ToughButterCup

Look at your cost-to-completion spreadsheet. Put both numbers in. Decide whether the cost difference makes any material (sorry) difference.

OK, time for the story of one of the few times in my life when I came close, very close to wetting myself with laughter. Please bear in mind that I am German. Walking down the High Street in Skipton with a mate of mine : he has a razor sharp wit And what do we see, but a group of similarly clad people (as those in the image above) , of whom two were in Nazi regalia. The following exchange took place... Hiya Lads ... what's 't crack then? Vee are Officers of Ze Tcherman Army. Aye , ah can see that : 'ow's it goin' like ? Vee Tcherman Officers are taking our job seriously, vee do not smile, vee have no sense of humour Eeee, 'appen tha's just had yer gas bill then ? I nearly died.

Hmmm, pleased my Caution Circuit is working....?

Somebody recently wrote about MDF skirting and linked to this (or a similar) page. The image shows a skirting run with a wiring channel cut into the back of the board. Great idea, I thought! Then my caution circuit clicked over to 'On' . It's such a neat idea, there must be something wrong with it. Is there?

With me, it's a good idea to check. Thanks. Our lad needed the trailer....... tough luck

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Not allowed a garage (Planning) . But I could duct the heater airflow from the digger cabin heater.......... now there's a thought.

Digger and toothed bucket: no go Crowbar and anger: no go Pickaxe : no go ' ... Mortar and pestle... ' southern softies....... ya gotta love 'em

The best I can up with is to cover the sand with a dark colour membrane, perhaps a bin liner, and hope the sun will heat the sand up a bit. Same principle as a a solar shower... Well she would get the hump if you heat up one tonne at a time, poor lass.

I left a tonne of sharp sand in a trailer. Well, it's not sand now, Its rock. Phhhhhhh. God's havin' a laugh innee? Help!

One of the principal ' worries ' we had about Durisol ( one of the ICF systems available) was the loss of internal space because of the width of the blocks. The argument runs: for any given area on which you can build, Durisol uses more space than average. Our blocks are 365 wide with the normal plaster coating inside But its simple. And, correctly stacked and poured, properly plastered, delivers a reasonable U value.

North facing, triple glazed velux roof window, 3.30 this afternoon ..... on the outside, partly melted ice re-freezing

My wife puts it pithily.... A self builder is not a repeat customer. Trades prefer working for them. Self builds are one off. (Unless you are called @Stones)

Too much. As usual, @JSHarris has examined and written about this issue in some detail , and so has @ProDave. I'm damned if I can find the thread where they both discuss the topic in some detail - it was a while ago. And I've got to fizz off somewhere now.... I'll try and remember when and which thread. I remember one phrase in particular - something like '....well if the power's off for that long, treat the family to a meal out....' No point in writing the same stuff twice.

Most if not all self-builders start with a time-line in mind, and then change it in the light of experience. I don't want to hint at pessimism in my first response to you: but. I started employing people (groundwork, piling, initial build) , got my remaining 8 fingers burned. So, cheerfully, I'm doing it myself (except the clever stuff). The odd mate or two turn up, take the mickey mercilessly, do a bit of work, take the Michael some more. In revenge, I encourage our chickens poo in their shoes. The odd child turns up, does a couple of hours, tells me I'm doing all right for an old git, allows me to squeeze some cash in his pocket (for the grandson) and disappears. Stressful (because I know sod all about building), regularly losing sleep and having the time of my life. Seriously.

Welcome! I seem to remember a Building the Dream episode that echoes yours. I cant remember which series and episode, but the content is about a young couple who hated their bungalow. Its the one where they end up with a metal cow in their lawn, there's a large black trellis on the front and back..... Take @PeterStarck's hint about a tarpaulin roof seriously. When we priced that option it would have cost us £5000 for 146 m square. Good luck Ian

Very interesting indeed. And the others are?

Remember the retired feminist roofer? The one with the shoulders like an American footballer? If you dont, here's an introduction. Well Mel and his mate John turned up unannounced this afternoon, just as the sun filled the house with a golden glow. Our chickens eyed the newcomers for food. All of them lined up on the scaffold like 5 old hags doing their knitting and waiting for the severed heads to fall from the guillotine . None forthcoming. Crops packed as full as is Dolly Parton's , they could wait. Mel, the roofer is fastidious - perfect car - perfect haircut - perfect work jacket - but brothel creeper shoes which he proceeds to take off, place on a piece of carpet, and change into his work boots. Chickens eye one another and the shoes. John, Mel's mate, the retired medical photographer (Welsh, thus inevitably known as Evans the Snap) always smiling, always cautious, always combing his hair, always observant, notices first one, then the rest of hens hop off the scaffold and tip-toe nonchalantly towards Mel's shoes. Potential there, it seemed. Tha's meking a reet fookoop o' that staircase mert, said Mel. He was right. I hadn't a clue of how to actually build a staircase - beyond what a few hours looking at YT had taught me. Burt, tha's got them stringers raght: it's 't cummins' and goin's tha's got wrong. Wodja mean comings and goings? I asked. John busied himself choosing a Play List appropriate to the occasion - and then turning up the volume on my new Bluetooth speakers. For some reason he chose Gerry Rafferty: - '... cos if you get it wrong, you'll get it right next time... ' Miserable old git. Dont you mean tread and riser? I said falling straight into Mel's trap. Aye, laak ah said, cummin's and goin's, lad Between them, unbidden, John and Mel set to and built the staircase bottom to top. Between them, in their time they must have built a fair few staircases. And these -mine- are temporary. My God I learned a lot. Ah see Tea Lady's still ere said Mel to John at one stage. Gave them some of Debbie's cake too. So, I do take notice of what you say when I have an urge to do something stupid Walking out to the car -full of thanks and bonhomie - I noticed Mel had forgotten to change his shoes. So I ran back into the house and grabbed them. There, neatly placed inside the heel were two ForgetMeNots, one in each shoe. And not a chicken in sight. "I'll just pop these in the boot eh? " I said. "Cheers" and off they roared.

You would not needed to have seen the aircraft. They both have uniquely different sounding engines.

I'd rather you contacted Jamie direct, please.

That @scottishjohn , is a decision only you can make. I have nothing useful to say about any ICF other than Durisol.

The local Durisol rep that looked after my build (ermmmm.... re-build) has changed product to Isotex. He gave very clear reasons for doing so: A couple of weeks ago, I visited his last Durisol build - and in the light of what I saw, the move from Durisol to Isotex was understandable. Durisol have had some senior management changes, and the training emphasis has changed too. Local reps are not involved in local training any more, it seems. The MD has changed and the old MD is now the training manager. In some ways, that surprises me. Talking respectfully to customers was - until last year at least - not in the senior management skill set.

The Mods are running a sweepstake on who manages to delete them first.

What size is the source file (the file that's on the removable card) ? (On a PC) Insert it in a drive (card slot) , open the drive > right click > properties , note the file size. Ian

You like the kitchen: you would not have bought it otherwise. The key thing is the fitter(s). Attention to detail? Careful? Experienced? Competent?