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As Roy Scheider once famously said... "We're going to need a bigger box" Cabin_08_19_2019_1_17_44am.mp4

No chance of hedgehogs where I live unless they learn to swim.... plenty of otters, they used to come into the garden but stopped when I moved in as we have dogs. Visitors from the sky are quite exciting with a golden eagle about 70 meters above the house two days ago and two peregrine falcons looking for lunch today. Tawny and barn owls out most nights and a regular fly by from sea eagles looking for dead sheep. I am about as rural as you could imagine......

Sort of the antithesis of our discovery that we had a visiting otter. In our case, I was puzzled by piles of poo in the garden, mentioned it to the chap that was doing our hard landscaping, who promptly picked the poo up, crumbled it between his fingers, smelt it and pronounced calmly that it was otter spraint. As I was holding two mugs of tea at the time I declined his offer to have a smell of the stuff...

We're definitely not rural. The boundary of our plot (effectively a back garden plot) is bordered by a total of 8 other detached properties. Nearest 'green space' is a graveyard about 200m away. We also get foxes, though not seen any in the back garden for a while, and knew we had hedgehogs visiting but the badger was a real shock - not least because Mrs NSS woke me screaming "BADGER, WE'VE GOT A BADGER" at 1.15am this morning!

Bingo!

Current, slightly unusual visitors are the buzzards for the last few years. Sonetimes one, sometimes 3. I must be used to them now as this year I haven't looked up every time I hear them. They are HUGE and ride the valley thermals I guess. What I cannot get used to is the parakeets that have finally reached us in the last couple of years. The noise they make is totally alien to me. The sparrowhawks continue to take their toll on the wood pigeons. I'd rather they thinned the parakeets out tbh! Various other owls and birds of prey. Haven't had the cockchafers bouncing off the windows at night yet. We'll have 2 or 3 badgers at a time. Used to stand on the patio with my lad in my arms and scatter peanuts which they would eat at my feet. Foxes...I've had 7 within 10-20' of me some years back whilst I stood holding my daughter in my arms. Got it on video somewhere... I'd love an otter though.

ive had 2 quotes here in the East midlands, one from a guy who works on sites a lot said £18m2 blocks- so £1.80 a block and the other was £27m2 supply and demand i suppose good luck

I'm keen to our next kitchen from diy-kitchen after reading numerous positive reviews online around the service, quality and pricing. The only part I'm not so sure about is the design process given that this isn't a service they offer. Can anyone share their experience of how they designed their kitchen purchased through diy-kitchens?

I believe uponor make emmeiti pipe, if they still do then it's best stuff on the market.

I've had several jobs completed over the past 18 months, some were £PB and some were job rate. I am in Scotland - just north of Glasgow so take that into consideration. I would not pay more than £1.50 a block at current prices. I know some will say £2 per block is the going rate. £3 sounds high. My garage was about 480 block and cost me £350.00, it was simple 3 big walls and 2 columns essentially to the front, so 73p per block. Other things I have paid about £1-1.25 a block. Part of my extension worked out to be about £1.30 a block but then there were lots of cuts and lintels and what not so I reckon it all depends on what you need built.

£1.00 to £1.40 round here depending on block grade and pointing

The NSBRC is just a junction up the M4 from me but I didn't know it was there! Thanks v much - will go tomorrow.

Using their manifolds and pipe, 3 years in all is fine. I hve no experience with other brands. I also use a heatmiser stat, but only to control the upstairs direct electric MVHR heater. Works OK, not intuitive and require a lot of button pressing to do anything. What is your context for heating? If ASHP then I suggest you use the same brand controllers as likely you can control aspects like heating / cooling and proportional control through that rather than a more crude on and off type of control using an external stat.

Emmeti are very good at brassware. I expect their pipe is actually just one of the standard ones rebadged. How many zones is he planning ..??

No, I am resisting a smart meter until the law says I must have one. My main objection is they have the ability for half hour metering, so you can have a different rate charged for every half hour period of the day. I don't want that, and fear that is what we will all be forced to accept. the thought of paying 40p per KWh if I have the audacity to want to cook my dinner between 5 and 7 PM is my main objection.

It's nowhere near long enough for us. It takes a fair time to pump heat into the slab, and we use all of the E7 period, not for peak power, but just for the longer time. Same with the car. I can't charge it from almost discharged in just four hours, so it's not really a good tariff for EV owners, unless they don't need to do a long charge from home. For us, E7 makes more sense, and means we aren't forced to have a "smart" meter (which wouldn't work here anyway, so the Octopus Go tariff wouldn't be available)

Well they have a pallet of 640 sink power plungers to help you clear the aftermath. https://www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/auction-catalogues/william-george-auctions/catalogue-id-wi412583/lot-cb671fcf-2aaf-4b4f-935d-aaa00116ceb3 All life is there.

I assume you've not gone with the smart metre either... What are the arguments about smart metres (or am I opening an enormous can of worms by asking)?

In the end we opted for unfinished and followed Peters lead with two coats of Osmo With 26 doors purchase Unfinished is quite a saving

Assuming you only want to comply with the Regs check the required U-value with your SAP assessor (for new build) as SAP gives a lot of design flexibility. The 0.18 mentioned in the Regs is not cast in stone. For better than Regs you may have to increase the cavity to 125mm or 150mm, or even wider, depending upon block and insulation. I'm not a fan of injected cavity wall insulation in new build as there is no way of checking for the presence of voids. At least with built in products you can see any problems and correct them. The 'clear' cavity in cavity walls has nothing to do with condensation issues, it is to minimise the risk of rain penetration. Most insulation products for this application, partial and full fill, are BBA approved as required by the Regs.

I don't know where you are in the country but you might find UKOAKDOORS useful as they have a showroom at Lutterworth, just off the M1 - J20 I think. Failing that, you might find this place more accessible - https://www.nsbrc.co.uk/

Threads:

There are various threads I cannot find. A lot of people use Ironmongery Direct for the furniture. I used Todd Doors, who also often do reasonably priced solid oak (perhaps £150?). Travis sometimes have offers. There are several other suppliers who may be mentioned. The important thing is to go and look. Ferdinand

Yes. A few others do similar. Celotex suspended theirs, which was a shame as theirs had a better interlock to prevent water ingress. Be aware that some u-value claims include for insulated plasterboard and lightweight blocks, neither of which are my favourite.

I’ve had a DIY kitchen at my current house for 10 years now. Really happy with it. But some of the doors have a few knocks and dints on them now, but they no longer make our range. Really wish I’d bought a couple of spare doors as most are the same size in our kitchen.

OK I'll 'fess up. This para was post-self-censored. You really shouldn't have asked that. Or perhaps I should not have posted it. "Coming back to @pocster, if he wants to flood his basement and have a stag party (or @AliG with his swimming pool), there is an entire pallet of 140 "sensational inflatables" blow up ladies. - (very Dallas). Starting price £60. And hundreds of pairs of MMA fighting shorts, a dozen or more really high end BBQs, and 220m of assorted scotia beading. You did ask...

You probably could be, but: * You'd need to be very clear that your company was charging you properly (+VAT) for what it did to make sure the work is visibly part of your company's trading. You can't claim VAT back on things that don't relate to a taxable supply made by your business * Your company would have to be providing (and charging for) the labour as the reduced vat rate is not available if supplying materials only. Nothing to stop you paying the company for your time but you'd have to think about the tax implications of how to get the money back out of the company. * It would probably trigger various other compliance things - safety regulations (CDM), insurance, possibly construction industry employer registration - which might well attract costs and/or hassle * If the amounts involved were substantial compared to your normal trading, the one-off bump might well trigger HMRC to come and have a look so you would want to have everything very carefully documented to be able to show it was all being done on an "arm's length" basis * You may have less comeback on some supplies of materials as the regulations covering selling to the general public don't usually apply to business-to-business sales (one reason some places are trade only). Could be an issue with warranties / returns / etc from some suppliers. So in principle yes, especially if your firm is already in the construction trade as some things may already be covered. In practice, exercise caution and probably speak to your accountant.

I'm just beginning to understand the really deep meaning of the word infinity. The trick is trying hard to remain positive about it : you know the sort of thing - suffer from a bad dose of optimism bias.

I used fire blanks cut to size & ballbearing hinges in our last house & will use them again (possibly with concealed hinges if I can afford it).

(Side note: @pocster added to my "ignore messages" list for the next 2 days. I am familiar with the "malicious communications" laws. ?????. ?) My second bathroom refurb of the year is coming up, so I am back looking at the auctions. This bathroom auction finishes in about 2 days, and it has 900+ items in it. There seem to be a lot of good designer radiators (eg tall and thin) with reserve prices of around £20. There are also half a dozen Crittall style shower screens with reserves of £50 or so scattered throughout. Baths seems to have reservces of £200 for retail prices of £500-700. Some vanity units and decent mirrored wall-cabinets. Lots of showers. But shower trays and screens generally better purchased new. Charges add 40%. https://www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/auction-catalogues/timed/william-george-auctions/catalogue-id-wi412727 and another on the next day I have not looked at yet https://www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/auction-catalogues/timed/william-george-auctions/catalogue-id-wi412729 There is also a Classic Car auction ending in 2 days. https://www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/auction-catalogues/timed/william-george-auctions/catalogue-id-wi412568 There is a Triumph Stag which has been apparently "tarred and feathered" in a Ribena Factory. Guide price a mere £8500. https://www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/auction-catalogues/william-george-auctions/catalogue-id-wi412568/lot-edeea14d-d90d-49b6-9d49-aa9b00f2dad1 My object of lust is the Pagoda Mercedez 230SL, which has unfortunately already reaches 41k. Several Ferrari 355s, and a Green Goddess starting bid £4500. There is also a commercial auction with all sorts of goodies. https://www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/auction-catalogues/timed/william-george-auctions/catalogue-id-wi412583 And there is a closed-down Sushi restaurant coming down the track, for anyone who wants a special feature for their self-build.

Can't beat a tidy site! Just knock up in timber and add 6 lockable castors. Basic structure is easy. I used I think 9"x2" for stringers and treads and knocked up a jig for repeatability, inletting the treads with a router. Treads were glued and screwed in from the side. I added three lengths of studding top, middle and bottom just as backup but it was likely uneccessary. Only got a short bit left off the flight I made.

I don't see the point in your post at all! Just to have a dig and vent? This forum is famed for its friendly atmosphere and helpful members, certainly not those who post simply to poke disgruntled commentary. This is a building forum, a building forum almost entirely subscribed to by self builders and home renovation DIYers or people who take a vested interest in their properties and how it all goes together. The OP wanted to know if it was right or not, we all agreed no it was not (as he himself suspected). You popped up a post suggesting what they would need to do to sort it and made a surmission that it was "Not a quick fix", and that they would need to "...strip back from the top to get at the lower Batons" I then posted commenting on how I suspected the issue came about and how it would need to be resolved and gave some anecdotal information on roofing issues and how these things could come about - things I learnt the hard way because there is not a plethora of roofing information out there owing to the fact it is little done as a DIY project. I suspect it grated with you when I pointed out that you need not strip entire roofs and then explained to you how it was done, it was an education, now you know - might save you money one day. It was a comment given in the friendliest of terms. Now, you will have noticed that people on this forum take a lot of pride in their work and also take a lot of time to detail and explain things, there are some well known members who can easily fill a page with excellent advice and experience to help solve issues or help to be able to best choose a detail, procedure or product. The detail given is fine, and it is always in the detail, so we like fine details! So yes, he does want his roof looking right, and now he probably knows thanks to most of the good posts in the thread that it is wrong, as he knew, and that the builders ought not to complain to much as it is a quick enough fix. So, are you are missing something? Yes, the point of this entire forum! The next time I ask someone about a piece of insulation and I get a whole posting about the pro's and con's and temperature readings and thermal efficiency I will certainly not be lambasting them for posting the potentially irrelevant, but nonetheless very informative and very helpful advice.

Thanks Jack and yes I am although never residential schemes.

My admittedly old sat nav told me I was there and the showroom was on the right. It wasn't - it was a bit further along on a road down to the left. My phone map got me there though so I suspect a newer sat nav will be fine. I'm only 20 minutes away so I went about 4 times before I order but a couple were at weekends when they are very busy so it was easier to see someone to go through my plan during the week. It's a great place. I took my sister once and it nearly persuaded her she needed a new kitchen ---- she definitely doesn't but was so enthusiastic about it when she told a friend, in Bristol, that the kitchens were great and it wasn't worth paying 3 times as much for the one her friend was looking at. The friend made the journey from Bristol to visit (adding in a weekend visit somewhere) and was equally impressed. They now have one and love it.

Roof off and new trusses craned on is an option for my dormer bungalow I've thought about but tbh the ground floor layout isn't the ideal. Knock down and rebuild would be the ultimate. Still, that'll never happen so it's on with the snail's pace "room at a time"! You might be interested in this software that shows the common truss shapes you can get. (The free demo is only good up to 5m span and you can't print out with it): http://www.runet-software.com/WOODexpress.htm

Apparently they shouldn't be fed mealworms for the same reason as not feeding them peanuts. I can't imagine a few mealworms or peanuts in their diet would cause serious problems. Another important requirement for hedgehogs is a place where they can drink. We have a large, 350mm diameter, heavy saucer which the birds and hedgehog use. http://www.hedgehog-rescue.org.uk/feeding.php

Man up: build yer own. A few yards of 9 by 2 for the stringers and whatever is lying round the site for the treads - spare sheets of glass will do. ?

I hope you've fitted the house with the required CCTV / data protection warning signs.

Cabin_08_18_2019 11_58_52pm-1.mp4

Just been reading up on this and according to thehedgehog.co.uk "We also used to suggest chopped peanuts, but recent research shows that hedgehogs eating larger quantities of these, can suffer from brittle bones as the calcium gets leaked out of the system by eating too many." Cat food, particularly chicken flavour, appears popular so may give that a try, but bacon is another no no - presumably they turn into Porkupines ?

Sounds like an interesting project. I'd be inclined to look long and hard at the economics of the changes you wish to make. As @Russell griffiths says, it's going to be a lot quicker, and probably cheaper, to just remove the existing roof and make the changes with a new roof (main advantage is you remove loads of risk, created by working with old and unknown structure). However, this gets into the area where VAT becomes significant, so it may well be worth thinking of being a bit more radical, and looking at the cost implications of a knock down and rebuild. The advantage of this is that the whole job will be zero rated for VAT, which may swing things in its favour. I suspect that, as a part of bringing this old house back into habitable condition you may have to make it comply with current building regulations, which will mean upgrading the insulation level, probably rewiring the house as well as quite a few other smaller changes. Perhaps a good start would be to look at the costs of just doing the work needed, taking careful account of the risks involved (there are bound to be a lot of structural unknowns in a house that's been around for around 90 years) and then comparing the costing for doing that with the costing for a rebuild. Apart from the VAT gain for a new build, there is also the fact that you start with a clean slate, so can get exactly the house you want (within the limitations imposed by the plot). We tend to want different things from a house now than we did in the 1930's, like more space for appliances, changed usage of living spaces, etc, so there may well be some gain in value from a new build, that offers something that better suits what people look for in a house today. Is there any specific reason for not increasing the ridge height? Planning policies can restrict this, but there may be a valid argument that can be made to support increasing it, and giving more usable volume. A lot will depend on the local street scene, and whether a larger, taller, house would fit in with neighbouring properties. Might be an idea to see if you can get pre-application advice from your local planners. Sadly many local authorities now charge for this, but it can be money well spent, in terms of gaining a better understanding as to whether your proposal is likely to be acceptable. Always worth bearing in mind that there is a assumption that panning consent will always be granted unless there is a valid policy reason to refuse. It doesn't seem like this at times, but that is how planning law is worded.

Hi, welcome to the forum. I would check carefully that there isn't any asbestos.

The time you have altered it and faffed about, you may as well cut the whole roof off and use attic trusses, get a crane in and get it all up in a few days, cover the lot in a scaffolding tent to save losing anytime over winter.