ToughButterCup

Relax. Almost all of the trades who have visited us (not the sparky) have been grateful that I have a cross cut mitre saw on site. I have it mounted on wheels so we can move it to the job, rather than the other way round. I don't let people borrow it - I found one eejit merrily cutting through embedded nails. I use it every week - for example dug me out of the joists debacle, producing 20 or 30 noggins correct to the mm. I'm busy making a 5 meter window cill : a beefy crosscut saw is a huge help. You need, when cutting long lengths, to think about the feed-in and feed-out system. And, if you can, buy one which projects a laser line to the cut - huge help. There's one saw which projects two lines; one either side of the cut.

MBC? Minimum bactericidal concentration?

I think that this spat had little to do with money. And much more to do with self indulgence.

If you can evidence that statement in writing, tickety boo, it's an NMA. If not, Here Be Dragons. Follow @TerryE's advice

Limited exemption to what? Dont think about it, just do it. Box ticked, next job......

Welcome. Research brise soleil Good luck. Ian

Must have clipped my braces to my knickers then eh?

Its the wedgies that get to me most....?

Ya jorkin ..... It's the cussed cack-handed stupidity that gets me...

Well, folks, that's it. The last nail in the last joist. Its been hammered in HARD. Here's why. For reasons only known to the inexperienced self-builder, I put the floor joists up working from both ends of the room to the middle. 400 centers. That makes a gap between joists of about 328ml. The middle three joist are longer than the others - they had to be inserted closer than the others: 310ish. Tight. Well tight if you are my size. Arms and head above the top chord of the joist - beer gut wedged firmly between the POSIs, but swinging the hammer now like a demon (900 nails down and just a few more to go - all because of you @Pete). Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy. Well yeah, until it came to turning round to reach that sodding wedge to help nudge the top chord a mil or two higher. Christ this is tight. Turned a few degrees. Couldn't reach the wedge. Bugger - - Hand in my pocket - - maybe there's a spare wedge in there? Nope. By this time there is a semi painful wedgie though.? Dropped the hammer. "Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo" Stumped, and firmly wedged, I realise I am going to have to wriggle out of this. Up? No way Jose. Not strong enough to overcome the effects of the beer years. Starting to sweat a bit now. More from annoyance than anything. Down? No choice. Only way . Now, those of us whose work trousers 'need' braces because our trousers have half a ton of tools hanging off them (all lies girls, just lies) will realise that descending through a really tight space has an inevitable effect on your braces. That partially painful wedgie now got worse. A lot worse. You see the back clip of my braces caught fast on the bottom chord of the joist. The front of my work trousers started to pull hard. My eyes started to water I think. By this time, my hands were in the air, and my head altogether too close to the gap between the joists. And suddenly with one bound (as it were) I was free. PING - THUMP The clip of the braces parted company with the waist band - shot up inside my clothing and hit the bottom of my shoulder. No wedgie pain now, just shoulder pain instead. All of this was happening dear reader at the same time as my T shirt, gillet and windproof were slowly making their way past my beer gut on the way to my my head. Couldn't see a thing. But sure as Hell, I could feel my shoulder. A few seconds later, there I was topless on the scaffold boards. Cold? No. Furiously hot. Just a matter now of jumping down to the floor. Yep, I suspect you are ahead of me......... The jump was elegant. Feet and knees together (just like I wuz taught) Thump. I stopped. My trousers didn't. Normally that wouldn't matter. No need to fuss over a small thing like that. Standing in the doorway way my best friends wife with a grin from ear to ear. I wouldn't have minded but her dog went mad.

By chance I have the very Bosch SDS+ (note the +) The key thing to look for is soft start - sometimes called a clutch I think. The Bosch has a switch built into the handle (marked 75%). It spools up slowly and disengages instantly when ( for example) you hit a bit of rebar. For that one feature alone I am eternally grateful. Other makes have the same feature, but it tends to be on the slightly more expensive versions. Your wrists will thank you one day.....

Thats what Sunday's for..... More than enough pallets. Bring it on.....

Thanks @Pete and @PeterStarck. There's a balance to be held between stairs and ladders. I'm happy with either (or both). The motivation for this post came from meeting one of the people who regularly walk-in past our build. He isn't the fittest guy in the world, but he is intensely interested in what's going on. And always contributes sensible ideas. There's no way he can manage a ladder. And it won't be long before I will be wanting to walk upstairs with kit in my arms - i.e. hands free. There is also a simple design driver (restriction). The stairs go past the top of the wall that supports the staircase. And quite where they finish is , as yet, undefined. Hmmmmmm, yeah, I know..... So a flexible set of 'stairs' is an attractive idea. Flexibility must not compromise safety. I've quite a bit of re-usable 8 by 2 and 6 by 2 knocking around, and too many pallets to ignore. I feel some tooth-sucking coming on while finishing the mezzanine today. (the one where I made a 30 mm mistake  on Thursday)

As soon often @Onoff hits the spot........ 'twil be a good discussion tonight in the pub. Photos to follow.

Wot Debbie says. Risk appetite varies, and since I'm operating outside CDM2015 (because this is pure DIY - nobody else will be using then) and I have a huge incentive to stay fit, I expect the risk to be as low as using normal stairs or lower. @nod well I won't be burning mine.... ?

I like controlling risk down to acceptable levels. And I have a huge pile of waste wood. And ever dwindling piggy bank.

You mean you made them from CLS and ply?

from ?

I need some temporary stairs. And I have a huge pile of pallets. See where this is going yet? And then I bumped into this. And I have enough lead in my pencil to do it this weekend . But caution suggests I ask the commentariat for comment first

Don't tell me... you fell asleep in her arms.. ?

Even I can see that evens things out.

I was glad I didn't do a final check for level when I stopped working on the mezzanine joists last night. I would have had another really bad nights sleep. Look at this.... this is how un-level I managed to nail the joists hanger: no, the red laser line isn't disappearing to infinity, it's 30mm out at one end and 0 on the other - over 2 meters For those of you wondering what self-build does to you - it makes you tired enough to make significant - and sometimes costly- errors All I had to do last night was recognise how tired I was tack the joists in position with cramps and one or two nails go home But no, I had to hammer home 24 nails on the joist hanger with one end of the joist 30mm too low. In the cold light of day it beggars belief . The remedy? Make a 2 meter long stealer piece (wedge) : half a day's work and thank God for Debbie's Christmas cake.

Interesting. Looks very well thought through. First, compliments on the use of colour - makes the plan much easier to understand. Only one comment about the plan; consider changing the southern dressing room to a mezzanine ..... ?

Yes. Structural support for the stairwell. Cheap, fast, strong.

Reading between the lines - maximum bang for minimum buck. Apply for Outline Planning Permission. Forget full planning permission and forget design - that can all be sorted out later. Why do I suggest that? Full PP and design cost more Outline PP. And your taste will change over time. Do you have a site in mind? Sites vary a lot. So will the costs involved.