Temp

My understanding is they have to be a member of an "Approved Scheme" to do notifiable work under Part P. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200135/approved_documents/82/part_p_-_electrical_safety Not all work is notifiable. So it's a question of which organisations are on the list of Approved Schemes. See the "check" tab on this page to find out if the company you are using is a member of such a scheme. If they are then BC should be ok with it. Most electricians that are have something about Part P on their van but check anyway.. https://www.electricalcompetentperson.co.uk/Choosing-An-Electrician There is a table of Approved schemes on this page and reproduced below... https://www.gov.uk/guidance/competent-person-scheme-current-schemes-and-how-schemes-are-authorised#how-schemes-are-authorised

I don't think there is anything in Part H that requires an open vent. The nearest I can find is para 2.18 but read it carefully as it says only drains that have a water trap must have an open vent. Most houses don't have water traps anywhers in the drains. Some BCO want the furthest stack from the sewer to be open vented and all others in a house can be AAV. Also found this.. https://www.bpfpipesgroup.com/media/29598/Air-admittance-valves-for-domestic-properties.pdf That implies open vents aren't mandatory on every house.

Cutting bricks and putting lead on top (and partly down the slope) would work. Not sure about cutting a lintel though. My builder told me the NHBC don't like large unprotected flat tops due to risk of water/frost damage.

I think cutting a pocket for it to sit in is the correct method but.. You can get joist hangers with long tails that can be wrapped over the top of a beam and fixed to the other side. Have used these to fix joists to an UB. In that case the web was filled in with timber and these long tails were wrapped over the top and nailed to both sides. Only have chipboard floor on top of the beam not 9 courses of bricks.

The only thing our BCO checked was the pressure test of the drains. I've no idea if any of our taps are WRAS approved. Nobody ever checked. Our kitchen tap wasn't even fitted at sign off.

I planted 60m of hedge in our paddock. I purchased "whips" online and planted them by pushing a spade in to cut an L in the grass. Lifted the turf in the corner of the L, inserted the whip and pressed the turf back down with a heel. Probably took longer to fit a cane and rabbit spiral. Think I planted 250 over 2-3 days. Only about 5 or 6 failed to grow.

Has anyone used companies like this? https://www.crownenergy.co.uk/services/electricity-meters/ Does it have to be done by your local DNO

I would write to your MP and explain thats it proving difficult for self builders to get meters installed in some parts of the country due to a shortage of installers and the demands of the big house builders. Ask him to write to the CEO of EDF and the Association of Meter Operators ? to encourage them to do more to support self builders. Provide names and addresses for him so its easy for his secretary to do it for him/her. It's probably a waste of time but it only costs you a stamp and you never know.

I still have a cast aluminium G clamp I made when I was 16. I'm 62 today. Still gets used as you can never have enough clamps.

If the oil boiler is still serviceable I'm afraid I would stay with it. My understanding is a pellet burner needs a Thermal Store to act as a buffer because its wasteful if it fast cycles (like stop start driving in a car). Nothing wrong with a Thermal Store (we have one) but its another cost. I've also heard of the odd issue with Pellet boilers such as finding people to work on them, excessive pellet consumption, variable cost and supply of pellets, even pellets absorbing moisture clogging them. Perhaps they aren't that bad. Perhaps someone here that's got one would like to speak up for them?

Opinions differ but.. I reckon old houses lost more water vapour via ventilation rather than permeating through walls. So draughts are sealed up with double glazing and door seals the humidity rises. I reckon old houses might benefit from the constant ventilation provided by an MVHR system.

https://roofstores.co.uk/different-types-roofing-nail

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/over-the-garden-hedge/over-the-garden-hedge

In case it matters... A dropped kerb permit is needed to give you a right of way over the verge. It's not just to lower the kerb so might be needed even if the verge is grass with no pavement or kerb stones. Planning permission is required to pave a front garden if the surface isn't permeable. Rainwater run off is meant to be handled on site so PP is required if it causes rainwater to run into the road. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/45/paving_your_front_garden Google Street View is handy for before and after photos for the planners to compare.

If the oil boiler works I certainly would not install a simple electric boiler. Electricity is about THREE times the cost of oil per unit (kWH). An ASHP with a COP of three just about compensates for the high cost of electricity. However large ASHP are expensive. So you really need to insulate well so a small/normal power unit will work. That way you also save even more. Beware salesmen selling units that are undersized for the needs of the house. This would cause running costs to rise. The only way an electric boiler makes sense is a) in a small well insulated flat where the absolute running cost is low or b) when the only alternative is a very large/expensive ASHP. In that case the capital cost saving might pay for the increased running cost. PS... LPG is about double the cost of oil. Wood Pellets are about same as oil. Source: The table down this page https://nottenergy.com/resources/energy-cost-comparison/ See the column "Pence per kWh (after boiler efficiency)" as that's the one that matters.

You mean on the secondary loop? Don't think we have. Are you thinking the loop pump might have sucked air in via the open tap?

Might be worth asking Building Control what they expect/accept on neighbouring plots? Ask if any houses went to 3m or if they went for piles how deep did they go. Our BCO allowed slightly shallower trenches than the engineer specified. House down the road went for piles and they joke there is an Australian using the other end to hold up his car port.

Hold my beer. Time for some maths... Google found Slate's coefficient of expansion is 10 * 10^-6 meters per meter per degree C https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/linear-expansion-coefficients-d_95.html Slates vary from 250mm to 300mm wide. Let's suppose you install them when they are 0C and they heat up to say 100C. That's a 100C variation. So a 300mm slate would expand by ... 100 * 10 * 10^-6 * 0.3 = 0.0003m or 0.3mm I think 1 or 2mm gaps should be fine.

American article?.. https://slateassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Tech-Bull-2-Vertical-Joint-Spacing-D.pdf As you are slating at a cold time of year I wouldn't lay them touching but it says 1/16" is OK.

Local water main burst about an hour ago. Wife ran hot tap for some reason and drained the water so secondary loop pump was practically dry and making a noise. Currently all switched off hoping the pump isn't kna456d. Is it worth installing a pressure sensor to turn off the loop pump if the pressure drops? Anyone done something like this?

Earlier I wrote.. I forgot to mention that enforcement action is suspended when you submit a planning application. So one option is to wait and see what happens. Meanwhile prepare a retrospective Planning Application so its ready to file if they actually initiate Enforcement action. If they haven't issued enforcement action within 4 years from completion you can apply for a Certificate of Lawful development on grounds that enforcement action cannot be initiated as time expired. Keep evidence of completion from Building Control. If they refuse your retrospective Planning Application then Appeal. If that fails the enforcement action will restart but you still have time to comply. By then two years may have passed and tiles might be available again. But I reckon they will grant it at Appeal. I've seen far worse.

That implies you changed the design before you built it in order to meet the Permitted Development rules. In that case a new retrospective planning application would be for the design that meets Permtted Development rules with the possible exception of the cladding.

+1 That's what @ProDave means by... Electrician is right. They are normally mounted near the manifold as they control the loop valves. Typically they have quite a few wires.. One from each room stat One to each valve on the manifold One from the time clock/programmer. One to the two port valve (sometimes this goes direct to the boiler and is called "Boiler Enable" or "call for heat" it's the logical OR of the room stats). One to the loop pump on the manifold (also logical OR of the room stats) Possibly one from an over temperature sensor on the manifold mixer.

There are slightly smaller windows but I've no idea about the quality/features compared to Velux.. This one is nominally 45 x 55.. https://www.roofingsuperstore.co.uk/product/rooflite-fe4555-skylight-roof-window-45-x-55cm.html

Are there other dormers in your area clad in brown? If so I think I would submit a retrospective application together with a set of photos of similar dormers.