ToughButterCup

I've had a quotation to add a smoke sensor to the system I already have. The quote includes the following text Preventive maintenance? 12 months after the installation of a sensor in a new-build?

Be a devil: 😈 pop a third screw in. Nobody's gonna know ....

I'm no expert, but wouldn't the metal do what it always does with an etching compound (sand-mortar-water) and simply rust? And then weep through to the surface? And stain? With a bit of luck @nod will be along in a bit.....

Hi, welcome. Gonna take you eight years to do up a bathroom like @Onoff then? Did you mean a recently new-built property, or a property new to you?

Yes, the ones to which you refer both have 180 centres ... You can vary the height too: the lower the better according to those who know about straining angles. 😳

Know what, I could couldn't I. There's a thought. Thanks. My instinct is that at the moment, that would be a bit heavy. The HoP is clearly annoyed with my letter pointing out his errors, but he's been stung into doing something. Thats a real achievement. I suppose the land owner now has the same statutory rights to appeal against Enforcement - again. That means a few months (6?) This is taking for ever innit? I've a good mind to go and do summat unlawful in planning terms and drag it out for as many years - minus one day that it takes to bring me to book. Now then what'll it be? I know, dig and operate a revenge cesspit 💩 and uncover it when the wind is in the right direction. (I'd be so scared of children falling in ....)

Well done @IanR . Thank you. Thanks for the interest in my arse Ferdi 😖 Today, the Planning Department finally told me - two full months after the fact - that they had written to me about what they had decided to do in this case. The word 'reconsidered' is the key one..... The letter was not delivered to my address. Anyway, here's a copy of the text in full The above is code for The Head of Planning has just kicked the can into Legal hasn't he? Here we are in early April two full months later, and nothing has or rather nothing appears to have happened. For me, this is new territory. How can I find out what decision was taken by the legal officers in this case? No new listing of a relevant Enforcement Notice appears on the Council Planning website. Anyone know? Maybe I should just wait a month or two? Ian

Showy tw+ts @Conor... 🤪 I like @Onoff's threads because he uses images well. Thanks Clive.

Scolmore Click Mode because of all the different things that can be incorporated in the (25 - 39 mm ) backbox; We use all of the following phone socket - primary, secondary charging unit (usb) data point ( we use CAT 6) range of switch colours to help with visibility illuminated switches TV out multimedia outlets (sometimes called new media outlets) all of the above in interchangeable plates and modules (called Minigrid) Be warned. ( feels daft saying that to you of all people) I made a huge mistake: I put in too many intermediate switches - because its so easy to incorporate them in the 'mini-grid' . I asked everyone what they wanted - switch for this and that from here, there and everywhere. Trouble is, I know what every switch does - but nobody (SWMBO) does : and then there's everybody else who curse me under their breath. So everyone just switches every damn light on - and of course leaves them on for me to switch off. Scolmore are (were when I last looked) dreadful at pulling their offerings together in a single document for folk like us. Here's the first link I found that might be useful to you Gary Ian

If only more people realised that. I think its especially true for high stress stuff like self-building. Sometimes, when you can only see as far as your next treat, it hits you how important a small treat is. How I wish some food advertisers hadn't noticed. Which is where cheapness comes in. If the treat can be free, so much the better.

Geberit AquaClean Mera. Wish I'd bought the one that gives you a blow-dry as well now.

A wetroom rather than bathroom. Already (because of arthritis) I can't get into or out of a bath without a crane Pain in the arse that. A bum-flushing loo: yep, can't wipe my own Botticelli either ... pain in the arse that ...😒

Welcome. Especially so to someone from my clan's own county. As @SteamyTea hints, 'eco' is a tricky adjective. But do not be put off from your determination by the dismissive comments about planners above. Being seen to make an effort in ecological terms is no bad thing: even if there's a range of opinion about what that actually means. It forms part of the mood in which planners make decisions. Our architect knew that our planners were very keen on ecologically sensitive design. And while the arguments presented above are technically correct, the micropolitics of an application matters. While discussing our application in a In a public forum, one local councillor openly said that; "The reason this application will be accepted is because of its eco-credentials" I ignored the comment at the time. There's no way of weighing the accuracy of the remark. Except that it was made. As to digging a test pit..... Get the test pit specification. Hire a digger. Enjoy making your own. Great fun. Good luck Ian

Hmmm, the first idea is excellent, but really hard work to sort out. In relation to your second idea maybe a guide on how to search for content on BH ? Internal to the site and on google or other search engines? Part of the 'trouble' (wrong word probably) is our preparedness to answer the same question time and again. It is curmudgeonly to say to new members - go and look for yourself .... Its easier for the new member to ask (quickly), and for us to answer (just as fast). Tinternet is about speed - information grabbing - and just enough and no more than needed.

And every last bit of information they need is already here, just waiting to be read. 😕

I could not agree more. In any self-build, there's a huge pressure to get-it-done, so you can ' freeze-the price ', 'lock-in-a-good-deal ' , and move on to the next job of which there are too many to contemplate. Among the most unpleasant pressure sales tactics I've experienced is : ' I thought this was a done-deal ' when it very much wasn't. And to my eternal shame, I didn't have the guts to push back hard enough. How many purchase decisions are there in any self-build? A few thousand maybe? Of which maybe 10 or 20 are so expensive - great care is taken. If you've only been robbed a few times with smaller purchases, I think you're doing well. But you are right @SteamyTea : it still rankles

Welcome. Not even started and you've discovered a fundamental of self-building: everything takes longer than expected or reasonable or normal. The only way I coped with that annoyance was to redirect the stress caused into planning in ever greater detail. And still I wish I'd done more than I managed. My signature line is the heart-felt, God's honest truth.

When in Rome, do as the Romans. Ditto Australia.

Think of your customer. All Matters Reserved gives the most flexibility. And your workload: quicker, cheaper.

This site is very helpful. It summarises the issue accurately and links to further resources. A goldmine for you .....

Tomato, tomaydo, potahto potayto, Bosch, DeWalt, Durisol, Izodom. Customers are responsible for their own purchase decisions. And everyone needs to do their Due Diligence. Thoroughly.

Here's a start. Network: with the emphasis on work. Look at the South Lakes (SLDC) planning site and review the applications which broadly match the size of plot that you have to offer. Look at the reasons for refusal and acceptance. That will give you a good steer as to what's acceptable and what isn't - but most importantly - in each case - why. Back a few estate agents into a corner. Listen. Ditto local Councillors who have responsibility for Planning or who have been on the planning subcommittee. If they're anything like ours, look at their own record of building locally. Include Permitted development in that search too. Garages can easily be re-jigged as houses. Go and listen in on Council Planning Committee meetings. Look at who says what and research those people thoroughly. What's the politics of it all? What's the micropolitics of it if you can wheedle that out somehow. Know who is selling what land locally and where it is. Talk to local builders. From memory, there are a couple of key builders up here aren't there? Look at houses with scaffolding outside them. Who is the contractor? Look at the Local Plan. SLDC have a very informative mapping tool. Yes, it's a lot of work. But it will lead to informed, evidence-based conversations. You are much harder top fob off if you can say why you want what you want for reasons you can evidence. Nobutt a steep larnin' curve is 'iss bildin lark, lad. Or alternatively, take up golf. Good luck. Ian

Festool 18V cordless : couple of Bosches - now much abused (one 18, one 12 V) T Bar: NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT . Thanks Screw extractor? Yes, but its been nicked Link to a decent T Bar manual driver please ! Is this what you mean?

Thats easy. Anywhere in the whole build cycle is the answer. Every bit of that cycle has a precedent. How about a review of the sale prices of plots of land in an area that you favour? Lets say that you can't afford most of them, but there are one or two that with a bit of determination you might be able to buy. (BTW, that's a common experience here on BH - we waited for a generation before we could build) Then, imagine a design that you like. Look for planning applications for that type of house in your chosen area. Look at why those applications were accepted, or refused. Look at those that were accepted. Cost them. Now you have a savings target and a much better guess at how much it's going to cost overall. Waste time reading BuildHub.

Yes. Could I suggest you have a lot of reading to do, please. You might usefully start here.