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Google have an 'Google's Inactive Account Manager'. In this it allows you transfer over what you want to your next of kin, eg all your photos, google drive, emails, etc. I've a 'house' folder in google drive that has a all of the data sheets and information for the different things. It was the folder I used as we renovated so contains everything from the radon sumps and their locations at the bottom all the way to the ridge capping and rooflights at the top. The folder structure is CI-Sfb (https://www.ribacpd.com/subjects.aspx) which we use at work and as an architect I'm used to 'Safety Files' and 'Building Manuals' that are handed over to the clients at the end of a project. For our own house I've taken it a bit further in that it contains all the data sheets and warranties of appliances like cookers, hobs, washing machines, etc that are often client supplied and the builder wouldn't include. It also contains a copy of the planing application and all planning correspondents, the energy, PHPP and u-value analysis and a copy of all legal folios, land registry maps, certificate of compliance, etc. Basically everything to maintain, run or sell the property if I were to pass.

This makes sense, but the one thing you need to remember is you only have 4 hours to achieve this (if using Octopus Go cheap rate). For our house, without a buffer I can only run the UFH flow at ~30º which means the ASHP is only drawing about 1kW. So over 4 hours I achieve 4kWh of "cheap rate" energy draw. However with a buffer, I can run the ASHP flow at max temp say 55º which means the heat pump is drawing about 3kW, thus would give me about 12kWh of cheap rate usage. This does require a 300L tank though as mentioned ? Ideally a big TS would act as both DHW and heating store, and over that 4 hour period I'd run ASHP and (if appropriate) the immersion heater at full whack to maximize my energy draw during that cheap rate period. However, that's not what I've tot, so I've given up on this whole idea, and now just looking into batteries (And indeed, pushing the slab up 2ºC during cheap rate. The Loxone "Cheap rate heating" input on Climate controller seems to do a good job for this)

I went the Ubiquiti route about 8 months ago replacing my mismatch of wifi routers and access points with a Dream Machine Pro and 2 Wifi 6 Lite AP's. Have to say, once set up and configured (several VLAN's etc) it's been faultless running 24/7 since install. What it has highlighted is how absolutely rubbish my Virgin modem box is with drop outs and slow speeds, even on a 350Mb connection. For the most part the reliability has at least reduced the previous constant whining from my kids about how bad the wifi is.

TightVNC? https://www.tightvnc.com/

You can use them for both if you want. f connectors on tv are good as the connection doesn’t pull out! is that a MK Module?

So multiple issues The unneeded beading should have been removed first, before the skirting was painted and before the carpet was fitted. the fitter should have advised this when he came to measure. If the carpet needed a bit patched in with a join, was it an unusually large room with one dimension longer than the roll width of your chosen carpet? could you not have found a carpet with a roll width wider to avoid a joint? Did the supplier not suggest this? And I don't buy the can't stretch it theory. did you actually see them using a carpet stretcher?

You need to plan carefully. Your demise could be sudden. If Vlad or Emmanuel (Pint-Size Putin) would lend me one of those hypersponic missiles...

Not sure of the regulations in Scotland for internal wood cladding, but the wall and ceiling cladding isn't protecting another room space above or to the side, as the whole house is open plan. But as it's mostly all painted, it could have a fire rating. So my guess stays at wood

Yes crap job, does not matter what type of carpet they laid, it’s wrong! Anyway, carpet does not go under the skirting. Smells a lot like bull shit. If the carpet shop supplied the fitter get them out to inspect it and report back.

This translate into a U of: Superfoil 0.29 W.m-2.K-1 YBS 0.4 W.m-2.K-1 So effectively 0.1 W.m-2.K-1 different. Check the details carefully as in the past multifoils only met the manufacturers claims if they were installed with other types of insulation.

'interlinked' Yours may already have that feature so just use the same brand. Most use wireless connection (own network, no WiFi/mobile required), so no need for 4 core cable (or any cable in case of battery powered)

I don;t have HA but just having an ASHP to heat your house is "non standard" as far as most plumbers and electricians are concerned, so following on from your concern, I am planning to write a "home manual" detailing exactly how the ASHP is wired (including a few unconventional tweaks) including circuit diagrams etc, so that if it should go wrong in the future and I am not here to fix it, someone else might stand a chance of understanding it.

I would use fire rated penetration seal. Google fire sealing penetrations and you will get plenty of examples of products and methods to use. Mortar would work but might be a bit permanent and difficult to break out without damaging services if repairs or upgrades are needed. The stuff we spec is envirograf.

Just fit one - photograph and remove if you want - sometimes it is better just to play their game rather than argue or debate, even if you are right. Our warrant drawings clearly showed vent bricks which ventilate the solum and the wall cavity. BCO arrives, inspection goes very well, which for many of us, is very important as we build a lot of these things ourselves. Anyway, he left with basically one site related comment which was cavity vents. This came about like this, BCO - "You don't have any cavity vents within the lower portions of the walls." Me - "No, just the vent bricks which ventilate the solum and cavity." BCO - "But you will need wall vents too." Me - "Oh, I thought that the brick vents would be far in excess of any air volume the little vents could deliver". BCO - "But they are ventilating the solum." Me - "They are not sleeved directly across, like a traditionally built cavity wall vent they are open to both the cavity and the solum so they allow air to pass between all areas, they are sleeved through the inner leaf but not sleeved across the cavity." BCO - "I will need vents." Me - "OK, I will fit some drill vents every 1200mm about 600mm above FFL." BCO - "Thanks, that will work." I order a pack from ebay and cut the tube off 2 or 3 of them, I stick a little piece of black felt to the back of the vent to create a shadow, i stick a blob of clear silicone on the back and stick them to the wall, photograph it and pull them off, and using the same blobs of silicone stick them to the next wall, photograph and pull them off... do you see where this is going. I submitted the photos and later that way I had completion certificate. Is my build any less well ventilated because of these little things? No! Is BC happy? Yes! Job done.

Fife Council want smoke detector certificate- found on Aico website so no drama..

Put the required detector in, take photo, update certificate.

Well… that’s what we insist on ..! All blocks and bricks go to one side and are sorted before chucking anything in a skip. Halves of bricks and blocks get cleaned and re-used. Don’t forget, you also need back fill for soakaways so brick and block offcuts can always be used for that.

Brilliant screw for secret fixing through tongues of boards but these do pull through chipboard quite easily. Ordinary heads work much better on flooring and pull down tighter

I think the building was pretty conventional barn to start with, it's the "conversion" that was interesting. Built next to the mill stream Corridor through building to get access to my front door. I have a single glazed window into said corridor...? I think this was the original door to my half of the building. You can see my neighbors front door with wellies outside. I think my original door was bricked up kind of when they added the porch to the back instead.

I think if you speak to 1000 chippies you'll get 1000 different ways to do it! Not always helpful. The full head stainless nails I linked to above with a first fix nail gun work a treat. It's always worth trying nails on some off cuts before final decision. If you do go for the stainless as per the link, make sure you phone them to order as that way you'll likely get a reasonable discount too!

m2 of wall minus openings x60 +10% some brickies are very wasteful, I make them use both halves of cut bricks and turn broken bricks into cuts ot halves. Seen 20% waste on big sites blocks same but probably have to order whole packs of both bricks and blocks

I set up a DIY blower door after the frame was built and air tight membrane fitted. That enabled me to look for leaks and get an idea of how good it was. My official test needed for building control was not done until right at the end.

Both is best

Most floorboards squeak because the wood shrinks and the board moves up and down the nail, get a nail punch and drive as many as possible tighter. Yes screws are better but get the proper thickness timber that fits properly, you will kick yourself if it squeaks after the carpet is laid.

And glue with PU glue and screw the (expletive deleted)er down.

As above, buy bigger timber and trim it to fit better.

Just occured to me to itemise the lessons learned on our build. As as result of my experience and reading , were I to build again at a location where ecology is a factor to be considered, I would; a full year before talking to anyone about planning permission, kill any local wildlife that interfers with the build process appoint an ecology adviser who did as I instructed read all the other ecology reports for planning applications within 2 miles of the intended build copy every single one of them and from those reports, make plans to compensate for the outcomes negative to my intended build make grandiose offers of 'compensation' renage on those offers at the end of the build Thats what happens - has happened (references available on request) - locally for the last 5 years at least. In terms of ecology, we have paid several thousand pounds in effort and money for no outcome that can be measured. Naive no longer.

Interesting read. So developers will have to prove BNG, Biodiversity Net Gain. That seems a contrary thing to me. You will have to prove that taking a bare piece of land that might have been left to nature for years (like our plot was) and "prove" that by clearing the plot and building a house on it, is going to increase it's biodiversity. That seems a pretty contradictory thing. How can putting a house on a site increase biodiversity? Logically it does the opposite. I can see developers now taking the stance of trashing a potential development site so virtually eliminate all wildlife from it, so they can claim by building some houses and leaving a bit of wild space they will increase the biodiversity. As for plots like ours? I see it being very difficult if not impossible to prove that building a house on our site could possibly ever increase the biodiversity of what was there, unless I had first trashed what was there to make it a sterile wasteland.

Tongue and groove - the joints in the edges of the boards

I recommend using floor tite screws, not nails. Use the opportunity to fasten down any that might have even the tiniest bit of squeak to them.

+1 on the above

If I was you I wouldn't even try and fill them, get yourself the correct thickness timber and straighten out some of those rough ends. If the T&G that's fixed down has poor edges to them you could take them out and put fresh down, you can put the old pieces underneath going across and screw to it, should add a little strength to it all. if you are putting a new carpet down you need to get it right. Regards James

In my case ( I designed it so may not be typical). The heating is never “off” during the heating season, buffer permanently at temperature topped up when buffer tank stat calls for heat. Room stat when it calls for heat just runs the pump on the manifold. Any loss of heat from the buffer tank sat there leaks into the house anyway (during the heating season) so it’s not wasted. Because the ASHP does not have to heat the buffer before the UFH gets the heat it’s calling for the warm up time is shorter.

Second option sounds better 4 me

In a good sized area like your For tiles and adhesive The should be knocking off 30-40% off showroom prices (Trade).

Just because I've included the data about rooflights doesn't mean I expect her to get up on the roof and fix a leaking rooflight.

Then when I die my legacy of ropey software and leaking glazing will live on!