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Showing content with the highest reputation on 01/18/21 in all areas

  1. "I just need to use the head!"
    2 points
  2. In haste, (apologies) Here's the Permitted Development guru. An information goldmine for someone like you. Here's a search for the term consistency within that blog. You appear to me to be arguing that the decisions relevant to you have not been made in a manner consistent with other similar cases. Consistency is (or should be in a legal context) an important element of planning decisions. I think this might be a fruitful area for your research.
    2 points
  3. Look, you can shoot that particular messenger, was first one I found. However the fact remains that a nation state is not a household and exists in a very different economic sphere. I found this useful https://obr.uk/forecasts-in-depth/brief-guides-and-explainers/public-finances/ and this one https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/334/uk-economy/uk-national-debt/ I do wonder is the national debt is such a huge day to day concern? Like any debt, providing it can be serviced it is a useful tool for the government. From the second link above: Comparison with other countries Although 80% of GDP is high by recent UK standards, it is worth bearing in mind that other countries have a much bigger problem. Japan, for example, has a National debt of 225%, Italy is over 120%. The US national debt is close to 80% of GDP. [See other countries debt]. Also, the UK has had much higher national debt in the past, e.g. in the late 1940s, UK debt was over 200% of GDP. However, government borrowing is not always as bad as people fear. Borrowing in a recession helps to offset a rise in private sector saving. Government borrowing helps maintain aggregate demand and prevents a fall in spending. In a liquidity trap and zero interest rates, governments can often borrow at very low rates for a long time (e.g. Japan and the UK) This is because people want to save and buy government bonds. Austerity measures (e.g. cutting spending and raising taxes) can lead to a decrease in economic growth and cause the deficit to remain the same % of GDP. Austerity measures and the economy | Timing of austerity
    2 points
  4. This would have been a more convincing attempt at trolling if you'd toned it down a bit.
    2 points
  5. Main bathroom run is going to be a nightmare. I’m assuming you don’t want any external soil stack showing on this new build ..??
    1 point
  6. Lockdown guidelines in Scotland at the moment are tradesmen should only enter a residence for emergency work, so he is being quite correct. But my understanding is commercial work is still okay.
    1 point
  7. I heard back from Heritage House this afternoon. Unfortunately, they are fully booked for the next month and I can’t wait that long. They also wanted £1000 plus VAT which I thought was excessive given the house is in such a skeletal state following 6 days of 4 hardworking guys gutting it and exposing the foundations, that it should be quite an easy inspection for them. So instead I’m going with a chartered surveyor who has these qualifications: BSc (Hons); MSc; MMBEng; MRICS, but more importantly doesn’t like chemical injections and follows the breath-ability school of thought. I will tell him I’m quite keen on that lime company and see if he can work with them based on his findings at the property to specify something that won’t cost me any more than what the builder has quoted for before we discovered the water.
    1 point
  8. Just seen this on Twitter... thought it might suit the dungeon!
    1 point
  9. That is brilliant news !! That makes more sense as a layout - if you box in the end of the shower area you would make a decent location for plant and anything else you want to hide as I make it 1.4x1.6m..?? Could comfortably get a 400 litre UVC along with a buffer, UFH manifold and the electrical panels.
    1 point
  10. Here is the layout with thoughts on furniture and dimensions. This one only has one window. Also, the shower in the toilet is no longer going to be there, just a dog bath, living on a farm with animals our dogs get absolutely filthy so I really need that. My email has just pinged with approval of our planning condition discharge, this means that we can now get started after 2 1/2 years.
    1 point
  11. It's a Fakro which can be opened.
    1 point
  12. Your taps could have two different size threads depending on bath or basin, hep do both sizes. Will remove all that threaded stuff and ptfe and tidy it right up.
    1 point
  13. The best 'cure' for national debt is to grow the economy as then it becomes smaller as a % of GDP. However that requires increases in productivity which requires investment in people and plant. Some of that is investment by business itself (internal and external) however the government needs to ensure that education is fit for purpose and that the national infrastructure is up to scratch. Trade and non trade barriers should also be eliminated where possible. Brexit is expected to drag GDP by a number of % points over the next few years so that will be a challenge on top of the short term Covid shock.
    1 point
  14. Travis perkins were the cheapest I found for the Conder.
    1 point
  15. These https://www.screwfix.com/p/hep2o-push-fit-flexible-monobloc-tap-connectors-15mm-x-m10mm-x-300mm-2-pack/2043f one pair in stock Avonmouth ?
    1 point
  16. Drop the nut and plastic washer, big bead of CT1, and wind it back up. Put loads on, and clean the excess off with wipes. Don’t let it go up as far as the slots for the overflow runoff.
    1 point
  17. I see I used Sikaflex on the sink waste. Tbh think I did on the bath too:
    1 point
  18. You might be right . Started it from all cold today and set re calibrate. Bathroom floor starting to warm up . Two temp sensors in bathroom ; one at 10.4 other at 11.3 . Floor doesn’t feel cold to the touch now .
    1 point
  19. I always use plumbers mate for these fixings https://www.screwfix.com/p/evo-stik-plumber-s-mait-750g/14477?tc=SB6&ds_kid=92700055281954514&ds_rl=1249404&gclid=CjwKCAiAgJWABhArEiwAmNVTB3LfJojSp9qyF9MufDHVbn5wb31Tm9SGXpblOuiue_aNX3QGQzNf6RoC5fgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds 9 in stock in avonmouth ?
    1 point
  20. I've had time to think about your post Dave. We deliberately designed the switching so that anyone entering the house (legitimately) could switch on lights all over the house. We did that for security reasons. I don't want to go into it in any detail, but it doesn't take too much imagination to figure out why a house owner would want to be able to do that. I'd like to make the switches serve us, not the other way around - so adapting this idea My mate has a 3D printer. There ain't nowt he can't wire up - he's made his own flight simulator in his massive shed We'll '... fab summat oop lad ...' as he says. I'm really gettin' in to this now. Who knows even @Onoff might have a thought or two about this.....
    1 point
  21. So I'm still here, plugging away. Apparently I have a roof that is constantly underestimated in terms of the amount of work required. Both chippies and roofers took weeks longer than expected. Still, all part of the fun! Since my last update the cut roof elements were completed, dormers etc. Tiling was completed this Monday. I've insulated the loft. Marley Cedral cladding has begun in the past couple days. Next steps are for fibreglass flat roof to hopefully be completed on the balcony on Monday, then rear bifold doors and front balcony Velfac sliding doors to be installed. I will then FINALLY be 100% watertight and ready to attack the inside in anger. Few photos of various bits and bobs below.
    1 point
  22. I used to be a fan of Scotframe and I think the product itself is very good if you go for one of the Valu-therm products (there are a couple of small technical issues which are not very good details but overall it's pretty good) - however in the last while their pre-sales service has been far from acceptable, especially their engineer "service" which 1 year on we still have unresolved queries holding up the building warrant. If you do go down that route, I suggest using your own engineer to design and certify the whole structure and don't pay for that as part of the scotframe package. The other thing that seems to have gone downhill recently is the accuracy of their delivery times to site
    1 point
  23. If you looking at that approach you can check out my blog here of what we did. If buying materials direct, Caley Timber usually offered the best prices. Just for record, I'm not a trade and we had no building experience before doing this.
    1 point
  24. Love this idea, not sure how practical it is. Hygiene would worry me, you can't use any of the usual chemicals. Go to the vets to get a Leptospira vaccine against Weill's disease...?!
    1 point
  25. So finally got round to finishing all the decorating over the Christmas break! The front window will be getting swapped for triple glazing at some point, but other than that and a tiny bit of skirting board its complete.
    1 point
  26. Flooring was actually just some cheap laminate from B&Q which I put in many years ago when this used to be a dining room, to stop the house rabbit eating the Lino I used to have down. When I came to do this, it was still in great condition, and I had a load of spare lengths, so I chose the best bits and relayed just in the kitchen area, seemed a shame to throw it away and I was happy with the colour match. May have been walnut effect?
    1 point
  27. Certainly looks the same doesn't it. Although it doesn't explicitly say, the diagram appears to suggest the seal goes on in one piece and the hinges go over the top of it. It seems like a good place to start I guess, rather than cutting bits.
    1 point
  28. Some pumps need primed too so watch out for that
    1 point
  29. Dig a bucket size holes here the water collects, and drop the pump into the hole, the water will find its way to the hole!
    1 point
  30. The instructions say to mount at eye level and in a 35mm back box.
    1 point
  31. Nope as long as you don’t move into the new house within the initial 3 year period.
    1 point
  32. Looks great Mike. can you tell me what flooring you used in the kitchen. I like that look.?
    1 point
  33. 1 point
  34. If you are 100% sure of what you want to do, I agree an architect might not be necessary and that an engineer is going to give you more value for money, but I wouldn't skimp on the measured survey. Having really accurate drawings done with precision measuring equipment such as those made by Leica pay for themselves in the end, because otherwise small inaccuracies can lead to multiple revisions of subsequent plans. Having said that, we thought we knew what we wanted, but we consulted a pretty famous architect for an initial ideas package and found his input invaluable. He got us to think exactly about how we used our home, what we liked about it and what we didn't, all the annoyances, warts and all, and he found a solution for everything and came up with an idea we hadn't thought of which involved moving our staircase from the corner of the house to the centre and putting in a big rooflight above it to bring lots of light into the house. It's a bit crazy to spend so much on a new staircase because there was nothing too wrong with our original one, but it did waste a lot of space and this new layout is going to completely revolutionise the space. We couldn't afford to do the whole project with this superstar architect, so after paying him £1k plus VAT for his ideas package, we then commissioned a much younger architect to implement these ideas into an actual workable scheme. He made a few mistakes along the way, but we got there in the end and saved a lot of money.
    1 point
  35. After some digging the answer for those interested is that they are the same product.
    1 point
  36. As a very good alternative, I would throw fleming homes into the mix. I would have used them for ours but they don't do SIPS. However jad I been timber frame I would have chosen then. They erect also so no VAT outlay. If you look for @Redoctobers blog he had a house built by them. If you're going to extensively modify a standard design you are as well doing your own design. Fleming also have annin house design service.
    1 point
  37. The most affordable option is to stick build with a local joiner or use a local building firm. If you are in Scotland easier to do. I saved loads that way and the cashflow was to my advantage. If you want speed and less hassle than a Scotframe kit could work well for you, but that comes at a cost. On a personal note I was not impressed by Scotframe they didn't even come back to me when I was in touch.
    1 point
  38. We got quite a good service from Scotframe with a specific project manager to contact about everything but it was over 10 years ago now. It was when the bottom fell out of house prices and houses just weren't really being built. I imagine that they were short of work then. They probably have their eye on larger developments now.
    1 point
  39. Cannot help with the question but good luck and please do a blog so we can all follow the 'journey' with you. I have heard good things about Scotframe. They did the first Passivhaus in a town near us and the owners gave a talk about the process. they certainly didnt have anything bad to say. Their only problem was finding stuff for the cleaner to do as the MVHR helped keep the house clean too!
    1 point
  40. Why..??! Just up the strength of the blocks to 140mm 10N and you can go to 4 storey with beam and block floors anyway.
    1 point
  41. If your laundry is upstairs then you need drying arrangements upstairs too. You don't really want everything to be tumbler dependent. Otherwise you are carrying the wet washing downstairs and outside every time. There are other variations we have not talked about yet. One is to do the full width extension at 3m or 4m, and have the utility room in the corner of the kitchen back to back with the improved shower room. That would also give you mops, buckets, food etc out of sight. That gives you the option of keeping the garage, or turning it into a long office, or a storage area plus an office. What I like about that is it puts your nonhabitable rooms in the area of the house with no natural light, and allows you to separate kitchen storage from workshop type storage. F
    1 point
  42. I suggest just extend the living room. Straighten the wall in the kitchen to increase the WC into a shower room. Use the under-stairs cupboard to access part of the garage as a utility / coat room. Like this:
    1 point
  43. We have a beam and block ground and first floor. Also needed steels to reduce the span of the beams. SE was happy for the steel to rest on the block inner leaf but in one or two spots specified denser blocks and piers due to the loading. Mostly where steels bear on areas between two windows.
    1 point
  44. The innerleaf is a good idea, there are systems which rely in on wibbly plastic lining which create a small cavity for any penetrating water to go through - but with the floor above to be supported, it's a decent solution*. I assume you are also tanking the outside of the concrete, but it is essential to have 2 waterproofing system and the internal lining is the most robust (especially for smaller builders/contractors). There are a few structural reasons why the SE may wish the floor to be supported off the concrete: - to keep a waterproof lining, there are no wall ties back to the concrete so that the blockwork alone is too slender to support the floor (a normal beam and block support on blockwork is only 2 courses high, not ~7 or 8 courses) - the blockwork specified is not strong enough - floor is providing restraint to the top of the concrete wall - doesn't want a line load on the retaining wall foundation as it will require increasing the size of the wall If those are not problems for the SE then I cannot see a reason for it not be supported on the blockwork as per the architect. I would suggest offering more fee for them to adapt the design but avoid steelwork, as this may need to be galvanised. *If you end up not using the blockwork, you get rid of it and look for a cheaper lining system Edit - you cannot disregard the SE opinion, by the way. You must use the SE option at the moment!
    1 point
  45. With 300mm of concrete in the basement i'm wondering why you need to build a blockwork inner leaf at all..just plasterboard the internal face of the concrete, put the insulation outside...start the upper cavity wall outer leaf on a marmox block to enable the insulation to achieve continuation across to the cavity. Sit your floor on the concrete.
    1 point
  46. Has your architect calculated the level of solar gain through all these roof lights. The g-value of the glazing could be critical for comfort levels in the rooms affected.
    1 point
  47. This arrangement would have the absolute minimum of changes to current walls and be the cheapest. Extending out to the back is easy assuming there are no overlooking issues etc so I have ignored this. Your suggested layout would be quite expensive for what you would achieve, I have tried to change as few existing walls as possible, so kept the side door as the utility rooms door, kept the WC, kept the door into the kitchen, kept the front door and so on. I tried to keep the garage wall but it is already pretty narrow and it would need insulation, so I made it wider. This arrangement allows you to keep a WC for guests and have an extra en suite bedroom or study. I assume you can have a cupboard under the stairs, the wardrobe I have shown could have a door into the study or into the hall depending on what would be most useful. Ideally more information would allow people to have a better idea of what is possible, I am not clear why you wanted to move the stairs which would be very expensive and change upstairs as well unless you want to achieve something that we cannot see upstairs.
    1 point
  48. Thanks Gus, I take your point that a whole life assessment including transport and disposal would be better. I agree, though I don't know yet how to factor those two additions in easily. As SteamyTea said, the ICE database does include some transport emissions. The authors say the database has a "cradle to (factory) gate" scope, covering modules A1 to A3 in the EN 15978 standard. A1 Is the extraction of the raw materials, A2 is the transport to the manufacturing site, and A3 is manufacturing. To be more comprehensive, I should then add in transport from the manufacturing location to my site, and energy I use on site in building with those products. I'd want to have a rough idea on how large a proportion transport-to-site emissions are before putting a lot of time in comparing so many different systems. I don't have any idea how to estimate the end of life emissions! I do know that the a lot of the neighbouring buildings to my site were built around 1880-1890, and then another lot around 1960, so are between 60 and 130 years old. I hope my house lasts at least as long (longer because it will be such a good house! ) I would love to believe that SteamyTea's 500 year statistic will apply to my house. Even if it only lasts 60 years, the decision on how to dispose of the house at at the end of its life will likely fall to someone else, but I could design it so the parts could be easily re-used. If I was designing it for re-use, though, I might be looking at using steel beams and columns and pre-cast concrete planks, because these are most easily re-used in new construction projects, from what I understand. Again, before embarking on a comparison between end-of-life emissions on multiple systems I would want to find out what sort of proportion of the whole they make up. Can you give me a rough idea? Hi Ferdinand, My headline goal was net-zero carbon in-use. I also want the house to be comfortable, and then beyond that to consider embodied carbon when making the decision on construction method. I don't mind if I don't follow the passive house standards to get there, but it does seem likely that I will end up doing much the same things that a passive house would. Maybe after all of these discussions I will have come to a different conclusion on what my goal ought to be. The 320-350kWh energy use figures I reported from the Designbuilder simulation are the 'fuel consumption' totals for heating, which I think is different from heating demand in the passive house standard. The figure I'm quoting is (I think) equivalent to the figure on the electricity meter (if the meter gave me a breakdown of where the energy is spent), which takes into account the efficiency of the ASHP. I assumed a COP of 3, so each unit of electrical energy is giving me 3 units of heating energy. The passive house 15 kWh per square metre target is for heating demand, which doesn't take into account the efficiency of how the heat is delivered, just how much heat is needed. I think the equivalent figure in the design builder simulation might be the total of the figures for heating and heat recovery from the 'system loads'. For my simulated ICF house that is 755 kWh heating delivered by the ASHP and 459kWh 'free' heating from the MVHR, which would suggest the demand was 1214kWh. I'm just learning my way around this so could have things wrong - someone more familiar with passive house or designbuilder please correct me. I've also put my simulated heating set point at 17 degrees, because I personally would find that a comfortable minimum. (I also had a look at the Arup comfort tool to back up my own assumptions: Arup Advanced Comfort Tool) I think the passive house assessment has it at 20 degrees. If I change my simulation to have a 20 degree heating setpoint the heating demand goes up to 6000kWh and the 'fuel consumption' energy use for heating goes up to 1600 kWh. Because I'm interested in net-zero carbon, the figure I focused on was the energy use total, rather than the demand. On the embodied carbon front, someone from Durisol wrote back to me and copied in a manager who may be able to answer the question - if I get the figures I'll post them here because it seems a few people are interested in how woodcrete type products compare.
    1 point
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