joe90

Well, we did similar to PeterW , eps below DPC but rockwall batts above DPC, full fill. They have a BBA cert for this, even in our area (north Devon coast). Yes we have weep vents at DPC and window tray levels In case any moisture does get into the cavity. All working fine. The batts were installed as the walls rose so any snots were removed from the insulation as the next layer was installed. Our builder has built many houses the same way and he has never been called back to a job.

If it sells your house quickly it’s not silly, my old house was on the market about 2 years ago and took 14 months to sell and we had to lower the price by £100k. Best of luck.

The very reason I did not include solar in my build, bought a classic car instead and get a far better return ?

I had 2ft 9in down stairs and 2ft 6in upstairs (I still deal in old money ?).

Not if you have a French drain and a ditch or a slope to get it away like I have. We also left gaps in the first layer of blocks in the trench linking the inside with the outside so water could not build up under the building.

I disagree , my method has been methodical , the builder who knows the area and the building inspector agreed on trench founds and ground bearing slab based on local knowledge and years of experience, I have not had to pay for any other specialist. The only additional thing we did was incorporate a French drain around the outside to make sure any ground water was taken away, simples. To save the cost of an S.E. for a passive slab I copied the Denby dale passive house foundation detail to alleviate a cold bridge.

Like wise I am speechless but I did all that myself for ours, so I am underpaid.

That is not what I meant, I was simply saying how different six months made to our site, old maps of the area show it as a boggy moor. Although we did not go beam and block I have nothing against it as a method, just one we did not chose.

I always worry about white going grey in places and looking dirty and patchy , at least grey all over is less likely to show a little “dirt”. As the tiles look grey how about charcoal so the grout lines stand out?

Funnily I have never needed an impact driver, I have used one but my DeWalt drill has about 45Nm and frankly that’s enough to break your wrist if your not careful. It has been known to shear screws off if I don’t set the torque Devise.

I wholeheartily agree with that, when I was a self employed builder all my work was by word of mouth, I never advertised and turned more work down than took. Down here in Devon I have always used local chaps recommended by others that have worked on my site and found them all to be great. Even the fitted kitchen was made locally.

I paid £3500 for my two bed 30ft single glazing delivered from a dealer two years ago, it’s been great but very cold in winter (wish I had installed a WBS like prodave). It’s also been a site hut so builders have been using it as “facilities “. I am looking to shift it soon but the removal costs are steep, a neighbour might have it and I am only asking £1000 as it does need extensive cleaning, re plumbing etc.(buyer to collect!).

Ha, at the moment my ground is like concrete and even the jacking legs on my JCB does not dent the ground, go back six months and I could not even drive my JCB anywhere other than the drive or it sank into the mire. Despite owning my own JCB I had to pay a contractor with a swing shovel (tracked digger) to instal my sewerage treatment plant and even that turned to ground into something resembling the Somme.

I am on solid clay with a winter water table just under the surface of the garden. We did a slab on ground, 800mm trench founds, cavity of 200mm below DPC filled with XPS down to trench concrete to stop thermal bridge. We also back filled the trench outside with 50mm stone as a French drain with a pipe extended out to a ditch in the road. I would not want a void under my floor!

Just thought I would share this nugget of over pricing, I needed a bottled gas change over valve (LPG for Gas hob) connected and the connection the other end to the cooker flexible hose bit.(the pipe was buried by my builder during the build) I got a local firm (quite large, new vans, two blokes came out to quote) to give me a quote over 4 weeks ago, I also got a local self employed Gas registered chap (recommended by my electrician) to quote and he did the job in a couple of hours, for some reason water had got into the pipe so he had to blow it out with a compressor, his quote was for £85 but he charged me £98 as he spent time blowing the water out and he apologised for the extra tenner. I just got an Email from the other company ( i thought they had forgotten me) and they quoted £650. Plus VAT. ? speechless.

Mine was “ “floplast “ They do deep flow, https://www.guttersupplies.co.uk/products/cast-effect-deep-flow/deepflow-115mm-x-75mm-gutter/cast-iron-effect/4m/?keyword=&matchtype=&device=t&campaign=GS_|_Gutter_|_Cast_Iron_Effect_|_Deepflow&gclid=CjwKCAjwyrvaBRACEiwAcyuzRHw407bVdXAHLzbDgGstCpTHBDfUGehmWipsKTQnyrcDZxyO15qAQRoC-FkQAvD_BwE

I went for the black plastic imitation cast iron look and it looks great, not expensive and has a dimpled Matt look, great for our cottage., agree with others, lots of clips, Black gets hot and may sag. I have suffered from “gutter creak” in the past where the clips are too tight and when the gutter expands in the sun then cools it “clicks “ in the brackets, this stuff does not, the clips are looser letting the gutter move slightly, I will find out the manufacturer if you like?

When I engaged a decorator he asked who did the plastering, when I told him he said “ good, I won’t need any filler then” ?

What a lovely location ,timber frame a la Ben Law??

Torx are far better than other heads, won’t torque out at all, will break your wrist before it lets go. Screws in velux windows use them.

The last concrete screws I used (which worked brilliantly) I used a drill 0.5mm smaller than recommended, very tight hold (but might depend on wall type, brick,block!).

I have a spare cable floating in the stud en suite wall so I can put a socket or something (isolated bathroom type?) ready for hairdryer, beard trimmer etc AFTER the build is signed off. I believe health and safety is OTT and I like the Ozzie comment above. “well if they are that bloody stupid they deserve to die". ?

The rainwater butt is just attenuation, it depends on where the overflow goes, as they say if they don’t dispose of your rainwater why should you pay them?.

Jeremy, you worry too much, buyer won’t care, just isolate and blank plate it, say it was like that when you bought bought it. Who,s to know?. Chill man ?.

Far better than I got from an architect ( and I designed the build, just needed him to convert to CAD and submit as I only do pencil and paper ?).