ToughButterCup

Gottda face it, my knees are shot. They're has-been-knees, dead knees; I know a dead knee when I see one and I can see two of them now (well it's early). Getting up and down from the trestles (as opposed to a scaffold - there's progress for ya!) I wobble like a jelly, not having the courage at the top of the steps to press hard with just one knee. How do I safely get up on to a trestle? Yes: I know use a ladder: but how do you fix the ladder solidly so that transitioning from the ladder to the planking is safe and steady? I need a handrail-grab-thingy....

I'd rather that happened than you not post. Having the lower chord of a POSI 'free' (that is tied to the joist hanger, not the wall) is counter- intuitive And your advice is exactly right. I usually try to explore the scope and severity of a problem before attempting to solve it. A useful strategy, sometimes. But as you say, inappropriate here. Domestic Client - inexpert , CDM 2015 and all that, Sometimes a Can Do attitude gets in the way.

It already is : 120 Thunderbolts into 200 concrete.

I quadruple checked. It's OK. Design approved by the supplier company

Nice idea, but it's me we're talking about, not an experienced chippy - that would make a 100 by 220 wallplate and 200 long Thunderbolts....

Yes, Russell, I think it is a (photographic) 'angle thing' . I'm not sure what a pole plate is, but the POSI joist is a good few ml lower than the wall plate (sometimes called rim joist). So the bottom chord of the POSI is 'free' - to the extent that the joist hangers will allow it to swing.

The money will be nice. But having peace of mind nicer....

It's the standard way.... Good, hefty cross-braces ; or - as we did - use up all the spare 4 by 2. God what a waste that was.

Bosch laser innit? I must have re-measured all the spans five or six times, And once with Debbie checking my measurements table (Nearly wrote measurements there before remembering what field day @Onoff would have )

55 or so. Every one exactly 100mm short.

Surprisingly, not me. The supplier's rep was quite open and frank about it: he's even been honest enough to transfer my annotation ( 'This dimension is the internal wall dimension, not taking into account the 50mm timber bearer' ) on his initial plan. BCO pointed out that since there are no POSI Joist guidelines equivalent to the TRADA ones, he can't advise on whether its possible to compensate for the error. Looks like the suppliers will need to replace them. Pity - it'll be costly.

The span at that point is 3646, and the joist supports the first floor.

If I cant take a joke, I shouldn't have started should I? So, folks, what I can I do about that then? Booked a call from the BCO, architect sucking his teeth, suppliers humming and haa-ing.

The price of the raw material is not the only cost to take into account; the biggest annoyance (on our build) was the cost of mishandling the blocks. In other words - the couldn't-give-a-stuff-itis It matters if other blocks are used as a cutting surface , so when the builder uses those blocks there are so many cuts on it that the block bursts. It matters if there is only one supplier: we used more than we thought we would, and instead of just popping down to the BM, you have to arrange a palletised delivery. Despite being repeatedly asked, our builder seemed to take delight it tell us we needed more blocks five minutes before they disappeared off site. It matters if the blocks are laid without care and subsequently, instead of relaying, bashed into place with a piece of 3 by 2 - and so fractured, causing the inevitable burst. Ask about delivery lead time. Its getting longer..... On balance, those carelessnesses added nearly 5% to the raw price. By the way, just been to a local Durisol build. An appreciable number of (as yet unused) blocks were 5mm more 'out' . QA, it seems is becoming an issue. They should not have left the factory.

Elegant. Of the techniques suggested, yours, Ed (the Scottish one) , appeals the most. I'll try the others too just for reference. The post on your blog about checking your laser has got me thinking too. Thanks.

Hmmm. Yes, temporarily just for accuracy. Your point about splitting them made me think though. I might just have to prop them in place and then fix with hangers and nails.

Wallplates are nearly all up now. ?? Can I screw the joists to the wallplate before I attach the joist hanger? I ask because I'm doing it on my own and I think I may be able to fix the joists more accurately by screwing them first and fitting the joist hanger after I am satisfied with the position of the joist.

Finish the bathroom ..........?

Locally I regularly pass a few properties which have been scaffolded for well over 2 months. A couple have been up since the summer. No work is going on on any of them. And if my guess is correct, then there won't be be much happening this month either. Knowing local prices, each is being charged £300 a month, in two cases twice that. A good few thousand spent, and no work completed. What's it like round your place?

Hello , good afternoon and welcome. I am sure a bit of networking will find you a manager. Start with @Nickfromwales, if he doesn't know, he'll know someone who does.

When I'm feeling sorry for myself, I remember folk like you

Naah mate, its " JSHarris switch da lights on bruuuv "

I bought Bosch: weeeellll, no imagination innit? The Bluetooth ones are nice because we can switch them on and off from our bed (line of sight), or you can program them to switch off and on whenever. Key issue for us is that we're already in the Bosch ecosystem - batteries and chargers.... : like I say, no imagination innit

What does your Planning Consultant say?

Are we allowed to choose between methods?