Gone West

Just over £5000 direct from Denmark. Just over £8500 in bought in the UK.

I used Erbauer hole cutters for the pipe cut outs in the HardieBacker but they didn't last very long.

Quite possibly, I just tend to over engineer things.

I have found it difficult comparing this style of door from different suppliers. For the same size and thickness there appears to be quite a range in the weight of the doors from the various suppliers. I assumed, possibly incorrectly, that a heavier door would have more oak in it and therefore may be better constructed. There are also differences in how much can be trimmed from the sides.

I've started hanging the doors upstairs which are oak Mexicano design. I have been using Osmo Polyx Clear Satin and the finish is excellent. I have never used it before but it was really easy to paint on even in the grooves down the door. I would certainly recommend it.

That looks very similar to the Genvex Combi 185LS that I have installed in our house. It provides ventilation, hot water and warm air heating. I used plastic ducting which has worked well.

I used a circular saw with a TCT blade but it ruined it eventually and I pre-drilled and countersunk all the screw holes and used s/s screws.

Compared to MR plasterboard it's hard work to cut and drill but I used it in the wetroom, bathroom and en-suite and I think it's worth it.

Wendy knows better than to expect a nice square cupboard to keep a laundry basket in so she bought one of these. https://www.brabantia.com/uk/foldable-laundry-basket-grey/

If painting with a roller don't go at it like a mad thing. Roll more slowly and if doing a ceiling, roll in front of you, not above your head.

I can't work in a mess so either I clear up as I go along(what I usually do), at the end of the day or the beginning of the next day. The BCO always says he has never been to such a tidy site. Even when I'm painting I don't get any on me and my mate can't understand how it's possible. We're all different and what works for one, doesn't for another.

This is the water supply side. This is the hot water, ventilation and warm air heating unit (Genvex Combi185). This is the electricity cupboard. The washing machine will be squeezed in between the Genvex and water supply cupboard (when built). This is all in a room 1.9m x 2.3m.

Another interesting building related one. https://newatlas.com/super-wood-stronger-steel/53307/

For a bit more cash you could clad the outside with aerogel lined MgO boards.

Costly at the moment. Will aerogel ever be cheap though? https://newatlas.com/aerobrick-aerogel-brick/53001/

When we recently bought our Harvey softener I gave our hardness level to the supplier so they could set the correct gearing. They said they normally set the level from the post code. Our hardness does vary a bit from winter to summer depending on the ratio of surface water to aquifer water in the supply.

Hi Lyndon, welcome to the forum. There's nothing more frustrating than a problem like that. As you say there are experts on here who I am sure will be able to help you. @JSHarris seems to have sorted most of the problems if not all. Good luck.

It makes it a lot softer than ours. According to the hardness table 60 - 120ppm is moderately hard and over 180ppm is very hard. Sorry I posted before realising you had already found the answer.

We first fitted a domestic water conditioner around 1993 which didn't work so was replaced with a 'commercial' version. That didn't work either so we fitted our first resin based water softener which I think was a Kinetico which worked well. Since then we have had Minimax and Twintec and in our new house I have recently fitted a Harveys Crown which we bought from https://www.fountainsofteners.co.uk/harveys-crown-water-softener-c2x17510096 These are all compact block salt softeners which don't require an electricity supply. The water hardness around here is 320ppm.

Yes it's Western Red Cedar cladding and the picture was taken just after it was finished. It doesn't look anything like that any longer as the rain has washed out a lot of the colour and it's various shades of brown and grey. We didn't treat it because we didn't want the continuing maintenance. I used an aluminium angle for the verge trim which I cut to size and had powder coated. I don't mind the questions at all, it's easier answering questions than hanging and painting doors!

@Ed_MK We have a brick slip plinth on our build which is the same as in your video clip. The Wetherby system was really easy to install. I fitted the backing board and the wire mesh etc and a local 'builder' fitted the brick slips and pointed it. If I'd had the time I would have done the slips and pointing myself.

@curlewhouse I'm with Good Energy and have got the same meter which was connected up at the beginning of December. I've added up our history and it's ok. Adding up yours you need to add in the current month which is given when scrolling through to 'Using Now'. As I said ours is ok but it is showing a reading of 1.4kWh in September which has been added to the total even though the meter wasn't installed until the end of November!

So does that mean you don't have to have the electrics (Part P) or unvented hot water (Part G3) signed off before occupying? If so presumably you could live there indefinitely without a completion certificate or safety certificates.

We have an olive tree, pot grown though. As long as the soil is well drained and you are not in a particularly bad frost hollow or windy spot they should be fine. The sunnier the better.

Do you happen to know the situation with a replacement dwelling. I am still living in the bungalow on the site and the new house, built in the garden, is now habitable. Both buildings have the same name and I have asked the VOA to change the band to what I think the new house should be. The VOA have written to me telling me that they are considering the request to change the band. In the meantime the Council have sent me a council tax bill, for the new house which they have called 'New Property', with a provisional Rating Band which is higher than the one I suggested to the VOA. This means I am to pay Council Tax on both buildings while they are both habitable even though I have to demolish the bungalow when I move into the house.