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The majority of the scaffolding is down. A long way to go still

Just thought I’d post this as it crops up as a question regularly I knocked the block work out around the five openings today

I think I've found the answer to my own question in the Government Permitted development rights for householders guide https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/830643/190910_Tech_Guide_for_publishing.pdf . This is the document that the planning portals refers to. My structure will be within 2m of the boundary so I think I'm limited to 2.5m max height..... "Class E – buildings etc E.1 Development is not permitted by Class E if – (e) the height of the building, enclosure or container would exceed - (i) 4 metres in the case of a building with a dual-pitched roof, (ii) 2.5 metres in the case of a building, enclosure or container within 2 metres of the boundary of the curtilage of the dwellinghouse, or (iii) 3 metres in any other case The height of the building, enclosure or container should be measured from the highest ground level immediately adjacent to the building, enclosure, or container to its highest point. The height limit on a ‘dual-pitched roof’ of 4 metres should also be applied to buildings that have ‘hipped’ roofs (slopes on all four sides). If any part of the building, container or enclosure is within 2 metres of the boundary of the curtilage of the house, then the height limit for the total development is restricted to 2.5 metres if it is to be permitted development."

Update - I am on Flux! I won't break open any champagne until I see exports working (I can't see how this shows in the app) but the process was very quick. I had a smart meter install on Wednesday (via Shell, or a contracttor should I say) I called Octopus on Thursday to switch. They said I'd be on the variable tarrif (which was the same rates as Shell, but for the standing charge which is a bit lower) and needed to apply to Flux, but it could take 6 weeks as they need to test that they could communicate with the smart meter etc. I applied on Friday for Flux, which meant ticking some boxes and providing a G99 letter (to show DNO approval) and the MCS cert number (which they look up and tie to the property). Now, two says later, they say that I'm Flux. So, I'm very impressed so far - even without being on Flux the app is very good, with usage data easily seen for electric and gas. Fingers crossed that the export works properly.

I've used proper old ones to retain a veg patch. I lined the sides facing the soil with dpc. Hope it works as I've just done a raised bed right up against it. They do tend to leach tar especially in hot weather.

yep.

Think they should have a rubber or fibre sealing washer. Pretty sure mine did.

If you’re new to export and they have to get an export MPAN from the DNO then it’s often 10-14 days but can take longer depending on the DNO. If you already have an export MPAN then it takes just a couple of days for most people it seems.

how do you built the soffit / fascia/ install guttering How do you as the client provide the workforce with a safe place to work if you cannot provide safe access?

this is how im doing ours to climate the massive cold bridging issue, albeit with permiter upstand as well. Using marmox as the outer skin as they wont be seen (level threshold).

Your issue is differential settlement. You can tackle this by either having a very consistent strength of substrate to your foundation or else having a strong foundation that will ensure the whole structure sinks/moves evenly and prevents cracking. You are going for the first solution. Thinking out loud here. As a idea you could hammer some timber pegs to the point of refusal under the paving slabs and then trim them level with the hardcore. They would act as mini piles. Otherwise consider 2 layers of paving slabs with the joints crossed. Probably overkill. 99% sure if you build bricks straight onto the hardcore it would stay put.

We are on track to come in at £2100/sqm all in but only because we fixed prices last year and I paid deposits on everything. Had I waited if would easily be knocking on £3000/sqm. The timber kit and windows increased by 20% shortly after I paid for ours for example.

Another 45 runner beans in a little raised bed. These to go with the other 50 already in. The new ones are red!

I think in Scotland we embraced timber frame a long time ago, my 60m2 extension was build over the weekend and a few evenings with me cutting C16 6x2 on the chop saw and the joiner nailing them together, then OSB on top and stacked. It was a quick efficient build. roof trusses we’re delivered a few days and installed in a day and sarking over 2 days. house wrapped and effectively wind and watertight in a couple of weeks. internals proceeded then with stonemason on the outside doing his thing.

And a fan that will have a sweet spot, and a wobble frequency.

For God's sake Clive, please stop putting images on here such that SWMBO says pointing at your posts .... "You know , like that .... "

Don't disagree but just because there have been no failures yet it can not mean there won't be - they were very happy with the Comet for a bit IIRC. Also introducing flexies may bring the Mean Time Before / Between Failure (MTBF) down because you are increasing complexity. More parts that can fail. So either way it is swings and roundabouts but the point I made remains a truth because the past tells us nothing 100% reliably about the future - other, of course, than death and taxes. (Although I guess it is possible to avoid taxes - so just death then.)

It obviously depends on quality control, but do not assume that simply because they are marinated in sh** reclaimed railway sleepers will be fine long-term, particularly if used in a retaining situation or as a raised bed. AFAIK railway sleepers in their 'original habitat' were bedded in free-draining ballast, which tends to draw the water away from them, where raised beds or retaining situations may tend to hold the water against the sleeper. I bought several, some of which still seem OK as a retaining wall with loose fill behind (again - drainage, not wet soil) and others which rotted out pretty soon.

Yes and to add, if you want to use your raised bed to grow veg, don't use reclaimed in case that stuff leaches into the soil.

Oh yes strongly carcinogenic and on top of that “train toilets”, but then again your not going to lick or eat them, it’s no wonder they last forever 👍 (it’s what I would use 😎).

The proper reclaimed railway sleepers that really have seen previous use on the railways will have so much "stuff" impregnated in them, they will never rot. They would be my choice if you can get them. Cue someone else to come along and tell you how nasty all the stuff in them is and to avoid.

Tut! 🙄 There are folk who do this on their one-off new build and have just one instance to record / recount, and folk who do this for a living. I do this for a living, and the results always speak for themselves The feedback is from clients who are living with and using the systems, and there is NO better critic than a client, I assure you. If you clip strategically to give some wiggle-room, and decouple the copperwork from the fabric of the build with insulation where it enters, then you'll enjoy silent, issue-free operation. FACT. If you've bought a unit which chugs and shudders. then you chose poorly, sorry, and will defo need the flexi's. They're a product to resolve an issue you created, so once again I impress upon the good people here......"Choose wisely and design problems out, as prevention is cheaper and better than cure(s)". The Stiebel unit is remarkably good, you could make a tower out of playing cards and sit that atop, fire it up, and they'd still be there intact. The Panasonic units aren't far behind in fairness, considering how gob-smackingly good value for money they are!! Both are incredibly 'silent' too. @Thorfun, how's 'life without flexis' to date?

Ok I was going to cut with a multi tool, so I'll make sure it's cut with the pipe slice and covered. Yeah it's just a skim coat and then wallpaper. I don't really mind the pipes showing. I did consider buying new pipes so it looks better. e.g. copper instead of painted white. Not sure how expensive that is.

Hi, Will they go back if you plaster behind them? Have you considered skirting to discretely cover them and/or completely bury in the wall?

Sure but make sure there is a couple of inches sticking out, cut it with a proper pipe splice and cover it with tape to stop plaster etc getting in the pipe. what about putting them in the wall or making a pipe box skirting to hide them?

This is the whole point, what does your deeds say? Get a copy of the land registry map (I know they are not accurate to the inch/m but enough to show a gap of 1m plus). Then you can challenge your neighbour with documentation.

In some cases yes! Looked at an old farm house recently .. it was ugly, poorly built, could see any unique or even attractive features but listed! And the plot would have been fantastic for a knock down and build

Agree with @joe90 on this, a (well set up) table saw can and will be accurate to fractions of a mm. I can’t remember last time I used a jointer (flat bed planer) for straightening and levelling a board, I always use the table saw and rarely sand, or need to sand unless it’s for stain or varnish

Unfortunately I disagree with Nick here (the first time I believe!!) I have done woodwork most of my (long) life and with a decent table saw with a fence, cutting can be very accurate, cut 1/2 mm too big then cut that last 1/2mm and you will end up with a surface that with a little sanding will be fine for painting, alternatively cut 1/2mm too big then use a plane electric or manual. If you use the original fixings into the wall you will need to cut both sides but if using new holes just cut one side.

You don't need any bigger than 16mm. The bigger the pipe the more volume of hot water you need flow through before you get hot out the end you want it.

Just set up the weather compensation curve and balance the loops - job done. You don't need anything complex. If well insulated, floor temp is circa 1 to 3 (OAT dependant) hotter than room target temp, if the sun comes out heats the room the floor reduces or stops giving off heat. There is no need for floor sensors etc, one thermostat per floor (operating as a limit stop instead of a controller, if you feel the need, or just one wireless thermostat, so you fine tune the position in the house. The same method can be used for 24/7 WC or batch heating in the cheap hours of E7 (if you have it) or during the daytime when some solar may be available. Just modify the WC curve to run 5 to 10 deg hotter, so it just the same amount of heat to the floor in 6 to 7 hours instead of 24.

Nothing above the upstands Last time I just ran the tile matting over them and tiled on top

I used to do brick cleaning many years ago. 1750 a day cleaned & palleted was my target & used to hit it mainly. I was a young single man so my wrist strength was already high 😃

qq. I've made the shadow gap similar to how @MortarThePoint drew it. how would I finish off the plasterboard edge that forms the shadow gap (circled in red in the drawing taken from @MortarThePoint's drawing) it's just raw plasterboard with no covering. I need something on the end to 'finish' it as surely can't just leave it as open plasterboard!!

Few buildings are level. You might be surprised how out of level, but nobody notices. I know an indoor tennis court with 50mm difference in the court length. (It wasn't my project) Only i and the manager know.....players haven't noticed. I doubt anyone will notice in a domestic room.... otherwise why do kitchen cabinets and washing machines need adjustable feet?

Oooop North we use buckets, not barrows. Ya wanna see the size of my biceps ....💪

not bad for a first effort even if I do say so myself.

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If he does the work to the standard you expect then pay him the rate you agreed - it makes no odds to you if he's got someone else to do it or done it himself, or made more or made less on it.

I think the science says that it is guaranteed, had has done for decades. Deny it if you will but the science doesn't care what you or I think. The problem with this argument is that it means everyone waits for everyone else and nothing gets done. My personal bet is that China will eventually sort their emissions better than the west, because they can due to the way their political system works. Either that or their low lying costal communities will get hammered. Of course the Chinese also have form when it comes to unnecessarily sacrificing the lives of their own people.

....because people are still labouring under the misapprehension that tackling climate change wont involve any sacrifices, and weak-willed governments are indulging (arguably encouraging) that fantasy. Had we started properly 20-30 years ago, it might have been possible to adapt without sacrifice. Now it isn't. We will both see devastating effect of climate change (most likely manifested as mass migration and armed conflict) and have to adapt our behaviours to stop it getting even more catastrophic.

Mmh, I'm inclinded to agree with @Dave Jones - I am unsure what Global vs UK really has to do with it - UK grant scheme is evidently an implementation piece for a wider global market, underpinned by carbon tagrets, incentives and fines. We need something done about carbon, no question there, so it is not all bad - but there are racketeer companies making hay while the sun shines (quite literally ). Maybe slightly tangential, but there is precious little vocal advocation for the consume-less solution, just consume-better which looks like consume-more-better.

If you have a shed large enough to use as a workshop, you can make a timber frame house in it. They are only OSB and timber, with some insulation in them.

S'funny, my missus points at your house and says similar!

I never let SWMBO see any posts - for my own safety!!

Why has it taken 70 years for someone to tell me that ......🤔

You haven’t missed anything. The surveyors and the BCO a planning officers all said they can’t and shouldn’t, but my neighbours feel they are above the law and that it is inconvenient for them! Which is why I am in this pickle still. I guess one way to solve it is the court.