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Well wad'ya know: a knight in shining armour has just popped in. Man wiv Sherree PiKa. He came to pick up the ladder. Looking at the job he suggested that I could be let loose on a tracked one (T135) While I'm up there, I can feel a couple of other little jobs coming on..... I mean, like Ed ( @Construction Channel ) says Wot could go wrong? Only one more sleep until I get to play with this........ Christmas reinvented. Photos while I'm up there ... good weather forecast too.

Gym closed ☹️ So mega grout session . Have back ache now

I wouldn’t do it. If the client insists then it would need them to sign a disclaimer that any warranty was null and void and you were not liable for the floor or any other consequential damage caused by a failure of the flooring. This is the sort of situation that ends up getting nasty when it invariably goes wrong.

They need a site layout plan that shows the position of neighbouring properties in relation to yours, and that needs to show the position of windows on neighbouring properties so they can see if there are issues with overlooking.

My 2 channel controllers have holiday mode built in ... Can’t see the point of an app, and if it’s the Heatmiser one I would read the app reviews first ...

Ask the question, WHAT would you do with the app on your phone? I suspect the answer is 99% of the time, NOTHING. About the only useful thing I can actually think of for it, would be if you go away on holiday in winter, then the day before you come back, you can remotely turn the heating on so the house is warm for your return. I look forward to others telling me what a phone app can do that a thermostat and a time clock can't.

I would never do that as said above, tell the client you advise not too but you will do it BUT will not guarantee the work (and put it in writing).

This will be the last entry for our self build blog. Our plan We originally commenced a self build as there was no affordable housing for us to get on the housing ladder. The approach for the self build, was whether we could build a better-quality house than what we could purchase from a developer for the same cost. This was later refined to achieving a lower mortgage if possible. For the self build we decided to split the project into three chunks. 1. Obtain outline planning, purchase of site – this allowed us to know that a build was possible. 2. Put in services, access, design – this was the first actual work and made an area of croft ground into a valuable plot for lending purposes. Commence the build over two years - using subcontractors and our own materials to eliminate any margins and ensure tight control over the specification. Doing this would allow us to complete the project and prevent us being stuck unable to finish it. What did it cost? The total cost for the project was just over £196,000 (net of VAT). This includes the land, services, professional fees, overheads and the actual build costs. I’ve summarised all of my costs into a pie chart below. How was it funded? · A small electricity grant £1,550 · We obtained a croft house grant for £38,000 · The final mortgage of £74,500 · The remaining balance of £81,950 was funded by savings from employment, which started when we were 23 and finished when we moved into the house in July 20 at 33. · Most of the work we carried out was decorating and general labouring, therefore contributed a small amount of sweat equity to the project. What is the final result? The surveyor provided a valuation back to the building society of £265,000. This was pleasing as sometimes self builds can be more expensive then the total project costs or just about breakeven. Prior to building we were aware of building cost being measured per m2. However, during the build process I realised that this method of reviewing the financial performance of a self build had room for error, as the calculation could be skewed depending on the quality of the finish. For the purposes of our project this would be £1,420 or £1,230 excluding (land, professional fees and overheads). I came to the conclusion that the best method for us is calculating the final cost per month (mortgage, utilities, council tax, insurance) to live in the house. I set a target of £500 per month and I am pleased that we have been able to achieve this. I feel this is a good measure as I wouldn’t want to live in an expensive house that has a huge mortgage. Often at the end of Grand Designs and other tv shows, the presenter asks whether they would do it again? For us I would say, yes, of course. When I look around, every single item in the house was researched, compared, purchased and gradually put together. The thought, time and energy that we have put into this build has created a much deeper connection to the property. Our blood, sweat and tears are in the very fabric of the house. The hardest part of the process was when we were focussing on saving as much of our income as possible to ensuring a low mortgage. We made many sacrifices to ensure we reached this end goal, but we knew these relatively short term sacrifices would have long term gains for our family. For the actual building of the house, we chose a two year build schedule from starting on the foundations. This allowed us planning time between build stages and made the build process more manageable. It also allowed us time to do some jobs ourselves such as fitting insulation, interior decorating etc. We enjoyed taking time to do the jobs we were confident in doing well ourselves. Perhaps we could have taken on the more tasks, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it made more sense to work a bit of overtime and pay a contractor to do the work well, rather than us doing a job slowly and at a reduced quality. In the future, we would consider another self-build, perhaps in thirty years when I will be semi or hopefully fully retired. So until then… See you next time and thanks for reading.

@Onoff did a great example of this in one of his posts. Circular hole looked like a nice easy way to go.

That would be a neat and quick solution @nod has just proposed. In my amateur way I would have cut timber noggins in between the ceiling joists. Yes, yes and yes. Spacer clip SC1

If the stud lands inside a joist We normally Use a piece of shallow track (Floor Track) Cut 50 mil in at either end the flattened Turn it upside down Set them at 600 and they will also carry your ceiling

A couple of pictures

I've been on a metal stud learning curve the last week. So far so good, only the single one inch laceration to my finger to mention. But it sure flies up quick once you get used to it I chose a mixture of wall make up. Between bedrooms and corridors I've used 72mm track with 60mm I studs staggered. For cupboard, wardrobes and areas where sound transmission is not so critical I went for 52mm track with 50mm C studs. 9mm ply then PB The British Gypsum white book is really useful for selecting the components, then when purchasing switched to Tradeline brand as significantly cheaper. Chatting with a plasterer today and he's saying I really should be using noggins, even though White book says not necessary. I mentioned that Im using 15mm soundbloc board and he said even more reason to nog, anyone know why this might be? So that got me thinking about chucking some in there just to be sure. But with the staggered studs this is not going to be possible. Is the flat plate really going to make much difference? I cant see how thin plate (0.3mm thick i think) is going to make any difference. All my boards are vertical, just under 2.4m ceilings, perhaps that makes a difference.

Order about 50 concrete coursing bricks, tell the brickies you want a decent bond on the blocks then go put the kettle on ... when ordering, it’s 10 blocks to the square metre, measured through for wastage. That means you measure height and width and ignore the door and window openings (unless they are huge) and just multiple the square meterage by 10. There is no need to have the internal and external perps aligned, just keep the beds aligned and it will be fine.

As with all drawings; planning applications, BC drawings (warrant drawings in Scotland) you are seeking to convey information. Adding photgraphs to your drawings can be help the planners etc to visualise what they are being asked to assess, it may even help speed up your application! If you are going to add photographs then I would put them on perhaps the elevation drawings rather than the site location or block plan. In Scotland for the last few months (COVID) some of the planners are / were not making site visits so providing photos can help in my view mitigate some requests for extra information.

But the planners asked “please indicate neighbours windows on the existing and proposed floor plans”? ?

You dont have to show your neigbours windows, just the outline of your neigbours propeties in relation to your propertiy04 Site Plan 060319.pdf on a site plan. Your elevation plan will show how each proposed window relates to your neighbours, here's a copy of mine

I would as it might mitigate overlooking (they are currently looking at a fence anyway!!!)

I think it means the relationship of the windows on the proposal on neighbouring properties

Are you going to fit the integrated appliances into the rental place? We have an integrated Siemens Dishwasher - had it for over 10 years - its very good, I think its one of the upper range models. We have a freestanding Bosch washing machine - again very good We have a freestanding Samsung Condensing drier - again very good. We are most likely going to fit Siemens dishwasher and ovens in our new kitchen (Bora hob)

Indeed BT have this package but they charge a small fortune for it and I don't want to be stuck with BT. We only went with them as it was free for connecting our line as oppose to the £70 others wanted and they promised us a minihub whilst we were waiting to be connected and we got a reasonable fibre deal but I won't be staying with them long term. Let's hope the Ubiquiti is good I've ordered it from Amazon.

But we love toys.

To fix a roof tile from that, you will be laying down on the floor of the thing leaning out and down between the railings. It will not be the most comfortable working position. Hopefully it won't take long. Before stumping £140 for that, I would have asked a roofer to quote to replace the top hard to reach tile, pointing out the solar panel issue to him. He might have had a selection of roof ladders, perhaps one that has a shorter hook so would not have touched them?

Hi from Cardiff

I doubt it. And even if they were, I'd be the one who drops a sharp pointed screwdriver on one ......

A few of us have Ubiquiti systems, but it sounds like you just need a single extra access point so this may be overkill. What you want is a wireless access point. You will plug this into the ethernet socket in the dressing room and then the socket should be connected to your wifi router at the other end. If you think you will never use more than a 100Mbps internet connection then something like this would suffice, despite having a max wifi speed of 450 Mbps it only has a 100Mbps ethernet connection. https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-WA901N-Wireless-Injector-Ethernet/dp/B087MSF7BR/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=wireless+access+point&qid=1609864374&s=computers&sr=1-3 This one supports gigabit ethernet and AC wifi so will be more future proof for £40 https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-WA1201-AC1200-MU-MIMO-Wireless/dp/B084BGKJZT/ref=sr_1_16?dchild=1&keywords=wireless+access+point&qid=1609864374&s=computers&sr=1-16 A Ubiquiti access point starts at around £70. I do think their pricing has become a little high recently as it has not fallen as much as other people have fallen. They are however flat and can be wall or ceiling mounted so are less intrusive. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ubiquiti-Networks-UAP-AC-LITE-Access-Point/dp/B016K4GQVG/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=wireless+access+point+ubiquiti&qid=1609864852&s=computers&sr=1-4 If your router does not have enough ports to connect everything you will need an ethernet switch, something like this - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07PYSNSDD/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07PYSNSDD&pd_rd_w=dsWVI&pf_rd_p=1055d8b2-c10c-4d7d-b50d-96300553e15d&pd_rd_wg=Iubbn&pf_rd_r=1C6GN7PYKR5MNJY0VSKQ&pd_rd_r=967a89c9-1c5b-4216-bdc6-804545f01f51&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFBTDlURFFDNVlYRUgmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA5NDg1MzQxSVdCUFc0NDNQTVk3JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAxNDU0MDk2SlNDRzJMSkc4VEomd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWwmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl You can set up the access point with the same SSID (network name) and password as your main router and things should pretty seamlessly move between them.

It looks like you don't have the ethernet socket connected yet, just a tv aerial socket and a blank. Assuming the cable is there you need the ethernet socket connecting there, and at the other end the cable fitted with an RJ45 plug and plugged into one of the ethernet sockets on the router. Someone else will have to advise what to plug into it. We used an old reconfigured BT router (in the static caravan) but it was not a seamless reconnection when you moved from one zine to another.

Spoke to the Building Control - Their Response: The installation of the Electrics does not fall under The Northern Ireland Building Regulations. However we would advise that they are installed by a competent person. You may wish to speak with your proposed house insurer in case there may be any requirements form them. For the record I have never had to put any electrical details down with any house insurance in the past.

Totes!

They are good for vertical and overhangs. Not so great for roof as it is underneath you. Hardstanding required, not soggy grass.

Thank you! Yes we’ve heard many horror stories about self building ? all the positive experiences with self building seem to come from people who are willing to put in the effort at the beginning! As you said the process is already stressful enough without having to worry about finance

£140 plus bells and whistles...... per day

See Scotland's one is interesting as on this website: run by which: https://trustedtraders.which.co.uk/articles/electrical-installation-regulations-don-t-get-left-with-unregistered-electrical-work In Scotland, notifiable work has to comply with the building-standards system. Any electrical work carried out under a building warrant (from your local authority) will either have to be approved by a registered installer (an approved certifier) or checked by the local authority. but for NI it says There is no equivalent statutory framework in Northern Ireland, although we’d still recommend you use a competent registered electrician for safety reasons. I get that filling in the Cert above I would need to carry out testing but it leaves the caveat 'I believe to the best of my ability' So If I buy and read the IET Guides to the BS7671:2018 and follow it to the best of my ability I can in full confidence said I followed the spirit of the regulations.

Thanks, The FT confirms what you said. Adds that the government could have left the rules for the EU the same as other countries but realised they wouldn't have the capacity to police it. Financial Times: UK VAT changes for foreign mail-order sellers create ‘chaos’. https://www.ft.com/content/bae02f57-a648-45fd-a774-6b341aa59caf

Amazing how helpful everyone is here! Thank you.

Turner Timber Frames, based in Hull but have nationwide coverage, did a fantastic job for us. They are timber engineers really rather than just frame builders. First class product. First class service (both technical and practical). And a fair price. One of the most important aspects of self building, which is too often overlooked when wrestling with the technological challenges, is choosing the “right” people to work with. From the architect (if you use one) right down to the brickie’s labourer, it makes such a difference. We count ourselves very fortunate to have worked (mostly) with good tradesmen and suppliers, and some of them were great, a pleasure to work with. Turner’s were up there among the best of them.

Well it's tangibly quieter at 35% and i've every confidence the house and air quality would be fine if that's what it ran at....i've not changed anything since it was commissioned to regs'. Be careful how much you conclude from my example....my house is not typical, it's basically a concrete bunker, no carpets, and this likely effects sound transmission. Also it's a branch system of 160mm diameter ducting (reduces to 125mm after 20metres) rather than the seemingly more typical radial systems. The house shape also forces a lot of turns so for example the pic here is showing a forced deviation from what would be a straight run in an oblong house. None of this lends itself to optimum system performance. What i would say is don't obsess over noise...you'll buy a noisy fridge, plug in some gadget or charger that has a gentle hum to it, or have a partner that snores, all of which will render mvhr noise concerns irrelevant.

When the Zone valve brown is energised the motor creeps to the open position ( 8-10 seconds will elapse ). When the valve head reaches the 100% open position, it presses against a micro-switch inside the zone valve which is over the orange and grey pair of cables ( 5-wire ) eg to switch on the boiler and pump ONLY when the valve has fully opened. You do not need the switching pair, and you could have just fitted the 3-wire version. Not an issue, but just to help you understand what they do

OK. Green / Yellow = Earth Blue = Neutral Brown = Live to motor ( which opens the valve ) Orange = Common of call for heat switch Grey = Switched live out of call for heat switch Connect the blue and G/Y to the same terminals shared by the heating system supply. Split the 230v feed to actuator / zone 3 output from the Heatmiser and connect that to the brown. That will get the motorised valve to open and close with the actuator. That should be all you need?

True, and 6kW of solar will mean I'll be using a lot less in summer - need to get my Eddi ordered though!

What is charging the batteries ..?? Are you using an inverter that will also act as a charger ..? And what model is the washing machine as F-06 is door lock on Hotpoing units normally.

Gennie just isn't man enough to cope with the start up load is a possibility. As in it takes more current to start than when it's running.

Google suggests quite a few people have had issues running washing machines from generators and/or batteries. One possibility is that the microprocessor in them doesn't like the electrically noisy supply these can produce (expensive to diagnose). Another is that washing machines have quite a high initial surge current every time the motor starts. If the supply can't cope the voltage might dip fooling the micro into thinking there is a fault. If it works when running from the batteries and inverter can you use the generator to charge the batteries at the same time? This depends how you have it all connected.

We talked to them about our house design in mid- 2014 but they seemed a bit stuck in their "Surrey/Berkshire Georgian" style and we weren't convinced they could do anything different. My friends have used them to get PP in Ascot and currently working with them to revise that PP - "Berkshire Georgian" but that it was they wanted!

All cleaned . Grouting tomorrow

Welcome to THE self build forum, don’t discount “bungalow gobbling “ a term used fir buying an old bungalow on a nice plot with a plan to demolish and build anew. They can be cheaper than a building plot, services exist, address exists, you can still claim the VAT back. It’s what I did.?

The detail of MVHR is not my knowledge area, but contingency planning may be slightly. I think the large airing cupboard provides you with a space reserve, into which you can expand if you find you need more space for the MVHR. If the airing cupboard is for drying not storing linen and clothes, then you have a Plan B available in the form of eg a Pulley Maid in the body of the utility area, which is what a lot here do and find it very satisfactory. If you provisioning for a pulley maid you probably want an MVHR outlet directly above it to suck out the humidity. If that is all inn one room, I would have a think about noise from the MVHR. One of our members currently on furlough, @Jeremy Harris, also spoke well of the benefit of placing an MVHR outlet in the ceiling just outside the door from the kitchen to the hallway as a way of controlling permeation of kitchen smells. ATB Ferdinand

Check this out, bit chuffed with this, never used a bender before.

Roof integrated PV can work out cheaper than tiling, and it reduces the thermal energy by up to 20%. A mate of mine did a report about 15 years ago about carbon sequestration schemes though forestation. Found out that many were double counting i.e. the reforestation was going to happen anyway, so no net gain, and a few were just scams. The best way to reforest is to let nature do it i.e. just put a area aside and the trees will appear. Now that the UK has left the CAP, only time will tell if all the new environmental schemes will actually happen (pulse fishing has been banned already, but this may lead to over fishing). I am always dubious about the tonnes CO2 stored by trees, one has to be careful as there are different methods of measurement used around the world. How everyone decided trees will save the planet – and why they won’t Everyone seems to agree trees are a major solution to climate change, but there is a danger that mass reforestation could see us to continue pumping carbon into the atmosphere EARTH 26 February 2020 By Adam Vaughan De Agostini editorial/Getty Images TREE planting doesn’t usually feature in US presidents’ speeches, UK general election battles or the business pitches of oil companies. Yet in the past year, pledges to embark on reforestation efforts have become a popular way to show you are committed to fighting climate change. There are several initiatives to plant or protect a trillion trees, to add to the 3 trillion we have today. So how did we get here, with humble tree planting taking centre stage among the tools to stave off extreme warming? Can we really plant the numbers needed to lock up enough carbon to make a difference? Perhaps most importantly, is all this talk of trees just a big distraction? “Fossil fuel industries can say they are harnessing nature to address their emissions” “Suddenly, this last year there’s been an explosion of interest,” says Fred Stolle at Global Forest Watch, a US initiative from the University of Maryland and other groups. Rising public concerns seem to be making governments and corporations realise they need to do more on climate action, or at least be seen to do more. “I think there’s massive concern about climate change now and people genuinely want to do something about it. I think they are reaching for what are easy solutions,” says Joanna House, a lead author of a UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on land use published last year. Planting trees is popular, usually uncontroversial and brings benefits beyond storing carbon, from our mental well-being to habitats for wildlife. “People love trees,” says House. The spotlight on tree planting may have its roots in the 2015 Paris agreement, in which governments committed to try to hold global temperature rises to 1.5°C, rather than the 2°C many had expected. This led to a 2018 IPCC report, which made it clear that to hit 1.5°C, global greenhouse gas emissions need to fall to net zero by 2050. There was much debate about “negative emissions” technology, such as machines to capture carbon dioxide from the air. But with these in their infancy, the focus fell on trees as the only proven option. “I think a lot of the talk around the new ambition for 1.5°C was one of the biggest driving forces for putting negative emissions – and particularly nature-based negative emissions – on the stage,” says Stephanie Roe at the University of Virginia. But tree mania accelerated last year, when Tom Crowther at ETH Zurich in Switzerland and his colleagues published a paper that said Earth has room for nearly a billion hectares of extra trees, which could lock up several years’ worth of humanity’s carbon emissions. The research has been criticised as an overestimate, but was influential and made global headlines. “I think that played a key role in re-legitimising reforestation,” says Mark Hirons at the University of Oxford. A few months later, political parties campaigning in the run up to the UK general election competed on who promised to plant the most trees. Last month marked peak tree planting fever, when the World Economic Forum launched 1t.org, a plan to plant a trillion trees (other plans launched three years ago). Even US president Donald Trump, who has withdrawn the US from the Paris agreement, backed the initiative. Douglas Gimesy/Getty Images But even if we start planting vast areas tomorrow, can trees store enough carbon to buy us time to act on climate change? The Crowther paper said 0.9 billion hectares could lock up 205 gigatonnes of CO2. Including land-use change, such as forests being cleared for farming, humanity’s annual emissions are about 41 gigatonnes. But House says many researchers were shocked by the paper. “It’s quite harmful because it makes it seem like trees can do more than they can,” she says. Several experts took to scientific journals to explain why they felt it exaggerated the amount of usable land and how much carbon could be stored. In response, Crowther says a lot of the criticism is well-founded, but it is important to get a global perspective on what it is possible, in order to set meaningful restoration targets. Based on Roe’s review of the literature, reforestation has the potential to lock up between 1 and 10 gigatonnes of CO2 a year. “In terms of what is feasible, we came to 3 to 4 gigatonnes [a year],” she says. More research is under way on calculating the carbon storage potential of tree planting. In the meantime, it seems large enough to be attracting big business. Last year, Shell announced that it would spend $300 million over three years on reforestation projects to generate carbon credits for itself and others. On Crowther’s analysis, Duncan van Bergen at Shell says: “Even those people who have challenged it, have not challenged the fact that it is really, really big. It’s on the margins between really big and huge.” He says the numbers presented “resonated” with Shell’s own researchers. Such interest in reforestation from oil companies has set alarm bells ringing in some quarters. “Fossil-fuel industries can say they’re harnessing nature to address their emissions, which is dubious I think, in terms of the scientific case for this significantly having an impact on climate change,” says Hirons. There is a risk that we plant trillions of trees without firms and countries also deeply cutting their emissions. Shell says that isn’t the case. “We are definitely not doing this instead of other tough things and changes we need to make. This very much comes on top,” says van Bergen. Even if mass reforestation happens in parallel with decarbonisation of economies, Stolle warns that trees must be planted at the right place and time. As well as picking suitable species for the climate and the soil where they are planted, it will be crucial to plant trees that help rather than hinder biodiversity. Biodiversity warning Take the UK, where the government’s climate advisers have called for a tripling of tree planting to hit carbon goals. Jane Memmott at the British Ecological Society says there are huge differences in biodiversity levels between trees you might pick for the UK. “Something like oak and birch is fantastic – there are literally hundreds of species associated with them, whereas something like sycamore has pretty much a single aphid on it,” she says. Then there are the people who live in and around the places where reforestation might take place, often in developing countries. Restored forests won’t thrive or remain intact long enough to lock up CO2 for centuries if local people aren’t invested in them, says Stolle. “In developing countries, people very much understand the value of trees,” he says, but only when they play a role in deciding when and where they are planted. Hirons fears that the urgency of tackling climate change could see the wishes of local communities being ignored. “I think there’s a massive risk of social harm being caused by widespread reforestation. There is an idea that there is lots of underused land, which is a myth.” While there are international guidelines on how best to do reforestation, set by the Society for Ecological Restoration, there is no requirement to follow them. Lastly, if the CO2 locked away is to be counted properly, we will need to monitor reforestation for a long time. That is surprisingly tricky. Deforestation is easy to spot – satellites show areas turning from green to brown. But they find it hard to detect new trees, which for the first few years will be tiny saplings hard to discern from space. Higher resolution images may help. Perhaps the biggest thing missing from today’s focus on reforestation is the great number of trees being lost to deforestation, which is getting worse. The world lost forests the size of the UK every year between 2014 and 2018. Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest has spiralled to the highest level in a decade. Recent bushfires in Australia burned 64,000 square kilometres in Victoria and New South Wales, most of it forests. “It’s an eternal debate,” says Stolle. “Is [reforestation] a distraction because we really need to stop deforestation? On the other hand, if you look at the IPCC, we need those negative emissions. We can’t wait until we’ve done one before we do the other.” Revenge of the tree-hugger Trees have long been at the heart of environmental issues. Three centuries ago, in a bid to stop local trees being cleared, villagers in India put themselves in front of loggers’ axes, with some literally hugging the trees. Several were brutally killed, says Alice Bell at UK climate charity Possible, who is writing a book on the history of climate change. The actual term “tree-hugger” wasn’t coined until the 1960s, though, she says, and became pejorative in the 1970s. Bell says the “save the trees” movements of the 1990s and 2000s weren’t dissimilar to today’s debate. “It was about climate change but without mentioning it. Now it’s climate first,” she says.

This sounds seriously shady to me - as in, I wouldn't be confident that this buyer would ever get the mortgage they've applied for. Have they got a seriously good reason for applying for a mortgage from an Indian bank on a UK property?