ToughButterCup

Here's our architect's answer to your question

Is it me, or is this thread still unnecessarily hard work ? I ask because I think it a compliment if anyone responds to my posts. And that response - no matter how much I disagree with it - is a starting point for my own thinking. Gentle responses are harder to draft when upset.

Talk. Listen. Come back to us with the result if needed.

I learned that the hard way too. For me the rule has become: work with people who raise my game: as well as force me to think hard, but laugh harder.

And yet.... and yet... houses do get built. I think this thread is another data point underscoring the aphorism that; Systems and people show themselves for what they really are when -not if- things go wrong

Now thats both interesting and reassuring.

Ooooofffff, when I tried that, our builders ducked and dived, bobbed and weaved. Took me ages to learn the lesson. And just a little longer to sack them.

Thats how we found out that the guy who set out our plot made a one meter error. So I paid him £1 less than he charged. (But bought him a pint in the pub)

Here Be Dragons. For me, that's a Red Flag.

Air test, leaf blower... erm, how? And how half-arsed ?

Dave .... be kind ... @Lincolnshire Ian wrote ' ... Our council will start charging us council tax ...' Ian: the answer is No.

That's it..... I knew that necking is the precursor to fracture. My mum did warn me.

Is that a 'General Rule' ? Snug fit , plus a quarter turn ?

Ah, thanks. If (like me) you don't know what to search for - or indeed if a topic is searchable - you can't find it. So just in case anyone is researching the same topic - - the seach term I used is bolt tightening torque calculator And here's the result. There are also downloadable apps that do the same thing ( but better?) Well I never. Who knew?

OK, so I've bought my wrench. How tight should I set it ? Where do I get guidance for all those hundreds of times we've all tightened ( over-tightened) bolts?

But its comforting to over-tighten them. In the context of bolts and threads (and without a torque wrench) - how does a self builder (or indeed anyone) know what's too loose and what's too tight ?

What's 'High Specification ’ ? What she says is....

I'd use leftover walk-on glazing....

Could I respectfully ask @zoothorn , have you done a Heat Loss Calculation for your house? Perhaps you have and I've overlooked your reply. If you have, would you mind sharing it with us please.

Cockup in haste (normal for me), and repent at leisure. Especially if you have a green-fingered wife. Hmmmm, no I haven't been on the whacky baccy. But at least I got a new power tool out of it. So that's all good. "Sweetheart, where do you want the kitchen sink in the new house? " "How do I know until I see the house?" Answering questions with a question is to live in a house with lecturers in it. Its bloody annoying when your spouse brings work back home innit. Wouldn't have been too bad if I'd kept on at her to answer the question, but, but , but , but. I wasn't up to it then (10 years ago). Result? I cocked up the kitchen waste. It's a proper bodge. A full-on bodge. So much of a bodge that I'm embarrassed to photograph it and post here. On its own that cockup wasn't too bad, but it is way too bad if your green-fingered Mrs. heaps the garden tight up against the bodge. And it's far and away too bad - borderline stoopidity- if you ignore it: for years. Cue gentle persistent stink. 3 weeks ago SWMBO broke her foot: I'm flying around like the kind of fly that lands on and loves smelly places. Add a bit of insult to injury because the puppy has had the shiteverywheres for a week. Vet unconcerned. And still it stinks. And I'm up three times a night for the last fortnight mopping poop. I'm concerned and annoyed at vets who aren't. And still it stinks. The Book of Job ( Jobby?) doesn't treat the matter well enough. And still it stinks. I'd forgotten how many swearwords I know. The garden had made its way into the yard drain (told you it's a bodge) . Stopped the flow. Which encouraged the fats to consolidate the mess. But still the drain works. Slowly, secretly (because she'd hidden the drain under a fekkin' jungle) What's that about then? My working theory is that (because I remember doing it) I had put so much pipe bedding round the foul drain that the bedding is acting as a secondary drain. *kinell! So I'm taking @Jeremy Harris advice and building myself a fat-trap (see the thread in this section about his adventures) I want to build it from prefabricated concrete sections stacked on top of each other. I need advice on how to make the fat baffle fit tightly - and permanently - to the sides of the concrete sections. Anyone made their own grease trap ? Care to share the design? Don't want to cock this up as well.

An interesting read that .... worth re-reading for me anyway if only for the bibliography Especially this article : Myths about Heat Pumps

The boss (SWMBO) has put a stop to the work. She agrees with @Nickfromwales . Arbeit verboten ; zu gefaerlich Some I win, most I lose.

Thanks @SteamyTea You know what they say about Germans and Sense of Humour ... Those engineers who -through simple mendacity- nearly sank VW's reputation removed any vestige of humour from the majority of their ex-colleagues. It still rankles a decade later. I agree: i need to wait til it warms up a bit.....

Who, @Iceverge indeed ? SEAT SummatOrOther. Designed - but not built - in The Fatherland. Only just forgiven them for the Emissions Scandal. ( A relative, Queen of QA at Mercedes , assures me the individuals concerned will never work in the automotive sector again) Post Mix bag bought, and dumped next to the hole. It's the next job after looking after Debbie's broken foot, pooped the dog and dropped the grandkids off at school . I'm quite excited at the naughtiness involved. No need for water is there if the puddle's already got water in it ....?