ToughButterCup

Exactly right, dad. Reps are full of stories of whole houses being poured in one go - all tosh as far as I'm concerned. If successful, the reward is not to be sniffed at. At least the cost of a pump for a day. £500. Is it wurf it? For Durisol, there is no hard and fast rule. But there is a good deal of BullPoo in the stories I have been told, the amount depends on how pissed the story-teller is. Ask yourself this question: given the likelihood of a burst, how much concrete are you prepared to lose in one go? We had four bursts three at low level, one at 3 meters: every one caused by a combination of couldn't-give-a-tossitis and in one case criminally negligent behaviour. Three bursts were minor irritants - they caused half an hour of frenzied activity and we're promptly forgotten. The last one, despite being fully prepared, and having everything to hand (to repair a burst) , caused months of delay: and I came to be grateful for the delay. I now know exactly what to look for to prevent Durisol bursts, and so my risk appetite is different to what it was a year ago. Go and watch several pours on builds using your chosen ICF - you'll learn a huge amount from doing so. Err on the side of caution: reduce to potential for error to a level which is acceptable to you. Yours is the only relevant opinion.

Oop north, this is top of the line....

An essential skill here....... essential.

And why is nobody on this forum surprised? ( Except @Nickfromwales)

Thanks. That explains it. I thought it was just too much porridge.....

They work even when the user is blind(ed) OK, I was a bit cack-handed, let my glasses fall off my nose, and then - in - slow - motion, watched my size 10s stand on them. Waraneejit But -the good bit- I found I didn't need to see the screw head for the drill bit to engage and drive the screw. And neither did I need to be able to see the next few screws either. I could do everything by feel. Bless the inventor. Bet Torx was invented by a woman. That's it. Buying Torx only from now on.......

Better sell my old G10-40 watch then (£100 on eBay) ?

I've been on a Wanted poster. Does that count?

There was a time during our various planning hiccups that I thought we were wasting time. I have come to see enforced waiting time as valuable planning time.

Not that many of us about @lizzie

That precisely why I'm suggesting planned labour exchange. Maybe it's not a runner though : I have the strong feeling that we all invest too much in our own builds to have anything spare for anyone else. Pity. The other biggy is (say) @Alexphd1 needs a bit of help and I can go up to his place, and he can come and sort something here in Lancashire. Between us that's four days travel. The Buck Stops Here, eh?

Hmmm: makes me wonder whether there's any mileage in - for key parts of our builds - a Labour Exchange. Off the top of my head, for my build, I can think of at least four things that would be sooooo much easier with just a bit of help. Just a bit of muscle and good humour. I'm not talking about specialised (say) Sparky work, or the clever bits of plumbing that many here seem to do. In exchange for a similar amount of time and effort on 'your build' .... Or is that too hard to organise? Or make work?

"How's the build going?" Is the most common question I get asked by people who walk past our build. One gorilla of an instructor once whispered in my ear. "Lad, you have got two speeds: dead slow and stop" So, in reply to 'Hows the build going ' I say. " I'm on my own, and doing the vast majority of it myself: well, me BuildHub and YooChube. " Well, Sergeant Williams you were, and still are right. I'm making slooooow progress. My only 'excuse' is that I'm really, truly doing it myself. And , uncomfortable truth to be told, feeling sorry for myself occasionally. Yes, I have the odd hour or two of help and Debbie always offers to help out. But, there's not a lot she can do. (Lifting a few tonnes of concrete aside) DIY. How many of us (non-builders) are doing the vast majority of their build mostly on their own?

... let me describe a commonly observed (by that I mean I have seen the following happen), local (West Lancashire) approach to ecology. Out of nowhere, trailer loads of pig manure have been deposited in strategic places , roof spaces have been fumigated , fires left smouldering for weeks. The following year, an application for Planning Permission is received, surveys done: bats, GCNs, badgers and other delicate flora and fauna are found to be curiously absent. Motivation? In the case of GCNs - if my case is any guide - £6000 and a year's delay saved. Similar numbers for bats, and as for badgers - I'm still too upset by my experience of the financially motivated destruction to detail it further.

Welcome. If ever there was a project that demanded thorough research, this is one. And you'll be doing it on top of a full time job. The list of challenges faced is longer than average, but all of them have already been covered here in some detail. I mean - It's just a house. And you'll have lots of local advice on tap I'm sure. You now have a few hundred BH addicts hooked. We all want piccies so we can wince over our cornflakes, and splutter into our cup of tea. ' Eeeer, sweetheart! Seen this?.... Proper job that. Wonder how long it'll take @Onoff to find an excuse to visit?'

Hmmmm, had you down as a Babysham lass. Phhhhh.

Isn't that the phenomenon which causes many to fit a radiator directly under a window? There'll be a descending column of relatively cool air being delivered to SWMBO's feet. And, since wimmin are generally freeeeezing all year round, you'll be told about how extra cold the bathroom is (because, at the time of the complaint, her feet will be both wet and uncovered) Solution: shower with slippers on. Simples!

I might have put it a little stronger after a year.... The question now is; why the lack of progress to getting the issues resolved?

Gary, have you tried putting a broom where the sun doesn't shine and sweeping up as you go along? Cos frankly it makes me knackered just reading the amount of work you get through. Give Deborah my regards, Ian

We all know that Macivity is the Hidden Paw don't we? Maybe you've found him Joe! But watch out, he's the Napoleon of crime!

Resilience. Read this set of posts for a bit of inspiration. OK, the optics weren't good. Neither were the vibes. But that's all they were, optics and vibes. Her head was elsewhere. She knew how to play the game. BUT.... Her decision has to be evidence-based - to an extent. Thats the thing - extent. Her mantra - Settlement Boundary is interesting. Martin Goodhalls Planning Law Blog covers an Appeal Court Decision about this very issue. I think I summarise accurately: Settlement Boundary is not a concept that should be slavishly applied . https://planninglawblog.blogspot.com/search?q="settlement+boundary" In essence the last paragraph (quote directly below) says it all, but the whole thing is worth a close read '... It is clear from this judgment that the prescriptive and restrictive interpretation that some LPAs have sought to put on paragraph 55 of the NPPF is inappropriate, and that a more ‘broad brush’ approach is required when considering the application of this policy. Lindblom LJ’s observations on the boundaries of a settlement are particularly interesting, and clearly envisage a more flexible approach in this regard than the rigid adherence to designated settlement boundaries that LPAs commonly seem to adopt. This guidance from the Court of Appeal on the approach to be taken to the interpretation of paragraph 55 is extremely helpful, and it is to be hoped that it will put an end to sterile disputes about the acceptability of developments that are outside a designated development boundary. ... ' (Goodhall, M, April 2018, accessed October 2108) She has been pointed to a body of evidence to which she must now refer. If she doesn't, and you apply for permission, then she risks an Appeal which will take account of those earlier decisions - because they will form the core of your grounds for appeal. I would guess that about half of us here have had really depressing but high-stakes conversations with key people in the Planning Food Chain. You feel sick and despondent for a bit because you lack control. But you can do stuff to keep your pecker up.... Keep abreast of the local decisions. Read every single Appeal judgement in you LPA : those will be especially closely followed Read her decisions - get used to her style Ask around about her - quietly diplomatically Talk to estate agents Go and visit the sites about which she has written : look for similarities and differences with your case Keep a really close eye on Martin Goodhall's blog. His written style is dense but beautifully crafted. Keep talking to us Don't let the bastards get you down.

Chromecast if she has taken the Android shilling

Could not agree more. And it might also be thought unwise to attribute motive to action.

Hmmm. Sure?

? Its all coming together for what in my case, passes for a brain these days. First ManFlu of the season . ? Go on, show some sympathy I dare ya @Hecateh, @lizzie, @newhome. No point in asking more widely: they're all brutes