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ToughButterCup last won the day on January 9
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About Me
I am building a near-passive haus standard, 146 sq m living space house. I am retired, but never been busier.
I used to develop online teaching and learning resources for several northern universities. I also lectured in IT. -
Location
Junction 33 M6
ToughButterCup's Achievements

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@WalterB, I'm not an expert . Merely fairly acquainted with local prices. At a guess without VAT
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If anyone is going onto a roof ridge, you might as well get everything done: inspect, re-bed. Price too high? Lets assume good H&S practice: Ancillary works £200 ( 2 * half days, set up , pack away) Materials £100 Scaffolding £600 ish Day rate £200 per person ( *2) =£400 Profit element 10% £130 Its a little over the top for re-bedding, and probably overpriced for re-pointing... It's easier and might be cheaper to dry-vent the ridge
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Contesting final invoice - please help!
ToughButterCup replied to Tom's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
Talk first. Listen. Pay based on the listening exercise. Its not easy to hold that kind of conversation, which is why most people try to avoid it. (And why many contractors and customers don't answer their phones) Not talking makes the problem worse. If you don't talk first - the whole thing risks escalating out of all proportion. If (say) this issue gets worse still and lawyers get involved the first question they will ask is - did you talk to the contractor first? By the time things get to paper, nobody should be surprised. When things go wrong its ALWAYS a first class opportunity to show some character. Or guts if you like..... Here's a framework to help you think it through for yourself. Its a ten minute read. -
Hello, hoping to find a place to off grid
ToughButterCup replied to Ollie B's topic in Introduce Yourself
Hello. Welcome Hold on to your dream. No matter how long it takes. The world isn't ideal for anyone . You might have to compromise. -
Describe the research you have done for yourself .... please
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Architects, ballooning fees and estimates
ToughButterCup replied to Drellingore's topic in Costing & Estimating
Have you tried talking to your architect about the problem yet? I mean really talking? -
First timers attempting an ICF and Oak Frame house in Devon
ToughButterCup replied to MCoops's topic in Introduce Yourself
'... The dried out walls .... Took a lot of additional painting to deal with the enormous amount of locked in water ...' Woodcrete ( as in 'Durisol' ) drains itself ... Not one block outline is visible anywhere on the inside ( and parts of the outside) of our house. But in our piggery - even though its been rendered, you can see every single block. Because its not plastered or clad. (yet) -
First timers attempting an ICF and Oak Frame house in Devon
ToughButterCup replied to MCoops's topic in Introduce Yourself
Exactly right. It's one of the many compromises made when choosing any build system. -
First timers attempting an ICF and Oak Frame house in Devon
ToughButterCup replied to MCoops's topic in Introduce Yourself
Think about airtightness too @MCoops. Durisol is 80% ish air. So on my own, I rendered outside and in first ( and had the shoulder muscles to prove it ) Battened and boarded the wet room (+ tanking membrane (3) and tiles). Elsewhere plastered straight to the pre-rendered wall . BTW we found a plasterer who was a magician - needed to , the walls were all over the place(ish) -
First timers attempting an ICF and Oak Frame house in Devon
ToughButterCup replied to MCoops's topic in Introduce Yourself
Just for the record... We have a few bits of Durisol left lying around uncovered and outside ( for at least 4 years). It's drizzling now, so the few blocks I have are wet. Tomorrow will be fine, so by lunchtime the face facing the sunshine will be dry. I'm considering using them to build the base of a static workbench. (Because the blocks will be filled with concrete and thus immovable). We have a piggery next to the house. 8 years after it's construction the piggery is still unclad. Exposed to the elements. It looks horrible. But it's bone dry. Durisol is hydrophobic. The 'weave' of the fibers means that it's mostly made of air. Durisol is just like a Landrover: water flows out of it as fast as it flows in. -
Site worker accommodation "pod"; costs?
ToughButterCup replied to YodhrinForge's topic in Project & Site Management
£1000 quids worth of pure joy sorted it for us. A small TEU ( container). Sales rooms for internal furniture £100, made other stuff from scrap wood. And stored my cement in there too. Simples! Cheepls! -
Architects, ballooning fees and estimates
ToughButterCup replied to Drellingore's topic in Costing & Estimating
I think the issue you raise in this thread is a fairly common one. At its heart, its really simple. There's a problem. Both systems and people show themselves for what they really are when things go wrong. Not for when its all OK - or just jogging along So this gives you a first class opportunity to engage carefully with the architect, and turn the whole matter on its head. Pitch it as a joint issue that needs to be worked through together. Success here often forges much deeper, more meaningful understanding. What's the architect's point of view? Put the horse in front of the cart - what's (was so far) missing from the dialogue? Does the architect know what you think? People are allowed to make mistakes. They are normal. And so are yours. If you are to work together plan for mistakes together Listen deeply. If you must part, then do so respectfully and on good terms. Its a really small world. Have a quick look at this. Its meant kindly, and I apologise in advance if you're already aware of it. Other readers may not be. Good luck Ian -
I need one of these!
ToughButterCup replied to Nickfromwales's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
Thats how they make Durisol innit? No? Oh, sorry my mistake. Happy Friday everyone. -
Welcome. Well, the first mistake was thinking we can stop you making mistakes. We can slow them down -slow--motion---car----crash-----like . But there is one trick you can try. Its hard, though. The trick? Ask the right questions well before time. How? We can't help you with timing. But we can help best if The questions are clearly expressed The questions (not the context) are short ( less than 10 words) One question at a time helps readers focus You evidence what you have done to help yourself before asking here You have looked through this site to see how many threads there already are about what you want to know Your post links to those threads and explains simply why your issue is different You add images and diagrams to your post See if @Pocster has already made the same cock-up but worse - so very much much worse. Happy Friday Ian
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Removing house from Council Tax list
ToughButterCup replied to srowe's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
One bridge at a time.