G and J

Chain sharpening does take practice. I tickle up my chains with a file but I sharpen with a grinder bought for the purpose. Chains are quite cheap, however, and I know a builder who simply never sharpens them, he just swaps to a new one. For shrub cutting the downside of a sabre saw is that sometimes you need to hold the smaller branches otherwise they just vibrate with the blade and refuse to cut, so I find bolt cutters rather handy too. Either way, it’s a good opportunity for hours of power tool porn! 😉

Chainsaws are f dangerous in my opinion, even the diddy ones. I firmly believe that if you’re used to using a chainsaw then fine, if not a sabre saw will be safer for things like tree lopping (to about 3” ) and cutting up pallets. Sabre saws have blades that cope with nails, chainsaws don’t. Chainsaws can kick like a mule with toothache if you hit the wrong stuff. That said, I’ve done many hundreds of hours on chainsaws, and I’d give up my sabre saw in an instant over my light sabre (AKA top handle single battery micro chain saw). I use it one handed for all kinds of stuff, it’s a lot safer to use on a ladder than a two handed saw. May the force be with you.

Then slate. With solar pv in roof. That’s what we’ve done. Things to note: Ventilated ridge and airflow at the bottom of the slates help the membrane shift water vapour and hopefully cool the panels too. Most roofers round here will counterbatten but then run the felt directly under the bottom tile, stifling all airflow. Not good. Close supervision was needed in our case and we had a brilliant and well respected roofer. Not all membranes are spec’d for this configuration. Make sure you’ve got one that is.

I would naturally reach for my single handed chainsaw for such (aka light sabre). The sabre saw will see least use in civilian life, methinks.

I bought my sabre saw when we had started to demolish the timber frame bungalow. Brilliant. Before that I felt it was just too rough. However, it’s now part of the base armoury. I think of it as a super high power jigsaw.

I cable tied a two gang extension lead onto the board. Saves wiring and I’ve two separate chargers for when I eventually return to normal life, whatever that might be.

I’m using the most basic Makita 18v impie - it’s showing wear and tear but then, it’s built a timber frame house with me. I can understand higher spec ones maybe lasting longer in professional hands, but otherwise I think the basic one does everything brilliantly

I wanted a dual charger but as a skinflint I waited till there was an offer on for a single fast charger and I put em both on a board. Simple. And cheap. Just like me. 😉

With respect, anyone who’s interested in all my ramblings really should get out more lol I fixed my tester, and the hep connectors worked a treat. Good news.

This may or may not be what was meant, but in out last house (block) we had a room with a vaulted ceiling put over the garage, work commitments meant it was done for us and in our naivety we went with the pir insulation recommended, which is effectively a huge component of the sip. The "feel" of that room was totally different.....dead/flat/echoy...just not "good". Sufficiently unpleasant to make us push back on the architect and move away from pir (in our case to rockwooĺ) for our stick build. Not yet plastered (hopefully only days away🤞) buy absolutely no regrets, even as it is now (osb/ply lined) the "feel" and noise absorbance are totally different.

You’ve seen pics of new born chicks. Bald, scrawny and terribly wrinkly. So in at least three aspects I do resemble one.

Rushed to screwfix after finishing on site. Stumbled in through the doors, brandishing my phone with my “Good news, your order is ready” text like it was my bow of burning gold. I grabbed my stuff, ignoring the sad “oh look, another weirdo” looks and raced home a fast as Skooby can manage nowadays, so at least there’s no risk to the licence. Connected up the shower valve to the pressure tester via the ‘panacea connector’ and…….. watched the needle steadily drop. Oh. But wait! I’ve been here before. So I tested the tester. Duff. Ah. So whilst I can report that the connectors fit beautifully both the shower valve's and the tap connector’s compression thread, I can’t yet pressure test it. I think I can fix my tester tomorrow, or if not I’ll buy another, so I’ll report back then. Again. Assuming anyone’s interested. And if you are then just like me, you really should get out more lol

Can't judge on value, but the above is also worth thinking about, can even get shallow wardrobes with rails the other way round...... maybe rather than on opposite side to bay, have shallow units either side and over......having said all that sometimes keeping simply and airy works.... Re the ensuite you could reduce the "intrusion" into the main bed by pushing it throughout the wall and using the return in the original room for a built in wardrobe and that way you could possibly still make use of some of original plumbing?

That's what I was thinking.....just makes the approach to main bed more straight forward.....the corridor could be either 'public' or part of the main bed eg. drawers/ dressing table/window seat?

Hi, what will the room that is currently the main bed be used for in the future? I ask because if your happy losing ensuite/wardrobe anyway a corridor in front of the bay/ changing what I guess would be opaque glazing in the rear window may be an option......could even make corridor a little wider and have a seat/study area in the bay?

Plus, Im more of a Laurel and Hardy theme type of guy.

Where’s your sense of adventure? And anyway, I’ve got a multi tool and a lump hammer, so what could go wrong? (Opens window for small Screwfix order…..)

If I (G, that is), wasn’t so ugly I’d offer to kiss you @Nickfromwales

Having extended a mortgage to buy some sensible capacity genuine Makita batteries I am way too nervous to risk a Fakita anything. Perhaps I need to screw my courage to the sticking place (with a genuine impact driver, no doubt]!

A thought, and maybe not a good one. My shower valves have 25mm compression joints. The thread on these is 1/2” BSP, so the same as a basin tap. Can I just remove the nut and olive and use a HEP2O tap connector straight on to these? Am I missing something obvious?

Are there grounds for the OP posting the question: “given the suggestion of SIPs should I trust my architect?” In the appropriate forum. Not that I’m expressing an opinion, mind.

Cut through my leg and you’ll find it’s turquoise in there with the word Makita written like in a stick of rock. I've got loads of it. Oddly, my latest blue purchase was Amazon. My multi tool died again, I’ve fixed it a good few times already and it’s needed right now, and Amazon was equal cheapest and reliably next day. (Lever tool change is brill, it turns out.) The problem is, once a battery investment is made you are committed, and whilst I’ve not studied the question rigorously, I do think Makita have a fabulous range of 18V stuff.

Thank you Nick.

So either:…. MR PB on 400mm centres studs PB screwed every 100mm to studs Then tanked behind the tiles. Skimmed to batten above area to be tiled. or… MR PB on 600mm centres. 11mm OSB layer beneath PB PB screwed every 100mm on studs and mid point to give screw lines at 300mm centres. As above re tanking and skimming. Have I understood correctly?

Great advice I am unable to follow but wish I could. Burnt in large letters deep into the flesh of my core is the simple truth: “It’s all my fault”. Simples. That doesn’t mean it’s all doom and gloom, though it is on some days but not generally. But, if something wasn’t ordered on time, if two parts of the design don’t mesh like they should, if an operation is forgotten, etc. then I can look around all I like, I won’t find anyone else to blame. So I’ve accepted all the blame in advance and most days it doesn’t weigh on me. There’s a long list of other stuff that’s far higher priority for weighing on me, so it can go on the queue.