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It was mentioned in another thread that others may be interested in what I built next to the Caravan and why. I started off intending to build a sheltered area where we could dekit without traipsing mud etc into the static. This grew into me adding walls so that we had some additional space. The father in law had an old door kicking about so we put that in and then he asked his builder mate to grab some windows being scrapped when he could so it also has a window in too. The floor deck, I built a frame out of a load of timber and then put a load of pallet wood (scrounged from work over that). Wasnt the best so I bought some OSB and put that over and got a stiff decent floor surface. The platform I built 2.4 x 4.8m so it fit the size of 2.4x1.2m OSB sheets. Used some timbers for the frame of the roof and covered that with OSB. To keep the 'inner' skin dry I chucked up some battens and then some cheapo feathered boarding over it for the walls. The roof is just the cheapest corrugated stuff i could find. Inside i put lino down for a floor. The racking from our old garage is in there along with our old fridge freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer, draws from our old bedroom for the kids clothes, shoe racks, old kitchen table. The space is like a utility room now and gives us loads of extra storage space and somewhere to transition from outside to inside without trashing the van. I chucked a load of old rugs down where I could so it's not cold for the kids feet. It gets dirty in there with mud etc but doesn't take long to set right again. It's not particularly airtight (I sealed any big gaps with cut up memory foam mattress) but it is weather tight. I got a sparky to install electric sockets in there for the white goods and a fluorescent tube light. I think the missus would find it very difficult without that additional space, I'll have a look at costs but I seem to think I spent around £800 altogether, very much worth it though. I'll upload pics once I have had a chance to look at my laptop.

Is there such a thing as too many? I was looking at some pictures on here for how the UFH manifold is temporarily supported (installing mine at the weekend) and noticed that on all the images there is a distinct lack of mesh castles? I thought i needed to put in enough to stop it flexing too much whilst walking on it - i think now that i may have been overzealous?

Many years ago I built a “poachers trap” which consisted of a trip wire and a shotgun cartridge (empty of shot) as were were aware of people entering our small holding during the night, unfortunately the only person I caught was my wife who forgot about the trip wire when feeding her horses first thing in the morning?her ears were ringing fir days?.

@Dreadnaught the red sheet is visqueen radon membrane. My village is ln a list with the local authority where passive radon protection is required - so radon membrane but no need for sump/pump. Joints are done as per the manufacturer's instructions, minimum 150mm overlap, double sided jointing tape 50mm in from edge then single sided tape over the top of the overlap. I used visqueen products for all of it. The double sided tape is good but keep it warm. The single sided not so good. It appears to come off after a while so not 100% stuck down. I think @MikeSharp01 highlighted this issue in another thread. Incidentally I ran out of the single sided so in haste bought some similar stuff from screwfix, cheaper and seemed to adhere far better. The missus preferred using that! Penetrations, I bought some top hats but didn't use them. Reason being is that the soil pipes I left in place have a socket on top which I'd have to cut off to get the top hat over (in hindsight put the pipe through it before installing the pipe?) so I left the missus to patch the hole created with another bit of membrane and loads of tape. I left her to do the corners too - pita! I intend to wrap some foam around the pipes at FFL and just below so if I need to fit a junction socket over it at floor level there will be room for the socket to go on once I've dug the foam out. Two of the stacks will require this. I left the sockets on because I have caps which fit in them and will stop crud going in so its convenient to leave as is for now. Bonding EPS I used Soudal Low Expansion foam - in hindsight I should have bought loads in bulk from somewhere as I used a lot of cans which I hadn't considered. Kept going to screwfix everytime I ran out so probably spent more than I should have on it. I reckon I probably got through 20 cans, I'll have to check. I'm in the Lincolnshire Wolds. It has been hard work and draining, would I do it again - yes, just not in storm season. The weather was probably the thing that kept morale low. I enjoy working on site when its sunny as it's so nice in the countryside, but trying to lay the membrane in Storm Jorge was a particular low point? All good now.

I've had a family and friends texting me saying how will I cope with the isolation... I replied saying that actually going out and being social would be more of a shock to me! lol

You have made such a nice job of the rest of it I will let you off just this once.

Like it's the first time! ? Don't make go to the shed and film unclipping one of mine!

That was the first one I found to illustrate the point. I am sure I have seen it in push fit as well.

Thanks - not a scheme I'd come across, so interesting to know about it. I found a Government PDF which indicates that 'low income, vulnerable and fuel poor households' are eligible, and that the cash is from the energy companies, rather than the Government. Some more at https://www.gov.uk/energy-company-obligation From elsewhere it seems like any Green Deal Certified Installer is able to sign up to install under the 'ECO3' scheme, though no idea if all have. CES are listed.

You can get a version of that grey tripple socket that has TWO boss connections side by side and hence is a little longer. Might that do it?

There will need to be rodding access as well. Maybe ask building control to pop round, or email them?

Dig a bit further down, and then a bucket of hot water over the top to clean it off but that will be a clay pipe. The hole will need to be bigger - half as much again along its length. The simple way to remove is to take a whole section out - start from the middle and work to the joints. Then use Clay adapters to insert some PVC pipe with a standard Y connector. The new stack will go into the Y branch, when you remove the old WC, seal the pipe off with a cap (unless the WC room is going to become something that needs a drain ..??)

Yes after the event and in hindsight but that doesnt solve the problem with a faulty floor. We always use 18mm marine ply on chipboard floors.

The issue with alarms and CCTV is that if you don't have some neighbours likely to run out and have a look or at least peek out the window then an alarm isn't that great - I don't think the police come out to home alarm calls anymore. So you are better investing in means to make your property difficult to gain access to, fencing, locked gates just make it difficult, make it less appealing. Think about the process of a break in - someone passing who wants some cash and an iPad or someone who comes in a van wants to take a lot of stuff. So the opportunistic thief will be put off by decent secure windows and doors, the latter you need to make it as difficult and visible as possible for someone to park near your property and get stuff out. So if you were on holiday or at night could you close and lock a gate at the entrance to your drive or something. Potentially have some sensors that if someone approached your property a light comes on in a room upstairs. Ask a local farmer for a handful of fired shotgun shells and chuck them around the place outside, evidence of a 12bore would worry most!

12ga pump gun --24" --also known as a ALLEY CLEANER--JUST MAKE SURE YOU SHOOT THEM IN THE FRONT

You could add a fully drain around the extension Very small cost involved

Have you already booked in the guys to dig the footings, lay the concrete or build the walls. If not then I think you won’t find anybody to do this for weeks anyway, virus or not, most trades I know are booked for months in advance.

Water - yes to outside supply. I have a room at bottom of garden to run water to aswell. I dont have an island in the kitchen so didn't need any duct for that. Yes to heat pump. I seriously considered running duct for that, decided not to for two reasons: - I dont know exactly how the dice will fall in terms of what goes where in the plant room. - i looked at pre insulated pipes for heat pump, someone on here used them and had to go 1m deep in order to get the required bend. I decided it would be simpler if not ideal to go through the wall once I have everything in place. I considered also pouring the concrete for the heat pump to sit on outside. Decided not to so I'm not committed to locations at an early stage. No showers etc downstairs so no need to put stuff in slab. Door thresholds were at the back of my mind - they will be low, so figured with the internal floor build up there wont be much of a threshold going from in to out. I need to revisit this to check. A mat well was on my list but i had forgotten it so thanks for the timely reminder?

Shout at my kids

The new connection looks the best option. Make sure the chamber is either foul or combined (not surface water). You will need to contact Building Control. You can cap of the existing pipe inside.

Ok. IC - inspection chamber If the existing toilet is where you say it is, then the waste is coming straight through that wall and joining underground with a Y or T into the main run. I would look where the toilet is now, measure it onto the wall outside and start digging down - I think you’ll find the pipe on that wall where you have drawn. And you do know this is all notifiable to Building Control ..???

An interesting video of the retrofit of a compact MVHR in a flat:

Tempted to get a big dog, so we have something to eat at week 4.

I just checked with my mate and we have about 5000 cartridges at home just in case this virus situation gets out of control.

Boys! Geberit do a flexible bend. Bought one. Problem solved. Manufacturer's number 241521001 Yeah, I know, I know. I just haven't got the confidence to take that slippery pig apart again and put something together entirely on my own. Have broom, have bum, stick one in the other and keep going.

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- Switch off - Lock off - Signs - Test my tester on a proving unit or known source of supply - Test for dead - Re test my tester on a proving unit or known source of supply ?

I am lucky to be already drawing my private pension and I love staying at home pottering with a 1001 jobs, my wife works in social services but I am urging her to work from home as much as possible (otherwise I will have to stick her in the caravan on the drive ?).

I've got mostly minor DIY scars. Worst was when I fell off a ladder. I landed on a wood floor and was lying there unscathed, happy I had missed my tool box and thinking I'd had a lucky escape... when the ladder fell on me.