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House is flying along (other thang getting in the sliders) They have almost finished the render board and first fix. Next week they will start on the plasterboard and the render. Mum and dad sold their flat today for crazy money, thought we might have missed the peak of the housing market. So that takes a lot of worry away and will help to pay for the cost increases on the new place.

is rather poor. I'm not timber frame person, but +/-2.2mm over 30m doesn't sound poor to me. That means one end of a 15m house might be 2mm lower than the other. What needs to be better than that?

Why not just use slate, with a bit more slate, and slate on top of that? Just tap it in until it's tight and chip off anything overhanging.

Hi all, After setting up and running an IT company for 25 years I sold up recently with a dream of getting into property development. It's something I've always wanted to do and with all the cliches of "you only live once" ringing in my head I decided to go for it! I have purchased a plot of land just outside Cambridge and submitted a planning application for a 5 bedroom, 3,500 sq ft house. I'm going to be project managing it all myself and trying to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can. I've always believed in not being too proud to ask questions of experts, hence deciding to join this forum. Thanks for having me! Thanks! Anthony

Hi all, I’ve scoured the forum but struggling to find a view of good suppliers for traditional style but efficient windows. We’ve recently secured planning permission but the new house will be on a fairly traditional street therefore the front has to blend in - we’ve got an allowance for ‘wood effect’ windows at the front so at least have flexibility there, but I’m trying to make this new house as energy efficient as possible. I’m struggling to find a supplier beyond the usual UPVC candidates that supply a good looking window with low U-value (triple glazed). we’re based near York. Any pointers appreciated!

That seems unusually reasonable for an MVHR installation. Nice!

I've been looking a bit at Emporia too, as I'm underwhelmed by the emonpi I currently use. 1. The UK instructions only seem to have one 200A clamp. The versions with 2 main clamps i think are the USA deign and they have split-phase supply there, so it just happens to have the 2 clamps out of box. Looking at the install manual seems to confirm: they have one clamp on red, one on black, which is the L1 and L2 two-phase hot wires in USA. (White is neutral). 2. Yes, this is step 8 in the above manual 3. They also sell a solar suppliment, not sure why that would be needed maybe just if you have >16A of solar. 4. ?? The HW supports it, but it's up to the app used as to how well it displays it ? 5. The clamps need to go over the L wire only, not the L and N as they will cancel each other out. Inside the CU is the only place where the wires should (reliably) be individually accessible in a standard install. Else you'd need to split open all the T&E to pull a core out and clamp, which would be non-comformant 6. Yeah that's a lot of stuff on a single circuit. Ours is split across 3 (ASHP outdoor unit, heating controls, MVHR). 7. Fairly safe, but there is still live power going to the main switch, non-RCD protected. It's better if you have an upstream 100A breaker for the whole house at shut that off. Apparently some supplier meters include a main switch. Probably the main risk is you disturb something and cause a hazard when turned back on. It can get very crowded with all these CTs in a UK style CU. (USA breaker panels are much more spaced out) 8, zero. See #5 FWIW I'm not interested in using the Emporia cloud/app function and would only use it if I can get it working local connection only. It is possible but bit of a hack. As this jolly guy says they should just support this out the box:

Since 2007, when the banking crisis became a thing, and the subsequent QE that pumped billions of cash into the economy, we have been waiting for the reckoning day. The government backing businesses and workers during COVID has delayed it. A good, rough, indicator is to look at the published Money Supply figures. I have not looked but as a percentage of GDP, or household earnings, I suspect the are pointing to less cash in the economy. In the olden days, people put there money into gold, trouble was, there was little control over gold supplies, then governments took control and reduced, or increased, gold supplies for their own ends (war, win elections, overseas trade). This was a cumbersome physical process, so the FIAT system was introduced, was then easy to control the supply, and value. Well we thought it was. Now we can be disproportionally affected by external events that can destabilise our currency. Once a currency is devalued, it is much harder to reclaim that lost value. Add in general inflation, sector inflation, and interest rate rises, things are not looking good. So what to do about it from a business point if view. Reduce costs, only quote for high end jobs (high earners are better shielded), and always quote to make a net profit. Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity.

For 3 phase you want a 5 core steel wire armoured cable. 16mm absolute minimum if a short run but 25mm would be better. It needs feeding at the kiosk with a switch fuse, 80A to discriminate from suppliers 100A fuse. Best terminate the SWA in a large adaptable box in the house, so you can take a single phase to a consumer unit and have the others terminated for future use.

I don’t think anyone knows I run a framing - plastering - Tiling business and I’m still booked for the next 20 months Whilst the commercial jobs will be unaffected We have two large housing sites and there’s no sign of those slowing But that could change overnight I think this time is ver different than 2008 and the two previous recessions I’ve been through There are lots of job vacancies Previously in the months leading up to a recession shops and businesses where closing at an alarming rate Like Covid Talk of a recession will soon fizzle out if a war breaks out or there’s a spate of dog attacks If we had listened to the so called experts we would be six months in to a 1920s type recession With stockbrokers throwing themselves out of window with inflation so high It’s bound to outstrip growth = recession But people will still have jobs I may be totally wrong Steel and other commodities may fall through the floor Builders merchant reps could be calling on a daily basis with 40% discount offers My friend runs a medium size Groundwork’s company He built in 2010 5 bed Total build cost 126k But he had no work on and machinery leases to pay and very little money coming in Hes nearly finished hissecond self build Lots of well paid in But has hated it this time Everything in short supply Trades with bad work and bad attitudes We never seem to get something in between

Question and then an update. All comments welcomed. The groundworkers have built the block footings with an 8mm error in one area. The joiner was not impressed, and neither am I (laser level used incorrectly). The joiner arrived with the standard plastic packers expecting 1-3mm undulations, but had to make timber packers..... a tetchy start. My plan of putting a mastic seal under all the sole plates was ignored on the basis that it was impossible in an 8mm gap. From enquiry it seems that 'nobody' applies any seal under the sole plate. But I wanted to to keep out draughts and spiders. I guess we can simply apply a bead along the joint where it is small. Question.....What is normal/appropriate where the sole plate is propped 8mm up? Won't it subside and bend, or crush the small packers? But 8mm and diminishing isn't enough to pack with mortar. Suggestions please. Progress. Really impressed with the joiners making cassettes on the ground and lifting to place, so we have 23m x 5m manufactured and erected to eaves in 4 days, including day one being prep and offloading. Glulams will be fixed in place using threaded rod and nuts. Then templates will be made using osb, and then steel copies can be made for bolting in place without holding up the job. Due to the tight acute angles, and aligning opposite holes in plates, I am thinking of changing from through bolt to coach screws. Using standard joist hangers was accepted without demur, so I assume is normal. Some very perceptive advice and suggestions from the joiner. Where these are more along the lines of 'not how it is done' (despite the Architect and Engineer's designs) I am tending to go his way as it smooths progress, even though I know the design is fine. The day when the walls are in place is a real client pleaser.

The kind that wants it right. Doing this unseen after hours avoids any conflict, and provides either peace of mind or a good opportunity to sort it sooner rather than later.

I should clarify that I think as a contractor as well as designer, so the savings (shared client and ourselves) are significant in designing out the commercial products. If only a designer then it is prudent to be more conservative, as there is a small fee available compared to the risk of going unpaid or being sued if it does not work as hoped. Plus it is an interesting challenge. Plus I really don't think any new development should be allowed to add to flood risk at all. Upstream developments (by the big developers usually) cause flooding and damage downstream, which is entirely unfair.

Hi All, Many thanks for the warm welcome! I am very sorry, I only just realised that I had replies!

I would ask as soon as possible because the possibility of rising interest rates may affect the affordability calculation.

Absolutely. The only reason for being a member of such a scheme in England and Wales is so you can self certify for part P, which thankfully we don't have up here.

Welcome. Second learning eh? Hmmm... might want to extend that number by a good few hundred. Trust your gut after having done too much Due Diligence . And you can't do enough Due Diligence. The trouble with this place (BH) is that we talk a good talk. And take absolutely zippppo responsibility for what we write : and the Mods take care of that. (Thanks Mods) . Its good to feel your fizz for your build. I'm at the other end of the process - may I offer the following Persistence. Guts. Compromise. Budget. Systems and people show themselves for what they really when the soft and smelly hits the fan: not when everything is ticking along just fine. The systems and the people will test you. Self-building hardens you off.

Have to admit, Simons posts always impress me. Not only with the good nature and spirit he does so with, but also with the knowledge and experience he's always so ready to share in a detailed yet easy to understand way. He's an asset to this board.

I had a price with no time limit agreed. Turns out the scaffolding co decided I had it too long and said they were going to take it down. So ended up having to agree to pay them per week extra!!! Just really a bit of caution for you. Not a lot you can do about crap like that unless you want to waste time and risk bigger dramas with lawyers etc

That sounds like a bargain price. Bite their hand off.

Spoke to Western Power, the transformer is indeed 100KVA and is only running at around a quarter of capacity at the moment. They’ve quoted £635.04 to install an 80amp supply to a temporarily sited box towards the back of the plot (on the basis that I provide trench and trunking on my land as well as the meter box).

You are easily offended! However, you did fail to mention some of those key details!

Don't worry, we'll learn you good, Jethro

And no, I'm not his wife, or paid employee.