Mr Punter

One for a Structural Engineer to answer I think.

They can be exposed and left unprotected subject to the section size and loading. It is possible to calculate the char rate on a timber beam. You can also apply clear coatings to increase fire resistance if required.

Make sure the exterior brick / render is in good nick as if water gets in it can travel through the insulation across the cavity and cause damp internally. Consider applying a coat of StormDry to the masonry on more exposed walls.

Remove the bead and if there is still any damp, replace with stainless steel, otherwise just new galv one.

Perhaps look at using the same heating system as in the rest of the house, unless you want to separate it off. Get the whole basement dry and insulated. For ventilation you could just have trickle vents in the windows or a background fan.

The window head looks damp. Is there a trickle vent at the top of the window? If not, install one as you need proper ventilation. Line the window reveal (top and sides) with insulated plasterboard. Look outside and make sure that no water can get into the wall.

It is good to have the glazing near to the centre of the insulation but not fatal if you don't. It is becoming more common to have airtight tape internally, adhered to the window frame and back to the structure. You may also have some insulation on the internal reveals to stop cold bridging through the timber. Foam around the frame. Compriband is good but silicone will also work. The metal flashings and dpc at the heads is good.

That is so handy if you have pipe runs behind appliances.

Shevek over on Green Building Forum did an EnerPHit on a Victorian Terrace. Might be worth looking up if you can make the search thing work.

Most of the systems are very good if they are properly specified and installed. SIG roofing have a lot of information but are a supplier so have a vested interest.

If you keep the lime tree, don't park anywhere near them as the sap is hard to remove.

If the planners don't like your proposal they will often contact you and suggest an amendment to the plans so you could move the garage if it was an issue. It may be worth showing what you could build under PD, as this could include additional outbuildings and an extra storey. In reality you are doing the right thing by demolishing as you get a much better product. Don't make the Council Tax a major factor in your decision making. Seems odd that it can't be removed from the register for 8 months if you don't demolish before February. I would question that.

He is using aerated though. Maybe needs Rendaid and mesh?

If you bought from a developer it is common to have a 10 year structural warranty and this should be covered. No mention of insulation in your build-up. Do you know where it is? The DPC looks like it is below ground level. It should be 150mm above. I suspect that there are a few defects at play here, not least that to achieve the "wheelchair standard", the finished external ground levels may have been built up with no attention paid to damp and water ingress. Can you take up a section of floor so you can see what layer the water is getting to? Maybe under the stairs?

I had some trays from another manufacturer and 70% did not drain correctly. Trouble is, once you have lugged a 1800 x 700 stone resin tray upstairs, unwrapped it, fitted it and connected it, it is a right pain to swap out. Plumber will charge you twice.

You are probably the best judge of whether the stuff is up to spec. It does not sound like it to me. What does you roofer think? You will rarely get a manufacturer or contractor admit to faulty materials or workmanship. They will always try to blame you / others. From a legal standpoint your claim would be against whoever you bought from, but the manufacturer may choose to step up and get it sorted so they don't lose face. Good luck!

Once you have felt and batten the roof should be fairly watertight. You may get the odd drip through a nail hole or leak through a tricky detail. More so if it is very windy or extended rain. What make was the membrane?

uPVC is a better insulator than aluminium, so no real surprise. It is not as strong, so often has chunkier section sizes and often needs reinforcing with steel.

+1 The more cash you have, the less you will fret. You will already have enough to worry about.

Ah, right. I have used this before but never heard it called HCF. With the holes you can hold some ply underneath with an acro and fill in with some concrete.

What is HCF? Not something I have heard of.

Have a look at the Sonos reviews on Trustpilot and make up your mind if their customers are fibbing: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.sonos.com

I have some Sonos stuff. The amp gets very hot, so I suspect uses a fair bit of juice. Startup from power on is painfully slow. They also lose signal every now and then and don't always group properly, even though they all have CAT5 wiring. I don't rate it and was really annoyed when they wrote to suggest they were retiring some models. Bet they will be wanting a subscription next. I have an Arcam amp and it is still good 20 years on.

These were cased steel piles. They tend to be concrete filled.

I think they may be finger jointed. You see it on window frames etc.