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I’ve used Alno (German), Wren and Magnet in the last 12 years . For me they are all the same - chipboard covered in plastic and there really is no difference in ‘quality’ for me . This time around we looked at getting a kitchen hand made/bespoke but was too expensive for my taste. In the end we went with a hybrid approach and got units and doors from the retailers and mixed in with our own woods/materials . Really happy how it turned out and didn’t cost any more to do.

After putting in an offer on our plot in November 2019 , 3 lockdowns and 2 architect's later we have today received the email to say planning application approved ? might even stop for a cheeky one on the way home Brake ground in 4 weeks , here we go, Still feeling clueless and way out of my depth ?

We just hold pan / cup in right hand and turn tap on to fill. Never been a problem. We have a spare kettle in the utility room. Never used it. Have a look at the boiling tap from Costco. Does same as Qooker as far as I can see but far cheaper.

I tend to balance pans etc on the partition between the small and large bits of the sink. They do spit a bit, which is intentional as it reduces the impact of getting caught in the hot water.

While I appreciate the intention, this would fall foul of Building Regulations due to a lack of insulation. I am not convinced that breathability is important for floors. The primary cause of damp problems sounds like the external ground level. I would install an insulated slab and lay tiles onto this. If you are concerned about breathability of the floor, you could look at a limecrete floor with foam glass aggregate. These can be made to comply with Building Regulations. In my house I did used a layer of foam glass aggregate (glaspor or similar), before laying a DPM + conventional insulation. This way, there is a capillary break below the DPM, which should reduce any moisture 'moving' towards the base of the walls. However, in hindsight I think this was not necessary. The mechanical ventilation system you are installing will mean you won't get any damp issues anyway.

Line the wall with books and put a chair next to the balustrade. Small office space Space for a large feature plant that needs indirect light An occasional table with an old style phone on it - with a phone book and a copy of yellow pages Naughty chair for: wife / grandchildren / teenagers / BCOs Display space for your Gorilla Wrangling trophies and your Cycling Proficiency badge.

You could have some sort of pergola type or lean too type structure if front of the patio doors (or a glass roof or even tiled roof structure - I was thinking of something below might be a really cost effective solution). You could then run the drainpipes down to a gutter which runs along the top of where it joins the wall. The downpipes at the end of the building could be at the sides. Hopefully this makes sense It wouldn't eliminate the downpipes but would certainly make them less dominant

Bigblok by Cavalok

Agree with much of the previous discussion. My opinion and experience is: Architects and planners seldom consider gutters and downpipes. Rainwater must be got away from the building with the easiest and safest method: Use external gutters, nice and big. Plenty of downpipes. Avoid, internal gutters, syphonic systems, chains, oversail and free drip. These are all gimmicks or solutions to problems that should not exist if the building is designed with rain considered. They bring risk and maintenance issues to the building. So we are left with aesthetics. I agree your sketch with no gutters past windows, multiple dp is the way to go. As Ferdinand says, there are many ideas. Mine are simple, and a formula based on experience. 1. Minimise the effect by matching to the wall and roof colours. 2. Or make it look designed and integrated by matching the glazing bar colour. 3. Or make it look designed by using a completely different colour that is not builders' merchant grey or black 4. Three colours is plenty, so wall, roof, glazing are probably enough. Match or contrast using these colours. I also endorse Lindab: strong, classy and work well, with many colours to choose. The copper effect needs a sticker saying, 'not really copper, please do not steal'. It is expensive but is the finish to your project. If the house is to look old, use cast iron instead, but coloured on the same principle. Get it right and the Architect will take the praise, I bet you. 'Always had that in mind...obvious etc.'

That explains it, then ie replacing another so no increased flooding risk. Sleeper walls is probably fine, and is nice and simple. Needs bracing in the other direction to avoid domino collapse. Can look ugly or weird though, so a bit of thought on appearance too. If using concrete planks or T beams, you will want to conceal the faces, but perhaps the house wall facing can do that. You will need an Engineer to design the sleepers, and perhaps the beams, but will be easy and inexpensive. Brief them that you prefer sleeper walls or you might end up with a fancy in-situ concrete structure.

I have gotten 3d imaging for two houses from the website Fiverr. It is a free lancing website so their are hundreds of different people providing the service. Have a look through their reviews, portfolio's and pricing to see which one best suits your needs. Most will include 2-3 revisions and changes of things that they didn't get right the first time. I paid about £120 each time for 8-10 external render images.

Challenge with cooling can be control. While most ASHP's have a dry contact "call for heat", for cooling my understanding is you need to rely on manufactuers thermostats rather than control from home automation. Any one else have any experience of this?

The plan has merit... A little fettling required. It'll be accurate enough for a pier cap!

It's a shed, and while i am not saying the above is not right, 20 years ago a mate asked me about something very similar. He had no money, so basically i tapped them from inside and ouside to level them up as best i could. gave them a bit of a clean with a bit of sandpaper. squirted a tube of silicone around and through the holes from inside. Went outside, and smeared them almost to the profile of the old tin, but left the silicone a bit proud. Bought a small tin of that ruberised type roof repair, and daubed it over the outside. I have just rang him. Over 20 years later, he tells me it is still good, and has never leaked.

I've got a flow sensor on the hot water from the boiler; and set this to trigger a boost on the MVHR (a Triton unit) if it's used for more than a minute and to run on for 5 minutes afterwards once triggered. This is faster to respond to showers than humidistats and clears the steam before you've filled the bathroom rather than afterwards as it were. (important if you have a decent shower in a small bathroom that's very tiles/has very little vapour buffering) Unlike a light switch it doesn't boost when not needed and the regular extract (only one bathroom in the "house" on the MVHR, with the other in the "addon porch") is enough to deal with regular loo smells. Exceptional smells are banished to the "addon porch" by the wife. In hindsight... I should have made provision to put this on the hot water feed to just the shower rather than to the entire house...as the hot fill dishwasher also triggers it. I would add a manual boost for curry night if you don't have the luxury of a large house. (this place is only 70m2)

we put our own liner in & got HETAS chap to sign off for a few hundred. BC utterly not interested - complete waste of time.

If you’re building a new wall then just insert an air brick on a telescopic sleeve, then use an airbrick to round duct adapter below ground, and the whole thing will be hidden inside the wall.

@joe90 You fitting a bilge pump?

You know when someone is popping over or due round soon and you tell them you’ll put the kettle on, what do you say when you have an instant hot water tap?