune by buying seconds for that. At the end of the day it doesn't matter how pretty it is! Also, I've struggled to see why most of it is even "seconds" actually - one lot had a makers date of only 3 weeks earlier, was still shrink wrapped and immaculate. It is not foil faced, and initially I bought some "proper" foil faced Celotex for the top layer. But I did wonder about the function of that foil in reality and what if anything it actually adds to the function. Reading a post on Buildhub suggests nothing in fact, with the poster stating that he believes that foil facings only serve a purpose with air space in front to reflect "into". This kind of coincides with my own thinking and so I'm planning on doing the top layer in "seconds" too. I'm not convinced that even if the foil does some reflection of heat, that it would make a measurable difference between 200mm with foil facing or 200mm without. There being a polythene sheet of course over the top of the insulation before our 100mm thick concrete screed. The 50% saving on buying first quality from the builders merchants will buy us one hell of a lot of gas heating anyway, and if I've calculated correctly, several years in fact. The panels we got have a thin glass fibre covering which also makes them if anything stiffer than the purely foil faced ones. In total, they've allowed me to do the insulation for about half the price by buying them by the pallet load. In the photo is the "snug" room, which is about 7.5m x 3.5m to serve as a sort of second sitting room with the large TV in it. The beauty of this room is that should we need it in years to come when maybe stairs become an issue when we get old, it will make a downstairs bedroom quite easily. Shown here, it has the first 100mm of insulation down.

If you want to send me a drawing I’ll give you a rough idea of what you should need and expect to pay for labour

How about asking for a recommendation on the Plasterers’ Forum? https://plasterersforum.com/forums/public-looking-for-a-plasterer.91/

Can you put your general location up here so maybe someone can recommend boarders and skimmers for you ?

Yup. As the OP house is open plan ground level to entry level, 1 up 1 down ( split level over 3 floors ), then FR ( fire rated ) boards would do very little as the flames shot up the stairs. Guy that said that is just repeating what he's seen elsewhere with no cause or reason. NEXT!

Definitely a job for a planer thicknesser. A decent sized one with carbide tipped blades would bring all those planks to a consistent thickness pretty quickly and take out any twists/bends that are less than the thickness you want to end up with. It's not a big job, maybe an hour or so tops for someone with the right machine, and the key to getting decent planks out of it will be using a pretty hefty industrial size machine. The saw mill near us would do this while you wait, but it's a bit far from you. Have a hunt around and see if you can find a good local saw mill that has a big planer thicknesser and ask them what they'd charge. I reckon it would be worth getting them done properly, as I don't think you have a hope in hell of getting those boards flat and even with a hand held electric plane, TBH.

I came here expecting a fight about Thermal Mass. #DisappointedOrWhat

I've been lurking around here for past 6 months or so & finally decided to say Hello to all. It's wonderful to see so many amazing projects from the grounds to completion. Majority of projects here are truly inspirational, but my current circumstances don't allow to go for a self-build / refurb at least for 1-2 years. Still, I'm keeping my eyes open for a suitable plot and later sell the house to fund the cost of the build. We currently live in Wigmore (very close to Luton airport). Hoping to make some good friends here Thank you in advance. Sunil

Ok ... plate at 30 degrees to the wall - bottom touching. Slide it up and when it’s compressed the springs push the plate back to the wall at the top that should let you hook the top over the backplate

Ahh that's lower Almondsbury, I'm the other side of the A38. It is nice there, we moved here for the Primary School and at the time we were looking there were very few properties on the market. The house we bought had 10 offers on it as the size of its plot meant it was very attractive to developers, luckily the then owners wanted it to go to a family so we were lucky and happy it became our home.

I know it was an awful experience for you Lizzie, but thank you so much for posting about it. I hadn't given a great deal of thought to it, but now the smoke alarm system is high on my to-plan list. I've also started unplugging my hairdryer and straighteners at home, something I have never done previously. There but for the grace of god, and all that. I've also discovered that we have 2 powder extinguishers in the garage, according to OH, so I will do all the necessary there and put them somewhere more accessible. Thanks again for the post.

My alarms are mains......hopefully electrician will be in touch tomorrow and we will get to the bottom of why they did not work. Meantime have bought some battery ones to cover us until we find out what the problem is/was with mains linked ones. TBH I think I will keep the battery ones operational too and get them put up in the individual bedrooms (we only have a mains one in corridor to cover bedrooms). Fire extinguishers and fire blankets purchased and I hope to get some guidance from local fireman on how to use. I sincerely hope I never have to use!! I am very lucky being single storey and my garden hose was just outside the slider so it was very quick to get it in and on once the electrics were off. Water everywhere, good job I have tiles not wood or carpets.........I have 6 bar of pressure and I had the hose full on! I am now researching which plugs to pull out of the sockets and which can be safely left in.......turning into my Mother who used to unplug everything before she went to bed. Can't do that in our new airtight house though.....mvhr, ufh, boiler, the list goes on. I was amazed today at just how hot the TV got - def taking those plugs out when I go on hols or maybe even just to bed. My dear OH has bought me a new hairdryer and that definitely will not be left plugged in!

I had one of them work for me I told him to keep an eye on his angle He replied ‘I keep one eye on my work and the other on my wallet’ He didn’t last

Never believe the marketing shit!!

Ha, I know you have this stuff and that it isn't yours. I'd have been at your doorstep with a pile of oak and a case of beer otherwise!

Not from there - I've posted on my builder I get to vet those interested before anyone gets my contact details. Weirdly I am getting responses from Sheffield, Doncaster, Huddersfield and Chesterfield - Sheffield and Donny aren't too far if you are on my side. Not a single volunteer from Barnsley - perhaps BB has had me blacklisted Haha!

Hi. Firstly, Building control will tell you what goes where, it's not for 'consideration' . If your building a block internal then you'll be tying the leaves together so get an angry man with a BFO petrol cutter to cut back the buttresses ( pillars ) and fly right through with tied and filled cavity walls. Next is the floor. I very much doubt you'll be allowed to full fill with concrete as that won't pass BC either through lack of insulation. On the last one I did, I laid 125mm iirc of EPS directly onto the garage floor over the DPM ( checking it was level first which it was ) and then finished the floor with 2 layers of 18mm P5 floorboards. That felt better than walking on a timber joisted floor, very solid. The internal cavity walls were covered with 65mm insulated plasterboard dot n dabbed over blue grit. You could prob get away with thinner boards on the walls if you cut back the pillars and full fill the cavities. Sounds to me like you need a chat with your BCO first, then come back here, and then get a builder out once you've decided on the method of construction. ?

The stair components are all done but the nosing and annoyingly that’s the bit I need to start with. ( I have already made it once but I really should have measured both ends of the piece instead of making assumptions. Either way I need to make it again and the person whose thicknesses it is decided to change the irons on it this week otherwise we could have been done this weekend (if I wasn’t at a wedding in Dublin until Thursday ?)) but yes I do have access to the machines that could do this work quite easily BUT they are not mine so I would feel a little rude offering out their services. Also iirc we arnt that close really so transporting the timber would negate any savings made.

We have just plaster boarded our first floor and used 3 types of board - Standard boards for the ceiling and external walls - boards with sound proofing properties for the internal partition walls and then moisture resistant boards for the bathroom and en-suite. Interestingly the sound proof boards weigh in at 6 kilos heavier than the standard ones.

It’s one of those tools you will never use for Long or very often but when you need one they are invaluable.

Also when stacking the boards together to make the top remember to alternate the end grains to minimise the cupping. ??

It would be a hateful job but you could step up a jig for a router to flatten the boards. Then finish them with a belt sander.

Could you overboard your current table. Use big bolts countersunk into it to pull the warp in. You could even heat treat the bolts to make them appear older. Change the legs to metal/oak and you have a new table.

The saw mill chap was talking to me about this a few weeks ago. For air-dried oak their rule of thumb is one year per inch plus one year, so a 1 inch thick board would take 2 years, a 2 inch thick board three years, etc. That's for rough sawn boards stacked up in their yard outside to season.

Pretty sure that's wrong for an internal ceiling of a dwelling. We had to have pink in the garage, but not in the house.

My super fussy warranty inspector said nothing about where I've already put normal plasterboard up in the downstairs bathroom and this is the guy who has had me writing to various different companies to get them to put in writing for him that their products (in use in buildings nationwide already) are "suitable" - and to be honest, if it was remotely possible to find an objection, my guy would have done it! If you check the manufacturers web sites and sellers like Jewson, B&Q, wickes etc (because sometimes they've beaten trade prices for me on some things!) they actually describe their standard plasterboards as "suitable for walls and ceilings".

Don't want to rain on your parade but you may need to take advice from a pro because, IIRC my timber technology from way back, your thickness is going to take more than a few years to season fully and when you plane it you will get down to less seasoned wood which may warp again. There is a real art to seasoning long length hardwoods for cabinet making - long time / very slowly as near the finished thickness as possible and absolutely flat. I have friends who do it and 5 years is nothing to them. You could sell your planks and buy 295mm wide by 20mm oak planks ready for cabinet making, not the same as grow your own I agree, from HERE (where I get mine) but there must be someone closer to you. Another way to go would be to use your planks cross wise on the table that way any warping will be less pronounced. Alternatively go for a more rustic look, maybe with gaps between the planks which can accommodate any warping.

Zero. But please can I watch you try?

What's 'eye-watering'? There are loads of metal legs available on eBay / Amazon. Depends what you have in mind I guess. Industrial Table Legs

I think you would want steam as well as heat, and the bending needs to be a different operation from the planing. You could presumably build a frame and runner to guide your plane, and an electric plane may do it. I am sure that various of us have them - tbh I would not let mine loose on that without some idea what the condition would be when returned. The best people to ask would probably be an oak table factory ?. Or a smallish timber merchant who have their own kilns etc. Or a joiner who starts from the tree or the plank - they are probably around under categories like "artisan". I recently saw a documentary where there was a business who supplied the components for chairs to a furniture company, and their core busines was bending wood. But no idea how common such are more widely. For the base, what about making some trestles? Ask here? https://www.woodworkuk.co.uk/forum/ F

Have a look: https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/ There'll likely be a hobbyist / home fabricator lives near you who could knock something up! Maybe in st/st? https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/stainless-tables.73668/ They're a nice bunch over there.

Re the steel frame, I would look at buying a cheap table with a cheap top but nice base, and just putting your Oak onto the frame of the cheap table.

I have got a thicknesses/planer and planed old oak boards but it killed the blades, old oak is very hard and contains stuff that blunts blades fast. I guess a joinery shop would give you a price for doing this on an industrial machine and probably join the boards fir you as well. Google “joinery near me”. As far as metal frame, again google “steel fabricators near me” (small firm would be best for small jobs). If you were near me I could weld something up for you.

Perhaps not in an area you would likely to extend the house over in future

If it wont cost much to fix then I am assuming he will be happy to pay for it!

If they are not crushed very well you will likely have a lot more voids that will need to be filled with soil over time causing the surface to pucker as the soil is washed into the voids over time by the rain etc. So for a bit you will need to keep topping up the surface. Once the voids are filled however it will be very stable you could speed this up by blinding it with a sand layer and washing it in with hose. If their quote included crushing it I think I would insist they did.

Tracking back and forth over them with that big digger will be more than enough to drive them into the ground.

This is the one I have https://www.qssupplies.co.uk/bathroom-furniture-shower-taps/63819.htm Comes with a standard round push plate, but of course that was no good so for one we bought the big rectangular flush plate, and the other, the smaller square flush plate. I don't recall where I bought it from but it was a similar price to that.

Already mentioned above

We are becoming a rare breed ! Maybe all stonemasons suffer from perfectionism..... makes me feel better. Glad you got it sorted out, it looks way better. Onto the next task......

Got a roof rack ..?

Around here used Heras panels with feet and clamps have a pretty fixed second hand value of £15 per panel. There's a steady demand around here for second hand panels, as I had to buy a few extras and then when it came time to remove the fencing I had offers to buy it before I'd thought to advertise it for sale. Doubt they would fit. IIRC they are about 2m high by 3m long (maybe a bit longer) so even on the diagonal they are probably too big to get in a transit, and they'd be too long to be able to close the rear doors.

Having just enjoyed a lovely shower with oodles space for me I got the tape out........mine is 900 wide from wall to glass screen. Glass screen is 1500 long. The former under the floor (I have tiled floor not tray) is 900 x 1700. The glass screen does not need to be the full length of the 'wet' area I have it just to deflect the large amount of water coming out of the big shower head. From end of former I have another 1000 to wall so a big enough access. Overall length of my shower area is 2700 with 1500 screened by the glass, water rarely travels past the 1500 glass level and I do splash about a bit. Love my shower:-))

The seller and the buyer will have to agree how monies will be transferred to pay the additional stamp duty. Funds provided to solicitors as part of a house purchase have to go through money laundering checks so they will have to be clear to the solicitor(s) what is happening and make it clear to them that there is nothing underhand going on here. For the reasons that @Alphonsox gives, it would also be advisable for the loan to be written into a legal agreement, perhaps as a preferential loan which takes precedence in any estate management should the worst happen to the buyer. And, assuming the eventual owner of the sellers house will be the mother, when her house does sell, the additional stamp duty (3%) will be refunded (although there is a limit of, IIRC, 36 months) so some funds could be repaid sooner if that house sells quickly.