Spinny

It is Eclisse pocket doors. I haven't resolved it yet, but is not really the fault of the pocket door system. It looks as though there must be some issue with the alignment of how it has been installed. Looks as though the pocket side is slightly leaning backward relative to the far door side. This may be because the timber studwork above the pocket side has some alignment issue. On another section of wall I had to get the builders carpenter to plane down some studwork timbers to make the wall plumb. Unfortunately the builder always sent a low paid runner to go fetch and carry stuff from the merchant where he had his trade account. Then expected the carpenter to use whatever timber the runner had delivered to site. A good carpenter would always be checking for good straight and untwisted timber at the merchant and picking through the stock as necessary, but a runner just grabs the first stuff to hand - likely that rejected by others. You want straight timber to build straight plumb walls. I have learned to run a 1.8m level over everything anyone does. I was also advised that the merchant he used stores their timber vertically, and that this is a bad idea and leads to more bends and twists - timber should be stored horizontally. I saw the Eclisse system at 2 or 3 trade shows when we were looking and was impressed by the ability to fit and remove the door, the anti-slam options and so on. If you want no architrave like us it can potentially be achieved. However their system sizes are designed for tape and joint rather than a skim plaster finish and I didn't properly understand this until I phoned them up. Seems to be because they are French I think and tape and joint is all the rage on the continent. So our kit is designed to support two layers of 12.5mm plaster board on each side of the pocket (I am using Habito board). These kits use metal stud and it has been designed with care to fit together properly, but inevitably there is still some twist in it. So definitely needs great care to install plumb in all 3 dimensions. Also if fitting in an existing shell for renovation then existing openings and studs may themselves be out of true.

For anyone having such cladding, please be aware that cedral boards don't seem to be manufactured to the highest standards. Our batch included boards with marked lines across at the end, and boards where the tongue thickness varied very significantly throwing boards out of alignment. Flaws in the board surface finish can also occur and may not be visible when wet. All of which has worked to slow installation and create bits of rework. I wouldn't like to see what some general builders might produce using it - needs care, diligence and attention to detail.

Yes Cedral do colour matched screws which are not countersunk into the board. End result is they are very readily clear pimples on the smooth cladding and obviously visible. They apparently specify or recommend they are used to secure all the top boards at 600mm centres and close to all joins. The idea being that they remain visible and accessible and are not covered by cappings, fascia etc so that boards can be removed again from the top down for maintenance etc. Definitely not a good aesthetic. Hopefully I can achieve something more acceptable. Why cedral would think that people want to spend 4 and 5 figure sums on cladding to have visible screw heads peppering the top is beyond me. Might be OK on the top of a 4 storey commercial building, but not for high spec domestic work.

@G and J and everybody, If you have ever had a Party Wall Agreement or Award, please could you tell me whether it defined the position of the build line in the agreement, and exactly how it defined this: e.g. 1) By stating measurements from known fixed points which would not be changed by the building work (e.g. distance from an existing building, triangulated measurements, professional surveyors survey measurements) 2) By measurements made by the PWS using a tape measure, and if so measurements taken from what reference points 3) By measuring from planning drawings with a defined scale but no stated measurements 4) By planning drawings annotated and labelled with measurements to a boundary or building 5) By architect construction drawings labelled with the specific measurements 6) Only by describing measurements w.r.t a feature that will be dug up and removed when the work starts 7) In some other way, if so what Many thanks for any and all responses given my situation.

Have Cedral cladding going up right now as I write. Any tips, tricks, or advice for trying to hide the cedral screws they want to put into all the top most boards which kind of spoil the look a bit ?

You would have to get it tested, and then act in accordance with the results. Twenty some years ago we had part of an artexed lath & plaster ceiling come down because of a water leak above. Tested positive for asbestos - a small percentage and well bound in - but still classified as 'an asbestos coating' at the time. And the rules for 'asbestos coatings' which also included industrial spray coatings and stuff with much higher asbestos meant you needed a specialist approved asbestos contractor to remove it. NBC suits, polythene tenting and negative pressure fans, the full works. And in our case because some had already come down the room was declared to be contaminated and almost everything in it had to be removed for destruction - TV, 3 piece suite, carpets, curtains, you name it. The wife asked if they would take me away too as I had been sitting in the room to watch TV and stuff but may have had ulterior motives. If you are looking to buy the property then it should be subject to survey and you should get a full asbestos survey done. Then the seller can reduce the price to pay for the removal work. If you get a survey done, make sure it is as comprehensive as possible and that you specify all the things you want tested around the property. We had to have an asbestos survey prior to our building work (think it may be required under HSE) and there are companies out there servicing that requirement but if you are not careful one person will visit, take 3 random samples and go again - potentially useless. Obviously a lot of people need asbestos surveys prior to building work and some companies aim to do the least possible as quickly as possible to maximise their profit in a competitive market.

Didn't know you could get crazy bendy profile like this one... https://reeltechdirect.com/products/flexible-plaster-in-led-profile Admittedly a lot of these profiles are as deep as the plasterboard. I guess maybe double boarding the ceiling is the answer or you will end up cutting right through the board ? I am putting some in rooflight upstands, but here the plasterboard attaches directly to the continuous insulated plywood upstand.

Don't all plaster-in lights like downlights just get screwed into the plasterboard and then the skim coat also helps to hold them in place. By definition you can't put a downlight underneath a joist. Don't you just need to use a plaster-in LED profile, screw it to the plasterboard and then plaster it in with the skim coat ?

Really ? I hadn't heard or realised that ? I thought a contractor with PL insurance meant they had cover for damage to third party property or life end-of. Clearly if someone starts building and the house next door falls down, or the neighbour breaks a leg when the wall falls on him or whatever - well isn't that what public liability insurance is for ? Party Wall insurance ? What is that ? Where do you get quotes for that ? Are you talking self build only or generally regarding PL insurance not covering stuff ?

Really nice work. Impressed by getting wall lights invisibly cabled onto the fencing at the back too. The slot drain looks like it has a nice metal edge - do you know which make it is ?

Is it a level threshold then ?

Very nice, really like those tiles, is it an Aco drain ?

Buy yourself a decent 1.8m spirit level, run it over stuff. Is the hole at the bottom of the walling in one photo supposed to be for a 110 drainage pipe ? If so I think it should have a lintel over it not just a hole cored in the block ?

If I am drilling a hole in the wall for a feed to an outside tap, then should I be angling it downwards slightly as it runs from inside (higher) to outside (lower), so that it could be drained out to stop freezing in winter ? (I have seen these Aquor home hydrant things which look good but they don't do one long enough for a 300mm wall with another 50mm of cladding https://www.aquorwatersystems.com/products/house-hydrant-v2-plus?srsltid=AfmBOoqHW00B92NDZHySy1ad2tzrfjrpZWj39xEvAQj6c5kSpvBN-Cse&variant=42444365955322)

Use something like this...? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Controller-Watering-Wireless-Compatible-Assistant/dp/B097N2F7MK/ref=asc_df_B097N2F7MK?mcid=e18a580076813c93895c8ceb0b4eb7f7&hvocijid=1854748498027220748-B097N2F7MK-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1854748498027220748&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006502&hvtargid=pla-2281435177098&psc=1&gad_source=1 If you use something with smart home type capability then you will be able to define your own on/off rules based on any criteria you wish.

OK that's good. Best thing would seem to be to talk. Once people explain why they are not happy then there must be a lot of possible compromises. Emotions run high during break ups maybe you just caught them at a bad moment before. Maybe suggest a chat over a coffee or something. - You could agree to get it done now before the listing goes up, or wait for 2 weeks, or pay towards new agent photos showing the new passageway finish, or explain how it will look better and how quickly you can do it. - You could explain the porch building start date and that you will ask the builder to avoid noise and dust generation during viewings, and avoiding a building site mess. You could agree to clean the neighbours windows if dust is kicked up. - They could explain the likely sale process e.g. open day etc They could have you and the agent swap numbers so you can speak regarding viewings and any concerns etc. - You could agree to keep the lawn and the hedge cut are you going to be building up against the alleyway ? I think always better to speak first, even if you have to explain why there is nothing you can do about the timing, and to apologise. Just doing stuff without speaking when there has already been concerns expressed is I think provocative and undermines trust and the potential to agree some give and take.

OK I have bugger all experience in the scheme of things, but I'd say, never take any builder at their word. Trust can only be earned. Always remember the builder is not working for you, they are working for themselves. Their objectives are not the same as yours. Obviously there are excellent builders and trades people out there, there are OK ones, and there are crappy ones. They will all 'get on with you', it doesn't mean anything. You are not looking for a new best friend, you are looking for a building that will stand for 100 years.

They are using string lines and the blockwork looks decently straight. Looks like insulating thermal blocks. I had issues with some such blockwork as apparently they can suck the moisture out of the mortar too quickly giving a poor bond. Gently check some blocks where the mortar has dried to see if they wobble. Check the blocks to see they are using the right strength - there are 3.6N and 7N blocks. Check the expiry date on bags of cement on site, if it is out of date skip it. Check stuff when it comes on site - is it the right specified materials - is it being protected from rain or sunlight as appropriate ? You seem to be building in a wood ? What's with the weird temporary roof cover held up on plywood stilts ?

Yes indeed. I very strongly recommend employing a qualified experienced building professional in some way. Even if just on an occasional as required basis. And constantly being eyes on with what builders are doing - you can see how everything should be done on t'internet. I have seen builders order and try to use the wrong materials, and builders try to deny the most obvious truths to customers. Once a building professional appears they start to take notice, even if the building professional is just telling them the same obvious truths you were. It gets their attention because I think they realise in any dispute between bob the builder and a well qualified and experienced building professional with an alphabet soup of letters after their name there will only ever be one winner in a court or arbitration. I know they are expensive, but so are trades people these days, and nothing, repeat nothing, is more expensive than not catching problems early.

Have you told them that ? Have they asked for access ? When people behave badly it destroys trust and there is no way to tell quite where things stop. I may well be paranoid but presumably someone could possibly climb on the extension roof to nail on a fascia board and attach a gutter from above. Or simply wait until you go out or go away, pop over the fence and nail on some soffit, and you will come back to find it finished. So if you are relying on them needing access, or needing to ask for access, as a mechanism for resolving their overhang you might be sadly disappointed. Building Control might, and only might, look to see if there is a gutter down the side, and might, or might not say they won't sign it off without one. I don't think you can just be passive here and do an ostrich, and expect that a neighbour that ignores the law in one way won't just ignore it in other ways, or assume that a third party is going to get involved and rescue the situation if you just keep quiet and don't say anything. People deliberately do illegal things every day and nothing ever happens - and ''authorities'' frequently don't notice, pretend not to notice, or actively look the other way. Once someone raises it, ''authorities'' have to pay some attention, even if just to deny they can do anything. You have to claim your rights, you have to speak, you have to throw the stone to get the pond of indifference, idleness, incompetence, vested interests and expediency to ripple.

Good point, have you told them that ? Part of the PWA is to set out terms for access to your land - which you are obliged to give and cannot refuse - but the PWA sets out arrangements in the agreement document or Party Wall Award for such access e.g. neighbour notifying taking access 14 days in advance, limits on how much of your land they take access over, hours of working on your land etc etc. Unfortunately my experience remains poor with a game of secret squirrels, chinese whispers, and deliberate obfuscation and ambiguity now going on through 2 party wall surveyors and a bad actor architect. There seems to be more interest in playing silly buggers for the sake of it than establishing a clear legal agreement.

Dave, nobody is going to check on planning conditions. And is it definitely a formal condition in the approval letter, or just advisory ? In general, unless there is a huge breach of planning, like building without it, making it 3 times bigger, putting a bright yellow roof on etc then planning will not know or take their own action. Someone has to complain - and the only someone that is impacted is you.

I very very much doubt that planning team will do anything at all. Is a PWA actually a planning condition anyway, or just some informational statement made. I would have thought vanishingly small chance on planning doing anything. If someone, e.g. you complains, they may just comment back to you. But I think you have an unrealistic view of how planning works, and the pressures on council budgets etc. It is up to you, but I'd have thought if you ever sell then solicitors questionnaire may highlight the issue. What is being done is wrong and illegal, and they probably know it and you are being suckered. Take a close look at the planning drawings. Write a formal letter of complaint to planning (why did you not comment/complain when they applied for planning permission ?) stating their planning approval breaches the law. Write to the planning ombudsman to complain about the planning decision. None of this is likely to get it knocked down now. However this could get you some financial compensation, and should help ensure that planning don't keep ignoring boundary issues and approving plans which are illegal. Talk to your councillor too. Writing to your neighbour to inform them you have become aware that they are in breach of the PWA, and are trespassing on your property, should result in them seeking to comply with the PWA by sending you a PWA notice and seeking your agreement after the fact. Then you can negotiate something - e.g. their agreement in the PWA that the overhang can be removed if someone at your property wishes to build there. Or their agreement you can fix things into the wall, or modifications to reduce or remove the overhang, or conditions that the gutter is cleaned annually at their cost. If you do nothing, what might happen next ? A nice boiler outlet or extractor cored out through the wall ? A waste pipe discharging onto your property ? A second storey ? The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

Isn't that just natural ? Wouldn't you think likewise if you were in their shoes ? I expect they don't want the sale process impacted by having building work going on which might well deter buyers - perhaps not just the drainage pipe work, but also the porch construction too. If they are splitting up then I expect the price achieved for the sale and the speed of the sale are sensitive subjects for them. And if access to their rear is via the passageway then presumably people viewing the property would use it. Often after trenching work the reinstatement doesn't look that good - just a strip of concrete or tarmac patch work. Has happened to me with a water pipe replacement. Maybe discuss the timing of your work, the duration, the quality of the finish when you reinstate etc. with them. Could you build the porch next year instead, or later in the summer ? I am sure you just want to get on with it, but we are all people on the same planet, hopefully looking out for each other too.

@Andehh So where did you get your blinds from ? And what are you using for control ?