Gone West

Yeah it's copper down here. I didn't get any subsidy, didn't know you could. I'm just pleased to be rid of BT/Openreach.

I had a Vfast engineer install their service the day before yesterday. They were a pleasure to deal with compared to Openreach. Ten days from making the initial enquiry to having it installed. They let me fit the cable and were happy to work around what I wanted. Their service was 17Mbps compared to 1.5Mbps for BT and it's cheaper. I shall take great delight telling BT what to do with their old cable when we demolish the bungalow.

We used the Isoquick insulated foundation system and our BCO accepted it because it had LABC EW25 certification.

I don't have a conventional external leaf. The DPM lines the interior of the Insulation so in theory the concrete slab should never be damp. I tend to over-engineer things so thought if the slab did get wet then the timber I-beam sole plate could be isolated from the damp slab by fitting the DPC.

It could be straight on the slab, but I asked for it to sit on a DPC which is folded up the outside and then covered with the membrane which is on the outside of the OSB racking.

That's interesting because that's what I wanted to do. The BCO said I couldn't because he wouldn't allow drainage into the soil within 5m of the house. He said the land drain was drainage.

I did all mine after the slab was laid and the frame was up. I couldn't see any advantage to laying surface drainage pipes before the slab as they would probably just be in the way or could be damaged.

I've been asking myself that everyday, since a few weeks into the build.

Hi Ben, welcome and good luck with the project.

Wendy has helped me with every aspect of the build including felting the roof, which she really didn't like doing, in the strong wind!

A few years ago there was a company on ebay who would MCS certify your own system. Doesn't look as though they still do it but others might. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Full-MCS-Micro-Generation-Certification-Scheme-Registration-for-your-PV-system-/221546302788?pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item3395304d44

Yeah that looks like it on the wall. Don't remember the name though.

IIRC they painted the Hardiebacker/plasterboard with a bonding liquid which was gritty, sticky, blue coloured and expensive. Can't remember what it was called. Then it was skimmed with a fine mesh embedded in the skim coat. Then they applied the Venetian Plaster base coat and then two top coats which I think was Stucco Italiano. Then it was waxed and polished. The skill is in creating the pattern using the trowel.

Yes it has been sealed. They used different waxes but I can't remember exactly what they were. They also used a buffing machine similar to what is used on cars. Apparently it should be rewaxed every four years.

Sorry, okay I won't say we've got them in all the bathrooms then.

It hasn't been used in anger yet. We've wiped it down several times when clearing up working dirt. We're relying on reviews of other installations.

You said you wouldn't tell!!

Thanks, it's Venetian Plaster. I had it done in all the bathrooms instead of tiles. It's very smooth and has interesting patterns in it which are created by the plasterer with the trowel. I've had a lot of favourable comments.

It was nothing complicated. I wanted to fit a corner toilet but I needed to test the connection under the cistern which is hidden when the toilet is fitted. So I just connected it up to test that. Amazingly it worked first time so I thought I would test the kitchen tap and the wetroom basin tap as well.

They often 'nose' in next door. I've seen them peering in the windows. Around here, a few years, ago they stopped employing CT Inspectors due to financial reasons but they have started again so I guess they've found some more money.

It's Speedfit and the coloured clips are the collett clips which can only be fitted when the elbow or other fitting is tightened. I like it because it's a visual check that the fitting has been correctly installed.

I don't have a potable water supply in the house yet because the Council Tax Inspectors keep coming around. I wanted to test the connections on some taps and a toilet I had fitted, so I rigged up a hose from the bungalow to the manifolds. Surprisingly it worked. Nice when something does for a change!

It's 150mm deep strips of 10mm Bluclad cement board that I ripped down. The Bluclad was left over from the build and it was a bit of an experiment really. I didn't have another use for the board and it was supposed to be waterproof. Surprisingly it seems to be surviving although if the edge was walked on I think it would soon disintegrate.

It was very similar for me too. It just depends on your LPA and the particular planning officer assigned your case.

If it is Hardiebacker it's more difficult to screw than plasterboard. They may have reduced the number of fixings. I drilled and countersunk mine and used s/s screws.