Mr Punter

Yep

I have not read back through the thread but the steel will prob be quite heavy, may be a thermal bridge and need web packing / joist hangers where if the I beams just span wallplate - to - wallplate they will be simpler.

First hit on Google was this: http://www.builderdepot.co.uk/treated-firring-47mm-x-50mm-to-nothing-3-6m-length.html It is 3.6m. If you need longer you can extend from the fat end with 47mm x 50mm with a firring piece on top. For a further extension you will need a 47mm x 100mm with a firring on top. I think some places will make up whatever size you like so you don't need to use 2 pieces for each section. Just see which is cheaper.

If it is less than 5 years old it may still be under guarantee. Phone the "engineer" and ask what he thinks is broken beyond economic repair.

I think the VCL needs to move to the inside of the wall and use a breather membrane on the outside. You could use 2 breather membranes - 1 on the OSB and 1 over the external insulation. I don't know what the double side tape is sticking to other than the concrete. Why not single sided tape lapped from concrete, along DPC, then up to the internal VCL? Regarding sole plate mortar, is this going above or below the DPC? Often I have seen the mortar applied with a pointing gun after the frame is erected - packers are used in the meantime under each stud. 12mm should be fine for the tile adhesive.

I am with @Stones regarding the Heras. Set it nice and straight and maybe in line with the neighbouring buildings. Regarding boundary treatments, have a look around and go with what fits in. Maybe get @Redoctober round to tidy up a bit.

If you have different height walls front and back the sides will need the top course cut and the wall plate will need mortar bedding to give it proper support. Doors, windows, tall furniture, pictures, mirrors etc may loo a bit odd if placed on the sloped walls.

How do you plan to achieve the required fall? Timber firrings are normally cheapest. Not sure where the gutters will be.

I have used a large industrial squeegee for this and it is excellent especially if you have external openings down to the floor and remove the thresholds. Sourced from janitorial suppliers.

Looks to me like the wall is supporting joists from above, as the laths on the ceiling run parallel to the wall. so the wall is structural. If you can't afford a structural engineer and a bit of steel you will need to leave this as is.

Any pics Ian?

Paint the doors and cornice a neutral colour. Replace the wall tiles. The ones one the cooker run could be tiled over if they are tricky to remove. Replace the floor.

The Hardie Plank / Marley / Cembrit type boards are fire resistant and easy to DIY. About £25 per sqm.

If your plan is to perhaps have this as a future habitable annex, place the entrance and windows so it suits the future requirement as well as current. I can't see how a 100mm block wall is going to be "nice and warm". You may do better having timber framed walls but you will need non combustible cladding as you are near the boundary. You may get a small timber frame company to fabricate and deliver the walls and soleplates and supply the roof materials. They will often get better terms than you will get from a builders merchant.

I don't think this can be so. I cannot see how a covenant can prevent land from being owned by, for example, the state or a company.

Although you say otherwise, I think you should include provision for electrics, water and drainage, so you can have a WC. Quite annoying if you have to traipse over to the house and back when it is raining. A floor plan may be useful. Maybe don't go for the windows to the floor as they may restrict future kitchenette placement. Rendered block may be cheapest.

The covenant refers to use, not ownership.

If they want to make this an HMO or hostel they will need planning consent.

I have only taken these out twice. Once on a plot that had outline pp and an original developer covenant from the 1950s and once on a plot that could have been within a chancel repair area. The fact that there were no objections to the pp from the 1950s developer meant the premium was negligible.

It is often fairly simple to obtain insurance against the enforcement of covenants, chancel repair liabilities etc. and the premium should not be large.

Velfac do something like this where the sliding leaf is initially in line with the fixed pane but can be pushed outwards to slide past.

I liked that Combimate guarantee "when used with Combiphos, that if the unit it is protecting experiences significant scaling, we will contribute up to £500 towards the cost of repair or replacement." As they are part of Cistermiser I think that the guarantee is worth something.

An interesting discussion in an product area full of half truths and pseudo science. I have installed the electro magnet type and recently had some Combimates installed on recommendation from @richi. It does look as if the claims that @Polly makes regarding product uniqueness in energy use and non-release of chemicals may be hard to justify but I would be interested to see any actual scientific research on the reduction in limescale on boilers, kettles etc.

I am a big fan of contractors who come up with a solution rather than just the standard shrug of shoulders. Pouring and curing a concrete slab is a hell of a task and lots can go wrong - deliveries, mix, weather, poor prep, poor site operative, broken equipment. On most housebuilder sites nobody cares, unless it is civil engineering, in which case it is all inspected, cube tested etc. A few years ago near Brighton I watched a reinforced concrete bridge being built, then a couple of weeks later the main supports were torn down by a huge demolition excavator. Apparently the concrete supplier got the mix wrong. Mucho £££

Lift and slide seems to be the consensus way forward for airtight and operation.