Spinny

What exactly are people meaning by 'warmer feel' ? I cannot really fathom why 12mm of 2 coat plaster should 'feel' different to a board with 3mm skim. IMO only, dot and dab is a modern convenience and short cut in a world of high labour costs and sometimes questionable quality of blockwork. I think many builders love it because it is relatively quick and easy and it hides a multitude of sins - walls not built plumb - walls lumpy and bumpy - can't be bothered to pay the sparky to chase out ? Why would a builder care if your rooms all get smaller by 30mm in each dimension ? Why would a builder care if you have to mess about with special wall fixings because you have a void behind the p/board. Why would a builder want to pay for and wait for availability from an experienced and skilled 2 coat plasterer when he can call in someone cheap to skim the board ? Also less drying out I guess. More homes these days are built to use plasterboard on the stud walls - I guess internal masonry walls almost unheard of now. So no doubt most plasterers spend most of their time skimming board. IMO if you can find a good plasterer then go 2 coat on masonry walls (provided you had a good brickie doing reasonable plumb work) and provided you can afford to pay for the good brickie and the good plasterer.

Thanks nod, but I think I've finally had a stroke, cause I don't understand a word of that. Move and patch back in ? Corley ? (oh wait, do you mean move the downlight position, cut a new hole and fill it with the plasterboard circle cut out of the old hole ? (he guesses) Can't move the downlight, it is a new ceiling and it needs to go in that location because that is the location it needs to go in.)

I will have some ceiling downlights to fit close to joists on two orthogonal sides. I am wondering whether anyone has advice or a wizard wheeze for dealing with the spring arms that hold the downlight up against the plasterboard in this type of situation. Whichever way I twist the light I will have a spring arm up against a joist without room to spring down. Cut/remove one arm off ? Use some kind of putty to hold one side of the light against the ceiling ?

Looks absolutely amazing, congratulations and well done. You must have worked so hard with huge diligence. A huge inspiration to all of us to keep on keeping on and eventually we will see off all the trials and tribulations. Amazing view through the bifolds (Although I love trees, it might perhaps be tempting to remove the central one to open the vista ?)

Our building notice was obtained just before the regs change in '22 so we didn't have to have TVs except where we wished. One window supplier fitted windows with TVs even where we had requested no TVs - they swore blind they couldn't supply windows without them as they were now a universal part of window manufacture. Living in a cold and draughty house we couldn't imagine why anyone would want to punch holes to the outside. Now I wonder whether we should have had more vents, and why the Architect didn't go into ventilation and solar gain aspects. Not sure what to expect when we get to turn the kitchen extractor on full. I guess we can open the rooflight as needed as long as it doesn't rain at less than 5deg from the horizontal.

I typed 'who can authorise a deviation from building regulations into google' and the AI said...

They will be building over a lateral drain as they are building at the boundary. A lateral drain is considered part of the public sewer system and is the responsibility of the water company. According to the water company standard criteria, if you are building within 0.5m of a public sewer you will need a build over agreement. Whether they are aware of this, or the fact they cannot build over a gas pipe remains to be seen. When should a building notice be served ?

Thanks @kandgmitchell. Yes we can say it is 'their problem' however it has ramifications for us and for all future owners of both properties. IMO if you cannot afford to do the job properly then you shouldn't do it at all. We all know how these things work. Down the line if there is a drain problem they will be coming down our driveway to rod it, not taking up the nice floor they have laid over the top of their manhole. And if the drain blocks they will be laughing their heads off saying 'there is nothing we can do from our side' as 'stuff' emerges from our ground drains.

I am no builder, but as I understand it the principle is that any water which might enter the wall cavity would move down the wall cavity under gravity. It would then encounter the 'cavity tray' with a slope towards the outer leaf, so that it could then find its way out via weep holes in the outer leaf. I think the reality is that this is a second order mechanism because you should not have water in the cavity in the first place. Obviously moisture could enter through the outer leaf, through the top of the wall if the roof/parapet/gutter leak, or I guess through some condensation process. But under normal circumstances this shouldn't occur. However when building things with long lives the non-normal needs to be considered. Others will be able to advise more, but I wonder have the works been seen by a building control person as I think DPC level is a normal inspection point ? I'd also like to say you have my sincere sympathies for your situation because I have been through the same process of having to terminate a builder's contract and I know how difficult and stressful things become and know you will find some good and very experienced people here.

@mjc55 That is the same as what I said in different words. As the neighbours will be building over a lateral drain which is the responsibility of the sewer company, they will require agreement to do that from the sewer company in the form of a lateral build over agreement. Whether the sewer company will accept the neighbour's (IMO daft as a brush) wish to build over their only drain access and rodding point will be up to the sewer company. Any building regs will also apply, but it is still somewhat unclear to me whether they do apply in any way to private drains ?

@JuddlyFire No I don't believe it does imply that. My reading of it is that where a drain serves more than one property then it is a public sewer and it the responsibility of the sewer company. So this means the red extends to and includes the first chamber only. Nothing beyond that is used by more than one property. However the pipework between the neighbours private chamber and my public chamber is also the responsibility of the sewer company but only where it runs on my property. That is the section on my property is buff coloured and is a lateral drain. Therefore I believe the neighbour requires a lateral build over agreement from the sewer company. Presumably it will be up to the sewer company whether they will grant this when the neighbour plans to build over their chamber restricting the sewer company's ability to rod the lateral drain they own from the upstream side ?

It can and may well affect us in multiple ways. 1/ The chamber on our land has blocked several times in the past. Difficult to definitevely assign cause between the properties but has sometimes appeared to be caused by products used by the previous neighbour. 2/ When that shared chamber becomes blocked it causes backup down our drains because our property is about 1 meter lower than the neighbours. Anything from the neighbours drain that cannot then exit the chamber will back flow down our drains and in extremis emerge through our surface drains. 3/ Once built over, whatever the theory that they will lift a hatch in their floor, unseal their underfloor drain cover (releasing smells into their property), send a rodder under the floor to clean/inspect then reseal etc seems unlikely in practice. So any future drain issue on their property is likely to generate requests to service their drains from our property as they will have no ready access from their own chamber. 4/ They have no construction plans and have declined to answer any polite questions about the rainwater drainage arrangements which appear to include taking water from the main roof and extension and using downpipes at the boundary with no apparent drainage routes. 5/ Should they build without adhering to the regs, it may not just impact the saleability of their own property, but given the connection and being lower lying - our own property too once searches and questionnaires show the existence of the shared/public drain on our land. No building notice is registered yet despite work being imminent. Few, polite and straightforward questions were all rejected at the party wall stage - a truly ridiculous game of chinese whispers and obstruction. Odd, dishonest, and deceiving behaviour throughout. I accept it is 'up to them' to adhere (or not) to regs but given the circumstances remain extremely concerned.

Anyone know the answer here ? Do building regulations not apply to drains on private properties (i.e.most/many houses) because they don't appear on 'sewer maps' ?

Also note that none of these drains are shown on the 'sewer map' held by the local sewer company. Their map only shows the main sewer and does not show any of the chambers and pipework that connect all the properties to the main sewer. When I last spoke to the sewer company they said my chamber and the pipe to the boundary were indeed public sewers even though not shown on their map. Furthermore they said they did not need to be added to their map as all public sewers were their responsibility anyway. (Not sure now whether this might just be the sewer company avoiding extending their map ?) This seems like a huge hole in the building regulations...? (Is this really meant to mean you can do as you please with a drain/sewer not shown on a map - which presumably means millions around the country ?)

The neighbour's drain does not 'serve' my property, rather the neighbour's drain exits the inspection chamber at the side of his property then crosses the boundary and feeds into the inspection chamber on my property. My drain also feeds into the inspection chamber on my property. The inspection chamber on my property is then connected onwards to flow into the main sewer serving the houses on my side of the street. So unless there is some special meaning to the word serve, it would seem the inspection chamber on my property and the pipe that crosses the boundary onto my land to connect to it 'serves' his property. Therefore it seems he can build over it ? He says he will retain access to it via a hatch in the floor above it. Am I missing something ?

Please can anyone advise on building over a domestic drainage access/inspection chamber ? Is this permitted by building regulations ? (My neighbour has advised he plans to build an extension over the access/inspection chamber for his drain and install a floor hatch for access. (Sub floor void likely to be 60-75cm). This drain then crosses the boundary to join our drain and therefore as I understand it becomes a public drain at that point.)

I think with all things it can help to keep your eye on what is being done as it is occurring. Always difficult as few of us appreciate having people 'standing over us' while we do something. Even then it is easy to forget or miss things, but so much easier to adjust or correct work in progress than to get it corrected afterwards. I have probably become too obsessed with trying to work details out before the work takes place - and even then things can go awry - it sends you a bit loopy in the end. I would go around and check all the doors and windows at this stage - are they plumb, positioned ok in the aperture, matching heights around the rooms, compatible with your planned finished floor levels inside and out, will open properly and with relevant clearances. And then think long and hard about any issues you find because now is the time to get it corrected even if that means having to pay for the change/correction. I had to get one window cill changed because it blocked the opening of an adjacent window. (I have one door that opens against a wall and wanted it to open 90deg with clearance for the handle. Looks like it is going to be really tight now once plastered and may not open 90. Had I spotted it at the time I could have got the fitters to put it tight up against one side of the opening to give a few mm more clearance. Also had to buy and use a water level to prove that the fitters laser level was wrong and their measurements at fit were in disagreement with their measurements at survey. (Water levels actually rather useful for checking levels between inside and outside of buildings and around corners etc.) PS I think doors and windows are normally sized to be about 6mm all round smaller than the opening.

From memory - Approaching 3 years ago I paid around 12k + VAT for around 50sqm flat roof - VCL layer like you, 150mm PIR, different brand of single ply membrane - adhered like you rather than mechanically fixed. It was new build so nothing to strip off. Dressed to 3 rooflights plus 1 aperture, main house wall and with 3 rainwater outlets and, with membrane applied to line an internal gutter around the perimeter, 5 external corners, 2 internal corners. 15 year guarantee, membrane life in excess of 30 years. Down south. Add inflation, strip off/repair work, and factoring smaller area = higher cost rate then similar ball park I guess ?

You either played pro basketball, or you are employing persons of small stature to work on your site. ;0}

I have often found door hinge screws can work loose over time and you notice when the door starts catching on the frame. Then you tighten them up but they work loose again until the hole gets mashed up and it becomes a running battle. Is there an answer to this ? - Using 3 hinges ? - using longer screws ? - using special screws ? - using ball bearing hinges ?

You don't say how big the patio is ? You could perhaps put a slot drain somewhere within the length of the patio and then have a fall each way into this drain. For example a slot drain in the middle of the patio would produce an overall fall of zero.

My temporary, temporary cover while waiting for the roofer to return to dress a vent pipe opening.

Not sure what they have installed there - it doesn't seem to have a properly sealed edge on the top side - almost looks like a part finished double glazed window pane. Did they say which company supplied it - I guess not ? Maybe get a new one from a rooflight company with a matching insulated upstand to fit your opening size. You can get opening ones at greater cost of course. Pay by credit card just in case. As a temporary measure you could seal it with some heavy polythene taped around the glass window and then around onto the roof on the outside. You would just need to check what tapes will adhere but then also be removeable without leaving a residue on the roof afterwards. Tapes can come loose and need replacing over time, depends whether you want to overwinter and fit a new one next spring or replace before winter cometh. Or fix some multiwall polycarbonate sheet over the top and seal the edge with tape or a removeable mastic. I guess if you will get a new rooflight you could even screw into the perimeter of the existing 'rooflight' knowing you will be binning it later. https://www.diy.com/departments/ariel-clear-polycarbonate-multiwall-roofing-sheet-l-1-22m-w-1220mm-t-4mm/35461_BQ.prd I used proplex as a temporary capping/fascia on my roof but found it had to be well screwed down to survive winter winds.

I will make the worktop deeper to around 650mm. I am conscious this encroaches on floor space in the room, and makes it increasingly more difficult to reach over 650mm of worktop plus another 200mm of window reveal to reach the window handle and then push open the window. Generally what I am finding is that you can plan your dimensions at the architect/design stage - but when you get to build everyone wants you to give up space. 1. Nothing is ever built 1mm larger than plan, but is often built 20-100mm smaller than plan. 2. then trades want to 'dot & dab' and board everything with 15mm of mortar on every wall 3. lintels get misaligned and protrude 8mm 3. Window installers want to allow 6-8mm on every side 4. Other installers want to allow 30mm packers at each end 5. Chippies want to 'batten things out' and don't want to rip things to size etc etc. Before you know it square feet leach away, books won't fit on bookshelves, etc etc. It is a constant battle to limit the impacts.

Presumably needs an air admittance valve added in somewhere ? That looks amazingly neat and trim with grommets etc you must have a tidy plumber. For the washing machine hose I am thinking to put a fixed drainage pipe in the washer bay, to run across behind the dryer, and into the undersink cabinet to the sink drainage pipework. Then the drain hose could attach to that directly behind the washer leaving the flexible hose slack for pulling out. I am going to put a socket behind each appliance running to a grid/FCU under the sink. I have other pipework going onto the same wall to pass through the wall and supply the u/stairs toilet basin taps and waste. So I think there is too much going on in that area to rely on pulling wires, plugs or hoses through two bays. And of course you cannot pull anything except by sliding the washer forward and using the fixings into the machine to pull the wires/hoses across. Bound to get snagged up and end up turning a 5-10 minute slide the machine out to check a possible leak into 2+ hours of messing about disconnecting and pulling the dryer out too to hand feed stuff through etc. with much cursing when(if) I get to 70 years old.