patp

A good groundworker should know what he is doing. Just check that he is what he says he is and then use the BC officer to make sure standards are what they should be. Our, very experienced groundworker would have cut corners that the BC officer would not allow.

Can you do shadow gaps if you do not have plaster board? We are a traditional build with wet plaster over render on our walls.

Love those doors!!!

Thanks folks. It confirms our misgivings. We are trying to stay away from mdf because of the chemicals used. Haven't really costed out using oak but the sharp intake of breath from the carpenters has made us look around at other alternatives. Painted wood is not an option as we are trying to make the build as maintenance free as possible. https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1997/sep/21/antonybarnett.theobserver

Hm, yes I see now that there is a lot of difference. One of our carpenters was going to bring us some samples, as alternative to oak, to look at but has not done so yet.

Door linings, window cills before plastering. Your comments are what is worrying me. The link tells you of the process to stain it and it seems a lot of effort.

Just seen that it is from an American woodworking magazine. our staining process includes four ingredients: water-based wood conditioner, water-soluble wood dye, dewaxed shellac and oil-based glaze (see Sources, below). Our process isn’t fast, because there are several steps. But it isn’t hard, and it’s home-shop friendly. You don’t need any special finishing equipment, just brushes and rags. Does this translate into products available over here? The full article is here https://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/aw-extra-101013-staining-pine/

We have oak windows and want to use natural wood for the first (and second) fix carpentry. One carpenter has suggested that we could use pine and stain it. A self builder down the road has suggested the same thing but I haven't seen it. Will it be possible to make it look like light oak? I have googled and there is a suggestion that several processes of treatment are needed but that it can look ok. Opinions?

Or because we are sub tropical with lots of sand

Fantastic! Thank you so much.

Wish I had known this earlier Peeps may remember my struggle with having an en suite because of the disturbance to my sleep when OH goes to the bathroom. I, eventually, caved in and we have incorporated an en suite into our build. The sparkies tell us that you can get vanity mirrors that switch on with a wave of the hand when the door is closed. I really wanted a night light in there as you can get red ones designed to not disturb our circadian rhythms.

That's 1.2 from memory :). We could not find heave boards anywhere. All local builders merchants had never heard of them! Once I started searching merchants a bit closer to London I found them. Just goes to show that they don't get used much around here (Norfolk).

We had to to put in a 1.2m trench and heave boards down one side of our foundations that were near a hawthorn hedge (we confessed to removing it and he said that can make matters worse )

We are now at the stage to first fix carpentry. As OP we have oak windows and have read this thread with great interest. Did it all work out satisfactorily?

Who was that supplied your gates and motors please?

Do you think he might be wanting to know where he has got to run it to? If you want it in the house then he has to run it there, If you want it in the garage then he will need to run it there?

We have had a plasterer come to quote who wants to use plasterboard. He has a colleague who uses the spray on method and they say it can be done on our walls. Just don't want to be a failed experiment Looking at the plaster manufacturer's website it does seem to be suitable for use on solid walls.

Does anyone know anything about a spray on plaster finish? The, experienced, plasterer has just been to measure up for a quote. He says it is now possible to plaster board the ceiling and spray a special bagged plaster mix over the walls followed by trowelling.

Interesting debate. I have had a very long telephone chat with a plasterer who is coming out to quote. He was trying to persuade us down the route of dot and dab with the same argument as above i.e. if it is done properly it should be fine. The lecturer who advised block and brick builders to render their walls was an ex site foreman on huge sites so perhaps he saw the dark side of plasterboard? I have read the website of a gypsum supplier who also say that the insulation is better if plaster is applied direct to the block/brickwork. Anyone used lime render?

This is for a new bungalow brick and block construction. We have been told, while on a self build course, that brick and block construction should be wet plastered straight to the wall because other wise the insulation will be compromised in the finished build. Now at the stage of getting quotes for plastering and experienced plasterer is telling us that plasterboard is best as blockwork will move over time and cause cracking to the plaster. We were also keen on rendered plastering to get a good firm wall for hanging pictures etc though this is a lower priority than insulation issues. Opinions?

We are getting quotes on kitchens at the moment. A local one man band, with an excellent reputation, is beating all the others. He has also been very accommodating at customising it. I asked if all the units could be lowered for me as I am height challenged. He has managed to do it, even where there are under counter appliances. To be fair I think there is only one and that is the dishwasher. All the others are either free standing (larder fridge/freezer) or at waist height (oven, microwave, wine fridge).

Our next requirement is for plaster. No idea when though. How long can I store it?

Cement is very hard to source here. Builders Merchant told us that they are only supplying trade. There will a price increase in June and another later on in the year.

@cwr those are my problems. We do not entertain. There is room for a dining area so we will not eat at it. My first thought was that I could have it at a lower height and all the other base units at standard (too high for me) height. I hate cooker hoods so that is another negative to having the hob on the island. One of the kitchen designers reckons he can build a kitchen with all the work surfaces lowered to a more comfortable height for me. Has anyone used one of these mobile butcher's block type centre pieces?

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