ToughButterCup

Hmmmmm. Time to bring this knotty problem out of the -its-too-hard- box , I think.

@PNAmble, that's exactly our approach. - It's new, it's different , go carefully - Passiv Design backs you into a visual corner. Humans crave focus, visually interesting focus. And I don't know about you, but I can stare for hours at a log fire and feel soothed by heat, warmth, a freezing back, and endless visual drama of a log giving up the ghost. Passiv Design says in that horribly Germanic way - Das ist Verboten! Boody Germans (for those who don't know , I'm German) What's more delicious than sitting with your best mate , silent except for the sparkles and warmth of a fire. @Jenni, that's all that's left, I think.

Humbug. Sorry I'll get my coat

Welcome to the Nightmare Club. Self building is first and foremost a test of character. All the Planner is doing, is giving you a Snagging List of the things you need to do. Do them. Or buy somebody's services to have them done for you.

That post (the one immediately above) was unkind, unnecessary and hurtful.

Mine uses the following technique: "Well how do I know what I want until I see what you've done? Eh? Answer me that?" I'm afraid I lost it, and answered.... "How do I know what I think until I hear what YOU say? Since you won't tell me what you want until AFTER I've done it, I'm on a proper loser here sweetheart" Silence. Rictus grin. Still married.

Might as well have. At least they'd be a focal-friggin-point. "Oh look sweetheart if you poke that fish you get a real buzzzz" I've been playing this Self Build game now for 9 years... Made stirling efforts to incorporate good design practice, included key people in design discussions , tried to build to higher build standards than needed - and still = Plug sockets in the wrong places (6) = No focal point in the sitting room = 6 years behind schedule = Absolutely exhausted And she hits me with an absence of focus . Welcome to the Principal Designer role dear. What goes where, by when and how much do you want to spend? Don't misunderstand me. I'm one of the most overpriviledged people I know - all I've done for these last years is get out of bed and build a house every working day. Don't have to do a real job like most of us. I'm just thoroughly, deeply knackered. It's time to move on. Time to give others to the job and sign cheques.

You bad man. Almost as bad as @Pocster

Exactly. Business opportunity for someone then?

Well @Iceverge, we've already got a fish tank and (the equivalent of) an electric fire. £40 worth of pure joy from Aldi. An hour with it on it's lowest setting and we need to switch it off. No : she needs summat to LOOK AT. FFS. A focal point. Summat to warm cockles not flesh. We're already warm enough. And all because everyone visiting - we've had more than normal this summer -asks "Where's your fireplace?" The crunch came when the electricians (two really nice lads) asked that question - after saying "Hey it's warm in 'ere innit."

Hey lads, I've had an idea. How about one of those calor gask space heaters that you find in cafes outside on the street?

She wants a fire. One she can see. One visitors can see. FFS folks. Whassa bloke to do? Make the house warm all the bloody time, - underfloor heat - and when folks come, but can't see a fire, it's cold somehow (?) I've a good mind to put a log burner in. 🥵

Reasonable Attenuation Method Statement

Ah! The good old Conditional Tense (could cut) . Easy to miss A thinly veiled request for more research funding.

Keep your eye on the prize: Planning Permission. It's a nervy time, applying for permission. Hoops to jump through , walls to face-plant into, people being badly behaved, for ever rushing yourself and then having to wait for everyone else. Its a test of character. Now is not the time to challenge the insolence of fortune. That luxury comes on Appeal. Because if after you've been a good-boi and swallowed your medicine and played by their rools made up on the hoof or otherwise , they refuse permission and you appeal, then their actions will be put under scrutiny. What-ifs are not for now. Later. Eye on the prize.

I'll try and find one. I sold my digger with it's buckets to deserving couple of BuildHubbers a couple of years ago - and regretted it ever since... This isn't the one, but it's close

Ours is alluvial clay set (in parts) on a sandstone incursion. My God the clay can stick to a digger shovel. I had to buy (have made) a proper clay spade . It was little more than a simple hook (no sides) and the hook bit of it looked like a sieve.

Here's another .... I found that the compacted columns of stone act as soakaways..... I couldn't believe it when - by accident - I left a hose running above a partially exposed column. The water just disappeared . I think the column was about 5m deep and about 400mm wide.

That we are a bunch of bitchy WillieWavers, perhaps? As far as I can tell there's nay wimmin contributing to this thread.

That's what we did. 52 columns, took a day from start to finish. Since that process is quicker and cheaper, and there's far less vibration, it begs the question - why not ?

Thanks very much. I've read one or two, skimmed others, and the Abstracts of two. The research cited appears not to address the issue of Low Level Background Noise. There are hints, but no real focus on low noise..... but this (in How Different Sound Levels Can Affect You) confirms my experience the context [of noise] is important https://noiseproject.org/how-different-sound-levels-can-affect-you/#:~:text=40 dB to 50 dB This decibel range,prolonged exposure may also cause headaches and irritability. downloaded 16/10/2024

Grrrrrr.......

You mention low-level noise particularly. I'd love to find any documentary evidence for that - specifically for low-level noise. If you could point me to some evidence, that would be great. I'm interested because there are some types of low level noise I love ( the seashore, a babbling brook, a waterfall, a large locomotive diesel engine on tick-over, our tomcat snoring, any cat's purr ) . But some - our digester humming quietly (air compressor), rain on a metal gutter grates .....

I'm reeling from the internal criticism of leaving dry smuts on the carpet. "But if I wipe them off when they're wet they leave a smear !" doesn't cut it.

Naaaaah. I use plastic spatulas and fingernails