Gone West

I made a simple ladder stairway out of 4 x 2. It is about 700mm wide and fixed at the top. The BCO checked it was fixed and was happy for all to use it. It's been there for six years no problems and hopefully in the next couple of months will be replaced with the proper staircase!

When our frame was erected I asked for the OSB racking to cover all the openings as well. I had a simple plywood entrance door. The OSB was covered in Protect TF Thermo membrane which kept the inside dry over the winter. I routed out the openings in the spring and covered them with polytunnel plastic leaving the bottom with an overlap and open for ventilation. It seemed to work well. A friend, building at the same time, did not cover the openings and the wood fibre board around the window reveals got soaked and broke up.

I think 315mm is the circumference. 315/Pi = 100

I laid porcelain floor tiles that were roughly 700 x 470 x 10mm which is ok if the floor is flat. I laid them brick pattern which is also ok as long as they are good tiles and not banana shaped which causes problems with 50/50 brick pattern. An alternative is 70/30 which evens the curve out a bit.

I thought it was difficult not to get a pass as the threshold is so high. It depends on the type of construction TF, brick & block etc as to where you might have significant leaks.

Stop it. This is all making me worse. I've been trying for years to stop putting things in straight lines and keeping symmetry. My other half is always having a go at me about it.

In my area there is a company using WiMax which a lot of the locals use because we're out in the sticks and broadband is slow. If it's difficult to get an Openreach line it's an option which isn't too expensive. I don't know if similar options exist in other areas. http://www.vfast.co.uk/packages/ http://www.vfast.co.uk/voip-phone-service/

How does having floor sockets fit in with the recommendations in Part M stating sockets and switches should be between 450mm and 1200mm above floor level?

I have used Lindab on my current build and it's been up for 5 years with no sign of rusting. It is important to cut galvanised the way you are instructed using hand tools and not angle grinders etc. I used Hunter plastic on my last house and that still was looking good after 15 years without fading. Neither Lindab nor Hunter are cheap though.

I think it's the Eastbourne Air Show this weekend.

Hi Gary, can you clarify who the 'Heritage people' are.

I thought these might be good until I saw the price. http://www.diywardrobes.co.uk/

Again I tried exactly that approach but without success. It is a very good way of winding up the Chief Executive and Head of Planning and Development though, but caused me even more grief with my application. I think only a very small proportion of complaints against planning are upheld.

Wilkobury, if it were me I would resubmit revision A to the LPA and ask them after a few weeks what they intend to do. When they say they will refuse the application ask your local councillor for their support. Go through the whole process with the councillor and ask them to put it to the Planning Committee. It will require you or a representative to speak for three minutes outlining your case to the committee. I also hand delivered a copy of my plans and details to each member of the planning committee a week before the hearing. It worked for me after my appeal was refused and might be worth a try. Good luck.

I used the PD argument to help get the outline permission. I'm living in the bunglow while building the house in the garden, there's less than 1m between the two at one point. There are some pictures on my blog.

I got outline permission for a two storey replacement dwelling for my bungalow first. I then did some drawings and took them to the planners to get their reaction. Then submitted full application and got the first of three refusals before going to planning committee and getting unanimous approval. Whether you get permission or not depends more on the planner considering your application. If they like the look of it you're successful otherwise not and they'll quote lots of ambiguous policies to back up their refusal.

How long ago did you get it installed? It's the Openreach surveyor who won't allow connecting up the existing underground duct, I laid, to new duct to the pole on the other side of the road.

Yeah, if I can figure out a way to do that, then I'm tempted. I use the mobile phone in the house and it doesn't seem any different to outside and I can use the cordless in the house from the bungalow next door.

I work to 1:40 for foul water drain pipes and 1:100 for just water.

As an update I've now had a third survey by Openreach and they have changed their mind yet again. They say, as Jeremy has stated, that cables can no longer enter the house directly through the slab. Even though I was given the materials and installations instructions in 2010 they will not let me use that ducting now. I'm looking into the possibility of using WiMax wireless broadband and not having an Openreach connection.

I've used a mixture of horizontal and vertical T&G cedar and brick slips. The cedar is untreated and supposedly has a 60 year life.

We've also got round door handles in our current bungalow and some are difficult to open because there isn't enough room to grip the handle well enough to open the door.

I find this table to be useful sometimes. http://www.hendersons.co.uk/pipework2/page2.html

I'm planning on soaking mine which is blown mineral fibre and hoping it is reduced dramatically in volume as it is a 100mm cavity.

I'm in England and Openreach have carried out three surveys for my new line. The first said they would mole under the 4m wide lane and connect to the nearest pole free of charge. The second said they couldn't mole but could dig up the road and connect it free of charge. The third said if it was undergound I would have to pay for the lot and to use their £3400 allowance it would have to be overhead and they would put a new pole in the corner of my garden. Like I want another pole!! They are still looking into it as my original application was six years ago and their policy may have changed!