ToughButterCup

Thats what worries me. .....

Its like the perennial question we all get asked ' ....When are you planning to start / be finished / get the roof on / I suppose half of it (for me) is that I now have a uniform: cheap knee padded work trousers, expensive trainers, one of three T shirts all worn to buggery, a battered waterproof and a 1000 yard stare. We went out last night and everyone commented about me looking different once I'd had a bit of scrub..... : and I counter that my mates are looked like pasties office-palour, I now have a fairly good tan. As to Naturism and building @Onoff, not when I have an angle grinder or welder on the go . But, safely tucked away up on the roof where only a select few can see me - well - there's not much to make a fuss about.

Its the only thing that doesn't stink.....

Pulling on my hi-viz and safety trainers this morning, it suddenly hit me. This is never going to stop is it? There'll always be more to do won't there: a tweak here, a new this or that to buy and fit. A new product to try out, thingamajig to replace

Glad it's not just me that suffers like that - in my case it's about everything to do with building. The latest discovery is that rafters have tails, and they in turn have underboards which should be struck and pointed at the same time.

I know the NHBC is not to everyone's taste. So please bear with me when I link to the NHBC Standards documentation. I linked to it because, for Know-Nothings like me the illustrations are very helpful. (accessed May 2018) For example, I now know what the overlap for my roofing membrane should be. Before now, I didn't know that was an issue I should think about. I dunno wot I dunno Full Reference: http://www.nhbc.co.uk/cms/publish/consumer/Search/?cx=001053047772510740247%3Aogiwepchq-a&cof=FORID%3A11&q=standards&sa=Submit

Our ground workers didn't..... one reason why part of his bill will remain unpaid until he sorts it out.

@MikeGrahamT21 : thanks. No: because I had no idea Multiboard or Wedi board existed. Posts like yours are why I keep coming back to BH. Thanks very much indeed

! is all I think I can say (until we know you better) The kindest thing to say is are you sure it's for design only?

Hello Ann, Welcome. Welcome also to the type of problem that you will have with almost every expenditure heading. And the answer is leg-work; or networking to give it another name. Many here use the global build cost of between £1500 and £1300 per square meter. Put the numbers you have for the drainage in context first: it may be that special circumstances exist where you are - rock - sandy soil - boggy ground. But that doesn't help you with the current issue. @PeterW's post above is the one that needs answering first. Generally, the answer starts with the process of asking as many people as possible for their advice. Don't be shy. Ian

That appeals, because we can insulate the 'back' (inside) with RockWool just before we insulate inside with more PIR. Thanks everyone for the help.

Get it started. Use a blower and Red Diesel (much cheaper). Or wait for a strong wind blowing in an acceptable direction. Get it really hot, and keep it fed with small bits until there's a really hot core. Keep that core as hot as possible. A good fire is no accident, it's hard work.

Sex might be the answer. What size is the duct? Big enough for a ferret: a lady ferret? Get the cable out as @Declan52 says. Get a pair of ferrets. Get one to call the other, attach a new (stronger) bit of para-cord - you know the rest.

Thanks Ed. Sounds like a job for SupeDeb I'll get some extra foam ordered......?

Now that I come to look in detail at our rafter tails, I am beginning to realise that they were designed by someone who has never fitted the specified PIR in between any rafters, let alone ours....... First an empty rafter tail: the end in mind is fill it with insulation Yes, you are right: each rafter has a double bird's mouth. The gap between the rafters in this case is 318mm wide. The gap that needs filling starts at the wall (bottom of the image) and runs up to the noggin between the rafters. The wall plate (sitting in its green polythene jacket) sits about 25 mm in from the inside edge of the wall. So, I had a go: this is what I did; Before you start applauding my master-craftspersonship, there's still gap at the back of the wallplate to fill. Grrrr. This is the architect's illustration of the way the gap will be filled..... I love the elegant way the PIR fits seamlessly over the wallplate. The reason I am growling is that the gap between each rafter is a few mm different to the others. So, 6 years from now, I will still be stuck on a scaffold shaving off a few mm here and there to fit the sodding PIR. Please tell me there is a better way. By better I mean quicker. No is not acceptable The best idea so far I have had is to give Debbie some glue, a saw, some off cuts of PIR , a safety harness and go for a walk......

Confidence and building work and me. Ha! The only thing I'm confident about is that there is always an answer to every problem. It's finding the answer that hits the bank balance softest .

Yes. I have foil-faced insulation between the rafters (200mm), and '... underdraw[ing] ...' (and you call overboarding) the rafters All 75mm of it. 275mm in all. At the moment, the rafters have insulation between them. Just to be clear, you think I should use foil tape ( 2 lots of 4" ) per rafter to seal the gap ( which already has foam between edge of the PIR and the rafter)

OK, you've got me worried now. Our architect has specified ' ... Kingspan K18 insulated plaster board under-draws rafters and creates VCL...' Given your reservations above @JSHarris, might @Archer's suggestion be a sensible thing to do?

It most certainly will be.

What you need, son, is summat with a high thermals mass. 300mm of concrete should do it . It's OK, I'm outta here - no need to pick up me coat. ?

How the Dickens do you tile a soffit?

@Nickfromwales, @PeterW, @Onoff, glue spec, please! Ian

Thanks Ed. On the list of things to this week coming. With a little luck this time next week, we'll be ready to felt and batten. Meanwhile, there are loads of little irritations to finish off on the roof: if I don't get those done, they'll become more than mere irritants. They'll be 'procrastinants' a-la @Onoff Good weather forecast, so all's set well for a productive week.

.... and the knowledge, confidence, experience and skills with which to do so.

We bought ourselves a nice new towel rail. One which switches itself on for a couple of hours, burns your skin when you touch it, and then switches off. Tickety Boo. Trouble is you have to work hard at getting a towel threaded down the back. And you can only put one towel on the rail. Musta bin designed by a bloke, eh girls? One that drops his wet towels on the floor and doesn't care about anyone else using a cold wet towel. It's just me innit?