ToughButterCup

I wonder whether that is true of all of us, all the time? In the same way as we are all watching glass flow (I'm told)

Seen on a tool maker's van: Some day you'll need a Rigid Tool.

This screenshot explains the reason for the difference between @ProDave's report, and @NSS. Dave's slap bang in the middle of the Low Pressure system windy.com

Optimism bias will blot out any negatives that KM or Grand Designs dish up. I've been thinking about @JSHarris point about it here, . I don't think we would - knowing what we now know - have started our build. But then I remembered Robert Frosts poem: The Road Not Taken. Another way, perhaps earthier, would be to say Curiosity Killed the Cat Had we not started - damn the consequences - I for one would never have forgiven myself. So for us it's a bit shitty now, no money, knackered, lots of mistakes to live with. More stress -in spades - to come. I know that now. And how many people do I know would give their eye teeth to be as privileged as we are?

In the 1980s, some German TV stations - when no programs were scheduled - showed a video taken from the dashboard of a car driving through (where I was ) the North German Plain. Open countryside - say Salisbury Plain-ish or bits of Norfolk would be the UK equivalent. Very restful to watch.

Guilty as charged. Knackered, broke, learning hand over fist, stressed and very happy.

For a wonderful selection of non-compliant stairs, all you need to do is look at the average Grand Designs episode. Across the UK, you can hear the chorus of outraged BuildHubbers every episode : "Those bloody stairs aren't compliant" followed a few seconds later by "Thats a good idea - shall we do that dwahling - wodja fink ?" Tripped and almost fell down my temporary stairs the other day. Ours will be over-compliant.

What a stupid thing of me to write. There aren't enough expletives ...........

I really, deeply feel for those many brave souls starting off in the current political atmosphere. But there are things we can all do to mitigate the insolence of fortune. On many budget headings we can save a bit here, a bit there; overall the price of stuff may not make much difference. We can all compromise just a little bit. Put the infrastructure in for a this or a that and afford it a bit later - avoiding the aggro of digging through walls and laying cables or pipes. A bit of strategic planning if you will. Delivery? Well, that's another issue. Maybe the time will come soon when - as a group - we might pool resources to achieve some economy of scale : time, delivery costs, labour, purchasing power. ?

That woke you up didn't it??

@SteamyTea, HTML5, CSS3 and JQuery and a web server (free) will highly likely do the job. There's loads of excellent online help.

@craig will know ... He'll be along in a Scottish minute. ?

Have a look at this

The aircraft has a very strong pro lobby in the USA; have the USAF actually managed to retire them yet? I seem to remember some poor eejit trying to convince a US Senator (Mc Cane?) that the F16 was an appropriate replacement.

Have a read of the GBRs and then PM me.

No, Planners cause the sort that keep you awake. All bloody night. For months.

Hmmm: and they say that there are no old bold pilots left ? That saying must be wrong then. Shucks.

If you can get hold of it. We needed the shaped EPS 300 for our foundations. 10 week back order....

Show us how the ICF wall can contain the concrete as efficiently (financially and thermally) as insulation on it's own.

Are you aware of the General Binding Rules ?

Make a little recess in the ceiling - you know, a bit like a downlighter. I'll get me coat , Ed

I shut my eyes and sleep. 19:24 and I'm almost asleep on the sofa.

? With gutters, I'm at the YooChube video stage : a la How d'ya fit Lindab gutters then squire? Professionally, I had a fairly thick skin before I started this build. But since the build started, it's a lot - and I mean a lot - thicker now. When that happens ( get disheartened) to me (once a month or more) I try and do something to inspire me - I've been known to go and lurk around building sites - sometimes ask for permission to look at things on sites (told get lost occasionally) - I learn a lot doing that. Don't tell SWMBO, but I might treat myself to the odd nice tool now and again . (My Bosch laser spirit level is the mutts nuts) Would that I had the confidence, @patp ...

I've worked Up to 7 days a week for the last 4 years - almost all (except for three months) on my own. Few days off here and there, most weekends I work at least half a day. I'm retired, getting fitter by the year, losing weight, down in the dumps occasionally. But mostly head-down-arse-up-go. The most important thing is having a supportive other half. I would have thrown in the towel a couple of times if it weren't for her. 146 sq m. Roof on, windows in, some carcassing, first layer of plaster on, first fix. Zero experience of building before I started : well, I mixed concrete for my dad and few times - he did have a slipped disk after all. Often I work very inefficiently indeed. Because I haven't got a clue how to do stuff. Takes me about 5 times longer to get things done than anyone else. It's the stress of the c@ck - ups and the lack of knowledge and skills that gets to me most. Its rare for me to be able think and so plan strategically, often, I ' ... wish I'd thought of that last year ...' I could not do this job without Build Hub. Yep, I'm a Mod, so I would say that wouldn't I, but seriously for me, this isn't doable without Build Hub. How the Hell @nod and his other half did it as well as full time jobs I don't know.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch this is as far as we've got..... Knocking the hole in the ICF took three hard hours' pleasant work: stitch drilling , hammering, chiselling , swearing (no need for the gym) Here's the hole from inside the Piggery with the outer sleeve fitted (digger arm protecting the nosey general public from falling in the trench ) and the inner box (below) is slid into the outer sleeve (above) The inner sleeve is fastened to the wall with straps and screws. A bit of foam is needed to jam the box in place - you can just see it in the upper foto. I rang the pipestock people and got a very helpful operator. He suggested I use the combined stop valve and drain off point : good idea I thought. Quick call to UU and they said it was Ok to use them since they are WRAS approved. Bit expensive, but with 40% discount (from what?) using two valves instead of four makes sense to me. OK, they'll be delivered Friday or Monday, but UU won't even have the quote for their work to me by then. That went well then didn't it? Rare on my site. Right, next job ... guttering. Hmmmm.