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Yes. Where is the VCL in relation to where you want radio signals to travel anyway? Different Unifi access points also have different wireless characteristics. I have two LR (long-range) access points, one in the garage and one in the garden room. They have a more horizontal spread from a signal perspective, so work for longer ranges on a single horizontal plane (the ground floor). In the house, I have a Pro access point on the landing that serves all of the house quite happily. I don't have a metallic VCL, but I can't imagine any scenario where an access point would be required in every room.

Yes. Quick phone call to your SE.

Does the ballastrade system meet all the design requirements? "In general there are three main uniformly distributed line load requirements for barriers or balustrades and these are, 0.74kN/m, 1.5kN/m and 3kN/m. This refers to the force applied to the balustrade per linear metre of balustrade at 1100mm above finished floor level. These loads in general cover the following locations (although it is always prudent to refer directly to the standard to ensure that every situation is covered). Areas not susceptible to overcrowding in office and institutional buildings including stairs, walkways and balconies – 0.74kN/m Areas where people might congregate and public walkways and pavements less than 3m wide that protect a drop – 1.5kN/m. Footways or pavements greater than 3m wide and public areas such as theatres, bars, shopping malls and other areas susceptible to overcrowding – 3kN/m You should revisit the changes with structural engineer, for loading and general balcony design.

I have one very like that, and the price was exactly that. The quality is awful, but I expected that for £30! The thread was 'cut' (cast??) so badly that the paddle, when fitted, had about 30-50mm 'slop' at the 'business end (got round that by using the old but higher-quality paddle off my old mixer). The cable-entry 'grommet' is glued only (or un-glued now) - It does not have a groove, so now it's off there is little to stop strain on the elec connections. When it finally dies it will be either that or a burnt-out motor, whichever comes first. I only bought such a cheap one as I am no longer contracting and thought my use would be very sporadic. If it goes wrong it entirely serves me right for being a skinflint. It *will* mix concrete, but it doesn't like it, and it's a big strain on your back if your back feels strain. 1 jumbo bucket, 2/3 full, fine. 2, you're getting tired and irritated. 3 or more, or a more regular requirement to mix concrete, buy a second-hand Belle. (And yes, the bucket will spin, so you also have to use your ankles to 'pin' the bucket, hence not something to do regularly!

I expect with that limited space by the time you have got the flat area in front of the door, there won't be room to get the ramp straight out. So more likely you will then have to have the ramp sideways, i.e. parallel to the front wall of the house. That would allow you to just have steps from the front of the flat area down to the drive as well, so convenient for everyone.

Thought I would update this in case anyone stumbled upon it... Trick 1: don't roll the pipe behind you over your shoulder, this naturally makes it bend up.... Keep the pipe coil laid flat and roll out it out from the side. This is why UFH companies have those decoiler things! Trick 2: I used some large round plastic insulation washers and concrete screws to hold the really bad bits down into the concrete slab. Trick 3: as Mike said above, punch through some UFH staples. This works well when not near corners where it could lift the whole insulation and crate up. Trick 4: don't stress too much. One water is in and the screed goes over, you wonder why you worried so much.... Trick 5: don't use egg crates!

I’d agree with the above. Don’t sweat it, yes it’s not *the* best, but it’s not a big deal. Continue the focus on airtightness in the remaining build, and the design of heating system to counter it by being really efficient.

Of all the things to get bent out of shape over. Yikes. Your house is already hugely well Insulated, with running costs of tiny £ a month (mine is £150 a month and very inefficient in design, and only 'above average insulation' - 160mm in floor, 150mm warm roof, 125mm full full wool (which is poor) and we are heavy electricity users anyway). Air tightness of about 2.9. That gap may help, as still air is an insulation, even slightly moving air in that cavity is probably better then cold brick pressed up against PIR. Coldest days are usually windless days anyway. Give yourself a break, know when to stop.... You'll put yourself/your wife into an early grave if this is the level of 0.001% detail you're obsessed over.

This exact situation is used as an example here... https://www.taxinsider.co.uk/wrong-vat-shown-on-invoices-what-happens-next

PM me. I can recommend a good one which isn’t too crazy on price.

I think we need to know more about this before we express any opinion as to whether 25mm will make any significant difference. What is the width of the cavity? (So that we can work out, at least roughly, what the U value might have been intended to be.) What went wrong? You say full fill, so there is no *intentional* ventilation to the cavity. What about 'unintentional'?

Agreed. I bought a tonne of stone to infill a 15 year old grid. the stones are way too big. notionally 20mm but that is the size that a square stone could drop though, butt it could be 30mm long. They are far too big. I went back to the BM and they don't do smaller. I have temporarily given up. Hang on. a quick google and here it is. https://www.stonewarehouse.co.uk/gravel-chippings/garden-gravel/white-limestone-gravel-10mm/?id=1661&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw_Na1BhAlEiwAM-dm7IuOwtED5Gw9xermk3kLvDFCvsLYGcdXo9s1Kb8xSnZUL0m91wBwNxoCVNQQAvD_BwE Expensive but the solution. £120 for 800 kg. so that is about £500/m3. how much do you need? To be stingy and if it is not taking much traffic, you could half fill with the cheaper stone and then spread this on top. I wouldn't do that commercially as the labour will increase, but might with diy and for my own drive.

Our rainwater runs to a dyke. There didn't seem to be any advantage in putting it into a lined pond as its not going to soak away effectively, and I didn't want an unlined soakaway that dries out in summer. Also, I built it several years after moving in, so conflict with newts and house construction. April 2021 June 2023

The only reason for doing any more survey work is to assure risk reduction. And the only question to ask is - of those to whom you will pay money - who will require further evidence, and in what format do they need it? For example no foul drain, no dwelling - Percolation Test (aka 'Perc Test') Structural Engineers (SEs) suck their teeth - a lot : more even than plumbers - Ground Condition Survey (aka Have some cores done) Bats? GCNs? Lesser Spotted Uninhabited Barn Dweller? Stage One Desk Exercise ( aka Ecology Survey) Wince and bear it. Sorry. Ian

Hi, after a couple of years looking for plots or conversions, just had an offer accepted on a brick & stone barn with q-class permitted development. I expect to have lots of questions to come!

It was several years ago but I used the Wetherby system, just for a plinth around the house, six rows. Didn't have any problems.

Have you tried this place... https://brickslips.co.uk/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI582skb_ghwMVZYxQBh1S7jKwEAAYAiAAEgKipvD_BwE I think the market for brick slips is a lot smaller in the UK than in Europe. We lived in Belgium for some years and saw several houses getting EWI and brick slips. I think their VAT system encourages this sort of renovation. When I looked at slips back in 2005 for a house in the UK I was told most slips in the UK are made by cutting bricks which is obviously horribly expensive and wasteful. Since we import a lot of bricks it might be worth trying some EU based companies or the UK arm of an EU company that manufacture rather than cut slips. https://www.wienerberger.co.uk/products/facades/manufactured-extruded-brick-slips.html?campaign=19635358725&content=646924808837&keyword=brick slips outside&campaign=Manufactured_Brick_Slips_HP&content=646924808837&keyword=brick slips outside&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItNOq1bzghwMVo5CDBx0v4AsgEAAYASAAEgLJBvD_BwE https://www.ibstock.co.uk/products/facade-systems/brick-slips?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI582skb_ghwMVZYxQBh1S7jKwEAAYAyAAEgJGqfD_BwE I suspect they won't talk direct so try asking about distributors? If really keen perhaps take a trip to the Bati Bouw exhibition in Brussels next February. Likely to be reps there from many of the European Brick manufacturers. May Belgians and French self builders take their house plans to the show. Not much info on the show yet but the site is here.. https://www.batibouw.com/en It's a massive show over 13 halls. Needs a full day to get around if you have a lot of interests. Possibly 2 days! Last time we went they had demonstrations of different construction techniques for things like solid first floors.

Yes We have moved in today and spent £335000 on 420m2 build Sill an oak porch to put in and all the landscaping 35k vat claim to come at some stage

List down here.. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/goods-and-services-you-can-claim-for-under-the-vat-diy-scheme

We had Protec on our previous build each visit lasted 10 minutes Four in total Stayed in the car for foundations To muddy Inspected roof from the ground Said I’d made a cracking job 😁 Final sign off Didn’t walk around the outside or go upstairs Less than ten minutes They know that they will never pay out

PVA all the way

Looked back at this thread and remembered the sheer panic I felt when I wrote the original post! Thank you all who contributed, whatever you contributed. Such a comfort to know there's others out there who've trodden this path. 👍

So, a bit of an update: The Building Control guy came round and had a good look on 23rd. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to pass it because the basement hadn't been tacked, so represented a fire hazard (from quite what, I don't know, but anyway) which was a bit of a blow. I then contacted the warranty company to beg for an extension. I got through not to my usual warranty surveyor but to his boss, who told me that (a) they didn't need building control sign off since we were building the property for ourselves rather than as a commercial developer and (b) the basement wasn't covered by the warranty anyway! He asked that I send him the gas and part P certs and, pending one visit from my normal surveyor, they would complete the paperwork. The visit went OK and, though I've no paperwork yet from LABC, I have at least emails from the surveyors a few days prior to 30th stating that all has been satisfactorily completed. I don't feel I'm out of the woods yet, until I get a completion cert from them but I can at least concentrate on a few other things now. Thanks everyone for your help, encouragement and great advice!

What you need @JSHarrisis a row of pleeched trees, the picture shows a row of hornbeam that where chosen as it will retain a brown leaf in the winter like a beech hedge. I have installed many like this and is a good way of getting the screening at a height needed without the long term wait.

One of the cock-ups on my build. We have poured ICF walls, so I asked the builder to set the MVHR inlet/outlet 200mm steel spiral ducts in the wall prior to them pouring the concrete. This was near the top of the wall, the amount of concrete on top was not that great. I gave him 500mm lengths, with end caps to strengthen the ducts. I requested a 3° fall, he is Romanian, so something might have been lost in translation, he set to ducts at nearly 30°. I never checked the angle of the ducts. It wasn’t until after the concrete first floor had been poured, that I realised the angle was wrong. I wasn’t sure how big a problem this might be, but in the end I could not face rectifying this mistake. On the inside I had enough head room to fit a 30° bend to correct that angle. On the outside the external grill will be mounted on timber cladding, the plan is to fit a 15° bend to correct most of the angle but still leave it pointing slightly downwards.

hmm I've just been quoted £35K for a 10 year warranty from Protek. had a BW quote for 6.5K but probably going with a PCC with BW for 2.9K. It is like the wild west IMO. clearly plenty of the insurers have a limited capacity for self-builds with their main underwriters or have a very different risk model for some people (ours is a barn conversion). We only 'need' one because we have some funding for the build and the lender insists.