Leaderboard

I thought I would update this with some pics. We pretty much have done it as the above drawing. Engineers drawing is attached too if it helps anyone else.

As for screws you cannot beat these: If the boards are screwed you may be able to just replace the screws with these. Then add more as required. The clever bit is the plain shank. They drill thru the board and the main thread goes into the joist. The plain shank then sits in the drilled hole and the top threads pull the board down tight. https://www.toolstation.com/spax-wirox-t-star-plus-flooring-screw/p31871 Be sure you know where your pipes and cables are though!

Good on the builder fir fessing up, I think his offer is a good one and won’t delay your programme. Must be a great weight off your mind ?

Leave the calyx on, store in a light cool place, no direct sunshine, with a ripe tomato. Once well dried you can move to a drawer. Do not refrigerate until at least orange in colour. Can ripen over six weeks or more. You can store beetroot in slightly damp (no suggestion even of liquid water on squeezing vigorously) used tomato bag soil until at least March in cold and dark but frost free conditions. Cut stems about 4cm above root (do not twist stems off), allow to dry a little before storing.

Mine were just really late. Not out in the growhouse until July 31st. All now in a (small !) paper bag with a banana. Currently have a nice apple smell in the kitchen as I am doing dried apple rings in the warming drawer for the next 12 hours. First batch below was on a string for 4 days then an evening in a cool oven - far too much of a pfaff.

So glad about your "Good news" fella. Can't have you going anywhere. Much too valued on here.

What about One of those light boxes. I think they are used for SAD

And me, I got a plumber neighbour to help me do mine.

There you go @MortarThePoint bonding coat and a bit of skimming.

I can confirm that if you get GHG then it's taken off any RHI you may get later on ie the govt claws it back. Only a grant if you don't qualify for RHI .

Yes I have Quite a lot of hotels would have the underside of the concrete floor skimmed We would simply fill the joints with bonding and Paint gypbond on the whole ceiling and skim with two coats of multi finish the following day

As it happens, dankworth’s Experiments with Mice came up on my Alexa this morning.

A lot to be said maybe then for proper old wood screws, pilot drill, clearance drill etc. All put in with a Yankee! ?

this is why I like to use screws with a plain shank (no thread in the floorboard) they do pull the wood together but are difficult to source.

Different brand but see this video for how they work. Particularly around 2.30 in, he shows how using a "normal" screw you can actually not be pulling your floorboards tight to the joist but in fact cause a gap. I went over my 18mm tongue and groove chipboard floor upstairs with the Spax ones I linked and it cut down the squeaking a Hell of a lot. The floor having been fixed originally with hammered in angular ring nails. The floating floor I did with Spax from the start downstairs has zero squeaks. Feels like a solid floor tbh.

Get them at 400mm centres apart MAXIMUM. There is very obvious bounce ( aka deflection ) at 600mm c’s. Asking for an extra run of strong-back won’t go amiss either and is pennies in cost terms.

Thank you for this, some very good tips. I work 5 days a week and looking to take some leave during the key period of the build. The site is a garden plot so I can easily check in at the start and end of the day. I like the idea of the power of the brush!!! Also the tip about taking on non time/work flow critical jobs. I will be looking to source bit ticket items and spend the time sourcing deals / good prices.

As would resilient bars (I think) which I suppose is a form of counter batonning. It obviously helps with reduce noise transmission which is why I thought it worth mentioning. I learnt this having ripped my lounge ceiling down (boards and bars) and discovering a couple of joists were creaking when walked on. It turns out it was the nails used in the joist hangers - the joists were moving ever so slightly moving causing them to scrape on the metal. Replacing the nails with screws cured it, but then so would replacing the resilient bars (which I did eventually) given we didn't have the issue beforehand.

Counter batonning the ceiling will cure this

Slightly different price range though

You have to be realistic as to what time you have available? If you are retired or semi retired it would be easy. I had to do it whilst working 6 days a week and fitting in spending time with my two children was tough. But as somebody who won't attempt, joinery, electric, plumbing etc this approach saved me money and I have end up with a fairly modest mortgage in my early thirties. Will you supply materials? I did to keep costs low, but you have to become an expert on matters fast. My calculations were pretty good but it took time to work out, research, get prices and then await delivery. I.e. ordered decking recently and had only a few planks left, stressful but again kept the cost to a minimum. Communication is vital. I would keep them updated on progress before they were due to come on site. When actually doing the work minimum would be a site visit first thing and then to have a look in the evening. If you are going for DIY as well then you need to factor in loads of time to do the job. I like doing jobs when they had no other knock on jobs, i.e. painting the external walls. Don't underestimate the power of a brush. Keeping a site tidy is almost a weekend job, contractors would often comment. If the site looks like untidy, people will just add to the mess. Not having a main contractor will mean you got all the extra costs (loo, fencing, site security), for us living in a remote part of the country kept these costs to a bare minimum. With the contractor approach typically taking longer these costs can mount up over extra weeks, months, years! Ensure you have right contractors and they have experience to do the work. Especially if it's something a bit bespoke. You might still need some form of supervision, we used a RICS surveyor to provide inspection certificates (last one is tomorrow!) it seem to me to be the most cost effective way of ticking the lenders box, 5 inspections £1.5k.

I've been told that of you ask (non trade), a 30% discount is likely. A friend of a friend got their order zero vat rated and then a 20% discount without even asking... My quote with them is sitting at £7.5k so I will be asking!!!

I always like to see non but joins, internal corners, 20mm steps forming internal corners , non mortar slip joints

Do boards touch wallsanywhere?

With 2 different foundation systems and on clay there may still be some differential movement. Perhaps design in some movement joints between the existing and extension. Stick with blockwork. Maybe use cement based weatherboarding?

Timber will move on it’s own as it dries so it’s either a quick way to cracking (timber) or a slower way if the piles do move (blocks) I would go blockwork.

I would expect it to be snooker table flat. On second thoughts...

Beetroot crisps? ie Thin slices of beetroot dried on wire cooling trays in the warming drawer. The apple, banana and figs seem to be working but I won’t know for sure until the morning. 3.15 9.15

The force is strong with this one.......

He no showed. There's a surprise. He still hasn't been paid. He'll be back.

You’d still need to be able to get small bore services around too, so a service void is inevitable. The design logistics in the pre-ducted / pre-serviced slabs would be off the chart. And if you’ve got it wrong you’re Donald Ducked.

That wasn't my main concern, but I'm often that lucky! It's one of the first full SIPS builds on this little island to my knowledge so I'm expecting scrutiny and a few interesting questions from the BCO since he may have very limited experience of this sort of build. That's a very useful document you referenced too. It interprets of many horrible documents in a much clearer form - and has pictures! Just what I needed while recovering from the 'flu. (Proper 'flu, not Covid19 or man flu! )