MikeSharp01

Come Wednesday commeth 'da man' again as the new series of Grand designs starts. I have no doubt we will chew it over here. It does seem that Kevin can be a bit short sighted in not controlling the message in enough detail, while being so far sighted as to want to sort out our housing crisis - well a corner of it anyway. @JSHarris has pointed out that he should probably not try to compete with the big housebuilders - dead right they are truly awful so one might argue that anything, albeit somewhat flawed, has to be a step in the right direction. What he, Kevin, needs is help - not cash but genuine support in trying new ways forward. I have a good mind to write to him, point out build hub and get him some help.

Another day another dollar well £50 million if you are Kevin mcCloud. You cannot help but applauding his drive and wish him well with this venture but you need to be knowledgeable investor and its a risk but at least it might move things forward. On the other end of the scale your man from Redrow mentioned on the Today programme this morning that once brexit brings the flow of EU tradesmen to a stop building in London and the SE will also stop. Perhaps if instead of short term profit they should have invested in making 'trades' sexy and lucrative for bright kids who don't want 'pure brain / talking work' and then offered them an apprenticeship and then paid them well. The levy was never big enough to allow the CiTB to get any traction in schools and across a society, establishment, that has driven a wedge into our society around a degree for one half of the population and not provided a positive image for trades on the other side for which there is clearly a demand - some body get a grip. Rant over.

Connect is the last thing you want to do with him. Shocking idea!

Given the way it has tracked across the floor the small Island of damp seems to reinforce the idea of it coming from above and dripping in one spot but the remainder does not. If it is driving it could get through the block work run down the inside and under the DPC below the sole plate. What is the detail for the containment of weeps through the block work? Does it get direct out of weep holes or is it handled in some other way?

Thanks Jeremy, looks like the way to go.

ASBA is a community or RIBA architects, you can only call yourself an architect if you are RIBA registered, who just specialise in house building so I guess you would need an RIBA architect who is linked / associated or otherwise pays homage to the goals of ASBA.

Ok .75 of a bottle of Malbac later and I now wonder if perhaps - just perhaps we might hear 'go on punk make my shed.' (To bouglarise somewhat.)

Ok so will forget the tilt it is a windage nightmare anyway. So think I will go EPDM under the cells and tiles round the edges. Cheaper that way at least. Thanks all - another problem solved! ( the dreaded exclamation mark again - Trump style.)

Yep it won't work upside down as it breaks the logo use rules.

Might be able to help there as the I have been working on a plan where panels will be on a aluminium frame that tilts so I can get to 40deg from the 17deg that the roof is normally. I have 8 points on the roof suitably supported from below for this, my original plan was to make some aluminium (6mm) tile sized plates on which the brackets for the frame bolted, they would just slot in like normal tiles. The lower set of four carrying the bearing and the upper set of four carrying the linear actuators that will tilt the frame. (I think the whole thing including the frame weighs in at around 220Kg although the weight is only one problem as the lift, in a good gales, will not be insignificant in they happen to to be tilted.) Having said all that looks like tiling is the simple solution.

Is that a reg or something?

No but I have one on order just like yours.

Nope not yet, have been looking for one but I can get away without for the garden room a nothing to high and a simple batten frame will sort it.

While I have my lunch, the PB has just arrived so an afternoon for getting some of that to the garden room awaits, I am pondering on to the next step for the garden room which is the tiling of the roof. The front elevation has, will have, 16 solar panels which covers 90% of the available space and I am wondering if I should bother tiling under the panels and if not what do I put under them to catch the water that will run off as I am not sure I want to rely on the membrane long term. The tiles are Marley Thrutone in case that makes any difference.

Get the Lidl ones the only weak spot is the top button but that can be refixed with a center punch. They last and last, I have three pairs I rotate, total cost £29.97 I will buy some more of the thinsulated ones in a few weeks when they come back in - great for winter working.. I, after many years of boots, shoes and trainers, now prefer the trainers which are light, easy to slip on and off but secure in use, don't mess with my socks and look the part.

Nope not yet, next find.

Why not use OSB, pattress style, and then cover it with plasterboard to get a crisp finish best of both worlds and it won't be as susceptible to absorbing water as the MDF might if you have any leaks / incidents.

Very funny!

Yes I saw them last weekend. Might get one for the hell of it. Sorry that should be an @Onoff quote not sure what happened there.

Thanks @PeterW Ok, I have ordered the Senco on fleabay, will now get a couple of batteries and see if I can make it all fly. @jamiehamy Will get the technofast screws and Bessey knife as well. Thanks all, better get back to pulling the last of the cables through.

Sounds like a plan but we are dry lining so boxes fixed from front but at least I can choose the place - cutting out sounds like the multitool approach suggested by @Onoff. (will be supported locally above and below by horizontal battens) @PeterWIs it the Ryobi battery - they seem not have the Senco stuff

Just about to start, the boards arrive tomorrow, fitting the Plaster Board (PB) to the internal framing which I have created folowing my previous post on drylining. So I guess I need the tools and techniques. 1. What is the best way to cut plasterboard - is it just Stanley knife or should I get a saw of some sort. 2. When cutting out for sockets etc is there are a technique and again a tool. 3. There are only 40 boards in the garden room but 170 in the house. Is now the time to buy the collated screwdriver Any suggestions?

You can move a lot of juice on 4mm cable it is more than you need as 2.5mm is all you should need for a noral ring. If you have loads of 4mm why not trade it in for even more 2.5mm.

Hi @ProDave Just to clarify I have a split board with an RCD for each half I assume I don't need a separate RCD for each circuit where I don't meet the 50mm rule. The idea was to put the smoke alarms, fridge, emergency lighting and security system on one side and everything else on the other half so as to protect the sensitive side from trips on the everyday side.

Had a similar issue last week the safe zones give you plenty of room to play with along the walls. If you must protect (IE no Earth leakage trip) then run 20mm conduit in the service void.