Conor

Earth rod can be several metres away of needed. I'd stick another duct in through the concrete base and run it to a less rocky area. You can then just cast a small cent or concrete slab with the inspection hatch in it. Or you could use a longer earth rod. The spark won't do the hatch, digging, laying ducting. That's on the civils (your) side. The spark needs to have everything done - rcbo, main fuse, earth, meter tails etc in place before NIE install the meter and energise your connection. They'll still pull and connect the cable cable even if you haven't got the earth in. This was how ours looked after the cable was pulled but before the meter was installed. .

Only 6months or so. It seems really tough and there is a 20 year guarantee. It's on a dormer 2.5 stories up.... Really hope there's never a problem as would be a nightmare to get to and work on.

We put bi-folds in our last place with a slave door for exactly the same reasons. Used it a lot and can't imagine the hassle of a heavy lift and slide.

Yes, mine is in the wall. Still used the hockey stick tho.

Yes. I did the rod myself before doing the slab and got a firm telling off for ruining the threads on top of the rod.

We used fleece backed pvc. That's just what the roofer we'd been reccomended uses. Seems grand.

You can run external cables, just need to use shielding. Dont look pretty tho.

Spark connects the earth wire to the earth rod, hammers it in to the ground, inspection cover is fitted over, cement it in to place. Spark tests.

We've a 2400x1300mm door from Internorm. Could have been bigger if we wanted. I think a lot of companies only do up to 2100mm as very few people willw any taller than that so it's not worth their time tooling up and testing bigger doors.

If it lasts one year, it'll last a hundred. Single skin walls without piers is more of an issue on long walls. Your returning walls and the roof structure add a lot of strength.

Was the same here for the ducting they specced from the meter box in to the house- 38mm or some other random diameter. Spark said it doesn't exist and just standard flexible duct.... Did the job.

No piers is fine. I built a shed almost the same size a few years ago and used a pier along the longest back wall. My neighbour and his dad popped round one day, his dad being a builder of 50 years, questioned why I had out the pier in!

Just a backboard. And a very crude door! Make sure your spark leave meter tails and fits the right type of breaker and the 16a commando sockets only. We had ours refused for having a 13a socket wired up.

Pitch pine most likely. If that is a suspended floor with nothing underneath, you'll have terrible draughts unless you do a good job of filling the gaps and sealing the wood.

Can't see it being an issue if you just downsize for the short section that goes through the wall. Alternative is to core two smaller holes and use Y junctions and have two pipes go through, e.g. two 90mm OD. Or you can do what I did, use 125mm galvanised steel ducting that has <1mm wall thickness and a 127mm core bit.