NSS

Okay, south Hampshire so, as you say.... but no worries.

Whereabouts in the country are you Peter? If you're in my neck of the woods I probably have a couple of Paslode IM350 gas cartridges spare, but they're not the kind of thing you can pop in the post!

If anyone has one of these lurking in their tool shed and they have no further use for it, I'd be interested in purchasing

That's an incredible amount of work in such a short period. Well done to you and Mrs Nod. Wish our build had progressed that rapidly!

Scandia Hus are worth a try. I believe they have recently opened an office in the south west.

I've self-installed a Paul Novus 300. Not yet commissioned but should be fairly soon. Was supplied by Green Building Store who've been very helpful.

Seems there's a 'phoenix from the ashes' company.

Heard this news from someone in the industry a couple of weeks ago. Hope none of this community has been affected.

Rather than start a new topic, can anyone tell me whether dimmable 5050 strip can be controlled from a normal wall dimmer switch? Appreciate it will need to connect via a transformer but hoping to control from wall switch rather than an IR remote.

Yes, I'd have liked to have had it sooner but it took a while to find a supplier who doesn't charge platinum prices for powder-coated steel

Brief (and belated) update. After much deliberation, we've finally ordered a staircase. Had several quotes in the £5.5k to £6.5k range for oak stairs similar to the one I linked to in the first post, but decided we'd really like something more contemporary (even if it meant spending a bit more). Ours will be styled as per the one in the image below, albeit with a double winder. Lead time is 8 to 9 weeks but will hopefully be worth the wait

In what way do you fear it won't fit the surroundings; style, size, external finishes? If 'tweaks' to some or all of these could be made you may be able to arrive at a design that you are happy with without the cost of a full re design. I'd sit down with your architect and list the elements that are concerning you and see which can be relatively easily addressed. I certainly wouldn't build to a design I wasn't happy with unless my intention was to sell it and the design offered the best potential for return on investment.

Exactly what I was thinking.

Coming along nicely Dave.

Looking good Dave

Just a brief update. We borrowed a JCC sample board from a local EW which allowed us to compare the 3w and 6w cool and warm in darkness rather than in a well lit showroom. Decided to go with the 3w and when the lighting went live earlier this week we're pleased we did. With 50 downlighters it also saved us well over £400 against the price of the 6w units and will of course reduce running costs too.

Why not tie a tie wrap to the extremities of the pipes runs and leave the end poking up through the screed. If you used them then to mark the free areas after the floor has been laid you can then cut them off.

We left out all that's been mentioned above, but wish we'd also created a mat well inside the front door as don't now want to risk cutting one in the floor due to the UFH pipes below

I assumed the type 1 was just being used to build up the ground level as it appeared to be a traditional block and beam floor.

Tonight's episode featured a 213m2 two storey build on the banks of a Yorkshire canal on a plot that regularly floods (and promptly did during the build). Land cost £160k, build budget £250k, projected finished value £550k. Final build cost was £360k despite reducing the spec and miraculously the valuation on completion had jumped to £795k. If I could get £795k rather than the £550k origninally estimated from the plans then I'd be selling it and building one in the middle of the canal because it would surely be worth at least a million!

Seems that Persimmon are at least building some of their homes with factory made timber frames (see http://corporate.persimmonhomes.com/corporate-responsibility/our-environment/space4). How good they are is another question.

And the recent media hysteria about passiv houses suffering overheating issues has perhaps tainted that 'standard' in the eyes of the wider public too.

You're probably right, but is Joe Public ready for a brick/stone slip exterior rather than solid brick walls (even if, as Dave says, it's just a relatively expensive rain shield)?

Congratulations. The real fun is only just beginning

I completely agree that controlled, factory conditions are the way forward, and the recently promised entry into the UK market of the Chinese may well force the volume builders to adapt or die, but a traditional brick skin and tiled roof can surely be wrapped around a factory built, energy efficient core just as easily as it can around what they currently construct.