Reiver

We used to have s Such things do exist - would it be worth checking around different energy companies to see if a different one could provide it?

That's interesting, I wonder if they have poor power factor which is making them read high? Either way, I guess you could save a bit by replacing them down to 4 or 5W and seeking out high efficiency bulbs, 100 lumens per watt is well achievable these days. 10 days ago I replaced some dodgy GU10 spots in my kitchen with some modern 7W types and they were just too bright, it was like being under interrogation. 27W on the Sky box is interesting too, having had to design a few power supplies for equipment in the last 10 years, one big PITA has always been meeting the EU edict for < 0.5W standby power..... or do the Murdochs have some kind of immunity from legislation I wonder?

FYI I persevered with Beamshield, and finally got a price after about 5 weeks. They wouldn't quote direct for the insulation, but instead asked me to get a quote via a local beam casting company that they dealt with. The price on a 60m2 floor using the Beamshield Plus product (all insulation between/underneath the beams) for a U-value of 0.13 didn't seem too bad given the benefits in construction speed, just a tad over £40/m2 delivered excluding the topping.

Yes, good luck. Have you been there for a while? Certainly round here being a long time local seems to help with PP.

Since your poured foundations look nice and wide, could you build double walls with insulation between just up to the base of the timber frame?

I put Marmox blocks level with the under beam part of the insulation:

You mean around the perimeter? I did a quick analysis of the thermal resistances in the Beamshield Plus system and it is the insulation under the beams that does most of the work - hence you essentially have "warm beams".

I'll try and dig them out later on, they're ont' other computer - mine's with Isotex ICF though so there's 125mm concrete on the inside of the insulation, a bit different from timber frame.

I had the same problem in my draft design, and hence am looking at the Springvale Beamshield system which puts the insulation between and underneath the beams rather than on top. Not quite sorted yet (should get final pricing next week), but promises a U value of 0.12 with a P/A of 0.55

No, if you're using just 2 poles, like this: But you could do a 4 pole version which obviously would have a bit more stability.

If it were me I'd have 2 bits forming an X between the poles, hang your hoist from the middle point where they cross.

Lucky bugger.

Now then, how wide/deep is this hole you want to hoist stuff up and down? Is it big enough to accommodate a spiral staircase (or a straight sort that bends round the corners whatever those are called) with a central hole large enough to get your fridge down? If so the solution is pretty straightforward I think.

Indeed.... but that would put the manufacturing cost up some. It's obviously "cheaper" in their eyes to fit a rather stretched mechanical relay and then pay an employee to send out a replacement when it fails. Having spent most of my working life designing electronic/electromechanical stuff I do bash my head on the bench in despair sometimes these days.

I suspect it could be even worse than simply a wall area factor if my workshop (which is about 6m high) is anything to go by. If say for example you want to keep the temperature at normal people level (1.8m) at 18 degrees, with convection being active it'll likely be a good few degrees warmer at the top, hence there will be proportionately more heat loss from the upper surfaces. Adding a fan of some sort to keep the air stirred up and at a uniform temperature could help reduce that of course.

I don't suppose anyone knows what the power rating of the typical transformers they stick up a pole is please? One site I'm looking at has such a transformer just about 100m away from the build site on the edge of the land which is supplying just one other property: if it were possible to connect into the LV side of that it will obviously save a pile of money over a short 11KV link + another transformer.

This is such a common issue on all sorts of equipment and seems to significantly reduce relay life. All for want of adding one or two supressors across the terminals to stop the sparking/arcing.

Sounds like my fave Sikaflex EBT+: get one dab on one finger, close your eyes and count to 10 and it will have transferred itself to several places on both hands, your face and every item of clothing you're wearing ?

No, just put on some dark overalls so folk can't see you glowing in the dark.

From @joe90 's pic it appears to have a couple of clamps on the top. Good price for a unit like that, might just buy myself one for the workshop.

The bottle of Glenlivet next to it probably helped as well I guess? ???

The OP's pic looks very much like an opening window to me

Compact yes, but remember that compact can = PITA to get furniture etc. up and down it - been there ? I was reading about protected staircases last week and from how I understood it you need to have something like a stair well with fireproof doors leading onto/off it from the lower floors. Makes sense really, imagine what would happen when somebody sets the (downstairs) kitchen on fire and you're tucked up in bed upstairs.

Now I'm no expert, but have a few professional friends.... Caveats are all very well, but if they run against common law then they may not be valid: at some point if someone is putting themselves forward as a professional then surely they have to take at least some responsibility? Was the surveyor a RICS member? If so it might be worth contacting the RICS to see what they suggest. Hope you get something sorted!!

This makes me think that when (and if) I get round to building I'll spend £300 on another Panasonic Toughbook with the 3D drawings on so everybody can look at the 3D visualisations.