FuerteStu

So this is part of my loft conversion. The stairwell.. I'm at the part where I'm about to knock the ceiling through in that area and have been marking up wall positions through to upstairs, I've noticed the wall marked in red is not square, it leans into the dining area by about 20mm over 1700mm.. To my eye I don't like it, especially because the stairs will be on that wall coming up and I feel it will be noticeable. I'm not going to be in a position to demolish and rebuild the entire wall, so I have 2 options. 1 - ignore my fussiness, just build the staircase on the wall as is, I'm going to be building it in situ anyways, so I can allow for the variation. 2 - render the wall and build it out on the right side by 20mm, feathering it to nothing I'm thinking that you would notice the wall being out of square mainly from exiting the bedroom bottom left upstairs, and as long as I corrected the squareness at the front and bottom of the staircase it wouldn't even notice against square floor tiles..?

What about using a chaser set at 30mm just back from the kickboard, and set a 25x50mm timber in resin in floor. Would stay clear of the UFH, and give you a substantial fixing point. Both vertical and horizontal

Rather than coach bolts, which have a tendency to shred their grip in masonry, because of the constant thread with no expulsion of debris.. What about masonry screws, normally used for frame fixings.

There's something so satisfying about seeing natural materials being manipulated to perfection by machines.. It's like that scene in the matrix where neo suddenly realises were all just batteries.

The question I have, is that a whilst a huge passive slab maybe the perfect solution to heating the house... .. Can I still fit a manual thermostat (not even connected to the heating, but with a satisfying click and red light) so that the Mrs can turn it on max temperature when she has cold tootsies, and turn it off completely when she has a hot moment. 🙄

I've used these before to mount a bookshelf. Amazingly strong fixings. Don't use an impact driver to fit and tighten them. Use an ordinary screwdriver, or battery one of the lowest setting and keep an eye on the 'feel' of them. So as not to overtighten.

I bought these exact ones a couple of years ago as a temporary drive extension. Just moved in and needed and off street parking spot. Can't complain.. 2 years later and my car hasn't sunk into the mud yet. I wouldn't consider it the best quality out there, but they are functional and cheap.

The bones? Bit creepy

What about a mini railway?

Wasn't me.. 😑

The data and control cables were all compatible to be in the same cable.. The contactor arrangement for switching was recommended by the gate manufacturer.

I'd put a cabinet nearby. With a small dB separating the gate controls, lighting and an extra spare socket cause you never know.

Depends entirely on the voltages... All signals were <24 volts and had appropriate circuit protection.

I've put in a gate supply before, we ran a 12 core 2.5mm in the same trench. That gave them options for remote opening, lighting controls and a digital audio 2 way system..

Will the intercom need a hardwired connection? 200m is a long way for wireless. While you've got a trench open. Makes sense to drop in a multicore cable alongside the 230v one

The reason cheaper materials often squeek is because the joists are uneven. If one is 3mm lower then pressure on the board above causes movement. I've laid several osb tongue and groove floors that are silent

I think your architect is very ambitious, and the reality of construction will make a restricted budget unworkable.. In the long run, it will be cheaper and faster to start again. That's a massive project to build on top of a site with existing 'subsidence'.

Is there any way of knowing the cables are in a good enough condition for the rest of the circuit? The whole house in fact? As far as I know, it's never been acceptable to leave them sitting on Soil. As I said before, if you find one bad thing, you usually find worse by digging deeper If it was a poor installation to begin with, it's a gamble I wouldn't be willing to take. For the sake of running a new cable in. It shouldn't be that difficult, and gives peace of mind.

Personally, there's way too much going on there for an overbuild of an existing property. Start from scratch, and think about how is going to look from the outside. That as it is would be chaotic and unusual, and unlikely to pass planning unless there was a precedent of something similar nearby. If you're making a house that shape, I'd be thinking of one side bedrooms, the other side living area.. Upstairs views for dining room sunsets are underrated and rarely used. If you want to be different, be different.

Cable should be secured, personally, if it's bad in one place, chances are it will be worse elsewhere.. Pull in new circuits rather than fudge an existing bad one

Yellow looks like glass fibre, but what's underneath raised an eyebrow. You can see a 'mesh' coated in something grey. I've seen asbestos tape (for duct sealing) with the same design. Get it tested before digging further

I had a linesman doing a pot end on a supply removal tell me one of his colleagues had a slap on the wrist for something similar.. Live to earth on a pole transformer that caused a fire. He said the landowner got 25k and an NDA from network power. His colleague had an eye test and a questionnaire and supervision for a few weeks. Your problem is that there is no damage to the property, or long term effects from the buzz you got.

No need to take a switched live to other rooms though. Only a live and neutral from room to room, and 3 core up to the lights (pendants/Downlights/wall lights etc)

Most of these channels can be viewed in the TV web browser. (you can use a wireless mouse & keyboard to control it) Or because the films are out of licence, on free streaming apps like crackle or popcorn.

Depends on the platform.. That's the issue I had. The TV app wouldn't stream live channels, but the Xbox itv app did! All4 often has programs in demand before they are shown on live