Dreadnaught

Thanks @ProDave. It now dawns on me that I am bit short of time before UKPN install the supply on 28 March so I need to decide on the meter cabinet/kiosk type and location. Quick question: is it possible to attach a plastic meter cabinet temporarily to a pretty-run-down old fence?

Thanks @PeterW, as always. To be honest, I don't have a plan. I am having this TBS supply installed now as UKPN are opening up the road for someone else and I am saving ££ by combining jobs with them. Its a log story but all the saving comes to me, not split with them. I am putting the TBS just inside the plot behind the entrance gate against the fence. I do know that the service trench when we get around to it will pass directly through this location along the fence and into the house so I think the TBS is well positioned to then either leave it there or relocate it into the house somewhere. Does that make sense?

Hi all, I am breaking ground on my build (Hooray!) albeit only to connect my temporary builders electricity supply ("TBS"). UKPN are laying the main up to the boundary of my property (£££ ). Is the following quote generally OK for the extra bits that I have to arrange: Ground mounted meter box, £600 (zero rated for VAT as supply & fit) Excavate a short length of trench from my plot your boundary to the meter box location (perhaps 2 metres under concrete, 485mm deep), lay duct and backfill with warning tape, form concrete plinth, and fix meter housing £950 (zero rated for VAT) Electrical work required to provide the earth and tails: awaiting a quote. How much might I expect this to be? Any advice appreciated. By the way, does the meter box need to be ground mounted? There is a panel fence there but not much else.

On the subject of noisy fridge freezers: https://www.quietmark.com/products/home/kitchen/refrigeration. Is that a reliable source of information on quiet appliances or a glorified advertising portal I wonder.

Question from ignorance: is is possible to have a concrete (first) floor in a timber-frame house (such as with an MBC frame)? (Its not relevant for my first build as its a bungalow but already thinking ahead…)

Welcome aboard!

So sorry to hear the news, Moira. It was an enormous pleasure to have met Henry. You have my deepest sympathies. And your absolutely lovely house is, as you say, a wonderful achievement for Henry and you both.

Hi everyone, can anyone message me with the name of a good-value SUDS engineer to do a SUDS strategy for my local planners. I am getting quotes. I have one quote but its both pretty pricey and he cannot deliver the report until mid-April anyway!

My quote from December is: And without foundation (does not apply to me):

@Coops85, I have had a timber-frame company blatantly move the goal posts on me after a quote. In the quote, the company in question made a mistake by overlooking something which I had specifically told them about. When I double checked that they had included it they simply went away, investigated, and increased the quote without an apology. I bit poor in my opinion although they did then make a concession when I objected. Personally I would view payments terms as part of the quote and therefore would want to be treated fairly if a change was needed, with advance notice, an explanation and an apology. In your case, could it be a response to the Brexit uncertainties and import prices. By front-loading cash from you they can front-load their ordering too, reducing their risk?

Interesting comments. Very helpful. I think I will price up UFH, radiators, and skirting heating and see where it ends up. I won't base the decision solely on price unless the price difference is large. On DIY for laying UFH pipe, I have watched the pipe go in on a couple of builds and on video. With preparation and care (and the right equipment, such as a coil unwinder), it looks highly DIY-able. Food for thought.

Not yet Peter, no. I have spent the best part of a year preparing for my build and I still haven't even broken ground and I have already encountered other examples of suppliers inflating prices when they consider that the client does not know better.

Yes Peter, I tend to agree. I am seriously considering not having UFH, especially given the cost of the piping as quoted, and instead revert to the traditional approach of a few radiators. I will be having a gas boiler for heating so it is also what the person-in-the-street will expect to see and any future buyer will understand it. With the level of insulation I am planning, there won't be many radiators and, as you say, they are more efficient than UFH. When I get to this stage, I will do the costings and I suspect that radiators will win out.

& MBC have quoted me £1,952 for UFH piping (125 m² , no manifold), which does not strike me as cheap. Should I challenge such a quote? Hmm.

@Hecateh, that's a very kind offer! As soon as my layout is finalised (I am still in the middle of planning approval) I will do as you suggest.

I am going to have a bungalow. For those who know about these matters, is their any point putting next boxes under the eaves so low down? What might I do to help our wildlife neighbours?

@divorcingjack good to hear. I wonder, did you design the kitchen yourself, with all those details you mention? Its one of the steps I will find daunting so I am looking for some inspiration. I am awful at anything which involves visual design.

Hi @lizzie, I know you are careful about your air quality because of your health condition, so just add to what others have said … "Ultrasonic humidifiers should be cleaned regularly to prevent bacterial contamination from being spread throughout the air." It is from the Wikipedia article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humidifier#Ultrasonic_humidifiers. Worth a quick read.

MBC's own team perhaps? But, I assume, only available with their timber frame.

Ah, this is what I have to look forward to. Neophyte here. Any tips? Which guidelines and authorities can I practice not worrying about?

Welcome. You'll find lots of help and advice here. No questions are stupid (as I can attest).

Original poster here. My negotiation continues with the drainage lady in the council. The good news is that, I have met the need for 2-litres-per-second discharge rate with an attenuation tank. Thanks for all your help with that! My next requirements from her are: I must pre-treat the rainwater. Not sure what that means. I'm guessing it is to remove fine silt from the roof. Anybody know? And I must ensure that the first 5 mm of any rainfall event does not enter into a sewer. For (2) by my calculation 5 mm represents 875 litres of rainwater. The obvious solution would be the oh-so-often-specified 1 m³ soakaway crate buried somewhere that is 5 metres from the house* such as under the drive. But in my case that's not allowed as I have a root-protection zone so there is no location on my land that is 5 metres from a building. Any other thoughts or ideas? Above ground soakaways don't exist do they (i.e. a flower bed)? I could try and convince one of the neighbours to allow me to bury a crate under their lawn. I can imagine their faces when I ask. As a last resort, I could convert my pitched roof into a green roof. The drainage lady has said that that would work as a solution but its a drastic re-design. * a building regs requirement I believe.

I think Charlie Luxton and his new build home has a green roof combined with solar PV. I had a look to see if I could find you an update but couldn't find anything recent. The most recent video I found shows the process of checking the roof membrane is sealed but that's from 10 months ago. It must be finished by now.

Make it a green flat roof? But weighs more.

You might want to anonymise the attachment, just in case (remove address and email address). Public forum.