Jilly

Bad luck with that. I waited for a builder t return and fix things he promised and it cost me far more in rental costs etc. I should have just let it go at the outset.

The electrician and plumber muttered between themselves over this but have gone AWOL and not resolved it. (Plumber got an LPG reg friend to certify but he isn't replying to me). My internet research indicates this needs to be done, is it a sparky job as he is due to come back? Thank you.

I haven't tipped either, but offer a cup of tea and the blue thing.

This is exactly what happened when we built a big garage. The architect walked because he was so stressed with the builder's 'design ideas'/attitude. We trusted him because that's what you do when you know someone. It went wayyy over budget... It's such a steep learning curve, be cautious. Stuff goes wrong and there are loads of decisions to be made constantly, so you will be stressed and can end up aiming it at the wrong person. Really make sure everyone communicates well. On another project, one builder I 'interviewed' with a structural engineer spoke over her so much, it was only after he left that she said, 'Actually, the building doesn't need underpinning...' Pretty major misunderstanding.

Could still be tricky. Most people try to get three quotes to compare, so you won't be able to do that. We used a friend for a project. We are no longer close... Speak to previous customers.

I put a compost loo in a shed and think that if it's properly maintained you can make a case that it is hygienic as they are widely used. Do your research about what to do with the buckets. Apparently a urine soakaway is easily doable and would have made the buckets last much longer. Don't know what BC would say tho'. I never had the H & S challenge, but I found it nicer to use than the stinky blue thing. I used it for quiet periods and most workers were amenable, however the electrician and plumber both had hissy fits and made me hire a blue thing.

I have converted a stable, similar 1990s vintage. The SE specified several trial holes to be dug in the foundations and in the slab for him to inspect. The first SE wanted underpinning all round, so I sought a second opinion. The second SE wanted more inspection holes then said that as long as we didn't dig out the slab, the foundations were adequate. There was significant cost differential, but of course we couldn't get in as much floor insulation as I would have liked.

Thank you! We've got a working kitchen sink We haven't got the oven/hob worktop yet Co and smoke detection all good Hot water all fine

I've used the two person petrol auger type thing. The small person (me) can get flung aside by roots.

My builder (one man band) has to have some time off for a cardiac procedure (he's a bit scared, poor chap), and of course I'm sympathetic whilst simultaneously having a big panic. We have to move in at the end of the month and nothing is quite finished. I'm scared Building Control are going to rock up and arrest us. The shower over bath has cement board, is there a way to seal it so it will be waterproof and yet still ok to tile when he gets round to it? We could have baths to minimise splashing. I'm struggling with the fact that 'kitchen' seems like 'wedding' and doubles the price of a very modest bit of MDF The kitchen hasn't arrived, so the electrics are not completed (so no certificate yet). Is it ok to move in? The LPG was apparently certified but I wasn't given a copy, is that normal that one copy goes to BC and none to the owner? It doesn't seem right. Haven't done a water usage calculation because have got all the info yet

The surface water requirements can be a SuDS palaver for some folk, other councils seem more relaxed about it.

Me! I stupidly changed from the original architect to a friend who is an architect's technician hence loads of problems I naively didn't anticipate when wanting to give him the work. He helped me a lot when I was renovating a previous house and became ill, so what goes around comes around. I'm not the litigious type.

Tell me about it! It's a nightmare sometimes, if you will excuse the dodgy pun.

Architect's technician forgot the bat membrane and specified breathable instead of F1 bituminous, so everything had to be respecified (bats' feet get tangled in the polyester and they die.) Had to have PIR instead of the lovely sheep's wool because of the 50mm gap needed we lost some insulation depth. A designer friend visited part way through and said 'You need to double the length of the vaulted ceiling area'. After a sleepless night, I realised she was absolutely right. We needed more SE drawings done, wasted time, builder requoted an awful lot extra and I was over a barrel. But anyway, I'm glad we did it, it looks good.

I have discovered that the tighter you plan things, the more stressful it is to not have any slack in the system. Electrician with Covid, supply delays, builder needing a heart procedure are just a few things which have caused expensive delays which are no one's fault.

I have 3G sliding patio doors and a set of bifolds made by a local company. They are Aluminium and work very well, nice clean to move. Not fingertip light but very easy. I went to look at the showroom where they had double glazed samples but were confident they would work properly.

Having watched a fire take hold in my neighbour's kitchen extension, I would say downstairs smoke alarms are essential, away from the toaster end or whatever. By the time we all realised what was happening, flames were near the top of the building. This was daytime, with everyone wide awake. It took much less than 5 minutes. What you are proposing means that your downstairs would be properly on fire before the smoke alarms tripped at night. Is that really what you would want?

Thank you! I'd like to make it as unobtrusive as possible.

Does it have to be vertical? I'm assuming if so, to above the roofline, if that option is needed, it would need a brace of some sort?

Pleased to find I haven't been deleted. Here is a picture of the flue and offending door. The windy day wasn't an aberration, I have watched the flue gasses gently sink and waft past this window so it definitely needs a solution. Not sure how to stop it looking like a dogs dinner. The plumber didn't have LPG qualifications, so fitted it and a colleague inspected and signed it off 2 days ago.

Thank you. I'll post a pic tomorrow. We're in a conservation area so aren't supposed to have any flues/chimneys without planning permission, but I cant see any other way round it.

Kind of. See other thread.

Also ask your architect sometimes they can get grumpy about sharing drawings if they didn't engage the SE. Ask me how I know.

We've just had a new Worcester LPG boiler fitted. The flu is about 2m from the south facing patio door which we leave open a lot... you know where this is going. To my horror, it was a bit windy and the waste gases were drawn in like a vortex into the building. What can we do? We've been signed off (the plumber used a friend to sign off the LPG installation and boiler). I'm horrified. Does this mean all summer I can't use the hot taps if the patio door is open?! Can't use that door in winter when the UFH is on?! It's our main entrance door. Trying not to stress...

I am doing a conversion and found it very difficult to get fixed prices because of the unknowns