Miek

Yes, at least twice I think. OSB is very cheap if you buy by the pallet.

If you want a 50mm thick insulated wall then I can't see this working without the wall being very wobbly. You would want 95mm studs minimum I would think if you are only supporting at ceiling and floor. With a thin wall it would be easy enough to include a few intermediate fixings through to the stone wall to help sure it up. Lots of variable thicknesses of packing material would be needed I expect.

If OSB can vary in vapor permeability then why not use something like Panelvent? "Panelvent DHF is a 13mm square edged sheathing board designed to replace OSB and plywood as an external lining board. With market leading water vapour resistance values, this board allows the designer the freedom to design breathing structures, free of the risks of interstitial condensation."

The cavity closer acts as a supporting frame for the windows not just as a dpc. Its thermally better to mount the windows within the closer rather than on the outer skin. Can you not foam the rigid insulation to the closer to close the gap?

I would refer to the "as specified on plans" part, a picture tells a thousand words and all that.

Mandatory for new builds in Wales now. I'm contemplating this very issue.

Very common DIY accident. Which is why ladders are for access only on proper building sites. If you want to work at height the you can't use a ladder as a work platform. Luckily we aremostly DIYers on here

There are high and low pressure ball (float) valves too, so maybe your original were low pressure and the don't like the new system. You can change the nozzle for a high pressure one or just buy a whole new unit. Nozzles are very cheap

What's the pitch to the south? Looks like your trying to minimise your winter production!

You need a slower rpm drill the bigger the hole. Slow drill = more torque. Way better for coring. Core drills are usually more powerful too, over 1000W.

If you could completely bury the drum under the bed of the burn it might work, though appreciate that this could be difficult. If the burn is clean of debris or leaves I'd have thought a simple gauze strainer on the end of the pipe would suffice. If there is crap in it then this might get blocked. I hope you intend to treat the water in some way as surface water from streams can be nasty depending what's up stream, sheep for example, liver fluke and wot not..

Like this? I did the same a few years back for a private water supply. Been working for 4 years without a blockage. Looks a bit messy at first

I think your right, mine is a 3.5t and was cheaper than a similar 2.5t machine and I'm sure it was due to the towing weight.

Steel tracks generally last twice as long but cost twice as much to replace as rubber. Rubber is easier to put back on if you pop a track and nicer if you have to cross a delicate surface like tarmac etc... If the tracks are gone then it's well worth checking the undercarriage rollers, sproket and idler as these all wear out with the tracks. Costs a fortune to replace all these items even if you do the work yourself. Bushes and pins are much easier and cheaper to replace than the undercarriage. Check all the grease nipples for damage. Often these get broken and not fixed so the machine doesn't get greased properly. In general Don't buy an ex-hire machine as they get abused.

I've used unistrut (hot galv) to mount Ali frames pv panels for years and not noticed any corrosion, even in marine environments 10 years later. If any at all is seen its usually on any bzp fixings, so for a long life use SS or dipped galv fixings.

I don't think a plasterboard cill will be very durable. Cement board or MgO board would hold up better, and can be plastered over.

I have a shed very similar to yours with anti condensation box profile roofing sheets. I still get condensation on the roof lights which drips internally on a frosty morning. So any internal ceiling needs to be able cope with this to some extent. Do you have this issue in the winter? If you heat the internal space then I would expect the condensation to get a fair bit worse on a cold morning as the warm humid air rises to the cold roof. So maybe consider an internal vapour barrier to help with this? I'd be inclined to Insulate the ceiling with PIR or something non absorbant.

I don't know if this is the 'only' benefit, this would depend on what you are comparing it to exactly. yes this could well be mitigated if the wall build up immobilised the membrane sufficiently, as in a sandwich between rigid components. But I wouldn't use it for example if you intended to have a service void on one side of the membrane, which a lot of people want for ease of wiring etc...

If you are relying on that VCL as your air tightness I would question its long term durability. Imagine repeatedly pressurising and depressurising a house ( think decades here) with that thin budget plastic taking the strain. I've used the screwfix green VCL and the quality is quite poor IMO. Good as a VCL but not as an Air tightness layer.

All the solar panel rail mount systems I've used (a few, hilti sell a good system too) are so easy to use I wouldn't bother trying to save money here. I think aesthetically they will look neater too. You could use the clips only, with a stainless wood screw on to batten I guess..

Effectively you now have a plane inclined facing SSW & SSE (approximately), so that can go into Pvgis. Depending on how handy you are and how much time you have you could make an adjustable frame. Full tracking would be the ideal solution but this is hard to achieve cost affectively, but having a frame you could tilt to increase the winter angle would be doable DIY.

I would use these rails attached to a timber frame. Very good system and you can just get the rails and clamps you need, far easier than using unistrut or drilling pv frames. http://www.windandsun.co.uk/products/PV-Mounting-Structures/Schletter-Roof-Mounting#8435 I get stuff from wind and sun, very knowledgeable firm. I've no affiliation.

You can get all manner of plant based cleaning products direct from Suma. Along with many other food items. Very good value, if you can manage their minimum order. https://www.sumawholesale.com

Good news, thanks folks

When it comes to sign off by the BCO what's the score? Do they check falls?