ToughButterCup

What a glorious mess. That's what a German Anglophile loves about the UK. It's interesting, full of quirks not boring, or standardised like the Teutons.

Why would shortening age them?

It's not just me then That's a relief

Got a drive? One tonne bag of sand.

The following overheard at a local plumbing depot: a real proper plumbers merchant, smelling of paraffin, sweat, linseed and thinners - Single lightbulb on at the hatch where sits a Ditsy Teeny Blond Bomshell : her nail varnish bottle out on the counter: cotton wool blob and nail file and thinners bottle open - slightly heady scent. One hand waving to and fro to dry the nail she had absent-mindedly painted a few seconds ago. A local plumber beats me to the counter: smiles at the lass who's now on her second nail of the day .... Y' awreet mert? she says sweetly, while looking at nail number three Aye 'Appen ye've sum 3/4 irons in then? Wadja mean 22 mill? Nahh, I need sum three quarters Pause: by now nail number three had a wet edge, and so needed constant attention We've got sum inch in if that'd do ya? Nahh, I need three quarters really. Ditsy promtly turns and shouts to some hidden Golum deep in the bowels of the warehouse. I cant pretend to remember what she said because I didn't understand it. I speak four languages, and Plumber isn't one of them. Golum replied: which langauge does Golum speak? - because I understood not a word. Not a syllable. The plumber left. My turn. Do you sell HEP2o ? The shock of the question actually stopped her nail painting - eyed me suspiciously. 'S all Speedfit 'ere. And got on with nail number 4 I stood there for a moment and wondered if I should ask her what an inch iron was. Didn't have the guts. I'd feel better if anyone could please point me to a SIMPLE online resource which explains in simple terms the Imperial equivalents of 10, 15, 22 and 25mm piping is please. There are so many Metric to Imperial charts that do nothing more than complicate the problem ( to me anyway) Oh, and what's a plumbing iron in English ?

A little update: the next TWO Plasson replacement stop valves we fitted BOTH leaked from the valve stem- simple bad luck I think Philmacks fitted no problem

Thanks lads. I thought it was me failing to do a proper Internet search. There isn't one is there? Trouble with that for me is that I have to find out - usually by accident - what bits are available. Wavin produce some really good Support Videos. And it was there that I notice they do Stop Taps for their pipe range. News to me. So how the Fak (to quote NFW) do I know what to ask for eh? Zis vud not heppen in Tschermanee. Zieg Heil!

Databases are alright for some things - fast searches for example. But they are useless at giving you an overview of what's available. Is there such a thing as a HEP2O catalogue in pdf format? If you know of one, could you post a link please?

You are more annoyed about the lack of communication than the price I feel. Bad or non-existant communication is par for the course in this sector. How about this...... Pay what you agreed straight away. Pay the rest in stages ... it's easy to find a rationale for the delayed payment. He might think twice about not telling a customer next time. Yeah, right ....

If I had a quid for every time someone has asked me that... The answer is - the gap inside the is the perfect width for a machine gun bipod. The architect's idea of a joke, I think.

The ratio is as seen ... next to no glass, mostly frame. Special request is a bit grand: they are what the architect specified. CTI outside and inside?

I thought I'd start small and make my mistakes on this small window (of which we have 3) [Quick aside @craig (Ecowin) thought that Gaulhofer wouldn't be able to make windows this small - 600mm overall] Here's the patient : the problem at this stage is similar to the one @Roz had .... here First job is strip back the foam to just a bit deeper than the frame, and CT1 along all four edges right? Which leads to the first question - CT1 outside AND inside? (Photos to follow.)

Ahhhh yesss , the slow unnoticed leak, that most annoying of faults - been there got that slightly different T shirt. The Almost Unnoticed Fault T shirt

The answer is in the detail. And you don't have that yet. Get a design - publish it here and let the Commentariat masticate it for a while. You'll soon have too much information

Ahhh, intelligent questions. And if you asked one, would you understand the answer? No? Me neither. All any of us can do is pray that we get people who work with us. And not to work for just themselves- though they'd often call themselves "self-employed'. The only thing anyone can do is to ask open questions of professionals, and encourage dialogue. And that's an art.

Carryin stuff. That's wot wives if for innit?

Hello. You are very welcome. Help me out ... Tom's Barn?

Yes. Want. That easy word. Yes, I want to. Lying in bed, cat purring, warm, comfortable, second piece of toast - I want to and I imagine I could. Then the Devil whispers in my ear - Form it, Form it, you know you could. In my minds eye I can just see Jeremy Harris , head in hands, groaning softIy. " Optimism Bias " Tell ya wot. I'll chew on this today, and post later. After an hour in the gym. Sod it.

Not one to give up easily, I found this .... Level Access showers - the kind of thing that gets put in to bathrooms when the bath needs to be taken out. Does anyone have any experience of using them, or putting one in?

Thanks Ed, brilliant. I need to adapt one or two things, but that's not too difficult - I'll get on with it.....

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"Yew've got two speeds lad, dead slow and stop" Sergeant Williams commentary on my efforts during the Log Race last Century. He was right. I am slow. But I get there. Like I am slowly getting there with our windows. Slow, cautious. Of course it helps if you have a brilliant mate called Ed who produces stuff like this for all to see. Ed, could you please explain the build up of the connection between the window and the cill (sill) in the first few seconds. particulalrly, what's that stuff that appears to be under the window.... 0:07 Ta!

... but that's all - not that bad; like every other applicant, you just have to do it. And in self building there's a lot of that. Just Do It.

You need an explanation?

... without a fight. One has now been fitted. It really does matter where the S/C is fitted. It needs to .be accessible, and I will never fit just one. They do fail.