ToughButterCup

What is even harsher is that, after 40 years, his poor practice is still - to some - acceptable.

What a good idea. Needs unpacking a bit, hence: Solution to what (?) is my first unfiltered reaction...... Given the way that threads meander (think bathroom, think @Onoff ) the thread might be the solution to many readers' issues - but highly likely - not to the problem that was the one the OP had. So tagging that post solution might well mislead. I have invested a good deal of my professional life into trying to solve exactly the problem @ultramods raises. God knows it needs to be addressed. Just think of the prize of being able efficiently to drill down to key (for you) information ( or maybe data). Unfortunately (because it's expensive) the answer seems to be, at the moment, use-a-human. Would that it were not. Think of it like this. Ask a plumbing question. A Welsh plumber cuts through all the noise and messy conflicting information and answers. There's no hint of shared ignorance, no jokes, no asides, no errors of fact. Solution. But posts aren't like that are they? That's why it's such a relief to have technocrats like @TerryE, @JSHarris, @Onoff, @Construction Channel, @Nickfromwales, @PeterW and others who have technical authority on BH. But most of us here are or have become or are in the process of becoming experts by experience (what else do you call someone who has completed 6 self-builds , @Stones ? ) . If we could all do just a bit more tagging, stick to the topic just a little more, draft posts more carefully sometimes, then we would be well on the way to making readers' jobs easier and more efficient. 240 square meters of parging call.

Ah yes, data structures. The key to life. Dont'cha just love a beautifully normalised database? It's a huge undertaking. Huge. And people are here because they have a house to build. So they are prepared to put the leg work in to reading because it's mostly high-stakes stuff. Just one sentence saved me at least £10,000 . But it took a year to find it. Drilling down into messy data is a long-winded process. What you propose is useful, but extremely expensive in terms of time. Meanwhile the architect calls, the chippy asks, the brickie needs, the ironing remains, the dog needs walking. Thanks very much for the suggestion. I appreciate the keenness. Summarising key threads is hard enough. Simple precis is as far as I think anyone - who also has a build to finish - can take it.

Exactly.

She's set her heart on one already, and the roof's not on yet ?

Marry me, please, if it's that easy.

and I'd like to add ... wall face in relation to the prevailing wind and rain ?

Would that be one with a fine blade, or coarse?

Amazon Prime Drone Delivery soon too............

Ladies and gentlemen, the much coveted prize for Worst Self Build Job during The Build So Far (awarded annually by the renowned Estate Agents Floggit And Run ) this year goes to........ cutting rigid insulation. We are using a Bosch table saw with an attached hoover, proper nosegay, and googles. There's PIR in my nickers, down me bra, between my toes and under my nails. I loathe it. Only another 96 saw cuts to go. 'Kin' Ell Phhhhhhhh.

Keep it down to a dull roar @Yzzy, eh?

Nice warm weekend ahead. Perfect for fitting insulation between rafters. We need to infill with 200mm of Balytherm. Before I do so, anyone got any tips? So far I have been told to cut the sheets with a sharpened trowel or scraper (to avoid dust) be sure to 'tie on' while waltzing around on the rafters put a couple of temporary battens under the rafters and push the insulation down to them from outside (above) foam round the edges of each rafter space, not each sheet (two lots of 100mm) Then there's a BBQ on Monday evening, by when I hope the job will be finished. Everyone welcome. Breaking my new 'never-at-weekends' rule, but his weather is too good to miss. too rare.

You already know he is lazy. Tell him an area about 85% of the real area..... that should smoke him out.

Nu-Lok have already rung me this morning. They get up early in Eire. I should be in a position to compare prices by early next week, I hope. Ian

Nu-Lok: new to me..... I'll dig around. Ian

Sometimes you just have to suck it up. And now is as good a time as any to accept that we aren't going to get a roofer to come and help before Christmas. I have asked til I'm blue in the face: no dice. Debbie's being brave about it, conclusion: I'd better Just Bloody Do It. So, I'll be paying for my own mistakes rather than pay for those of others. Differently put: the Full-On-DIY -experience. I thought I'd teach myself how and in the process, document it. And then read your critiques. And wince I expect. This post builds on the earlier thread about the Piggery, and the roof beam saga : that proved remarkably painless, and quite safe, for two people because we'd thought it through. It only weighed 160 kg : just over 7 meters long. £500 crane fees saved. The very nice man from Haldane Fisher's HIAB played a key role: it's reach was about 2 meters short of what was needed. Some ya win. Where are we now? Here : a set of rafters which are currently subject to close inspection by our swallows, What's the roof build up? Rafters Counter battens Felt Battens Slate There's provision for a few kWh of PV, and a Velux in there somewhere too. I list the better resources I have found below. Most of them contain commercial material, none of which I or BH endorse(s). As usual when faced by this type of problem, I resort to YooChube, hence: How to slate a roof: layout ready for slating, Slating a roof, reference points The accompanying website There are many other sites: This one is Irish, very well edited, deals with the basics - some interesting comments too Setting out: perhaps a bit direct, but detailed images Setting out the lats: brief but to the point Wincing, I add this video because with the sound off and ignoring H+S its illustrates a 'normal' truss roof DIY Doctor often focuses on repair, but this is about tiling and battening as well as felting Construction Channel carries a series of time-lapse based videos about roofing at least four of them are here There's nowt like reading the comments under many of the videos: my God they can be bitchy: I thought it was only lecturers who were bitchy about colleagues' practice. I'll add to the list above time goes by. If you find a good support / teaching / learning resource about roofing and slating, please share it below. Ian

Look at the colours and mood round the building. Take your cue from that. Then look at a colour wheel, play with one online for a bit. Decide on the effect you want: harmony , complementary, monochromatic (the others involve too many colours) . Limit the number of colours to 2 ; three at the most. Or break every rule in the book. If you do that, go way over the top.

Thanks everyone. I had three days off: feeling much better. Resilience levels back to normal now. That'll have been the last time I worked a 21 day stretch. I don't recover quite as quickly as I used to. So; 8 to 5 with lunch and two breaks every weekend off try and visit another build / show / building site occasionally stick to the knitting : but allow myself a fun job now and then take the dogs for a walk more often : get the bike out take more notice of successes Arse scorched by the searing heat of my own worthiness ..... ?

They're builders, not communicators: so the norm is that they do all of the above all the time, and they know they're doing it, they don't care that they do it . I never now believe a trades person until he or she delivers on time on budget. So far just one tradesman (in three years) has done what he said he'd do when he said he'd do it, charged what he said he would charge, supplied an invoice and kept us informed while planning to do the job. The exception that proves the local rule. It never happens in South Wales for example (?)

I was lucky enough to remember @TerryE's advice to have a 'flushing-pit' ready for the wash out: the proceeds of three wash-outs made a nice little flat, hard work area in front of the house. Need a 16 tonner to dig it out , but Hell, that'll be a relief because the house'll be finished by then.....

Anyone have experience of buying Solar Pv in kit form, for in-roof installation?

It would be £50k minus the cost of the slates, or tiles you would have fitted anyway, wouldn't it?

You callin' me a DIY grunt then, eh? Come over 'ere and say that, pal.... (and we'll go for a pint ? )

The organisation is based in Cheshire: footballers' country.

Not if I want to stay married Gary.......?