Temp

Google says 20 and 30mm PIR is available so you could add a layer of that to the 100mm PIR he already has. Think I'd put it under the 100mm.

Yes although I would make sure the top step/edge is well supported down to the lower screed. Don't rely on the threaded studs to carry vertical loads.

I couldn't see it mentioned in the vid but we had to adjust some stops in the pocket to prevent the door going too far in and banging the handle on the frame. I don't remember if this was possible after plaster boarding the frame so perhaps hold off finishing the frame if you don't yet have the door ? Its also possible they have changed the design of the frame since we fitted ours.

I've just renewed my normal house insurance and found that playing around with the rebuild cost on the comparison sites didn't affect the overall price much. Some companies are offering unlimited rebuild costs for properties up to £1m.

Think you need this video. White spacer is removed after fitting frame to wall. Box of bits appears at 1:09 I think..

+1 I don't see a problem building a few steps on a screed base. How about this... Fit some 4x2 (or 6x2?) shown in green, to prevent the top level screed flowing over the edge and to set the top level of the screed. Perhaps put some threaded studs with nuts on through the shuttering so you can later bolt it tighter to the screed. Then later clad the lot in something better like 14 or 21mm engineered oak. This would also raise the FFL to match any carpet or tiles (purple) on the top level.

You can get 25 - 15mm "Reducing couplers". Takes 25mm MDPE and 15mm plastic or copper pipe... https://www.bes.co.uk/25-mm-x-15-mm-mdpe-x-polyfit-adaptor-polypipe-18155?ref=gs&photo=true&gclid=Cj0KCQiAmsrxBRDaARIsANyiD1rofPhP08F0DLxy6Z7-tqLEefJ8MZL_vLbe2xcIBpV3OI1xfAC--i4aAr9AEALw_wcB Most of the "unequal T's" or "Reducing T's" seem to be 25mm down to 20mm.

You might need to build a circuit the performs a logical OR function so that if light switch A or B is turned on power is sent to the fan. I think this can be done using double pole switches. One pole sends power to the light, the other pole sends power to the fan. Both rooms would need to be on same circuit. Will need more cores in the wire from light down to switches than normal.

No. The CIL is meant to be a formulae applied to all developments equally, although I think they can limit it to some areas of the country. An S106 agreement could be used though.

The CIL is a formula that should be applied equally to all developments that aren't exempt. S106 contributions are said to be voluntary but they aren't really. I would be surprised if such an explicit arrangement was be legal. However... What they probably mean is...developments such as your two houses would put an unacceptable strain on local roads unless you provided land to improve them. Your contribution of land (perhaps by way of a section 106 agreement) is needed to make your planning application acceptable in planning terms :-)

No there are other issues with GU10 LED as well. Each GU10 bulb has to contain a circuit to reduce mains voltage to suit the LED chips. That circuit tends to fail before the LEDs themselves. On "proper" LED fittings with non-replaceable bulbs that circuit doesn't have to be crammed into the bulb it can be bigger and runs cooler.

+1 to most of the above. We fitted GU10 and would go a different route now. GU10 are ok if you fit wide angle LED bulbs but they seem to be getting harder to find - at least in physical stores.

Only taught at two universities - Southampton and Salford - and he has offers from both. Just needs to pass his A levels now!

Check the pitch on the garden Room roof. With a window on the house the pitch might be too low for some types of tile. On version 2.. the exterior wall upstairs will need to be supported on something, either interior walls downstairs or steel beams. It looks like you may have interior walls?

Last week on radio 4 an expert on 5g said that one difference between 3/4g and 5g was that 5g didn't really have separate "core" and "peripheral" parts. Think he said there wasn't a core. That somewhat makes a nonsense of the government saying Huawei kit wouldn't be used in the core of the 5g network.

Sorry if I'm being dim but I don't quite understand your situation. Ok you have a joint mortgage on the family home but why do you need to borrow £350k if the new build is complete? Is it to pay off a self build mortgage on the new place or the joint mortgage on the family home or something else? You might need to be a bit careful because if you let out a new build you can end up having to repay the VAT you reclaimed. Old article but still valid I believe.. https://www.glovers.co.uk/news-articles307.html "Developers choosing to let their newly built properties are for VAT purposes making an exempt supply, under which VAT incurred in the construction cannot be recovered. This is because they are then operating as investors instead of developers. Consequently some of the VAT recovered when the developer intended to sell the property must be repaid."

https://www.gsecg.com/benefits/secondary-glazing-sound-insulation/ "To achieve optimum performance we often advise that secondary glazing is installed with a gap of 150mm – 200mm from the primary window."

+1 to @Dreadnaught.When the M3 motorway was built near my parents house my father fitted sealed unit double glazing. Soon after he had finished we were told that we would be offered free double glazing to reduce noise. The expert they sent told us that double glazing designed to minimise noise should have a much bigger air gap - something like 5-6 inches. We ended up with tripple glazing - the inner pane being secondary double glazing fitted to the inner edge of window sills with a big air gap. These could be opened to put photos etc on the window sills. I don't know for sure if that's the best design but if you can wait a few years my son hopes to study Acoustical Engineering!

More emails from before the renovation... https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jan/28/grenfell-tower-refurbishers-knew-cladding-would-fail-inquiry-told

Instead of screws into plugs would through bolts be an option?... https://www.screwfix.com/p/fischer-fxa-throughbolts-m12-x-116mm-20-pack/48990?tc=OA3&ds_kid=92700049190944768&gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1249413&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsbrxBRDpARIsAAnnz_MDNXkrcSF3wERpJx-6usMCqiRCOACU9yAY5Rt2kUgk4hJJGtW95NgaAvn3EALw_wcB

Looks like they all plan to drop each other in it. My guess is there will be some sort of prosecution and certainly many civil cases. Just hope there is some money left over for the victims families after the lawyers have taken their cut.

Shocking revelations on day one of part 2... https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jan/27/grenfell-tower-inquiry-companies-passing-the-buck-on-responsibility "....Arconic knew the fire performance of its Reynobond polyethylene-filled panels was below the minimum required for facades in Europe..." "....Claude Wehrle, an Arconic official, had explained in internal emails in 2011 that the fire rating of the panels had dropped to class E from class B and so were “unsuitable for use on building facades” in Europe. But, he said, “we can still work with regulators who are not as restrictive”." "In another email in 2015, Wehrle admitted that Reynobond PE was “dangerous on facades and everything should be transferred to (FR) fire-resistant as a matter of urgency”." "....counsel for Rydon, the main contractor, who said: “Arconic continued to use the [class B] certificate to promote sales of Reynobond and did so specifically in the case of Grenfell Tower.” and more..

Reminder.. Currently if you move house you have 18 months to sell the old one before it starts attracting CGT. This is reducing to 9 months in April. In addition if you have to pay CGT you will only have 30 days after the sale to pay it ! If you sell after nine months (eg after 12 months) it's not just the gain in the extra 3 months you have to worry about. The calculation is more complicated.

Try screwing one into a sample bit of wood before doing it for real. I found I sheared off some bolts if I didn't drill pilot holes. Something like M3.5 maybe enough. Long bits are available. Ideally the screws should be long enough so the threaded part is only in the lower bit of wood. If the threaded part bridges the gap between the two it may prevent the two bits of wood pulling together. Sorry if you know this stuff.

We have one or two joints in engineered oak that move with the seasons. They open in winter when the air is dry and close in summer when it's humid. I'm not sure I would fill any gaps in winter.