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I understand what you want to do but i think more info is needed on the whole house audio system. Is there a point in the system where you can insert an analogue mixer or is it all digital these days?

When is the auction? If its already booked its unlikely you have time to get advice from the planners. They are very busy and at least one council has suspended giving pre application advice as they are overloaded. A planning consultant might be able to get an informal opinion from them if he knows them personally. Old boy network and all that. No guarantees though. You should probably be doing a lot of other due diligence checks or at least weigh up the risk of not doing them.. Ransom strips or similar? Covenants? Visibility splays? Access to electricity/sewerage/telephone Rainwater disposal if combined sewers not allowed. Contamination? Asbestos? Bats/Newts?

I assume this is just a lintel above a window and its not carrying any abnormal loads from steel ridge beams or ?? Otherwise someone should check the loading is ok. I mean 1,000,000 tons on 100mm of bath sponge ain't going to work even if the regs allow it ?

From Welsh Approved Document A page 31.. https://gov.wales/building-regulations-guidance-part-structural-safety 2C24 Other loading conditions: (a) Vertical loading on walls should be distributed. This may be assumed for concrete floor slabs, precast concrete floors, and timber floors designed in accordance with section 2B, and where the bearing length for lintels is 150mm or greater. Where a lintel has a clear span of 1200mm or less the bearing length may be reduced to 100mm.

NHBC say.. https://nhbc-standards.co.uk/6-superstructure-excluding-roofs/6-1-external-masonry-walls/6-1-12-lintels/ Lintels should extend beyond the opening (at each end) by the minimum lengths shown in Table 5. Table 5: Lintel bearing Minimum bearing length (mm) Span (m) Simple lintel Lintel combined with cavity tray Up to 1.2 100 150 Over 1.2 150 150 Elsewhere it says the lintel manufacturers recommendations must also be followed if they require more than 100mm.

Sometimes the actuator pops off the valve so it can't press on the pin. Happened to us once and it wasn't very obvious until I touched the actuator and it moved

I must be missing something.. You have PP for a building that is tall enough so this change would be entirely internal right? There are no planning conditions that preclude adding a mezzanine in the PP? In which case I don't think adding a mezzanine after completion is even counted as development... https://www.gov.uk/guidance/when-is-permission-required#:~:text=The categories of work that,more than 200 square metres) If the planning officer won't allow the PP to be changed I suggest you point out you could apply for a 'Lawful Development Certificate' (LDC) for a mezzanine added after completion on the grounds that it is not development as defined by section 55(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. That might be enough to make him change his mind and allow the PP to be changed. If not then go for the certificate. The downside is the fee for a LDC might be more than the fee for amending the PP (if any). The upside is that applications for a 'Lawful Development Certificate' (LDC) are considered on the law and aren't subjective like planning applications.

Quite normal for the architect to send drawings fo the SE for his input. He might be able to suggest changes that allow a beam to be eliminated or spot areas that need strengthening. Our Architect arranged a meeting between the three of us. I mostly listened while they discussed some of the construction details. The SE then did the foundation design while the Architect incorporated changes the SE had suggested.

If someone quotes to "supply and fit" on one invoice then the whole lot should be zero rated to you. You should ask them to revise their quote to remove the "+VAT" or change it to "inc VAT at 0%". Do this before you accept the quote. See.. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/buildings-and-construction-vat-notice-708#section11 The contractor should reclaim the VAT they pay on materials when they do their VAT return. Some contractors will be hesitant about this. In such cases it might help if you give them a "certificate" which is a letter certifying that your project is a new build that qualifies for zero rating. Include your contact details, planning ref, site address etc. Officially theses are only needed for work on charity buildings but can help convince a contractor to do the right thing. Avoid using non-VAT registered trades as they can't reclaim the VAT they pay. Its slightly different for conversions.

Normally they require you to install a meter box on an outside wall and bring the connection up into that. If the cable runs up the outside of the wall it might need covering/protecting but I think that may only be necessary where there is a risk of a car impacting it? I'm not 100% sure about that though. You can get plastic covers to stop rain getting in through the hole but I've just had one crumble on me due to uv exposure.

There are lots of things like this you can buy or make yourself.. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Heavy-Duty-Galvanised-Adjustable-Bolt-Down-Post-Support-Height-25cm-Bar-20mm-/323397944126?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338268676&toolid=10044&customid=Cj0KCQjw5PGFBhC2ARIsAIFIMNfr4nsLgdXTiazqFyQyOr6iq4oP4MHlXvRmLzJjcce5SyRuO0zTibsaArlnEALw_wcB&redirect=mobile https://www.amazon.co.uk/Support-Foot-Inlet-Post-Carrier/dp/B083999J6P/ref=asc_df_B083999J6P/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=430783934818&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14462954570121452541&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006818&hvtargid=pla-915527913036&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=103132776474&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=430783934818&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14462954570121452541&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006818&hvtargid=pla-915527913036

Wire wool best for cleaning copper pipe.

You should always mix packs even if not a blend. It's not uncommon for there to be variations between pallets. I'm sure many people have ended up with a horizontal line around their house. We used a mix of two different bricks and so had to mix them up anyway.

I've used their paint on the ceiling in my bathroom. Was having a hig issue with mould and peeling above the shower where the ceiling gets wet. Worked really well. First time I only painted the bit over the shower. 6 months later that area was still mould free but I could see it appearing further away from the shower on the bits I hadn't done. Whole ceiling done now!

Its the only way you can get a legally binding decision that you have started from the planners. Any ordinary letters from them aren't legally binding. A wind farm near us built the access gate and some meters of road then applied for a certificate of lawfulness to confirm work on the windfarm had started in order to delay building until the grid could cope. They eventually built the wind farm some years later after planning permission would have expired. Its a judgement call. Do you pay the fee for the certificate or trust that you can prove development was legally started. In the case of a multi £ million wind farm its a no brainer. Development is defined under the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act as "the carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operation in, on, over or under land, or the making of any material change in the use of any building or other land". Which is a bit vague in my opinion. Its also worth noting that it must be a legal start, so you need to check you have met any planning conditions that require you to do something before development starts. Ditto the CIL exemption.

Paying buy the hour would have been difficult/complicated on our self build. Our builder was only on site a few hours a day usually first and last thing, he did physical work but was more of a project manager. He also did all the buying so his workers were never stuck for materials. Some of that would have been done from home or in person while he was on the way to the site or on the way home. He had two staff that were officially a "foreman" and "carpenter" but they did most things from setting out the site to tiling the roof. They worked pretty much full time on site for the whole build. Other trades were hired and came and went as he required them.

I use a 200g/sqm tarp to cover my mower. Feels heavy when new but it only lasts about 3 years. Not sure if wind break mesh is any stronger but I'd go for the heavier weight.

One of our bedroom windows was slightly too narrow. Somehow my builder persuaded the BCO to allow it by upgrading the fire rating of the bedroom door.

Normally they use more words to justify the refusal, possibly citing the impact and it being contrary to some policy or other. Any chance you can post the full reason given? The only other reason I can think of is that more floor space can mean more bedrooms, more people living there so more cars, parking, school places etc.

+1 One web site says there is currently no bat approved breathable membrane. If you use a non breathable membrane you need either a ventilated loft (insulation on the floor of the loft) or if the insulation is at rafter level then you need a 50mm deep ventilated void under the membrane. Both needs vents at the eaves and the latter needs vents at the ridge as well. An alternative would be to go for a so called "warm roof construction. This has all/most of the insulation above the rafters rather than between and/or below them. Caution, many builders have never built "warm roof construction" and think it just means there are rooms in the roof - not so. A proper warm roof construction needs special long fasteners to fix counter battens to the rafters through the thick insulation. If your builder claimed to understand warm roof construction ask which fasteners he prefers ? Another alternative is SIP roof.

I should add that its very unlikely they would initiate enforcement action if you started before getting the condition discharged. However there are situations where its important your start is legal. For example to keep,planning permission alive beyond 3 years and in some circumstances your VAT reclaim.

The condition is fairly clear in that it says the details must be.. Development is defined under the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act as "the carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operation in, on, over or under land, or the making of any material change in the use of any building or other land." In my day you would get annotated drawings made and submit those with a letter asking for the condition to be discharged together with a cheque for the fee. The drawings would be roughly to scale and include dimensions, materials and any finishes (eg paint). It might be acceptable to send an annotated photo but I'm sure he will be expecting a drawing.

@HoubaraWelcome to the forum. +1 to what @Mr Punter said. Send them copy of your planning permission. You might also send them a "certificate" which is essentially a letter giving your contact details and the site address and "certifying that it is a newbuild house (planning reference xyz) that is eligible for zero rating. I assume its not a conversion? If its a new build the installation should definitly be zero rated to you. Both labor and materials if they are doing supply and fit. However if they charge seperately for the design of the system then that bit (only) should be standard rated to you and can't be reclaimed. Most companies do the design free or included in the overall quote so this isn't an issue.

https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2021/05/25/timber-batten-prices-soar-through-the-roof/ Talman said: “Timber battens were the second-highest material shortage after roof tiles with a third of contractors reporting shortages.”

Also... Many window companies can supply sills of different depths (front to back) so make sure to specify which you want. The drip groove on the underside should be clear of the wall.