jack

Amazeballs.

And that's for 20 years.

+1 Using a mobile phone to control things in the home is completely the wrong approach to home automation imo. We have ours set up so that everything possible is controlled by switches on the walls. The only time I ever open the app is to access virtual controllers for things like holiday mode or to check temperatures of the UFH or UVC. Home automation enables things like the "bedtime switches" we have at our bedside. They act as switches for their respective bedside lights, but when you hold either of them down, it turns off all the lights in the house. That same long hold could also be programmed to set overnight zone alarms, change the behaviour of external lights, close all external shutters (if not already closed), close the garage door (if open), or anything else you can imagine. We also have a dedicated button at the bottom of the stairs that switches off all the upstairs lights. I can't tell you what a boon this is with young kids and a wife who never turns off lights. I also have certain lights on a timer. For example, the kids' bedroom lights only stay on for an hour. I plan to install presence sensors as well, so the lights will automatically remain on as long as presence is sensed. Certain external blinds automatically close at a certain time each day. That time is set relative to dusk, so you don't need to keep reprogramming to take into account the change in when night falls. Of course, many of these behaviours would possible without home automation, but would require a lot of independent systems, which for me personally would be a much more complicated solution. I wouldn't, however, suggest it's a cheap option, especially if you aren't reasonably computer literate. If you aren't capable of changing the programming yourself, you'd need to get someone in every time you wanted to make any significant changes. In general though, such changes should be rare once the systems are set up properly. Oh, and I've chosen not to expose our system to the outside world. I can't turn lights on and off from afar, but it's a lot harder for anyone to hack into the system.

That's an amazing space! First thing I thought. Our (also Crossfit) gym has special flooring in the main open areas, although I'm not sure of the actual make-up. No weights are allowed outside of those areas. "Proper" gym flooring can be eye-wateringly expensive, I believe. Not sure whether you could do a cheap version with a layers or two of plywood covered in some form of rubber matting over the top. Re: lighting, I saw this article: http://luxreview.com/design-clinic/2014/10/three-ways-to-light-a-gym - among other things, it mentions the importance of low intensity lights. I hate doing wall-balls or anything involving lying on my back underneath the lighting fixtures at our gym, and they use pretty low intensity panels. I'm not sure of the details, but they're suspended panels about a metre square.

Welcome Steve. Nice to have you aboard. We like pics of projects if you're comfortable posting them.

I read it as three months from when it's plastered (or maybe even some time after that - ie, from when they re-assess and then "see fit" to start the three month period). This fits in with the three month deemed completion notice protocol.

So what the hell was that jobsworth you've been talking to on about? She needs a kick up the arse. Good news for you though. Take your time doing the plastering by the sound of it!

Plenty of other stuff isn't perfect (what is, really), but we genuinely don't get upset with each other about stuff like this, and we don't hold grudges.

One too many zeros, sorry. Should be 03000 501501 I just got it from their website.

Oh, and two weeks ago, my wife tapped the front on our warming drawer with a ceramic serving dish and it smashed into a gazillion pieces. I didn't get upset then, so perhaps she thought it reasonable not to lose her rag with me now!

I wondered whether that might be possible, but didn't hold out any hope. I'll look into it tomorrow. Thanks! When my wife saw how annoyed I was with myself for doing it, she didn't add anything. I get most of my sledging when I haven't actually done anything wrong!

Well, thankfully it was me that did this rather than my wife. I stupidly grabbed a cast iron lid to temporarily cover some spaghetti in a colander sitting in a pan keeping warm. I even more stupidly tried to pick up the pan, and of course the cast iron lid fell off. It landed on the edge of the induction hub, and smashed a small section about an inch long a bit less deep. The affected portion is smashed, so I can't just stick it back in. Thoughts/suggestions for repair? Is this something the Magic Man people can repair?

I know @JSHarris had issues with noise transference when he used (from memory) short/tight flexis with his installation.

Crazy stuff. Why would anyone in her position get emotional about something so run of the mill?

@nod, when you contacted the VOA before, did you contact the officer who took your house off the register, or the general enquiries line? If you contacted the officer, it may be that they feel they can't advise because they're too close to the situation, or maybe it isn't really their area of expertise. In that case, it might be worth a call to the general enquiries line to explain your situation and get some advice. The number is 030000 501501. I think what you're really after is a summary of what power the council has to put you on the register when you've just had the VOA take you off. Good luck.

Before they get there, I think you need something to confirm whether the council has the power to add to the council tax register a property that the VOA took off the register only two weeks ago. The general consensus here seems to be that they can't, but it would be really useful for you to be able to point at the specific law that says so.

It'd be funny if it weren't such poor behaviour. Have you asked the VOA for confirmation that the council doesn't have the right to charge you CT now that you aren't on the register? If they agree, I'd be moving on to making a formal complaint with your council. Harassing you to pay charges they have no authority to levy is borderline fraud.

Absolutely. For some reason, we think that there's some status associated with sitting in an office rather than going out and actually doing/building/making something. My kids are pretty bright, but even while they're young we're drumming into them the idea that university isn't a given. If what they want to do needs it, we'll be with them the whole way. If something more vocational or entrepreneurial suits them, that's what we'll be supporting and encouraging.

I'm not aware of any way of doing this. I suppose you could set up a second temporary account just for reading the forum. That would have all posts unread. I'd discourage you from posting from two accounts though.

Exactly. There is no reason for this person to even be giving her thoughts on the rules, because she isn't the one with the right to apply them, and the people who do apply them have already made their decision. I'd put her on speaker next time she calls and tell her you're tired of being lied to and are recording the conversation so that you have evidence to support the formal complaint you'll be making if they don't stop harassing you.

Good. She has a job that presumably requires her to know the basics of the relevant laws and procedures. If she can't be bothered to learn those she should be sacked.

Nothing can happen unless they put their position in writing. Until then, it's just some idiot trying to take advantage of you on the phone. Personally I'd wait until she sends the promised email. If she doesn't, that's the end of it. If she does, then you have something specific to respond to. If you feel like you need to do something, Ferdinand has the right idea.

Stupid and irrelevant analogy. Her house is a dwelling and presumably she's living and and using the extension. Your house is not a dwelling and literally cannot be lived in. That's pretty funny. Isn't the valuation office literally the only body with the right to remove it? One possible way of proceeding: Make sure you've cancelled any direct debits you might have had in relation to council tax. Get them to put their position in writing. Pretty sure someone calling from the council isn't sufficient - insist that they put their legal position in writing, because as far as we can tell, it's bollocks. Since they can't take money from you, they'll have to start legal proceedings. They aren't going to do that without being sure of their legal position. Maybe contact the officer at the VOA and see whether they have any advice? What's your local paper like? They often like a human interest story like this.

Bloody jobsworths. How can they charge you council tax on an unbanded property? Did you tell them that the Valuation Office has recently removed your property from the council tax valuation list and that you have a letter proving this?

Welcome to the forum. Structural engineering seems to many to be a dark art, even down to the remarkable variations in prices that people are quoted for the same job! Looking forward to your contributions (which I see you've already made a start on).