lizzie

I have been researching the external window film to try and deal with my overheating problems. The very nice people in Bognor Regis said it would be fine for my Internorm laminated windows and gave me a quote. I asked a more local supplier for a quote too. He asked exact spec of glass before going any further, looked at spec and then said he would advise against fitting flim as chances of glass cracking were very high. I went back to BR ppl and they still said was OK but I pressed them and they went to film manufacturer who ran a thermal test on my glass spec. Result back today, film not suitable for my glass. I am glad I pressed on this. If I had just taken the it will be fine route and window glass cracked would be a big mess, there is a small possibility -subject to further tests - of some silvered slightly mirrored film being able to be used but I cannot contemplate that in my location. My windows glass is very thick triple glazed laminated both sides. If anyone else has this spec be very careful about sticking film on. Get thermal rests run before installing film. Back to square one on my overheating problems now...praying for a change in the weather!

I think we have discussed this before somewhere........ I have one lurking somewhere. Bought it to use in a (new) log burner at a previous place because I cant have real wood burning for health reasons. It worked okish. It did give off a slight smell but I am super sensitive so someone else may not notice it. I thought it quite expensive both to buy and use. Eventually I will get round to using up all the bottles of fuel I still have, probably use it outside in a chimea or something. For inside at this house I am going for the optimist water/electric, no fumes, flames or hassle. If I were you I would buy a stainless steel unit as they come with a cover to kill flames etc. You can put it into any setting/surround you choose. It may affect the MVHR as it does need oxygen, Im no expert on flames and air mvhr....no doubt someone can advise.

I hope so.....its a biggish claim and there are all those homeless shoes and handbags out there just waiting for me to recycle a bit of vat LOL

My VAT claim has been posted to HMRC today.......keep your fingers crossed for me!

Porcelanosa...see photo of bag. My tiles in pics....middel pic living room beige grout down since last November 2nd fix still going on when they were laid, full complement of builders spilt tea etc all over the place, .first pic is my wetroom shower floor silver grey grout laid in Feb and in daily use for 3 months.....last one is of the tiles outside my front door exposed to all the elements been down 3 months. Beige grout same as living room.

Nooooo not charcoal grout please! I have pale silver grey in the bathrooms (walls and floor) and a beige on the main floor and the same on the outside tiling. My grout is waterproof and comes with a promise it will not discolour or stain. Given what its been through the last 6 months on a building site it is astonishing that it is as a clean and bright as the day it went down so their promise is holding so far..

I dont have any visible guttering its all hidden, part of the roof. I do have some very chunky downpipes and associated swan necks and square round converters, special size brackets et al. It all had to be made to order to fit our roof. Steel - powder coated in our RAL colour. From Guttercrest in Telford, amazingly good price for what they did. They do all sorts of gutters as their name implies. Web site a bit clunky but tech guys on the phone are great and really helpful.

Try and get recommendations and check out everyone you propose to use. Mistakes are costly. We were far too trusting, it cost us a lot of time, money and stress.

@Moira Niedzwiecka looking lovely, well done

Yes @Triassic you should skim.......tape is for low end spec builds. We did tape joints not skim in the garage and thats ok for there but I would never have it in the house. You will spend many years looking at those walls, you dont want daily reminders of a bad decision. Save the pennies elsewhere and get a good plasterer in.

I think you should give in to temptation and get the shelves loaded up.

In my case the supplier calculated what I needed for my house. All the ones I had quotes from worked it out from the drawings I sent them I didn't have to calculate anything. The one I chose suggested the right size and designed the whole system. As part of their service after installation they come and check the calibration (using the cone?) and make any adjustments on the unit. I can run it from an app on ipad and phone as well as from the unit itself. I made a tick box list of things I wanted my system to have (radial not branch, anti bacterial pipes, easy access filters, ultra quiet etc etc) and that is what made the choice for me, it was not only price. TBH I don't think a cooling facility would have done much to help with my overheating that is a glazing issue. I went for a Robbens Frankische system with Profi air unit and I am very happy with it all and the service both from the supplier and the installer.

I have the passive slab same as others. I have 180sqm of porcelain tiles on it. Used the matting, they said we didnt need expansion joints as well.......hope thats right its too late once its down.

http://www.homecreations.co.uk/franke-spare-sink-plug-new-style.html they also have plugs for older Franke models pre 2008

You can give porcelanosa your floor plans and they will design a bathroom layout for you......of course they specify their products but you dont have to use them if you get a layout you like go and buy your products elsewhere.....dont tell them thats what you are planning of course LOL

If you are thinking of selling as a 4 bed 3 bath in the future then I would make your dressing area the bathroom and the bathroom the dressing area/future bed 4. That way you have 2 bedrooms with a bathroom between them and 2 further bedrooms with their own en suite. Agree about the little corridor of the landing to bed 2&3 ditch that if you can.

I used to have an en suite similar size in previous house, always loved that feeling of space. I like the layout in the picture with the cupboard but if it were me I would move the bath across under the window keeping everything else as pic.......wish I had room for a cupboard in new en suite really miss it.

The cook should choose the oven and work from there. I chose my particular neff model as I had it before and liked it. I have had neff ovens for a long time I prefer to Miele. Its very much personal choice. In the rented house we had c**p appliances, stoves range, Hotpoint fridge freezer, they were awful. Here I chose a large integrated fridge and an under the counter size integrated freezer because I am not a big frozen food user and also I have a huge American style side by side fridge freezer in my utility room. Its very personal.. you will use them every day and look at them every day. Get what you like and cut the corners somewhere less important.

I have a small retainer about that size on my other boundary. Its a cavity block and brick on concrete footings I would say they are about 500 deep from memory, think a bit of left over steel in there too. We have a fence on top whole thing is circa 2m high on the road side 2.5m high our side, We decided against setting the posts into the wall. We had brick piers at 3m intervals and put the posts on those. We wanted copings on the top of the wall and that didnt lend itself to fence posts being inserted in the wall. Piers were structurally better and more decorative in our case. Can see that may be overkill for a garden wall.

@ultramods I think hotpoint have a dodgy reputation on fridges....was a hotpoint in grenfell I think.....

I have a massive retaining wall its over 3m high above ground my side and about 75m long. It retains about a metre and a half of soil the other side and rises up to become a 2m garden wall brick faced the neighbours side. It is a cavity wall 450wide it was designed by a structural engineer and is stuffed full of concrete and steel, it has drainage too. We are on clay, I can’t recall how deep the footings are. It cost an absolute fortune.

Bloody hell thats expensive. I have pyrolitoc Neff slide and hide oven, a combi oven (with micro) a warming drawer, a dishwasher, a huge integrated fridge and a small freezer, ...all Neff came to about 3500 with the vat. My bora hob cost that again on its own. Is your hot water tap kicking the price up? I didnt have one of those in the end decided against for reasons other than cost. Try sending your spec list to 247applicances https://www.247appliances.co.uk/ He is local to me I have used them for years. He bettered the internet quotes from AO etc for my stuff.

I have all neff ...ovens, fridge, freezer, dishwasher etc everything except the hob which is a bora. £7k sounds a huge amount of money what are you having?

If its sound cant you leave the existing wall in place and put some really long fence posts in front to your finished height and then just cover the lot in fencing, cheaper and easier especially if you are thinking of facing the retaining wall.

Looks very nice, great job, well done. Enjoy your Sunday lunch.