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That is exactly my experience. I used a 14" steel jointing spreader for the FST, and used 40m crown staples to fix the boards to either timber framing or battens on the walls. I struggled to get Fermacell filler so used standard Alabastine filler for the staple heads and gaps. If you have reveals or returns to do then a cheap router with a laminate trim bit is ideal, cheap belt sander and extraction is always useful too !

Actually it didn't pour and it was really great weather on Monday for the main slab pour which was a real help for the guys. They poured the 300mm thick slab - all 79m3 of it - all in one go, so it was a long day and the kicker took a lot of time as it was levelled with a trowel. It caused a few traffic problems when the first lorry was a long 8 wheeler and blocked the road, but after that 6 wheelers meant that cars could get past. As it is waterproof concrete and is covered by a 20 year warranty the waterproof guys had one person in the concrete plant mixing in the chemicals (dont ask - certainly not green in any way), and a second person on site monitoring the pour and checking it went in OK. As it turned out - perfect! Our contractors on site worked really hard and kept up with the deliveries and apart from not getting a break until 2:00pm (we brought them well deserved doughnuts!) it was all done and tamped down by about 4:00pm. They were able to walk on it the next morning and then proceeded to remove all the shuttering and timber formwork and started to build the shuttering for the walls that will get filled with yet more steel and more concrete. We can really start to see it taking shape and get a sense of the height of the walls. Also there is a really good solid base to work from and with the pump running the water is much more manageable. In the picture where they are pouring the last of the concrete you can see all the water that was on the membrane floats and gets pushed to the last corner where they have to bail it out so the concrete doesn't get too wet. The upside of doing a pour like this is, oddly enough, the cold and wet; doing it in the summer heat and dry means the concrete can go off really quickly and be difficult to work quickly enough. There was some mud on the road as a result but in comparison with the local farmer cutting his maize its nothing - the rest of the road by his fields is a real mess, and I dont think he has any intention of clearing it up like we will. So just some pics this time as the camera batteries had a funny five minutes and we failed to catch the epic pour on video - we joked that we might ask them to do it again - they said if we paid for more concrete - so photos it is!

My architect recently posted about the following book which has just been released by someone he knows: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Right-First-Time-Architects-Successful/dp/178133420X/ I can't comment on whether it's any good, and I'm a bit late in the process to be reading such a book, but it might be worth a look if it sounds of interest.

Usually a 10mm hex key. They are not designed for frequent operation... I wouldn't go near it, because if it goes wrong, you're in a world of hurt. If it were me, I'd dig down near the connection, and install a Toby box. Squeeze the pipe off, cut and connect.

Yep agree, tile the lot and don’t worry about missing tiles etc however .... I’ve seen a couple recently where they fitted the end panels and on a tiled floor they used 2mm silicone bumper “dots” on the bottom edge of the end panel to lift it slightly. Then all you do is a bead of clear CT1 under the edge and it is both sealed to the floor but also slight off the floor so should be protected from water.

Re Water, get in touch with Scottish Water straight away and request a quote for a new water supply. That will tell you exactly where the nearest water main is and the cost of connection. Don't get put off, there is a lot of work in getting a bare plot up to speed and a lot of things to check. I am not sure if you have made a formal offer yet, but if not, try to find a solicitor who is experienced in buying plots as he will know what is needed and what conditions to put in the offer to make sure it does not conclude until all hurdles have been crossed. A little cheeky tip to save a bit on the ground works. when I was preparing my site entrance I came across the fact that anyone working adjacent to the road needs to hold a minor street works permit. BUT if there is a fence, then working inside the fence does not need that. So I erected a very temporary fence right along the edge of the road and used my own digger to excavate and lay the MOT1 base for the road entrance. Then when that was done I removed the fence and paid a contractor to lay the tarmac on the base I had prepared.

No 1, read the exact wording of the planning condition and understand it. It might as well as specifying the size of the visibility splay, say something like "must demonstrate control over the land" The EXACT wording is crucial. Then go and look at the land armed with a long surveyors tape measure. Measure it out on the ground. Work out what needs to be done to make the visibility splay. Trees cut down, fences / walls moved, bank needs excavating etc etc. Only when you know what is involved can you get an idea. Whoever does the work will need to be a contractor with a minor street works permit as they are working at the roadside. Depending on the exact situation traffic control may be required. What is the type and speed limit on the road? I am guessing national speed limit as they have specified 90 metres. And what could be the crucial part, who owns the land you need to make the visibility splay? are they happy for you to do the work? Do not complete on the purchase until you are SURE you can achieve this at a fair cost.

Hello, was looking into the available options of Floor Joists and was wondering what people in here are using. I read a lot about the advantages of the Open Web Joists , e.g. plumbers/electricians do not have to cut out parts of the Joists, Lightweight, but also seen that they are quite expensive. At least where I seen them. I-Joists seem to be the best of both worlds and I read in another Forum that they do not get the problems of the Open Web Joists of sometimes sagging after a few years , especially on wider spans. And then there obviously is the traditional 2x10 or 2x12 Timber Joists. Solid and Cheap - I do think they are still cheaper then the other 2, but I'm not 100% sure. But they have the problem that you have to cut out openings whenever you want to run pipework or ducting through the ceiling, which probbaly is VERY often in a house with MVHR . So please give me your Ideas and why you chosen your Joists . Obviousy a lot of you will havenot chosen at all but being given what the Kit-manufacturer is delivering, but others might have already looked into the pro's and con's .

Window cills .old granite worktop .and oak fire door. And oak for the doors and door frames.and honey and hive parts

From one hive you can get 100 lb I get 50lb a hive the honey in the blue crates is the same but it's colder now

I recently had to reduce a lip on my garage floor outside the door which led to rain running back into the garage, I ground off about 5mm to nothing and it worked well. ? I have used it on other places where “lumps”had to be removed.

Oh, thing of beauty!

Crumbs that’s super neat !!!

It’s a small propeller type spindle that you can buy as a spare for a few £10’s. Easy enough to change too. https://rover.ebay.co.uk/rover/0/0/99?loc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fp%2F2256002575%3Fiid%3D173512321204 Try that first and go from there ??

The 150mm stuff? It's ubbink insulated duct, there are joints and support brackets which you can use as clamps.

I would strongly advise resin bound. The very first house I owned had the private parts of the roads were done in resin bonded, and it was hopeless. On the corners, the sidewas forces of a car driving around a corner was too much and the cars wore two clear channels through to the tarmac below. The builder re did it but the same happened.

Above link grinder fits a 4” angle grinder. Surface does not have to be perfect as tile adhesive will level off small imperfections.

We have it. It has been down for a year and so far it appears to be the finest driveway I have ever seen. No sign of cracking whatsoever, no weeds and water drains away no matter how heavily it rains. If built properly it should last a long time. This involves a layer of well compacted type one, we kept topping this up as the build went on so by the time we came to do the driveway it had been compacted by two years of trucks driving over it. Then a layer of tarmac and the bonded gravel on top. It is very expensive as basically you are laying a tarmac driveway and then another gravel driveway on top of it, it the gravel all has to be laid in one day to avoid joins. I think we paid £92 a square metre but this was for 270 square metres. Generally I would expect tp pay around £100 a square metre to have it done properly.

Looking good! May I propose BuildHub-branded honey?

Re visibility splay.. Unless its a very large plot its unlikely the visibility splays fit within it. The next best thing is for them to fit within the highway verge. Get a decent plan and draw the visibility splay on it. Check who owns the land under it. If its not part of the highway verge you should get the vendor to sort out the visibility splay. If the vendor owns the land under the visibility splay then speak to your solicitor about giving you a covenant over that land. It might require changes to both the plot deeds and the vendors deeds. If the vendor doesn't own the land then beware. The vendor should get the necessary covenants in place from the owner. To do this he may have to pay the land owner. This could be a lot of money because the owner knows you can't build house without it. In effect the land owner can hold you to ransom. Don't let this issue put you off unless the vendor is unable to give/get you the covenant needed. However it would/could be risky to purchase it without it being sorted in writing

I found cable basket was way way cheaper than tray, despite being just as good. £5 for 3m I recall, for a 50x55mm one

Naaaah. The electricty, water come at The Piggery - not the house- precisely to avoid that issue. Called Brick shed in the image below. ( Because the Planners might have declared us a brown field site - Psst! need Some home cured bacon?)

You can set the blades down to just a few mm.

If only. Bad day, just waiting for SWMBO to come in so I can hit the beer (knowing I've not got to go out again)!

Quite controlable if your careful. https://www.screwfix.com/p/segmented-diamond-grinding-cup-125-x-22-2mm/4108v

AS @ProDave flow switch is one cause, as can be a diverter valve fault. We had a diverter valve fail on our old Vaillant, when it was around 7 or 8 years old.

Flow switch would be my first check.

Only if your caught.

Not my house, it is the useless architects that designed it. They fell into the trap that small is cheaper, though they also knew that they would never live in something so small. How much would an extra 7m2 really cost.

None taken.

How many other properties does your feed supply?? Can you trace it back along the road and find a stop valve where you could turn the water of for a few minutes and connect your Toby then turn all back on again.

I have done the same in my utility room as well, I don't want a washing machine leak letting water under the sub floor. Agree with others, tile the whole lot. If you are running short on tiles you can even tile under the units with leftovers or not worry about matching a pattern. Anything is better than nothing.

The purchase of a plot can take a long time, compared to a house. But it does not mean you have to delay making an offer. You just make your offer with a set of conditions, and it might take a long time to clear all of those. For instance when we found our plot it did not even have planning permission, so our offer to buy was subject to planning permission being granted, and we all then waited while the planning application went through.

Is the splay going to be on your land, if so and it's yours and your neighbours then you can probably just get on with it. Often you will note a kerbstone at a intersection of land which is sunk fully into the ground, seems weird, why is there this kerbstone that has been sunk flush with the running surfaces? Well, this is so that the local authority or land owner on one side can do what they want and not impact the running surface on the other side. So it may be you can simply have it done, clear anything in the way, take your access up to the current road surface and have them seal the joint with tar and or have a concrete section laid or get the council to do only this section. I would also not worry too much about it, my thinking is you will probably have utilities coming into your site, bung the guys a bit extra and when they are digging things up anyway have them incorporate the splay, clear any bits etc. Of course, everything above may be useless if you don't actually own the piece of land this is going onto!

It does but maybe only by 2mm ...

Perhaps modern minimalism has had its day: time to embrace ornamentation again. And I love the hashtag #DotD (downpipe-of-the-day). And I'd love to have downpipes like this…

Looking at you spirit level, does the screed ramp up toward the threshold? If it does maybe you could grind it down or reduce the adhesive for the lat 100mm. What goes in the gap?

Here's how I've done mine, semi-flexible silencer only on supply for now. I have space to do the same on extract at a later date if needs be.

Is the road actually classified? (My understanding of roads in *England* is that if it is unclassified, and there are no other hindrances such as others owning land in between, driveoverrights to acquire, change of height etc you can just create an entrance. May be worth a check if your road is unclassified. I know this because when I was talking to the Council about drop kerbs in a town centre they expressed surprise that the 50m of road where my house was was not classified, and both ends were. But I may be overgeneralising the conclusion.) Ferdinand

Not sure if it is the same as in England, but during our Planning Application, we had to liase with Highways about the visibility splays.They were happy our entrance has enough visibility, but we have to keep the splay clear etc. One condition is that we have to have a bespoke dropped kerb (yes, another application) even there is no footpath on our side, with all the drainage/surface info to be supplied etc Luckily highways own the verge, and we didn't have to purchase rights over it. The application was about £110 and the quote from their approved contractor is £4200 and it seems I can't negotiate a better price. Meanwhile, the local farmer removed the relevant section of hedge, removed some spoil, put a bit of hardcore and moved a gate for £400 as a temporary measure. The main thing is that your permission includes the entrance. Cost and details, you just have to suck your teeth (it seems to me!). Good luck.

That is the best way ... make the vendor responsible. (If it gets more complex, then we can go into that). btw Manual For Streets is here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/341513/pdfmanforstreets.pdf As one aside, if they are requiring that the 30mph zone be extended beyond your new entrance, then they should perhaps not be arguing for a National Speed Limit linked visibility splay, 'cos there own requirement is 30 mph. And you could use the other condition to argue that they should be using a shorter splay - but making the vendor do it is easier. (And if they can't do it, then you can reduce your offer if you think you can ?).

What details do you have of this? This is as much, if not more of a show stopper if there is no solution. Is mains water available? If not what private source is proposed? Has it been tested? What is proposed for drainage? Have any percolation tests been done? It it vital that a solution to these is found before you proceed.

As per @Declan52, correct PPE for a saw is helmet with face guard, ear defenders, chainsaw gloves, boots and either chaps or trousers. Overhead work I also use a Class 1 jacket. As my instructor said to me, wear that lot or wear running shoes, as a chain running at 14m/s can move faster than you ....

Well some progress. For those who wanted a picture of silencers... All suspended off chains but could easily be done with something more sound proof. The 150mm flexi pipe I've used to join the silencer to the MVHR is a pain to put on and its not overly robust. I've ordered some more connectors and I will put these into the ends of the pipes and then slide the flexi over that. All mounted in an unheated attic - it takes a lot of time to do all the insulation in amongst all that timber. Hope that's what some of you wanted to see.

I'd guess that it should be possible to build a solid garage floor that's a fair bit lower than the house floor, then cover that with an insulated floor to bring it up level with the other habitable areas when it's part of the utility room. If there's a need to convert that space back to a garage, then remove the raised flooring along with the partition wall.

I think a fall away from the house door is an acceptable alternative. Make a flat section by the door so that wheelchair users have no risk of rolling away whilst opening the door.

Seems expensive. For regular beams.

What do you mean by 'attach bearers into the existing walls'? Yes, if we went for brick on the outside and timber inside, we'd have steel posts from the beams to the foundations. The plan was to have about 90mm Celotex between the joists, and then another 75mm ish on the inside - so the steel columns would only have 75mm inside of them. There may only be 2 steel columns to worry about though - one each end of the main girder. Because the steel at the end of the room would be past the glass doors (there's a 500mm ish overhang). So would that be ok? Thank you for the advice, much appreciated. If we went brick and block, how would you go about insulation?

The width of the cavity will be determined by what you want to end up with. Some installers use graphite beads which will give you a better overall u value which means you can have a narrower cavity. You will have to contact the various companies near you to find out what beads they do and then what width will meet building regs. If you want the house warmer then the cavity will have to be wider,150mm at a min but that's up to you. Beads will be blown in under high pressure so fill every single gap. As they are covered in glue they set in the cavity to form a single lump with tiny holes for any water that gets in from the outside to trickle down to the bottom. Rockwool and cavity boards you are at the mercy of the guy putting them in. If they don't get put tight to the wall then heat escapes and the expensive insulation is worthless. With Rockwool drops of motar can leave air gaps as well. Icf would work as well. How is access as you will need lots of concrete and a big pump.

It is .... for timber frame new builds ..! The whole house shrinks and the expansion gaps in the window heads and other openings take up the slack. Ask him how he wants to detail the flat roof upstand junction with the main house to allow the timber frame to drop by 20mm with shrinkage and not tear the membrane roof..?