jamiehamy

Starting to look for these for the steps up to the house. Can anyone make any recommendations on brand? (or ones to avoid)? We're in a pretty exposed location and will get salt in the air in winter. Thanks, Jamie

Hmm, I think the opposite is true! I think HEP stuff nicely laid out looks miles better than aged copper - is is @PeterW who has the manifold connected with plastic? I tink it looks cracking - copper looks old fashioned and is nearly always discoloured (since we're talking about looks only!). @recoveringacademic a decent bench clamp and/or set of helping hands are worth their weight in gold - especially if making up sections - avoids weird contortions trying to hold bits together and solder and not get burned....! I would most certainly recommend plastic, but if going copper, would also recommend soldering rather than compression - it's a nightmare in comparison!

It's been gorgeous here, apart from the un-gritted road which was an ice rink for three days!

It's an interesting question. I'm tracking this just now as we're starting to get out house up to temperature. I'm doing it room by room really, keeping doors closed. In the kitchen I started 3 days ago at 13degrees air and 12degrees slab (no ufh). Running a 1400w radiator constantly has air at 20degrees and slab at 17.6 on surface. I've just started our bedroom on same. 24hour later slab is 2 degrees warmer. For nothing I imagine there's still a lot more heat to be absorbed but it will probably take a good couple of weeks. Do you have a handheld Ir heat sensor? Handy things to measure surface temperature. I'm afraid it's not very scientific, must maybe doing individual rooms could be quicker than whole house for the time being?

Are you accepting that or going to argue the toss?

@jack. I can't seem to order it.... 'Temporarily out of stock' - fancy that!

I recall Andrew Neill roasting some Greenpeace chief recently about how vehicle emissions cause 40,000 deaths a year. A bollocks claim that had been massively distorted and misrepresented. 14% of harmful emissions come from vehicles and 79% from wood burning stoves? As we say in Scotland. 'Aye right'.

I'm in. I've toyed with 'investing' this way before! Lots of small sums to reduce risk. Just never quite got round to it. It's what the world needs to be more about and no better forum to try than here. I'll try do some digging when I'm at work, but I've looked at a few different platforms in the past.

I'm with @ProDaveon not borrowing - but I'm going to join the crew and give a bit of tough love. In effect, any borrowing be an advance on the rent OR even better, the proceeds of the sale of the house. If you have an asset such as a house sitting there with no finance owed and you're not going to at least entertaining using it (directly or indirectly) as a security on a loan to finish the house, then you could be a long time in the caravan. If you want to see the project through, it's my view that you are going to have to compromise with yourself here. Of course I don't know all your circumstances but regardless - please make sure you're not being stubborn and doing yourself out of enjoying your new house sooner. I did a course years ago and it really got through to me that when you're stuck, if you don't do something differently, you're unlikely to get a different result. Think outside your own box. Doing the same - we could do the first BuildHub crowdfund - you set it up (plenty of sites out there), I'll put in £1k. How much do you need to be in a position to get certification to live there?

It's all your fault ya stirrer

Weakness? Is that genuinely what you believe? If you look at budgetary contributors for the EU, you realise very very quickly who is in the weak position - hence constant demands for money. Don't take my word for it, have a look. Also, our significant trade deficit means we are in a strong position (sounds counter intuitive). The EU needs countries to be in a trade Deficits allow its surplus member to thrive - I. E Germany. Quite literally, we are in a position of strength. If the EU imposes tariffs, it will lose (and our Treasury will gain - see deficit comment). The EU cannot afford to lose a key trading partner. Also, the UK will be free to setup closer trading ties with true future growth economies - which are not the EU btw. Tis my view. Putting my tin foil hat on, I'd offer you a copy of 'Journalists for Hire' however it's publication and distribution has quite literally been suppressed. I can forgive people for concluding the UK have made a bonkers decision given media coverage - its pretty abominable.

If we do, blame the EU. Self serving bunch of idiots to whom the term 'free trade' in alien. What you are seeing live is how a cartel/protectionist racket works in action. And they don't even realise it.

And no harm sharing that price if you find out! I'll take 90m2. ;-) Beginning. To think that I should just put solar la elsewhere on the garage roof one day when we have cash free.

Useful tip - thanks! WIll pop down tonight for a sniff as I need to get some for kitchen and other areas.

Proper tea should be brewed at around 80 degrees (when I say proper, I mean TeaPigs or something similar with actual leaf not dust in it).

+3

Pretty much the reason I didn't go with a home automation system for lights and sound in our house - although I do have a slightly luddite mentality in that, pushing buttons to put lights on and off has never bothered me, the real deciding factor was pretty much what Jeremy has outlined - I don't want a house control system that is dependent on a myriad of factors outside my control, be that bugs, vulnerabilities, updates or ongoing support. No thank ye!

And we're done :-) What a relief! O ly took 23m3 in the end. Had a hairy moment when I realised I hadn't shared up the door jambs enough but that was quickly sorted. Sheet metal deck roof arrives Friday but not sure when we will pour that.

Pour paused - first truck driver never poured into a pump before and not getting mix right. Pump company have told him to go away and the next truck is en route. Fair to say pump company are fizzing on my behalf. Only 0.25m3 poured. Rain off.

Here we go! 27m3 to be poured today. Have 4 volumetric mixers and pouring with a 2inch line pump. Figured garage is too close to the road and the road too narrow to get it rigged up. Weather forecast - bloody awful. Wish us luck! Will try post updates as we go. . (we also have plumber, carpet fitter, towel rails and staircase arriving today for good measure. When taking a day off work might as well make it count!

No, but maybe too early? Don't want to do it all at once now. That could be a 218 task?

Thanks - shared link with hubby - confident we'll be ditching the Ikea table - polished concrete you say

Loving that big kitchen table - do you know the sizes and brand?

I would add that I always send an email outlining my requirements and what we have agreed - however when things don't go to plan I am realistic and reasonable enough to know when it's their issue to fix, mine or just for us to work on a solution together.