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ToughButterCup

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Everything posted by ToughButterCup

  1. ToughButterCup
    But that's exactly the problem : when you do look, you can't see it - because it's sticking to the bottom of the inside of the partly full mug. And, if like me you never get to the end of a mug of tea, yer stuffed. The last bit of tea is camouflaging the concrete. I like the idea of the Tommee Tippee mug, though. Just need the grandad version.
  2. ToughButterCup
    I have a habit of drinking tea on the job. And not drinking all of it because I let it go cold. Doing a lot of concreting at the moment Imagine my surprise then when I took the mug out of the dishwasher to find concrete spatters all over the inside at the bottom of the mug - even after a hot wash. Reusing the mug, the concrete makes no difference. Better keep this one quiet before the HSE gets in on the act
  3. ToughButterCup
    There's a simple rule: no foul drainage, no house. And it is not unheard of for houses to be built only to find that the foul drainage is a huge expensive problem. Cess-pits are, I think, very rare indeed. Welcome, by the way Ian
  4. ToughButterCup
    Thanks for the generous offer. I am one minute away from J33 (Forton Service). So when the M6 bites you in the rear - and you're forced onto the A6, stop by for a coffee! Ian
  5. ToughButterCup
    @PeterStarck's approach (outlined above) , one that empahsises partnership is difficult. All professional relationships are subject to the same dynamic. How can we -domestic clients- know whether a professional's decisions are really in our best interests? Professional Associations - ones that are meant to 'police' their sector - are often loath to draw attention to anything but the poorest practice. So, @PeterStarck's model is for me the only one that stands a chance of working well. It's tricky, though. Tricky because the quality of the professional relationship will only show its true colours when something goes wrong. And, by chance, that's what makes good TV
  6. ToughButterCup
    I appreciate the wry humour. You do not need to defend your discipline here. The odd tasteless comment is exactly that, and should be ignored.
  7. ToughButterCup
    I put mine in a wheel barrow... with all the other sh1te
  8. ToughButterCup
    I thought it was just me. I've stopped commenting because Debbie rolled her eyes once too often. "Stop shouting at the telly dear, they can't hear you"
  9. ToughButterCup
    I knew it. @Onoff does read poetry in the bathroom. Instead of DIY manuals.
  10. ToughButterCup
    Bear in mind that he will not be invoiced for anything until up to thirty days after the date of order at the Builders' Merchant. And then he will have up to thirty days to pay. At best 60 days in total, worst 30 days. And he's asking for payment after two weeks. Hmmmmm.
  11. ToughButterCup
    Exactly.
  12. ToughButterCup
    Over-thinking it , yes. As usual.
  13. ToughButterCup
    Thanks @Cpd, @Barney12 and @JSHarris. Very informative and interesting. Now the question is .... Will cheap Aldi washing up liquid do the trick too? I think, just for the crack (craik?) I'll try putting a bit of lime in on the South face of the house - the surface that's going to experience the biggest temperature range.
  14. ToughButterCup
    I must be uglier than you then.
  15. ToughButterCup
    Is there such a thing? Carrying a few knee injuries from last century points up the fact that the knee pads I use seem to slip out of place. Anyone solved the problem? Maybe its the Aldi Specials work trousers I buy?
  16. ToughButterCup
    Hein ? God this learning curve is steep. Thanks so much for the nudge..... I thought hydrated lime is a plasticiser, and so would do the job of compensating for minor movement. This page has a comparison table for both types of lime against OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement). I treat it with a good deal of caution because of the Internet-as-Shared-Ignorance factor. It's of interest because all types of lime are breathable. And, in this case, the end-in-mind is air-tightness. According to the table, the choice appears to be sand and cement and a high risk of cracks, against putting some non-hydraulic lime (hydrated lime) in the mix. The decision matters because I have 240 square meters to cover. But luckily I have a test bed in the Piggery. I am also quite happy listening to conflicting but apparently authoritative advice. The key issue is the mental wrestling done on the way to taking a decision.
  17. ToughButterCup
    So, @Incipiens Mox, in line with your forum name: get on with it!
  18. ToughButterCup
    Well, I'll add some lime to one or two areas as a test (in the piggery rather than the house). And wait.
  19. ToughButterCup
    Ahhh, the more the better......
  20. ToughButterCup
    A wise old bloke came a' visiting last week. Looked at this and said Tha'll need lime in that , fella. 'S Gonna crack, else. So when both @MikeSharp01 and a wise local both say the same thing, I think I ought to take some notice. (All it needs now is for @JSHarris to pile in and I'll have to ) I am using plastering sand in a mix of 4:1, and adding a bit of plasticiser. If I were to add some lime how much should I add?
  21. ToughButterCup
    Right, @Onoff, I really like that approach. So, I'll mock it all up today, take some photos and post them here later. It's the journey (code for 'learning') that really matters. It takes a huge chunk of time, but sod it, I enjoy learning for myself. Even falling walls can teach you stuff.
  22. ToughButterCup
    Hmmm, excellent idea(s) @Onoff The roof will be vaulted, so no need for trusses. I like the projecting studs idea. I'd have to set them in some kind of 'chair' so they are perfectly vertical.... I like the idea partly because I have about a mile of threaded bar left over from the shuttering. The other thing is the the wall plate can be tweeked perfectly level with that system (- I suppose: never been here before as usual ) Thanks for the photo @Alex. I like that corner detail. Makes sense.
  23. ToughButterCup
    Avoid, avoid, avoid. He's either the PC or he isn't. He's either in business or not. His being over the VAT threshold or not is completely irrelevant
  24. ToughButterCup
    @Hecateh, how about £7,000 up front Monthly detailed invoice How are you going to manage quality control (to give it a pompous name) ? Thing about people like @JSHarris and others like him, they know what they're doing. I don't....
  25. ToughButterCup
    £15K up front sounds (feels?) too much. But, but but.... You want to start, you need , neeeeed to get started, he's been good to you so far. There's tremendous pressure on you to get going. Won't it be good to get into the new house? I'm new to this lark too. And if there's one thing I have learned it is that this sector takes the mickey if it can. Self-builders are often seen as a money tree. Trust your instinct.
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