Roz

Hi everyone, thanks for all your input. I tried to amalgamate it and asked an electrician who was available short notice if he could install a 'mini' consumer garage unit, a power socket and earth electrode, plus whatever else we need, and he's said £400... does this seem a lot ? parts would be £100 or something. I liked the electrician but it seems pricey... but I also only have a day to sort this out!

So... I got an email saying the following: I have called the metering team. Its a slightly hard one to answer. The reason being is that normally the cable would be in place along with the consumer unit (fitted your side) then the last thing to do would be to install the meter. The engineer will attend to install the meter, however it maybe left with fuse out - as he cant fully complete the job. This would mean a further appointment would be required once your side of things is ready. No isolation switch will be installed as this was not part of the original job. I hope this helps. I am sorry it may sound like we are being vague but like I said, we are normally the last person to attend. Once everything is ready for the meter. I am a bit confused because I thought it was normal to get the meter installed at this stage so that we could start using electricity on site instead of our generator? I must be missing something if they say that its normal for them to be the last ones to attend the site.

Hmmm so I'm feeling a bit puzzled about this. I just rang energy company again and this time they wouldn't really answer the question. I raised 'isolator switch' and they said thats a separate job and seemed to suggest it happens after the meter is installed. So I am puzzled about whether to expect them to do it or not. I have asked them to email the meter engineers and ask if what we have in place is what they need to be in place, but not that hopeful on getting a clear answer! The white meter box didnt have a wooden back plate when it arrived, just a plastic one is this a problem?

We've literally just got an external white plastic meter box, I thought it all went in there ?not sure why the energy company seem to have no idea to be fair! We havent had any work done by an electrician yet

We've been told our meter will be installed this Friday after waiting a while for it. However an electrician I spoke to said I should check that we are ready for this. He said they might want there to be "a temporary supply for the meter to provide you with usable power ". BUt when I asked the electricity company what needed to be in place, and told them western power had been to run the cable and that's all that was there, they said that was fine. Any thoughts? At the moment we just have the meter cabinet, I guess with the cable running to it. No first or second fix electrics have been conducted, we're an empty shell.

Yes I left the spring out too, I couldn’t figure out what nuisance it would cause so tried it without and seems alright!

? I should ask for my money back based on that! I’m sure it’s go down well well @BotusBuild and @Carrerahill thanks for the responses. I removed the innards and they seem to be sitting ok in the middle and they lift up now too. They sit a bit pointing downwards but, not too much I can do about that. Better than nothing! Im going to put the innards back in at some point (once modified or replaced) to stop any slipping around, but they seem to be sitting ok at the moment. Phew!

I’m going to try removing the stop plate etc and see what happens... thanks!

So I bought a door handle for our bifold doors, I’ve never bought one before so didn’t think much about it. The bifolds have got multipoint locking on them so the handle needs to lift up as well as push down. But it only goes down. Anyone know if there’s a way to convert it?? It’s a heritage brass handle

It hasn't been designated as a means of escape AFAIK, but I wondered if the same minimum height might apply. I suppose it might end up as more than 800 with the sill etc, so perhaps we will be OK without needing to toughen it. Although the height to the floor was actually measured to the top of the beam, so with the thickness of chipboard and our finished floor, we might be cutting it close. It's a barn conversion but no it doesn't open onto a roof.

Hello! SO I have looked for an answer but think I might be typing in the wrong search terms I understand an escape window has to be between 800mm and 1100mm from the floor. I presume a landing window isn't an escape window. At the moment our landing window, which is almost in front of the stairwell, is roughly 79cm from the floor. I suppose with sill height the actual opening section might be a bit more... is this likely to be OK?

Yes but all I want is to see the evidence they have got so i have peace of mind but they won't provide it, even though it won't cost them anything. I haven't asked them as our solicitor doesn't work there anymore but will try them anyway

I was just worried about it as had read varied opinions online, so needed advice, but i spoke to an estate agent and they weren't concerned about value, but were very concerned that if it wasn't tied up legally then we might struggle to get a mortgage ? Yes I'm going to do my best to get an appointment with someone that might be able to help. They all seem very busy and I am waiting on call backs! I don't want to throw a spanner in the works of their water laying, I just don't want to get ourselves into a pickle down the line, and seems so odd the way this is going down!

we had originally agreed that they would pay for a solicitor to organise any documentation that was needed, but now they have changed their minds and are saying they already have the right, but they won't provide real evidence ? we just want to know that all the legal documentation is in place, as have been advised we might struggle with mortgages if its not. I'm so baffled about why they won't provide the evidence.

They're now saying they do have this right and have served us with a 7 day notice period and won't provide real evidence of the right ? just a small picture that doesn't refer to any title numbers, and they won't send a bigger picture that does, and an image of the plan referred to. I am trying to get the necessary information from land registry.

I swear every single person who visits the site comments on how they haven't seen the underfloor heating directly in the slab before, on the mesh. It makes me so anxious - I keep telling them I'm on a forum where lots of people do it and you see it on TV too. They sort of give me a raised eyebrow like they don't believe me ? But it's too late now as our concrete just went in. Perhaps we'll start setting a trend for cornwall!

I'm not sure about the barge meeting the fascia yet. No soffit though. I'll try to get some photos later! Yes he did say he would leave the fascia to be cut off later. And he said he'd leave about 25mm for allowing the barge board so hopefully thats about right. I'm not sure what hit and miss cladding is - but it's like a tongue and groove, shadow gap. We don't have a proper overhand no, just whatever he allows for for the roof

Thanks both! Wonder why the BCO is using the old one.

So, for the bifold for our studio, we have to conform to the same regulations as the rest of the house. They need toughened glass in them basically (and the right hardware). Our BCO said "The glass in the Bi folds needs to be safety glass to BS6206. This is either laminated or toughened." The glass in the bifolds I am currently hoping to order says it meets European standards BSEN12150 and BSEN12600. I can't figure out if this is sufficient?? Anyone more well versed in these know the answer?

Yes on the gable end. We've got vertical larch cladding going on the walls but I don't know about the actual barge board. He's said he can do the overhang of the slate so it overhangs an extra 25mm or something in order to fit a barge board later.

I think our main issue is that he is used to working on projects with other tradesmen around doing the rest of the work, but we're about to be on our own. We're doing the cladding ourselves and sort of figuring it out as we go along, so he's asking questions I don't know all the answers to yet, and doesn't seem that comfortable with a 'I'm sure it'll be fine' kind of response. ? he also doesn't seem that comfortable about offering advice on what we'll be able to sort out later. .. I'm sure it'll be fine.

Glad to hear you're doing the same. I can't decide on the width of the barge board and what to use, so I'd rather not decide on the spot and it might be good to decide once we see the cladding on. They're putting the fascia board on as they're doing our guttering too, but he seems to be getting worried about things being an issue and I can't tell if they really are or not! He started going on about how he needed to know certain things because of permanent fixing the fascia, but then I asked if the fascia ever needed replacing would it be simple enough, and he said yes. So he seems to be on 2 separate pages!

So can the roof be put in and the barge board be put in later? Our roofers are in before our vertical larch cladding is on, and they're asking about the barge I want and I don't know. Also, they think we might have trouble with insect proofing the roof and if we do, are we able to remove the fascia after the slates have been done and fix it back again later? Or will we cause damage? I got these roofers on recommendation and whilst I think they're going to do a good job, we're not exactly on the same page on what is / isn't a problem, and how to explain things, so thought I would check here.

I didn't go for it in the end, felt a bit too quick off the mark but was good to get the ball rolling and thinking about it. He said he was a mitsubishi engineer and that they had removed it in order to put in air to air.

No I am pretty certain I don't need one this big, this was one of the things I was confused about. All the ebay ones tend to be bigger than I need. I have just asked those questions, even if I don't get this one it's good to start somewhere!