ToughButterCup

This might help. Hope so.

Or get told to go away in short rhythmic jerks. The Full On DIY experience is almost as painful, just as slow and costs far less. 1000 times more fun. I could not contemplate DIY without knowing BH is just a few clicks away.

Welcome. Have fun while you can. I sense that you've earned it - waiting til our time of life to do something is a harsh discipline. I echo @Lesgrandepotato 's note of caution. Our build is a case in point. Get the purchase under your belt. The self-build process hardens you. Your only defence is preparation and research.

Do you know the name of the official coming to meet you? I ask because if you do, and you can read some of his or her decisions online before tomorrow, it means you have time to get a feel for all sorts of things in advance of the meeting. And if you can mention (provided it's relevant) one or more of the decisions he or she has made, then that will, at the very least, cause an inner smile. And so oil the wheel a bit. The micropolitics of the meeting are critical. Professional, polite, attentive, listening. Find out as much as you can about the planner before tomorrow. Do not be afraid of silence. Every Planner is used to Mr and Mrs Grumpy. Its normal.

Run , run for the hills! Here's no different : here be nuffin but draguns, wailing, gurnin' and gnashing of teef. And if you follow @Onoff, procrastination too. Despite all that, you couldn't be in better company. Welcome.

Here you are son; just what I'm planning to do as well.

How many builders in your bunch then? Need to know because our spell-checker could fail under the increased strain. Welcome!

Already got one. They are all harnessed in the engine space of my Meat Head Wagon As to Earthing Therapy: FGS lads, you are talking to me - the AntiSpark. It doesn't take me long to earth myself to a lively wire.

.... Instead of a shower... and no wonder it's wet under there. At eye level with the sealant between the bath and the tiles for the first time - you guessed it. There's a gap. For water. Which is why its why the low-level isolator switch (in the next room) is also wet, and why there was arcing on the negative line IN, which caused the blue sleeving to melt ... and smell. And harden. So I trimmed the Line IN back, made a new connection (Yes @Onoff and @ProDave I bought one of those bleeping testers (Bosch of course) so I am still alive: not like last time when I got near a live cable I wondered what the BANG (but no smoke) was) . Re- connect: nothing. So I had a bath. Which is why before doing anything else I thought I'd ask you all "What next?"

Exactly what we plan to do.

As written that's unkind. And I'm sure you don't mean to be. The fundamental issue is parity of esteem. Qualified German builders are held in high regard. As are their trainees. What irks me is the key role the British had in designing the training regime at the end of the war.

+1 . Mine get nicked ...☹️

My money is on this one....

We've had a new heating system installed. Tickety Boo. Every time we open or close a cold tap quickly, there's a brief knocking sound. Anything I can do?

Wot Dave said. We are either retired or about to. That makes using our own power easier

If the criticism is thoughtful and skillfully expressed, then ..... but mostly it isn't. Its an unkind way of expressing a hidden agenda. Its also a very useful filter.

Let me know if you want advice on Durisol. It may not be right for you. Here's a warts and all description of (short of being killed by it) of about the worst that can happen with an ICF. That said, I would happily use the product again. Tell us more about your hopes and plans.

Ta.

Morning folks. For this week's DIY challenge I need to make my own flat roof. The roof bit is not too difficult. I have almost settled on a design. Its the box gutter that concerns me. The closest I can find for the design is this YT video. (0:08) See the black stuff that's between the layers of OSB - what is it? Ta!

It's minute by minute insistence compared to silent reality. I agree, spreadsheets are a fantastic tool: sensibly applied, they make a huge difference. And having an auto-update VAT reclaim tool is a life saver. I missed a trick - should have trained our children to update our spreadsheet for us. Ah well. ?

Once you've got one, it's keeping it fed and watered thats the issue. Spreadsheets are worse than children. Instead of ' .. needing ... ' this or that, spreadsheets just sit there silently sneering at you - You haven't updated me recently have you? Hmmm, you'll see.... Listing itemised costs is difficult. How much detail? Enough to be meaningful, but not so much as a book keeper might require? Going to cost in the extra travel, the additional phone calls? Consider keeping an online version so you can update it from multiple platforms . Good luck

Not being as well organised as @Russell griffiths, but having an inkling that mud would be a foe, this is what we did..... First, try not to get it on yer shoes in the first place I found that if I laid the mat(s) at a slight angle, the rain rinses the mat clean. An occasional brush with the same stuff we use to rinse the dog pens is perfect. Next: accept the the inevitable - so I bought a 5 meter off-cut of Astro Turf and put it down in front of the door; put a hose sprayer and brush next to the sluice..... Yes, that's a Dock leaf growing through the plastic. You can scrape your boots to your hearts content on Astro Turf. Best £50 I ever spent. Ashamed to admit I asked Rollo to mow it. ?

You / we have no option. That skill maintains sanity. Protects bank balances. Encourages modesty. Me, I'm a bit of an eejit, nearly broke and scorched by the heat of my own worthiness.

Thats worth knowing.....

So...... is there any way eejits like me can find out how much a telehandler can lift at the maximum extent of its reach? Or do we just wait until the rear wheels lift off the ground?