Temp

Just a heads up... Converting a loft turns a two storey house into a three storey. This means building control may require changes on the ground floor, especially if the stairs are open plan. Mostly to do with fire regs. Building control can also have issues with escape windows above a conservatory or similar hazard. eg They rock up and rule that your rear facing window cannot be the escape window so you need another one somewhere.

Would there be any side windows on the extension? These have to be obscure glass to comply with PDR. That might not be the case if you got planning permission. If you add an extension/dormer during construction of the house the whole house would likely be in breach, not just the extension/dormer. That's because there is usually a condition requiring you to build the house "exactly in accordance with the approved plans". Normally planners have four years to enforce a breach of planning law but in the case of a breach planning conditions it is 10 years. The planners might not take any action but when you come to sell up the buyer might want the situation regularised. In the past if you breach planning you could wait for an enforcement notice and then submit a retrospective planning application, however I have see mention that The Localism Act 2011 allows a planning authority to decline to determine a retrospective planning applications after an enforcement notice has been issued. Not sure what implications this has.

I've never used this type of system but I do a bit of physics on the side. The forces involved would make me nervous. The equation for the pressure at depth h is... P= g*rho*h Where g is 9.81m/s/s rho is the density, which for concrete is 2400 kg/m^3 h is the depth So the pressure at the bottom of a 1.5m high pour is.. =9.81*2400*1.5 =35,300 N/m^2 Or about 720 lbf per square foot. Double the height and the pressure doubles.

I know what the locals mean when they say the damage has been done but they would be better off referring to the earlier plan to make it green space and arguing the developer should repeat what was done back then. If they argue it's irreparable the planning inspector might agree with them and allow the development.

I hadn't heard of that so... https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/national-forest-inventory/ I don't think it provides any protection?

A computer/electronics project I worked on featured in a magazine. The journalist seemed great, everything went pretty well. No more than a few minor problems that any complicated project has. All were easily solved, and project was completed on budget and to pretty agressive timescales. Customer was happy. But I guess that was all too boring for the editor who basically made us look like idiots fighting one problem after another with the project constantly behind schedule. I'd never agree to it again.

All week the weather man has been hyping the fact that it's going to be glorious weather for the Easter weekend. I'd give them a break.

Think I'd get my own report done. Think some council specify a 25m splay in a 20mph zone. See if you can find a policy doc for your council and get a report showing how you can meet that.

If turfing keep an eye on the weather. Nearly lost ours due to it drying and shrinking in the sun and wind. Our sprinklers (plural) could hardly keep up.

I haven't really looked at the drawing (it's 2am) but has he added walls to reduce the span of the beams?

I'm saying no. At least until they can guarantee to give me a Smeets 2 spec meter.

Appears different manufacturers use different flow/return/room temperatures when they spec their output powers.... Stelrad 70/55/20 AEL 80/60/20

+1 to delta T but beware it's not always linear. As I understand it some rad are specified for "70/55" meaning an inlet temp of 70 and an outlet of 55 with an average of just over 60. So the delta T to a 21C room is just over 40C. However have heard some rads are specified at 90/70. This article explains that doubling or halving the delta T doesn't double or half the power output of a radiator. It's because radiators work by both conduction and radiation. Radiation is proportional to T^4 I think... https://www.castrads.com/frequently-asked-questions/buying-cast-iron-radiators/how-does-delta-t-affect-heat-output/

Their web site says.. If they are installed under or behind anything I believe the radiant properties will depend on what's covering the heating foil NOT the foil itself. So unless you install them bare I don't think they have any heating advantage over conventional electric UFH.

I've just painted my shed using a £14 Hoselock pump up plant sprayer ?

I've come across this before. Its like the planners have as short memory. Once you demolish a building its as if it never existed and your plot suddenly becomes a green field site on which their policies don't allow new houses to be constructed. Heaven help anyone that has a fire and needs PP to rebuild their isolated cottage in the greenbelt. So under no circumstances demolish or allow the shed to fall down until this is sorted. I think I would submit an application to demolish and rebuild with the new building being _identical_ to the approved conversion in every way externally. That way they cannot argue the new proposal is too big, wrong style etc etc because those issues have effectively already been addressed and approved. If necessary take or threaten to take this to appeal including to remove any new conditions you can't live with. Then once its established that you can replace the existing building with a new one, submit a new application to make the replacement slightly bigger, different shape, or change materials etc.

http://www.pavingexpert.com/drain05.htm#dropshaft However I don't see an existing branch connection down your manhole hole. Have a look down any others to see if there is a spare you can use. Otherwise..

There are currently lots of minor and not so minor differences for same sex partners. The government lists them here... https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/comparison-of-civil-partnership-and-marriage-for-same-sex-couples I think there could be pension differences under the new act for opposite sex couples. For example widows pension rights for those in a civil partnership only accrue from the date of the Act that allowed civil partnerships. Where as I think rights for the widow of a married couple usually take into account his or her whole service history.

Common problem is forgetting to tell the builder you want a tiled floor in the bathroom. If they find out early enough they can add more joists and set them lower to allow for thicker layers of WBP and the tiles without raising the floor level.

Many years ago someone reported problems with their wet ufh system. The return temperature was very high causing short cycling. Turned out they had used an aerated screed.

Not all hardcore is considered permeable. As I recall you need to specify MOT type 3 rather than type 1?

Beware.... HMRC are likely to only accept VAT receipts from the date the retrospective planning permission is granted, nothing before. I recall a case where someone got PP to convert their double garage to a fully self contained granny annex. The council applied a condition that it could not be sold separately from the main house. This meant it did not qualify for the vat reclaim as it wasn't a new dwelling. Half way through the build they got the condition removed meaning it was a new dwelling for VAT purposes. HMRC argued that only VAT receipts dated after the planning condition was removed could be reclaimed. Your situation seem to be similar. It would not be eligible for the VAT reclaim scheme until you get PP to knock down and rebuild. Edit: Actually I can't remember if they were converting a garage or building an extension but the point is the eligibility changed during the build.

I think our builder shot nailed timber to the web of the I beam to make it square then used straps to tie the wall down to the beam. Straps were J shape (strips bent on site) so they were fixed both sides.

Some assumptions that are unsafe and issues that can cost you a lot... The grass verge out front is part of the highway. The approved house will fit on the plot. The plot is the size implied by the site plan/title plan/planning drawings. There are services nearby so you must be able to connect to them easily. There are no services across the plot. It's a green field so no need to check for soil contamination. The access road is a bit narrow (but my van fits down it so should be ok). The seller says he will get planning permission for you. It's ok to start building your house the day after getting planning permission (At least two issues). Cutting down a nearby willow tree will stop you having to dig deep foundations. If you aren't allowed to put surface water into the main sewer you can always use soakaways. A self builder is always exempt from the CIL. A self builder can reclaim any VAT they are charged. Not using enough insulation. I'm sure there are plenty more.

There is a lot to be said for shutters.