Temp

2015 is more than 3 years ago. Have you started building to keep your PP alive?

What stage are you at and what have you hired the Architect to do? Have you hired the Architect to get Building Control Approval for you or just some produce drawings that can be used to get Building Control Approval? In other words who is managing the process of getting Building Control Approval? Typically if you hire the Architect to "get Building Control Approval" he may suggest you hire an SE or other professional to help BUT it should be his responsibility to find them and manage the process. Pretty sure most architects can put together a drainage plan for Building Control even if your builder decides later it can be done a better way.

Typically the architect will design the shape of the roof with some thought on how it will be constructed. Then if necessary the SE will design any steel beams needed. For example a house with rooms in the roof may need a structural ridge beam instead of just a ridge board.

Most water companies try and keep foul and surface water separate. Looks like Thames are heading that way... https://www.thames21.org.uk/combined-sewer-systems/ So you might not be allowed to connect you surface water tank overflow to the foul sewer. If that's the case you will have to look at soakaways or perhaps find a surface water drain/ditch to discharge into. If you are allowed to put surface water into the foul sewer I can't see why one pump can't do both. It would probably have to be sized for the higher flow rate of the surface water.

We have 80mm PIR in our floor and if building again would fit more, perhaps double. In fact I might consider double Building Regs minimum everywhere.

I don't think I would pay for a survey yet. I think if you still have issues I'd call Upnor and see if they can recommend an engineer to check the system over. Perhaps someone in one of the other flats can recommend one? Regarding the heating up time.. let's suppose all the room stats have been turned down low for 8 hours so the house is cold. Then you turn one up to 22C... The blue Upnor loop actuator will take a few mins to open and within about 10min the flow pipe to the floor loop should be as hot as the output from the white mixer/actuator (35-45C). The floor and room temperature might take a further 2 hours to reach the temperature set on the room stat and then stat will close the blue actuator. What the floor feels like will depend on the temperature the white actuator produces but the floor should never feel as hot as a rad which can be 60C. What we do is set the room stats to 16C at night. That's effectively off except on very cold nights. Then two hours before waking up its set to increase to 20 or 21C which it reaches as we are waking up. Then again in the evening it switches down to 16C about 2 hours before bed (but it stays warmer than that).

Some details of Upnor system found here.. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.uponor.co.uk/UponorInternet/DirectDownload%3Fdid%3DFB33D8E3EE2B446C843445EAB8072E5C&ved=2ahUKEwjB-5eK84bnAhWoQkEAHYIDBaAQFjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw2qah0XpriH13eszIJcs9Kg Should link to a pdf file. See page 49 for info on the mixer & white actuator. The white actuator should indeed move the pin up and down. With the white part removed the pin should be up, with it fitted and off the pin should be down. The hexagonal part is turned to set the max an min temperatures after installation. It's not 100% clear from the instructions if pin down = off or minimum temperature. I'm wondering if the pin is stuck down giving you minimum temperature which the instructions says is normally 35C? That would explain why the engineer couldn't push it down himself (it's already down). You could try pulling it up. I think I would try finding someone familiar with Upnor UFH systems and get them to check the system over.

Sorry I have a hard time keeping up with everyone's projects.. Have you started work? If not I suspect you need to get this sorted before you do. I guess you don't qualify for the self build exemption? What does the Architect propose to do about his mistake? I'm thinking you might end up claiming against him or his insurance company for his error. Might be best to get legal advice before you try and resolve it yourself?

Yikes. The legislation allows you to request a review in writing (with justification) within 28 days of the liability notice being issued but before work starts. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2010/9780111492390/regulation/113 Council web sites imply this is if the council makes an error but I do not see that limitation in the legislation so I would go for it. If still wrong you can appeal to the VOA but must wait for the result from the VOA before starting work or your appeal fails. Only other thing I can think of is to submit a new planning application.

If it's the "slide potentiometer" that's failed I'd try and get it out as it might be replaceable. Hard to tell from the photo if it just clips out. If that's not possible try working out if min or max resistance corresponds to max speed. eg shorting the two wires together may put it in the max speed position permanently. If there is any writing on it that may give you the resistance allowing you to replace it with a fixed value for permanent half speed.

I'm looking at a new WC pan and seat. Pan is cheap enough but surprised how much the different versions of the seat costs. All same make and intended for the pan... Standard seat with plastic hinges is £18 with metal hinges £37 with soft close hinges £62 (up to £104 list from Travis Perkins!) Am I nuts to pay £62 for a seat with soft close hinges?

I don't think there will be any duties to pay during the transitional period (2020). If we don't make a trade deal by end 2020 we revert to WTO rates of duty which on wash basins and similar imports from the EU will be 7% for Ceramic and 6.5% for plastic. So perhaps a different rate for your WC and bath :-) VAT appears to be more of a problem. After Brexit EU based companies have a choice. They can register with the HMRC and start charging UK VAT. This provides a seamless experience for UK customers and is presumably what Amazon will do. An alternative is for them export VAT free and the buyer will be charged UK VAT when the goods arrive at the port. No doubt there will be a handling charge as well and just imagine the hassle of reclaiming VAT you have paid if something has to be sent back because it was damaged in transit. You not only have to chase the supplier but HMRC as well :-) Either way its all bad news for small EU based companies and I can understand why they might just write off the UK market.

Oops I forgot to welcome you to the forum!

I believe not. However it might be best to formally apply for change of use to residential (business?). Suppose you went ahead and converted one to a games room or industrial unit. Then four years later a neighbour complains and the council investigate. They could ask you to submit an retrospective application for "change of use" and grant it. Normally a change of use doesn't trigger the CIL but that's only true if the building has been "in lawful use for at least six months in the three years prior to the development being permitted" which wouldn't be the case because it had been illegal for 4 years. If you are submitting a PP soon anyway you might consider including converting a shed to a "garage" in that. That would allow you to reclaim VAT on the materials used. VAT 708 again...

a) Regarding VAT: A water connection should be 0% rated for a new house, 5% rated for a conversion (reclaimable), and standard rated 20% for a replacement supply to existing building (not reclaimable). What you would normally do is ask the water/electric company for a quote at the appropriate VAT rate before accepting it. In your case 5%, and you can reclaim that. However if you paid standard rate you could not reclaim that because VAT paid to a supplier in error cannot be reclaimed from HMRC. Problem is you are effectively buying the water connection from the seller. If the seller of the land is a VAT registered company and he's putting the costs through his books then he should charge you 5% VAT on your share and you can reclaim it. He can also reclaim the difference in VAT between the standard rate he pays the water co and the 5% he charges you when he makes his quarterly return. I would ask for an invoice that just mentions water supply to your barn rather than a share of the whole job. Must be dated after you own the property. Ideally after you get PP but I think change of use might be enough. HMRC seem to make up the rules as they go along. If the seller isn't VAT rated he may just have one invoice from the water co and plans to split it informally. It will almost certainly have standard rate VAT on it and it will be hard to get that back.. You could try asking him to go back to the water co and ask for multiple invoices all with different VAT rates but good luck with that. b) VAT on long connections and diversions.. See VAT 708 and in particular section 3.3.4b which allows "Work closely connected to the construction of the building" to be 5% rated. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/buildings-and-construction-vat-notice-708 Again it would be better to wait until you have PP but change of use might be sufficient? c) The CIL and exemption If you plan to extend the barn and need the CIL exemption then for safety I would get the seller to run water to your plot boundary and stop there. Don't do any work on site. Connect it to the house later after the PP and CIL Exemption paperwork is all done. Beware its a multi part process detailed at the top of one of the forms. Follow it to the letter and ask for receipts. One lost form and you become liable. Three things: * A barn conversion (without increase in area) is normally exempt provided the barn has been in lawful use for a continuous 6 months out of the three years prior to planning permission first permitting development. Check! * There might be CIL to pay on any increase in floor area. If you plan to extend the barn beware the way the area is calculated is strange. Normally the first 100sqm of new floor area is exempt but I don't believe this is the case for a conversion. I believe the 100sqm gets used up by the conversion so the CIL is paid on all new increase in area. Ill try and find a reference. * That said you should be exempt from all CIL as a self builder. However some councils argue the self build exemption does not apply to conversions only new builds! If they try that trick on you refer them to this case I found last year..

Barney - Sorry if you know this but before taking any legal action you must make sure you have given the other party plenty of "opportunity to rectify". Otherwise the court will essentially send you away to do that. I'm sure you have but you need to be able to prove it. If possible get legal advice but would suggest two letters sent recorded delivery to their registered office: 1) Give them a deadline to rectify a list of defects after which you will hold them in breech of contract and consider legal action. Needs to be a reasonable period like 14 days. 2) A "letter before action" confirming that the list of defects weren't rectified by the date in 1) and you now hold them in breech of contract. The following link is mostly about a small claims court action but it includes a list of things a letter before action should include. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/legal-system/taking-legal-action/small-claims/making-a-small-claim/ Also in letter 2 you should probably state that the opportunity you gave them to rectify the defects has now passed. If you allow them to come back after letter 2 they will argue in court that the action is premature as they are still working with you to resolve the problems.

Did you take out legal protection with your house insurance policy? Usually they only pay out legal fees if they believe you have a good chance of winning. Claiming will also affect your premium obviously.

I've used a free program called PDFill to edit PDF forms. You can to add white space and/or new text boxes with white backgrounds to type over existing text. Save as an editable project file or a new PDF. I've not really used its drawing capabilities. Might be better progs around but works for me.. http://www.pdfill.com/

That could be a good approach. If you built one for yourself and another for a relative and both of you move in and live there for three years then with care you could escape the CIL, VAT and CGT on both plots. The downside is that self building can be quite stressful and many a relationship has failed the test.

Not that I'm aware of. If tariffs change things might get stopped at the port until the buyer pays the tariff and a handling charge. That can happen now when ordering from outside the EU. In practice I doubt the infrastructure will be in place so small orders will probably be waived through. It might be different if you buy something big like a house kit or a car as many are made abroad. My Ford SMax was made in Spain or Portugal I think. Some makes are warning buyers... https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/13/man-gets-brexit-surprise-on-invoice-for-new-mercedes-benz-12038546/ PS: I thought tariffs had been agreed for the transition period? Eg until end 2020.

Not unless the pressure is very high. Should really do a static pressure and flow rate test before deciding what sort of plumbing and heating system to install - just in case its too low for a mains pressure system.

Perhaps you can use an in ear thermometer if you have one?

Have I understood correctly.. The run goes vertical -> horizontal -> vertical outside stack? You have a large radius bend as the bottom of the outside stack but not on the bottom of the first vertical section Indoors? Perhaps changing that to a large rad would help?

Perhaps beware of the issue raised in this diagram if your pitch is low... http://www.roofconsult.co.uk/articles/tiling/tips83.htm

In the case of tiles... The bottom edge of one row of tiles normally rests on top of the row below, but obviously at the bottom there is no tile to rest on so they usually rest on the top of the fascia. If there is no fascia a triangular batten is used to maintain the pitch. Note the membrane goes over the top of the triangular batten and into the gutter. So in the case of counter battens the counter battens would need to stop above the triangular batten.