bmj1

The advice from SBMS above is excellent. And to the point. Having previously terminated two main contractors, I can confirm he's hit all the key points. Do this right and you will be able to cut the builder and protect yourself against any comeback. In fact, if done right, they'll be delighted to be able to walk away with a negotiated settlement that means you can't come after them for damages. If you don't have personal experience in commercial negotiation, maybe think about who you can trust to help you with this meeting (whether a friend or professional). And you want a third party there regardless.

What is your contract with the builder ? Is it a standard form (e.g. JCT), the builder's standard terms, or verbal ? Please do feel free to post a copy here (with any personal and company details redacted), and I think we'll be able to advise much better.

Agreed, great job by Pasquill, and by you also. This isn't easy. We're all backing you - keep posting any questions as you go and we'll all help where we can.

I've been using the Ultra tile s2 flexible adhesive for a bunch of stuff and been very impressed

Great attitude. You'll be fine. Good luck.

Week 9 and roof on. This is next level impressive

Firstly, I feel for you, I've been there. These were some very stressful times in my life. I've seen my horror show of contractor shortcuts, but nobody was daft enough to cut corners on the structure. Most thieves aren't comfortable killing people... Ultimately, there are lives at stake. If a roof or structure collapses you're potentially looking at fatalities. 1) You need to get your SE on site and show him all the areas of concern. And get him to do a full inspection. 2) You need to ensure the posi joists are sounds structurally also. Maybe your SE will be comfortable to advise on this. 3) You need to pause all works. This contractor isn't going to get you the quality of finish that you want. Now is the time to cut them loose, and you have good cause to do so. Do not pay them a penny more. Again, I've been there. I had to rebuild an entire flat roof at my cost because it wasn't watertight. Don't despair. You'll get there.

I did a patch panel also. Hired 2 guys who punched down the 60 cables and terminated the other ends in 1 day. Felt like the right thing to do. Sorry for hijacking the thread, looks like networking setups are one of the more emotive parts of a self build!

Exactly this. Case in point is I insisted on building my own networking rack. Last thing I want is to have to call someone else out every time I need to make a change or expand the system

I have to make a vote for the uPVC timber sash effect windows from Roseview. We did the Ultimate. They are stunning. Ordered 30+ Impressive after care also

Hi all - got a small outdoor concrete wall area to render with silicone render(0.6m high x 8m wide) Looking for recommendations on a silicone render system with a decent range of colours. Something that is DIY/newcomer friendly. Thank you in advance !

It's for a commercial building. Another 0.5m to 1m. There was a previous planning approval that was higher and approved (now lapsed), which I'm thinking should strengthen the case..

Does anyone have any experience doing something like this ? The site in question isn't in a row of houses or anything like that, so keen for any thoughts/tips/experience Many thanks in advance

Use plastic for your drainage. The modern plastic pipes are very sturdy. Much better.

You need a more detailed budget for your project, because factors can vary significantly site to site. It is also massively dependant on your spec and level of involvement. Lastly, don't forget professional fees

It's going to cost a lot more than half a million quid for a 285 sq meter house to a high spec. And the utilities are really gouging on pricing works these days. This might not be the typical buildhub reply, but it sounds like one to let go.

We compromised: Flemish on the front and rear elevations, stretcher on the side. On ours, the side elevations aren't so visible, due to close proximity to the neighbours. I'm happy we did this and spent the extra

I can't imagine anybody will be putting 100mm of phenolic insulation around their A/C ductwork...! It will surely be Kooltherm... But, it could be K107 which has a reduced compressive strength - so that's potentially something to consider

I'm not sure the phenolic stuff could be anything else, i.e. it couldn't be the cavity wall stuff as not the same dimensions. I called them by phone and asked if it was equivalent to the k103... My experience was the stuff was perfect, albeit the odd cosmetic damage. Under the screed, it wasn't going to make any difference.

I bought the phenolic stuff from seconds and co. Was equivalent to k103. Great stuff. Great price.

Hi all, Looking to tie a portico to my house. Foundations are done for the portico and tied to the house foundations. I guess my only option at this late stage is chemical fixing the stone portico to the brickwork. How do I calculate the requested frequency and thickness of the fixings? Thank you in advance

1) I've got 3-phase. 2) Corrected chart for a 5.8Kw array: 3) I now understand that it's ideal to undersize the inverter by ~20% in the UK, so if sizing a 5.8Kw array, then a 5Kw inverter is about perfect. 4) Right now a bunch of energy companies are paying 15p/Kwh for SEG in London. So I'm think it makes sense to skip the battery altogether for now (but have a hybrid inverter). Anything I don't use, I'll export, and the net/net is it reduces my energy cost from 22p/Kwh -> 7p/Kwh (22p-15p). As/when battery prices come down, or SEG prices drop, then it makes sense to bite the bullet and get a battery. Thoughts ?

Thanks @SteamyTea - here is my first cut with the 5.8Kwh array. As you have pointed out, there is huge variability. In the month of July I'd basically generate my daily usage... (739kwh) - or 24kwh per day. So with this in mind - how big a battery would be optimal ?

Ok - I guess I can start with the PV - see what I'm generating - and then size the battery and add that in - if it makes sense to do so ? I'm not clear how I size the inverter though ? E.g. for the 5100Kwh system above, what size inverter would be appropriate ?

Hi all, Just finished my build, my typical daily usage looks like this: (28kwh total in 24h) I'd like to install solar PV (and perhaps a battery), objective is to maximise ROI. I've got a flat roof with room for: 1) LONGi Solar Hi-MO X6 Explorer 535w Black Frame Solar PV Module - LR5-66HTH-535M - x8 => 4,280Kw system Or alternatively: 2) Sunpower SPR-P6-400-BLK (400w) - x10 => 4,000Kw system Or alternatively: 3) Aiko Neostar 2S 510W N-Type ABC, 60 Cell, All Black Solar Panel (510W) - x10 => 5,100Kw system Or alternatively: 4) JA Solar JAM66D42-580/MB - x10 => 5,800Kw system I'm in London, so I understand a 5.1Kw system can be expected to generated ~10Kwh of electricity per day (so roughly 36% of my daily usage). Spread over 8 hours of sunlight, that's 1.25Kwh of energy per hour. With this in mind - I'm tempted to skip the battery altogether. So I just need: PV panels (and mounts) 3-phase inverter (would a "Huawei SUN2000-8KTL 8KW 3 Phase Solar PV Inverter dual MPPT" be okay ?) If I understand correctly, if I'm generating 10Kwh of electricity per day, then that is 3,650 per annum, so I'm saving ~£900 per annum at current prices. If I spend £2.5k on the panels and mounting kit, another £500 on the inverter, £250-£500 on a sparky for 1-2 days to wire it up, I'm looking at pay back in 4 years. The other benefit of avoiding the battery is it's in a small plant area, and I've got my networking kit in there, and I don't really want to heat it up and need to put in A/C or some more active ventillation. Key Questions: 1) How do I know if the panels are compatible with the inverter I've proposed above ? 2) Is an 8KW inverter sufficient for 5.1Kw of panels 3) Any other thoughts/suggestions ?