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It's about time I put fingers on keyboard for a purpose other than Matlab or Perl. So here is a brief summary of the lack of progress in the woodland. I couldn't pass up a few weeks of sea pay, so progress in May was nil but it was lucrative, helping to offset some of the cost increases. And it gave the scaffolders a bit of time to strike the remaining scaffolding (rather a long wait for this). We're still waiting for the arch windows (another long wait) but all the other windows are fitted. The house is just about water tight so it's time to look at 1st fix and services. There's still a lot to do, and still plenty of supply problems to navigate. Before we did too much work, it was time to tidy up inside. Nic wanted to see what the family room felt like with some representative "furniture" to plot decor and fixtures. The first big job was to dig the pit for the sewage treatment plant. This all went very well with the digger earning its keep. No, I didn't make my daugher dig any of it tempting though it was. I planned to fit shuttering ply the next day because there was going to be a week wait for the concrete. Now for a backward step. It rained more than a little that evening, so I ended up the proud owner of a large garden pond with considerably increased area. Not exactly top of my list of desires. I got a good start on the trenches for the foul drains. Plenty more to do but at least they haven't turned into canals yet despite the rain. So I decided to ignore the problems outside for a while since the floor insulation had arrived and was in the way. Not content with the pool outside, I thought I could make one inside. But then I thought better of it (got caught by the boss for plotting silliness) and fitted insulation instead. It turns out that cutting 150mm insulation to get a good clean straight edge is particularly tricky. So I made a table saw. It's a little bit lethal, so much so that a work colleage called it the "death saw". I think it's a little harsh. It's only a sabre saw with a 12" blade bolted upside down under a home made table... Perhaps the sort of thing @Onoff would make? ? It does a very good job. Finally this month I looked at getting the ducting laid for the water main into the house. Very pleased with getting through 300mm of concrete and keeping the trench straight. The only snag is that I "found" the water main I intended to use as the house supply. It was exactly where the plan said, but only 200mm deep. Oh well, I like playing with the digger.

I just received my floorspan quote using the 200mm EPS infills, it is £200 cheaper than using concrete blocks, I can use thinner PIR ontop saving another £1300 and have a higher U value by 0.1. Delivery I was quoted was 5-6 weeks I think the costs difference has somewhat todo with the current concrete block price. The only downside is the polystyrene infills need protection from impacts during the build.

Tom Cruise here , I’ve borrowed pocsters account for a bit . After hours of prep , some dry run thru’s - we finally went for it . Absolute silence on the set as I do the most extreme and skilful stunt I’ve ever performed. Remember this scene from my next movie “Mission Impossible: Glass door dilemma “ ( rated 18 - due to extreme scenes of a DIY nature )

Took the advice of many on here and designed in 3 course's of brick above the beam floor to give 175 eps and 50mm flow screed , sap calcs show a u value of .12 . Used floorspan for the block and beam floor no issues 3 week turnaround from order to delivery.

Delays in getting Building Control (Plan) Approval will largely depend on the quality of the information submitted by your agent. Insufficient information, contradictory information and non-compliance with the Building Regulations and Technical Booklets on any submitted application will mean the application is rejected and additional information requested from your agent. Don't blame your BCO. Get the information correct the first time around. And although we are working from home we’re not sunbathing - it’s too hot!

Our council was pretty quick, think it took 6 weeks. But as you say the way things are now they are all working from home ( sunbathing in their garden in this weather) so would guess 8-10 weeks.

ok, so it would mean i finish the sub floor before the rest of the build, that's do-able

Nope.beams, infilled with insulated blocks, insulation board, mesh, ufh pipes, concrete topping , not screed. I would have done this but but it was a couple of grand dearer, being that insulation was dear and blocks cheap. Funny how its changed.

So you would mesh and screed, then add a membrane, PIR or EPS, underfloor heating then screed again. there goes the height and the cost savings.

They will quote much less if you give them a list and also open an account and show them the size of the orders. I tend to use a mix of JTM and Toolstation of all places for Hep2O as they get very close on price and also have good availability.

Most block and beams I work off nowadays are flow screeded at dpc stage before superstructure. Have nhbc not bought some new regs in about mesh and structural screeds over block and beam?

Or s96 non material amendment?

V interesting and useful to know. You have £200 budget to buy some planks or boards to walk on or protect from dropping bricks.. Choose something you can use later in the construction and you win it back.

This website will link you into the nearest council that will take your bag of tiles. https://www.gov.uk/asbestos-in-home or just search in your local council website. They will tell you to wear gloves and a mask, keep stuff a bit damp, Put the tiles gently into a sturdy bag (most polyethene bags will tear with tiles so maybe a box first. Then tie the bag up and put it in another bag. Phone to tell the council you are bringing it, and hand it over formally. there will be a form to fill in, and they will welcome your test statement. They should not charge, because they really do not want to encourage fly-tipping of this stuff. now get on with it and report back when successfully handed over.

Spot on, mine was 80mm.

So if you had clipped your pipes into rails you wouldn’t be wasting your time thinking of this. ?? Are you sure on your weight calculation for the screed, mine weighed something like 144kg per m.

So bc came today, I fired a load of questions at him. He stated 770mm clear opening is what he is after.

Thank you Mark - I'll grab a plug later and give it a try

I always say it feels like walking into a large stone church or a cave on a hot day. There's a very different (better!) quality to the coolness compared to air conditioning.

worry not. the HSE say this 71 In certain types of ACM, the asbestos fibres will usually be firmly linked in a matrix and will not be released easily. This includes: ■ asbestos cement, (unless it is substantially fragmented, crushed, or otherwise significantly damaged); ■ textured decorative coatings; ■ paints with asbestos, any article of bitumen, plastic, resin or rubber which contains asbestos where its thermal or acoustic properties are incidental to its main purpose, such as vinyl floor tiles, electric cables and roofing felt. it is not licensable. you have spoken to experts who have told you not to worry. https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/a23.pdf I assure you that most 'specialists' will not go to quite these lengths unless in an occupied building.

All works 'closely associated' with the build (assuming PP granted and going back down to ground level) are zero rated. Plant hire to you and professional services are standard rated. New utility connections are zero, utility moves (like a meter) are standard.

@Loz we had a controlled demolition to do, Asbestos cement roofing sheets, we were not allowed to pull the building over as this would shatter a lot of sheets at the same time so we were told to take them off by hand, smashing the bolts through with a hammer or breaking the sheets and sliding them down the roof to be put into a skip (covered). Take reasonable steps to minimise dust and inhalation but listen to the testing people, they know best and rarely go the scare mongering route

Drainage etc should be zero rated If I remember right we paid vat on the muck away As I’ve stated previously some trades either can’t or won’t zero rate materials So it may be worth buying the drainage material or asking your contractor to In any case most contractors will add at least 20% on for supplying materials It may be worth getting another quote

Hi, Thanks for everyone who took time to reply, broke some pieces off with a wall paper scraper as advised by testing company and had them tested this morning (£48 for same day) and the mastic/adhesive was clear but the tiles contained chrysolite asbestos, the company seemed pretty relaxed about it whereas I was concerned had released fibres breaking the tile to get samples (I was in proper mask and gloves) - they said almost impossible to release the fibres from breaking them as so well bonded (unlike cement board where apparently more easily released) and this was backed up by removal company that spoke to who just said stick mask on and pull them up (going to chop the floorboards and lift them that way) and don't worry if break. What is weird if you go online there everything points to breaking them releasing fibres, no idea who is right, asked if should get air reassurance test done and they said would be waste of money. So guess what is done is done and will wipe area down and get on with rest of renovation and hope more doesn't show up anywhere unexpected. Lawrence

The slab cooling is performing really well, house is very cool now, as its 30+ outside with bright sunshine. I have to say Im shocked at how well this works.

I'd lower the Indoor Temp threshold slightly (to, say, 20C or perhaps slightly above your heating set temp) so that the bypass cuts in sooner when the right conditions are met (outdoor temp < indoor temp, indoor > 20C, outdoor >14C). Note that if the outdoor temp is greater than indoor temp then the heat exchanger should remain in-circuit as it works in both directions i.e. heat from the (warmer) outside air will be transferred to the outgoing (cooler) inside air hence cooling the supply slightly (I've seen up to -3C in practice recently). Is the humidity screen a measurement or a trigger setting (e.g. for boost)? The presence of an outdoor value is making me think the former.

We've signed up with Octopus to install a meter and have an install date for the main supply from scottish Power in 2 weeks. Here's hoping In the meantime, bought a static caravan thinking I could run it with a generator until the install - Hmmmm Caravan is a 32A supply, (pretty hefty) generator output is 16A - Totally different connectors - Trying to locate an electrician to advise.

we used a kit from howdens on a pair of oak sliders, it had a small metal pin that you fixed into the bottom edge of the door and it located in a small runner inside the 'pocket' part on the floor. worked ok, still a bit of flap at full extension but workable.

Insane. I've honestly seen loads of 600 centre trusses have a slated roof ontop. What's he using a toffee hammer

Maybe regs have changed. I always thought 800. You won't need luck I've never had pvc leak. Just be sure you've not trapped any air else water level can drop as air leaks out top make you think you have a leak.

Our relatives in Australia get ALL their water from rainwater and use it for everything including drinking. The big difference is they have a "wet season" and get a lot of rain in a short time. when it rains they let it run off for a bit to clean the bird muck etc off the roofs, before diverting it to the tanks. It is never going to work so well here when so much of our rain is short showers or drizzle so no chance to clean the roof before starting collection.

Thanks Nick, steels are all enclosed in the plasterboard envelope. BTW, just ordered Gyproc firefline red 12.5mm plasterboard for plant rooms. No response from BCO as yet, but as you said, a relatively small extra cost cost relative to standard wallboard.

Can't you buy duct with a draw string already installed? That's what we did for the electric. Otherwise I'd try laying it out straight on flat ground, tie something like a sash window weight to a light string. Lower it in one end using a step ladder, then pull the duct over the steps or "walk" a wave shape section of pipe along to the other end (eg so the weight surfs down the wave ?

Same way, blower will always tend to blow through the open end. Failing that ... old industrial sparkies trick, catch a rat, tie string to its tail, push it into the duct. Please dont shoot the messenger, i love animals and rats.

Is it lead?

As long as you have a draw cord in the duct that runs freely and you take pictures of the trench before filling There really won’t be any issues Running up the centre of the drive is a good idea

Air con pipework is 8mm and 10mm copper in most instances. It needs to be wrapped in black neoprene high grade insulation also. Would fit in , say, a 40mm waste pipe if you need some idea of footprint. Plus a garden hose sized condensate pipe, plus cables ( communication and power with some ).

DIY for me, up to the point of gas and F certification etc. This lot for around £750 a unit ( supply only ) isn’t bad, but cheaper makes can be had. I’m seriously tempted by this. Link Due to the limited combined outputs of the multi unit splits, I think I’ll end up with 2x Link covering 2x units in workshop and office and then the rest doing the 3x 1st floor bedrooms and 1x attic bedroom. I can then point the max outputs at the biggest / most problematic spaces. The controls can be set up to allow one indoor unit to demand more of the outdoor units power to make sure that that particular space has sufficient cooling. Pipe kits and gassing need to be priced on top, and even with me buying and running all the lines and power etc ( also don’t forget about the condensation drains from each indoor unit to a suitable drain ) I expect to spend another £600-£800 on top of those prices. Hiding pipes and cables will be down to how much labour money you throw at the project.

I don't have difficulty with this method of procurement. The client can do as they like, and presumably gets a fixed price and it is the contractor who takes the financial risk. It looks like a £3M+ job though, and client not short of money if happy to pay for these very complex features, so very nice to get the job. I see that polystyrene houses is what you do. If your supplier can't answer the question that concerns you I would be very wary. I looked into the polystyrene option very seriously, as there was no shortage of suppliers chasing us, and costed several jobs in detail against other methods, but it never proved the winner for me, even on small blocks. However that was for office blocks, schools and industry, so it is very different indeed from one-off housing. Steel is nearly always the right answer for big buildings like this, and all your targets can easily be achieved or exceeded. The trouble with competing construction methods is that usually tenders are between contractors offering the same methods, as instructed by the architect. Then if you suggest there is another way, they tend to get defensive rather than think of the client's budget. Presumably flood plain issues has caused the planning delay. Another plus for steel is simple columns and beams form your under-croft, and can be galvanised and painted ready for the big flood. I will be interested to hear of progress if you will allow us.

Birtley do a thermally broken lintel - have you checked with them …? eLintels do them if you want a price https://www.elintels.co.uk/supatherm-lintel-st150

I’ll be fitting 2 of these on my current project where I’m fitting 2x manifolds, one above the other, in the back of a general use cupboard in an utility room. The plastic flow gauges and capillary wire for the thermostatic probes are easily damaged, so if anything is routinely taken in / out then there is merit in protecting them imho. Can be done with 2 bits of 50x50 and a removable panel of MDF.

Make sure that you can actually order that. When I was searching few suppliers were interested in a small private project, and when it came to order no one was, all their output being sucked by major developers. Ended up with standard beam and block with PIR on top and worse U than wanted and planned.

Ok, to clear this up, and stop you trolling, can you show us your heat loss calculations for your house, and your DHW useage. Then show us all why it is not possible to have a HP system deliver the same outputs. Then show us the difference in running costs, and installation cost, rather than vague and misleading statements. If you are not willing, or able (which we both know is the real reason) to supply this information, then you don't have anything to contribute.

He was actually doing really well I thought, until he said this: "On a good day we're getting a COP of around 3, say, if we're lucky, maybe 2". And then apparently when it gets cold, the COP drops to 1. I turned it off at that point. I think the real issue with heat pumps is the fact they're being pushed and funded, which means the usual cowboys and idiots are being attracted into the space.

I'm keeping my eye out for one Glasgow/ Ayrshire way. I'll let you know if I see anything up there

i got one of these for £20 on facebook recently, there are bargains out there, but you have to be very quick

When I bought my KwikStage, from ebay it came from England. I just could not find any for sale locally at the time. I hired a 7.5 ton flatbed and made and epic 23 hour round trip to go and collect it. Even allowing for a weekend truck hire and fuel,. it was still cheaper than I could get from any of the companies selling refurbished kits once you add on their delivery charges. Kwikstage would be my first choice as it is so versatile and readily available, second choice would be CupLock but they are not interchangable in any way. You say you only want a "tower" Well Kwikstage will do that but will do so much more as well. Several lots on ebay around 300 miles from here which is within range of a weekend truck hire.

Stainless staples from a staple gun. Don't choose a windy day. Get the cladding on soon after. A lot of the better membranes have tapes to join which will also help keep it in place.

DIY OAK door frames MK2: The upstairs ones based on engineered oak floor boards ended up good, apart from "that join" Try as I might I could not find any engineered floor boards long enough to not need a join, and it has been decreed there will be no join in the downstairs door frames. I looked at buying planed oak and making my own, but it is hard finding it large enough and the cost, and the chance of it warping or cracking. In the mean time I bought strips of 12mm by 70mm solid planed oak for the door stops, and got experimenting with the offcuts. And came up with this: First build a "door frame" out of 22mm chipboard making it 24mm over size in width and 12mm over size in height. Then glue and screw (where possible) a 70mm by 12mm strip of planed oak each side. In this case the door will be fixed to the right hand of the two strips of oak. Then when the door has been hung, a third strip of planed oak will be fitted (depicted here by the short strip) to bridge the gap and act as the door stop. I am awaiting the joiner to fit the first door and try this. If it works I have 2 more to make each for a double door set.