Temp

Dual fuel cooker works well for us. Electric oven and LPG hob. A 47kg cylinder is expensive per kWH but the absolute cost is low because a cylinder lasts us at least 18 months.

Note the smoke rings in the background of his photo :-)

We have a Visonic wireless alarm system using just PIR sensors, no window/door switches. The battery life of the PIR sensors is very good and even better if you turn off the LED that's on them. Not had a false alarm but then we don't have dogs/cats. The main decision you need to make concerns monitoring. I think the vast majority of monitoring companies insist on installing the alarm as well.

I think your latest proposal looks a lot better than the zinc cladding. I've nothing against zinc cladding but I think there was too much of it on your proposal. I strongly recommend you do a better "street view" drawing than this one!

I think converting an agri building to residential use is permitted development (part Q). Not sure about in an AONB though.

Toolstation 6mm £16.22 inc vat for 220m = 7.4p/m Free next day delivery as order over £10. 10mm works out at about 18p/m delivered.

Tom - Absolutely essential you find out the planning status of the building. Perhaps ask the owner for a letter of authority allowing the planners to speak to you. If you really like the place then might even be worth paying the planners a "pre-application consultation fee" if they insist on one. Long shot but.. _If_ you could prove that the building had been used as a dwelling for >10 years then it _might_ be possible to get planning permission on the grounds that permission cannot now be refused. This is because enforcement action has to be initiated within 10 years in cases that would normally need planning permission for "change of use". My guess is that the owner has already investigated, perhaps received a letter ages ago or it's been empty. Beware that more than one file may exist for a property. For example for my site there were two with different files with titles such as "land north of..." and land south of..". Try using the map search facility to find all applications within a few 100 yards. Not all old files are on the system though. In my case only formal planning documents were online. The planner had a paper file full of letters between him and the previous owner dated prior to him submitting an application. Ten years when we did ours I was able to book a time to go and see this file. The receptionist had to recover it from the planning officer. Not sure if this is still possible.

Claim forms here.. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200126/applications/70/community_infrastructure_levy/5 Must follow the rules at top of the claim form 1 to the letter (reproduced below).. https://ecab.planningportal.co.uk/uploads/1app/forms/form_7_self_build_part_1_exemption_claim.pdf Make sure they acknowledge receipt of everything in writing.

We had exactly the same. In the end I wasn't able to keep up and had to tell the builder that I would fit out one of the bathroom myself later as I couldn't keep up with the demand for second fix items.

Congratulations! Next stop the CIL Exemption.

Ask your electrician/anyone on other networks if they can get 4G at your house. If they are happy ask them to visit the web site www.Fast.com for a speed check. There are only 4 networks, other suppliers resell them :EE, Three, O2 and Vodafone.

It looks like standard pvc twin and earth wire is only rated to 70C. The flex used on irons appears to be ok to about 150-180C I think.

250C... http://sinolec.co.uk/en/ceramic-lamp-holders/1211136-bc-b22d-porcelain-lamp-holder-k567.html

I found a ceramic holder that claims they are suitable for upto 210C. But it's not quite the right type... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CERAMIC-BAYONET-BC-CAP-BC-22-High-Temperature-Lamp-Bulb-Holder-/262946776986

I doubt the stove maker will be able to help. I think your best bet is to get the stove installed, fire it up and measure the air and surface temperatures where the lights will be installed. Then find lights that are rated for that environment. I doubt you will find lights that are specifically rated for use close to a wood burner, not because it's difficult to make lights to go there but because they don't test lights for suitability in in every imaginable location.

The method your builder suggests is pretty common.

That makes a lot of sense. If there is a stat in the top heater it will only actually come on if the water previously heated by E7 has already been used.

Gosh that's rough. If selling your current house would raise money then presumably you have some equity in it. Perhaps consider a second mortgage on that place? Might be faster than selling it?

Nick may correct me but I thought that with a dual immersion the top one was the "normal" element and the lower one was the boost? The idea being that hot water rises so the tank heats from the top downwards. So normally only the top element is used and only the top part of the tank is heated. Then if you know demand will be higher you turn the bottom one on so it heats down to a lower point.

Most patio doors and windows are custom made to fit the opening. I can't be sure from the photo but I wondered if the doors were short in height and the installer made them up to the right height using another section of UPVC? Edit: Perhaps the maker has cross sectional drawings on their web site?

My understanding is that it's the "person carrying out the work" that is responsible for compliance with the Building Regs. That might be the home owner in some cases but most reputable window installers claim to be "competent person scheme members" (such as FENSA) and I would hope their rules require their members to do the necessary paperwork.

Our council wrote to us out of the blue saying they will assume we will be complete on a date and proposing to charge us from that date. We wrote back telling them the date we believed we would finish and they just accepted it. I think it took us at least 6 months to get from first fix to completion.

Tricky one. Approved Document Part M (below) has clauses that typically require the front door of a new house to have a level access but this doesn't usually apply to existing houses or other doors. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/540330/BR_PDF_AD_M1_2015_with_2016_amendments_V3.pdf However there is a clause in Part M that says .. M4(1) says.. So you would have to argue that the work they did has made it significantly "less compliant" with M4(1). However that clause is pretty vague so I wouldn't hold out much hope, especially as the steps already make access difficult. Not to mention that Part M doesn't say anything about the sill height of a patio door so that would be legal on a new house. Replacing windows is notifiable building work these days. So was the job notified to Building Control and did you get any paperwork when the job was done? If not then that might give you more leverage with the company.

Don't mention the war! I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it, all right.

As far as I can tell what kills trees is the trench dug for the foundations not the floor construction. Our garage is near a tree and we had to use piled foundations rather than strip.