Gone West

Councils have been banned from charging for accepting DIY waste at refuse tips. That's great for me. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65977938

My first mortgage interest rate was 8.5% and within a year it had increased to 17%. It's all happened before, we just have to suck it up, what's the alternative? I also remember when mortgage tax relief was stopped and the fuss about that.

It's best to cut galvanised steel sheets with hand tools only. Power tools heat the metal too much for the galvanising. If it is cut with hand tools the galvanising will creep over the cut edge maintaining the protection. The instructions for fitting Lindab guttering have the details.

It was just a bloody worm 😁

We drove past this place the other day. Stuff looks good and the prices are ok. Will do bespoke as well. https://yellowduckpine.co.uk/

Better get eating plenty of tinned spinach then 😁.

We used Lindab steel guttering which was galvanised and then painted. The instructions for cutting it were to only use hand tools, because then the galvanising creeps back over the cut surface. I was a bit sceptical but none of the cut surfaces showed any rust after six years.

I bought a Draper router in 2010, still got it and it works fine when I need it, which isn't that often.

I visited Crossway while it was being built and filmed for Grand Designs in 2008. Richard Hawkes had coloured glass chips and special aggregates added to the surface of the slab when it was laid. The surface was then ground down with different grades resulting in a highly polished attractive looking surface. A friend had their conventional concrete slab ground down and polished, and although no unusual aggregates were used, it looked an attractive interesting finish.

Do you mean power floating, I've yet to see a power floated finish that I would want in my house. I have seen some polished concrete which looked excellent, especially when special aggregates or glass chips have been added.

I guess it's a passive coating, same as on some screws. Yours looks more like a woodscrew than some I've seen. Should be fine.

Looks like its a timber handrail on the top of timber posts.

If I understand you correctly, are the screws suitable to be used without the plastic plugs. I've seen lots of different types of frame fixings and some have had normal type wood screws in the plugs.

Yes is the short answer.

So what refrigerant could be used in a domestic heat pump to produce water at 90C with a CoP of three to four?

@SteamyTea That's interesting, not something I had ever thought about. Are you able to explain how they seem to work differently from domestic heat pumps. It mentions input temperatures of 6C and output temperatures of 90C, with CoPs of three to four. The only differences between those heat pumps and domestic heat pumps seems to be the size and refrigerant used, CO2 or ammonia, so is that the reason? If so why can't domestic heat pumps use ammonia?

Is it worth stick building with dung boards. https://www.moleonline.com/dung-walling-200mm-x-47mm-1055312

We had Rehau Geneo triple glazed tilt and turn windows which we also used as french doors in our last place. We used a single full height window as the door onto the balcony as well.

In my picture you can just make out the white spring clips between the taps on the manifolds. They are the same ones as are shown holding the ball valves.

@ProDave Thanks for the heads up. I've just bought four to replace mine, one of which the face plate had warped and one switch wasn't usable.

It means both poles are switched so is potentially safer. I'm sure MK must make SP versions. We need @ProDave to explain in more detail.

Not comparing like with like as one is single pole and the other is double pole.

A friend of ours used chains for roof drainage on their new build. I wasn't a success when it was windy as the water went everywhere. It only worked well in light rain and no wind.

IIRC they are Reliance valves but it was several years ago so may be wrong.

I used the 'O' ring with silicone grease and the locking nut. Didn't have a problem.