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Whenever i looked at "off the shelf" stairs, I found they only came in certain "floor to floor" heights. and none matched what I have. Instead I got mine from stairbox.com, made to measure and not very expensive. There are others like TK stairs and pear stairs also worth looking at, with on line design tools that give you an instant price.

I think pretty much everyone has the thoughts of ‘just buying a completed house instead’... In reality you will do that a few more times yet. But when you are in the house, you’ll forget how bad it was and be really proud of what you have created.

Just some feedback on this. He went and said it was excellent. A very knowledgeable tutor who was also very engaging.

It should remain full, the excess is discharged via the vent pipe. They do getr gummed up with sediment and gunk that needs cleaning out occasionally

Welcome ...! Quick tip if you’ve hired that JCB Telehandler ... never park them up with boom extended as they can throw restart errors. You also risk the damage to the boom by other stuff such as your dumper or 360 hitting it as the boom sections are black and not easily seen... That is a £10k repair ..! If you want to practice then get a stack of pallets and move them about for an hour. You’ll soon get used to how the machine responds.

Hi All An interesting one - I am a surveyor (25 years Chartered until I got fed up with sending the RICS a £700 payment a year for nothing!) with 30 years post qualification experience and have previously 'built' big sheds, offices, 100+ bed hotels and large London resi schemes - 80 units+ at a time. I am about to undertake a scheme of 3 houses (one of them being for me)... Now here is the issue - on my previous schemes I have always had an established site team of PM and numerous site managers to deal with the day to day issues while was dealing with the higher level stuff - finance, letting and legals and the like. A scheme of 3 houses in northern Cambs is not going to stand such costs so I am it! I have drawn up our CPP which I am pretty happy with and have got the site set up sorted. It became apparent that none of the contractors here carry a valid ticket for our telehandler so I went and took the course last week (£1250!) so will take care of that. Not looking forward to offloading the brick lorry mind with the driver getting grumpy if I take my time - he will just have to suck it up I suppose. My worry is that, while I have a great take on the 'big picture' stuff, my knowledge of the real detail items is limited - potentially a dangerous combo! Main concern at the moment is floor makeup - we are using a Floorspan Efloor Plus beam and poly infill floor - Plots 1 & 2 (not to be mine) have 100mm poly sheet over with a 65mm screed to go on top - mine has a 150mm poly top sheet with u/f to go on top with a 65 - 75mm screed - it is doing my head in thinking about how this relates to the block coursing over the beam. Anyway we got the P1 footings in Thurs / Fri of last week (I am up on the Fen north of Huntingdon and we have left it really last before the weather / water table makes the site unviable until next May!). P2 excavation tomorrow with mass pour on Tues with mine to follow Wed / Thurs with mass pour all day on Friday - worked mine out today as 68 cube into the footing...

I have a bay window with a lead roof as below. There is an area towards the front which is covered in moss and growth that I want to clean off. However when I clean it it also takes off the paint and exposes the lead. Anyone got any idea what to paint the lead with to get black as per the rear of the bay.

That image you've posted has nothing to do with a new boiler. If the installer is getting heavy, look them up in the Gas Safe Register. If they're not registered, that tells you everything; if they are, you can report his unwillingness to come up with any documentation to the Register and leave it with them.

The Gas Sate Register is part of a ‘competent installer scheme’ and therefore IF the installation was registered you could simply ring them and ask. I would speak to the installer first, and explain how you wish to proceed, as they may well not want to head off ‘down that track’. There is no grey here, just black or white. They did complete and register the Benchmark certificate & notify the GSR of your install / or they didn’t. If they’ve left ANY gas burning ( lethal ) appliance on and functioning then they have put themselves in a very compromising situation. Not many GSR fitters would ever allow themselves to become so exposed / liable, so hopefully this is just poor comms and all is in order.

Agreed. The way they do this stinks of dog's piss. They are like double glazing sales from the bad old days. White Gold!

I've had a quick look at the wiring diagram for "a" Wirsbo Cosy 24V stat... https://www.uponor.co.uk/-/media/country-specific/uk/download-centre/support/manuals/legacy/cosywirsbo/cosy-wired-manual.pdf?la=en-gb&hash=B38C92FA92FB3D52591E387F7F3D06AC2A380540 and the Danfos TP5000M 24 Si. https://assets.danfoss.com/documents/DOC041186407154/DOC041186407154.pdf I think you would need a wire link in the TP5000Si but otherwise I reckon they could be used to replace the Wirsbo Cosy stats. I believe the existing stat has.. Terminal 2 → Phase 24V Terminal 3 → Switched phase Terminal 4 → Neutral 24V The TP5000M 24 Si has.. A → 0V B → 24V and relay contacts.. 1 → OFF 2 → Com 3 → ON So I think the wiring would be... Wire TP5000M 24 Si Contacts Phase 24V --------------------------- B and 2 (eg using wire link) Switched Phase ------------------- 3 Neutral 24V -------------------------- A I recommend taking a photo of the back of an existing stat before disconnecting any wires. Oh and turning off power to the whole system but that's obvious.

From your link above..... Fixing with a slate hook involves trimming the head of the slate, thereby losing some head lap (a building inspector may not accept this) my roof was slated using these.... https://www.slate.uk.com/product/stainless-steel-slate-hooks/?attribute_pa_hook-sizes=90mm-grade-316&gclid=CjwKCAjw_Y_8BRBiEiwA5MCBJn5a8uwBwJPODzp7s2U61FDnAAMIC7zeEONcRE3SSkW3eE3WT1H96RoCPOIQAvD_BwE and no trimming was required. My builder said he always used hooks nowadays as slates could be replaced which cannot be done if nails are used. Yes copper or lead strips look a bodge IMO.

All explained here.....https://www.wonkeedonkeerichardburbidge.co.uk/building-regulations-explained/

Perhaps ask them if the HTRS230 is a direct replacement for the ERT32 https://salus-controls.com/uk/product/htrs230/

The key thing is to try and make the going and rising the same for all steps otherwise it becomes a trip hazard. This requires careful planning if you are adding steps to an existing staircase.

the receiver has the relay in it.

Original lead looks too thin and failed, renewed properly good for 80 yrs. never paint lead, insulate ceiling if you do take it off

Some years ago in the flatted development we lived in we had a huge problem with seagulls and what they produce. We put a plastic owl - £20 from tinternet up high on a roof and it eradicated the problem immediately. If you have a tree or somewhere you could put one of these worth a try.

Wow that's a lot of bird strikes. We found this worked well in our last house. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UV-Window-Stickers-For-Bird-Strikes-Decals-Anti-Alert-Collision-Glass-Safe/133507908875?hash=item1f15b1050b:g:N-8AAOSwgFxe5T88

If you let the silicone go off properly it will rub off glass. Other than that, Multisolve will remove the residue with a couple of baby wipes too. The coatings should also be on the inside surface not the external surface of the glass so you shouldn’t cause any damage cleaning it off

Take the top off and leave it for a day then use a short screw to wind in a little and pull the plug of foam out. Should come out easily as the nozzles are PTFE lined. Don’t go further down than the black ring on the threaded nozzle and you are safe

I'll only buy Soudal in the fancy Genius can now, can sit for weeks and be reused immediately.

if you have zero knowledge then go and hire a powered tamping beam, or a beam screed, you can hire the bull float as well, you will also need two friends one on each end of the screed and one in the middle raking out the concrete. Do not underestimate the work in this. Make sure you can get the concrete truck truck right up to the pour area.

Soak it up in the cleaner, and then go poking with the screwdriver. He who dares rodney.

Hello Bri. You asked me "Should I get my own surveyor out as there is a few local? " Consider this first. There is a process that developer's often follow once a dispute starts to get serious. They know that from time to time (when serious flaws are detected) often a domestic home owner will eventually engage their own professional representation, and they know that this will start to rack up your bill. They then start to communicate with your representative, in the full knowledge that you are having to foot the bill for this...the war of attrition bit. It is unlikely that they will offer to initially cover the cost for your representation, unless you get them bang to rights, even then you may need to resort to other means to recover all your costs and maybe some compensation..wishfull thinking.. but not unkown. Your representative will also look at how much you can afford and how much time you are willing to spend giving them the supplementary information and so on, such as the info you got on build hub. There is no free lunch here.. often no pro bono! It's pretty clear from the other posts that all is not as it should be. Bearing in mind that the "developer" that you are having trouble with may also be reading this. Here are a few points. As I understand the Developer sent an Engineer to have a look. Their Engineer will (hopefully) have been briefed to some extent as to the scope of what they are to look at... it's unlikely that the developer will have briefed the Engineer to look at the whole building holistically and conduct a full intrusive investigation, as they see fit. You summarise to some extent that you were told verbally.. "it won't fall down" or words to that effect. Before you start to spending your own money it's worth getting some clarification from the Developer's Engineer. Bear in mind here that they have a duty of care to the public so if you write to the Engineer and the developer directly they (the Engineer) should at least respond, even if it is just to say they have received your communcation. They (the Engineer) will probably mention confidentiality etc, but it is the acknowledgement that matters, you are establishing the chain of accountability. if they don't acknowledge then more fool them. As per my last post and to expand. Write and ask how they (the SE) have reached their conclusion that the building is structurally safe; given that there are indications that the workmanship has been shown to be poor in the places (say not compliant with the BS 8000 series of codes, Euro codes where applicable, manufacture's instructions and general good practice) that have been opened up. Ask initially; have they looked at the wall ties else where. Have they checked if the mortar is to soft / too strong elsewhere how do they know what is driving the cracking? Is mortar variation localised, or generally homogeonous. Is this mortar strength influencing the cracking? How do they know the building is not settling.. why have they ruled out precise levelling techniques to check for settlement, if so on what evidential basis. In general what evidence do they have that the walls are as per the original design intent. How do they know if the inner skin is not cracked too, are any shear ties over the inner inner skin joints (if any) intact and still functioning correctly for example.. hard to answer when it seems they have not investigated internally. How do they know how the building works structurally given that it seems to now differ from the original design.. even if they have building control record drawings. How are they confident that the "as built structure" is the same as the record drawings.. what steps did they take to check? How do they know if there are other unidentified horizontal DPCs that are not breaking the bond in the mortar bed elsewhere. Have they checked that the alterations to the roof are compatible with the original design intent. I could list more but the essence is to get the Engineer to provide written confirmation of what they have been instructed to look at and what they have not. What they have inspected and what they have not. Getting to the bottom of this is the starting point. Once you get a handle on this you can then progress to looking at the workmanship and the serviceability issues. In some ways the two go hand in hand, if the structure is not correct then that needs fixed and in doing so the serviceability issues can be resolved as you go. In other words, you want to make sure the building is safe, and in doing so you fix the other problems and concentrate the mind of the developer. It is harder to argue about structural safety rather than the insulation and so on as you can't compromise on safety. You may find that when you dig a bit their Engineer drops them like a hot potatoe! Then you ask why! In summary you have been at this a while, maybe spend a few more days, a week or two asking these questions. It may be that you get no response or some deflective answer. No matter, as it seems that you have a good bit of evidence and any answer that is not clear and concise can benefit too in the long run, although frustrating at the times. If you ask the questions and don't get a comprehensive response then you are perhaps in a stronger postion to recover your costs, not just the cost of your surveyor but the cost of an intrusive investigation. If you are going to do this then you must write to the developer and tell them you are doing this and give them the opportunity to attend etc. Also notify them that you will be seeking to recover your costs. If you get no response or some deflection then this should bolster your postion to the detriment of the developer.

Fit a combination or CO detector in there if you have a gas burning appliance. Post a pic of the document you have, but please cover any details of 3rd parties.

So the gas safety record should have a GSR installer number in it, against the certificate holder. If that is complete then it has been installed as part of a self certification scheme and doesn’t require building regs sign off.

Is the boiler new ..? If so, to get the warranty he would have to have used a gas safe engineer. The engineer should have completed the benchmark / install book and can self certify the work. Has the builder not handed that over .??

We also had a “victor Meldrew” neighbour who complained about and objected to everything. Council planner was against everything we wanted. After 4 planning applications refused I took it to appeal and won hands down, the council were even told they were not abiding by their own policies . So don’t be bullied by neighbours or planners, deal with fact and do your homework. Best of luck and keep us informed ?

Hello all, I am an architectural designer. I am converting my 850sqft bungalow in the New Forest. Quite a major architectural change. I already have built a single storey rear PD extension, a natural pond, a timber frame garage, and a lovely barn in the garden. Since June I have been working on the main change to the bungalow by removing the roof and front walls, and adding a new 1st floor. My budget is very tight. Hopefully soon to be completed. I am loving the results. Guy

Make sure you know how you will work with these. eg How will you cut the compound foam + alu sheet sandwich without the thin alu folding up at the slot. Used a version of this on an s/s extension back in 2000, and it was a sod. May be doable, just make sure you know how.

We are finishing off a 6m x 6m garage at the moment, did the slab ourselves, brickie did the block work, hubby put up the roof trusses with help from a couple of friends, sheeted it’s ourselves and he and a friend have done the roof tiles and installed garage door, it has a window and a single entry door to one side.rendering will be done end of this week and gutters, all in has cost us around £7k , decided to diy when the builders quoted us £25k!

Hello all, I stumbled on this forum as part of a search for information about SunAmp batteries. I’ve spent a bit of time reading other threads on the topic and this seems to be a friendly and helpful piece of the internet. I’m on a quest to reduce the CO2 generated by the 3-bed 1960s semi (approx 98 sq m) where I live with my partner (no kids). We’ve insulated the upstairs, added some loft insulation, upgraded the double glazing and last year, we installed 5700W of solar panels and a Tesla Powerwall 2. I’d estimate we generate around 5000kWh a year from the panels, and export around 3000kWh of that. We’ve got our grid electricity usage down to about 500kWh per year. The biggest element of this being our electric shower (the Powerwall can only ever supply 5kW of the 10kW load). Gas is used for heating and hot water via a 15 year old Worcester combi-boiler - which I’m guessing is nearing end of life. Our gas usage is fairly low, but I’m looking to reduce that next, from the current 5000kWh per year (more when we have a cold winter). I'm not planning on replacing the gas boiler, meaning we'd be 100% reliant on electricity for heating and hot water. We’re on a deemed solar export tariff, and I’m looking to use as much of the energy generated as possible. I’ve also recently begun the switch to Octopus energy to take advantage of their Agile tariff, so it might be possible to shift much of our current gas energy usage over to electricity - but what would be best for us? GSHP not an option here (small garden) ASHP may be, but I’m conscious of the effort and cost of installing Underfloor heating. Air to Air an option? Right now I’m thinking a SunAmp for the hot water, or could the Uniq 12 supply our heating and hot water? Maybe we could supplement that with and a couple of electric radiators in the lounge and bedroom to keep us warm on demand? I’m not sure if that would be what we need especially if we have a long cold winter like last year (I’m on the South Coast of England). I would be grateful for any thoughts from anyone who has done similar or knows more than I do about these things. With thanks, David.

500 years isn't too bad going, at least for about half of the ship

@Lesgrandepotato Hey! Love it when people aim to sweat the detailed costs and spend it on getting a better house, affording a house in the first place, an extra bathroom, dinner or lollipops. If you mean this stuff ie Leyland Trade Brilliant White Matt paint in 10l tubs, then we can probably help you save some more next time. If I have the wrong one the ideas may help anyway. This weekend (I would wait until Monday for reasons below) I would be paying £12 a tub for that at Wickes, which is my closest DIY shed. Others may be able to do better. These are some steps you can do in the order they would apply at Wickes. You may not have all of these, but you could do some of them, and perhaps some different things if you look around. 1 - Basic price at Wickes £19.99 per 10l tub. 2 - Bulk buy offer: £15.99 each if you buy 3. (Same link). That is quite a mean offer, since they often do 4 for 3 or 3 for 2, which would make it 14.99 or £13.33 per 10l tub. 3 - Trade discount. Minus 10% for a Trade Account. Fairly easy to get with a couple of bits of paperwork. Should be doable for many self-builders if you meet the requirements. Very reliable minus 10% at Wickes off everything. £15.99 per 10l tub becomes £14.39. 4 - Extra 5% Trade discount on Mondays at present in July and August, due to a relaunch. ie Wait until Monday £14.39 per tub becomes £13.59 per tub. 5 - Pay with reloadable Wickes cash card for a further 10% off. £13.59 per tub becomes £12.24 per tub. These cashcards are an element of many Employee Benefit programmes, and are available for scores of big stores. If not an employee working for someone else you can get one my joining a Westfield Health Cash Plan (only route I know for self-employed), which is a long established - pre-NHS - institution which lets you claim back money you spend on glasses, dentists etc and will usually pay for itself. 6 - Top up the cash card from a Reward Debit Card before you leave home. This will bring it down to about £12.10. I would want to see if I could beat that by leaning on my Johnstone's Decorating Centre. Everything is dead simple once set up. Feel free to ask questions over on the sticky Money Saving thread. Ferdinand

As some might remember we had a huge hold up last year when a mains water pipe was discovered slap bang under our proposed build. All things building stopped while we did battle with Anglian Water over their extortionate charges to move it. We cleared off to winter in Spain and left them to complete the job. Since returning, and starting the complaints procedure over their £17K charge to move it, we have hit one hold up after the other. Our groundworker returned, eventually, and completed the trenches but then de camped to get on with his other job (farmer). There is a bit of a building boom locally and finding someone competent to carry on where he left off was a nightmare. We, in the meantime, managed to get a local chap to supply the hardcore and we borrowed a whacker plate to flatten it all out. Then we laid the sand which promptly blew away in Storm What'sitsname! We did it again (we are both in our seventies) and then, having found an experienced ground worker, we got the concrete poured. Thank goodness we did because it has not stopped raining since Now the Brickie has been claimed back to a, held up, job across the road! It is particularly galling as it is just their garage/connecting corridor/flat, that is almost as big as our bungalow, to add to the delays. I am not sure whether seeing him working on it is worse than not knowing where his or what he is doing. He is one of the good guys so worth waiting for. I keep thinking about the shortening daylight hours which will get gradually worse along with the weather Keep thinking we should sell up both the plot and the house and buy ourselves a little finished place somewhere.

It’s subsequently garnished with 4 ( iirc ) status led’s, so, depending on the accuracy of what they depict, one can assume it’s definitely a good thing. Better than the original offering of grey-box-sat-on-wall-fingers-crossed-it’s-doing-something......... It still cannot live up to its claimed reputation for absorbing any and all ‘potentially otherwise lost’ / excess PV input etc due to the fact that it cannot absorb ANYTHING until it’s crudely scaled controller decides that it is wiling to allow it to do so. As proven here, and seems apparent in the new installation / user literature, it will always have a potentially huge empty void which cannot be filled when there is space to do so. I can’t help thinking that there is a better way for SA to ascertain a level / state of charge, but maybe the commercial incentive isn’t there yet to provoke further investment in this pursuit. Just my opinion, and can be taken with a pinch of salty yogurt.

Are these people that have not read building regs.

Is that thinking outside the box ?

Cardboard cut out???

Stick on picture of raptors tend to keep the small birds away.

What a twat. Missed pic

I predict a `You've Been Framed` moment .... please video it.

I considered a stove in my (completely uninsulated) workshop but I don’t spend so much time out there so bought thermal undies instead and put a fan heater above the bench in case a stand still there fir any length of time during cold weather.