Conor

I like that idea. I've just finished stripping out the old house and have a massive amount of roof timbers and floor boards. I could clad the thing for basically the cost of insulation and a few boxes of nails. Storage won't be an issue as we've a shipping container on site already.

We've always found static caravans to be far too cold... Would prefer something with 100mm insulation all round. But I'll look in to it. We'll definitely get the ground works done as my mate owns a ground works company and will come up on his own and prepare the site.

So, my mate's builder is walking off the job this week due to you know what. And our architect has said other firms as reducing numbers on sites and not taking on new work. I'm sure suppliers will be soon to follow. As our build involves a basement, ICF, roof panel system, and lots of other non standard stuff, I'm really worried we won't be starting in may/June as I hoped. So that's got me thinking, for the price of two years rent (£20k), could I build a temporary home on site? 60-80m². Don't give a crap about planning or BC as it'll be temporary, and we have the space. Are there designs out there I can just download and follow? Something made out of 2x4s and ply, felt roof etc etc. I will have the time, and with a new baby on the way, really don't fancy spending two years in this apartment. (I've looked at prefab homes, but they are closer to £40k and I can't see those companies staying open for much longer)

I hate most extractors as well, more noise than anything. In my last house I fitted an external extractor that was brilliant and silent. In the new house I'll have a hob in the island, and will be fitting a flush grill in the ceiling in a recessed bulkhead. Will have the same external type motor. Means it will be out of sight all the time, and when in operation will be silent bit highly effective. As others have said, you will need some sort of continuous mechanical extraction to meet building regs.

@Delicatedave can't fault mine. It's the compound mitre saw with the 230mm blade I think. I've even swapped the blade for a diamond stone cutting blade for cutting tiles and coping stones. Cost me about £80 a few years ago. I see the prices have gone up tho.

Paper towels are the most hygenic way to dry your hands. Forced air dryers effectively aerosolize water from your hands and blast them all around the room. Dyson air blade is particularly effective in blasting them straight back in to your face, along with whatever is growing in the manky puddle below. I hold my breath and lean away when using public hand dryers. https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/air-dryers-vs-paper-towels/

I see that. And more expansive that I thought as well. Could always flip the board to complete the cut.

The smaller evolution rage can be got for less than £100 and will cut that. I've had mine for 5+ years and I'm still on the original blade. It's great.

We're struggling to get a designed finalised that can take the wall loadings from our house - basement plus 1.5 stories above - ICF. This is the current design (100mm slab, 300mm ring beam, loads of rebar) but apparently the load transfer from the concrete ring beam to the EPS300 is just outside the safety margin allowable. Engineer is coming back this afternoon with some alternatives. Ranging from extending a toe out, thicker concrete slab, more rebar to transfer load to main slab. Does anybody have examples of what they did for similar scenarios?

Another method over here is to put the radon barrier between the first two layers of EPS and lap over the sides of the raft. Radon is assumed in Ireland. I'll be using a tanking membrane that also acts as a gas barrier.

I use a slotted drawer block, just a few quid from IKEA. I have used worktop blocks, belts etc, drawer slot block is the best compromise between safety, accessibility and keeping knives in good condition.

Ours was modification to existing connection (disconnect overhead cable from house and install new underground service). Took bloody months so you'd better get cracking.

Yes. They then brought the cable up though the duct in the base, then a few days later meter guy came out and installed the meter.

Q2, yes, the trap screws in to the waste. The trap will be telescopic so you can get the fall right then tighten the compression ring on the bottle. Don't lube as trap will just fall down over time. Btw, you need to make sure the overflow slot on the waste lines up with the slot in your sink. Took me three attempts to get one deep enough to match the slot in my sink. I would have thought it would be standard dimension but obviously not. This is how ours ended up. Chrome pipe in to compression coupler, can't remember the rest!

I ended up having to completely redo the plumber's work under our kitchen sink. Complete mess. Was a tight space as only a couple hundred mm of space behind the unit drawers. If doing it again, I'd sketch everything out a big sheet of card and use it as a template so I know everything will line up and fit.

Funnily enough, the spark had nothing but bad things to say about the DNO and their requirements / standards.

This is what we were required to build: And how it ended up looking

Who sorted your basement tanking guarantee? Have you a mortgage on the property?

@Tony K Sunflex and Lacuna. Only two I found that do triple glazed and grade 4 airtightness.

Hi. Unwanted opinion: Knock it down and rebuild it to modern standards with revalimed stone used to face the external walls. Cheaper and building will perform much better. *Runs away*

We're getting 5m X 2.6m triple glazed bifold doors. Prices from the various companies are all in around £10k ex vat.

I concur. I've spoken to pretty much every warranty provider I could find in the UK and none of them will cover water ingress (i.e. basements). I spoke to a few tanking companies and they would provide a guarantee provided their contractors carry out the work, was designed, supervised etc by the company.. One company wanted £1k up front to review my drawings and propose a solution. I've found a builder that will do the tanking himself and include a guarantee as part of the job. Only way I can see of doing it. DIY just isn't an option if you wan to get a mortgage or sell.

We're doing an insulated raft basement. No issues. What he's talking about ground temp is nonsense. Yes, ground temp will be about 7degrees, which means you'll have a consistent temp delta and heat loss, meaning you still need to insulate!! One word of warning re ICF and basements, I've had issues finding a tanking solution. As you can't check the concrete pour for completeness, and the joining webs are potential water bridges, using a waterproofer in the concrete can't be used as a reliable barrier. So if you want somebody to provide a guaranteed system, they will push you to an external barrier membrane as well as an internal cavity system. Fortunately, I've found a builder that will use a single system and is happy to provide the 5yr warranty.

Everything beyond the boundary box is yours. Unless you want them to move the boundary box, then I wouldn't speak to them.

You just need to make sure it has the space for the minimum backboard dimensions required by the supplier. And you'll need an earth rod/ inspection hatch in the base. I ended up making mine out of brick from the old house.