timsk

Hi Alan I'm in Devon - not a lot of use to you regarding sourcing boards, but what I can say is that whatever you choose (especially if you buy new as opposed to reclaimed boards), Osmo oil will bring out the best in them and there's a selection of tints to choose from to make them warmer, lighter or darker etc. This link is to my local supplier - but the product is widely available: Osmo UV-Protection Oil Clear Excellent product; but that's reflected in the price. Tim.

Hi SJG, We've just replaced the white uPVC windows on the front elevation of our 60s bungalow with powder coated aluminium windows in 'Pebble Grey', RAL: 7032. It's certainly muted, but has a distinct green tinge to it, so the inclusion of grey in the name is somewhat misleading. Anyway, we're very pleased with the colour and we've had lots of favourable comments from neighbours and visitors alike, who all say that it's a refreshing change to the ubiquitous dark grey that one sees everywhere. (No offence to anyone reading this who's opted for dark grey!!!) The pics below are of the window in my study. All colours change according to the light conditions, but this colour changes more that most. It can look almost bronzy at times, or very green at others and then sometimes quite neutral. For this reason, I agree with the earlier post that recommends getting samples - absolutely essential, IMO. Also, keep in mind other colours that the windows will need to complement; this includes internal wall colours if the frames are the same colour inside and out. Tim.

Burning plasterboard - that's a new one on me Simplysimon! ?

Thanks for the replies. I've already bought the mdf - so I'm committed to using that. I didn't fancy plasterboard as I'm not a plasterer and I'm on a tight budget. Yes, mdf is more expensive than plasterboard - but not after one factors in the plastering. Also, getting rid of off cuts is difficult around my way, whereas, the 12mm mdf is the substrate of choice for our mosaics - so any off cuts will be used over time. I'm starting to get the feeling that I need to invest in a router, although it's quite a confusing tool to research for someone who - like me - has never used one! I'm sure YouTube will save the day on that front - just as it has so often in the past. Thanks again for the suggestions. Tim.

Hi all, I'm in the process of building a garden room, (see my intro' thread here), well - studio if truth be told, but my wife thinks that sounds pretentious and prefers to call it a posh shed. Anyway, the walls are framed in 4" x 2" C24 timber, stuffed with 90mm PIR insulation. The exterior will be clad with Hardie Plank and the interior with 12mm mdf - not plasterboard. I'm unsure how best to install the mdf boards? I wondered about butt fitting them and taping over the joints with scrim and then filling them, but I suspect this may lead to cracks appearing as the boards expand and contract over time. The electrician who did the first fix suggested a 'V' shaped joint but, presumably, to create this I'd have to router the board edges? (Violins at the ready folks - I'm routerless!) Is a shadow gap a possible solution - or would that just look weird? Whichever way I end up fixing them, the boards will be painted white. So, have you any suggestions about how best to install the mdf boards? If anyone is kind enough to comment, then attaching - or linking to - some images that illustrate the finished appearance would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance. Tim.

Hi daiking, The fence timber is only rough sawn - not planed. Planed, although much nicer, would easily have doubled the price and, if I'd gone for larger 25 x 50mm slats the price would have been over £3.00. Also, because of the quantity, my timber merchant gave me a discount. Levelling the concrete piers was a little tricky as I don't have (or have access to) a laser level and had to rely on my trusty 1.8 metre Stabila. Because of the number of piers - three rows of four, all are spaced apart less than the length of the spirit level which meant I was able to check each pier with three of its neighbours. That gave me a good Idea that I was in the right ball park. I knew that if I needed to tweak the timber frame that, if necessary, I could use spacers to make subtle height adjustments. In the end, that wasn't necessary. Your other option is to ignore the problem entirely and invest in a set of these: StrataRise MULTI-LEVEL Decking & Flooring Support Pedestal - 15 pack Tim.

Hi cookolaar, Tiny compared to yours - just 5 x 3 metres. However, I believe the basic principle of using concrete blocks as piers and building a timber base frame off of those is scalable. Ali Dymock's garden room is somewhere between yours and mine in size and, if I remember rightly, he built four separate frames and then stitched them together to make one big one. I should point out that I'm just a mickey mouse DIYer and have no professional skills - so my comments are uninformed opinion and may be wide of the mark. I quite see that for a building of your size that a solid concrete base might well be the best way forward. I just saw your £6k quote and thought ouch; but your circumstances are doubtless very different to mine and you may be fine with it. Each to their own. ? Tim.

Hi daiking, I built it: 450 battens @ 19 x 38mm x 3.6 metres (at a cost of £1.00 each inc. VAT) with 10 stainless steel screws in each, attached to 100 x 100mm uprights on 1,800 centres with two 25 x 100mm uprights in between on 600 centres. It took forever! Tim.

I'm in the process of building a garden room and at the stage of having just had the electricians do the first fix last week. I excavated the site and did the base (12 concrete piers) and floor frame myself, following the method outlined by Ali Dymock (AD) on his YouTube channel. . . Garden Room Workshop There are loads of YouTube channels devoted to self build garden rooms and, although many (all?) have their merits, few go into the level of detail that AD does. I haven't yet priced the build, but the base just comprises the landscape fabric (free from my neighbour!), a dumpy bag of chippings, 24 concrete blocks, some sand and cement, 5" x 2" structural C24 timber and various fixings. If that lot exceeded £500 I'd be surprised. Here are a few pic's of the project, including one of the completed base: Garden Room Self-builder Tim.

A rather splendid looking Box Delta if I'm not mistaken. Oh, and the house looks splendid too! ? I envy you living on Skye - some of the best Pollack fishing to be had there - which you'll have time to do now the house is finished. Enjoy! Tim.

Aha, I get you now - thanks for the input everyone - and apologies in advance if I've got everyone's hopes up and they are dashed either by no cut in VAT or by some other economic incentive which offers no benefit to the likes of us! Tim.

Hi Temp', Sorry, I don't quite follow - better for who? We have been quoted a price of circa £7k + VAT for new windows and doors, i.e. £8,400 inc. VAT. If we wait until the chancellor lowers VAT (assuming the rumour is correct) to, say 17%, then we'll only pay a total of £8,190 and save ourselves £210. We're also on the cusp of putting in orders for Hardie Plank cladding, decking materials and corrugated roofing sheets - all of which combined could save us over £400 if we hold off buying them until the new rate is announced. Yes, I accept the point that suppliers could up their rates, but most of the stuff we''ll be buying we have ex - VAT quotes for and so, IMO, it would be pretty underhand of them not to honour them. Or am I missing something? Tim.

Heads up folks . . . Just heard on the news that Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, is to make a big announcement next Wednesday in a bid to stimulate the economy. The strong hint is that he's going to make a cut in the 20% VAT rate. This may not happen but, for anyone out there on the cusp of putting in a large order (as we are for new windows and sliding doors) - you might want to hold off until after he's delivered his speech. After all, there's nothing worse than paying top dollar for something only to discover you could have saved quite a few bob by waiting for a day or two! Tim.

Hi Paris22, You have said repeatedly in a number of posts that you are confused and it appears from Ferdinand's post that many of us are too! As he suggests in the part I've quoted, I was indeed under the impression that you've been refused Planning Permission (PP). Perhaps you can clarify the following for all concerned so that we're we're all on the same page and not just the same thread . . . Firstly, have you received anything in writing from the local authority that indicates that PP has been refused - or would be refused - if applied for? If so, having sight of exactly what they've told you would be helpful. Secondly, can you give more detail about what your plans are. So, for example, you say in your opening post that the extension is 6m x 3.7m. Depending upon which way around this is, i.e. is the extension 6m out from the rear of the house or just 3.7m - will impact the likelihood of whether or not the scheme falls within permitted development. The latter probably would (note emphasis), while the former probably wouldn't. Other details such as whether or not you're in a conservation area or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) would be helpful. I've asked my wife to read the thread again as she's not a forum member and not seen all the replies. Her response was emphatic; you really, really need to establish what you can build under permitted development and then come up with a scheme that conforms to that. At that point you can apply to the council for a Certificate of Lawfulness which is official confirmation that PP is not required. Once obtained, your neighbour has no input, no involvement and cannot object. Here's link - again to the Planning Portal - that covers this in detail: Lawful Development Certificates. Tim.

Hi Ferdinand, Just to clarify, it would be the local authority planners who would attach the condition, so the wording would be theirs; it would have nothing to do with either Paris22 or her neighbour. It's very common for PP to be granted subject to a condition - sometimes many conditions. Apologies for not making that clear! ? Tim.

Hi Paris22, I'll try and address what appear to be the three main points of your post (that I've numbered in the quote). . . 1. Well, as per my previous post, if you can build under permitted development - you may not need to. Don't assume that because PP has been refused that you need it. I realise that sounds completely counter intuitive - bizarre even - but it's not uncommon for applicants to be refused permission for something that doesn't require it in the first place! So, be sure to do your homework on this front. This may involve tweaking your design to fit the requirements under permitted development rights. In addition to the Planning Portal links, these links from the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) may help: For a single-storey rear extension. If you have no joy there, you can get a small amount of free advice by e-mailing them: Submit a Request. 2. I suggest you keep separate the design side from the planning side, i.e. don't involve your architect with planning at all. Architects, including good ones, aren't always that hot when it comes to planning. So, either do this yourself or, if you feel completely out of your depth, find a local planning consultant to act on your behalf. The RTPI has a list of members here: Directory of Planning Consultants. Also, the council planning department will have a list of people who deal with them on a regular basis - so it's worth asking them too, as a local consultant will know the officials and the way they work - which is to your advantage. 3. My wife may be able to comment on this but would need to see the reason for refusal. Can you either upload a copy of the letter or type verbatim - word for word, comma for comma - exactly what the planners have said. Tim.

Hi Paris22, I've had a quick word with my wife who's a retired town planner with 30 years experience working for local government and, latterly, as a private planning consultant. Her first suggestion is to establish what you can do without having to apply for planning permission (PP) under permitted development rights. If you can do something similar without PP, then your neighbour isn't an issue. This link to the Planning Portal will help: Permitted Development: Extensions (single storey) Part A of this link is a bit more explicit: Permitted development rights for householders Her second suggestion is that a condition could be attached to any PP granted that specifically prohibits the roof of the extension being used as a balcony/terrace. This achieves the result your neighbour is seeking without the hassle and expense of getting a covenant. If you - or subsequent owners of the property - ever want to use the roof as a terrace, you/they would have to get the condition lifted by submitting a new planning application, at which point the neighbour would be able to object. Hope that helps. Tim.

Thanks SiBee. I mentioned your original post with the gabion columns and subsequent one about the rats to my wife and she was struggling to understand why rats would be attracted to them. Me too! We concluded that perhaps the gaps between the logs attracted wildlife which, in turn, caught the attention of the rats. Anyway, good to know the real explanation which allays my concerns about the rats although, as many others have commented, the baskets themselves are surprisingly expensive for what they are. Tim.

Looking at the pics in your previous post SiBee, I thought the columns look great and would pinch your idea as they're an interesting feature and ideal for Clematis, Honeysuckle and other climbing plants. However, your comment about rats has put me right off - no thanks - I don't want to do anything that will encourage vermin into our garden! Tim.

Old technology yes, but it works and, as I say, it's a whole lot cheaper than a laser which will probably break - or the calibration will go adrift - within a few years. Also, you can establish a level on one side of your house, go over the roof or around a wall to find the same level on the other side of the house. Try doing that with a laser level! ?

We are in the process of replacing all the windows on the south facing elevation of our 60s bungalow. There are many considerations but, for us, there are two really big ones . . . 1. Being able to open the doors for ventilation and to have that sense of connecting to the outside and 'bringing the outside in'. Bi-folds address this concern perfectly. 2. To maximise the glazing and to minimise the framing - so that the latter doesn't interfere either with the views or cut out light. (The current uPVC French doors that open out onto a terrace are only 75% glazing, i.e.a full 25% of the overall aperture is plastic!) Bi-folds score poorly in this regard - large sliders win hands down. Living as we do in Devon, we concluded that the number of times each year that the doors will be open will only be a fraction of those that they are closed. So, for us, it was a no-brainer; large sliders it is. If we lived in the med' - or in a warm climate where the doors would be open more often than not - we'd may well have gone with bi-folds. TIm.

Hi MJN, Ours our 400mm off the wall. We were nervous about this at the time and, to build in some leeway if we got it wrong, we fitted tilting lights. This has proved to be a very good move as we can direct the light to the exact spot where it's needed on the worktop or sink. Yes, they're more expensive that fixed lights - quite a bit more if I remember rightly - but well worth the extra for the flexibility they provide. Tim.

Hi M, Sorry, I'm late to the party - only recently joined the forum and just seen your thread for the first time today. My immediate reaction to the plan is that you've got a large plot and have resisted the temptation to build a mansion that kisses all four boundaries. So, well done for that! ? Okay, now for the criticism! As you approach the property, the first thing one notices is not a beautifully designed and built house (hopefully!) but a garage! That's not good, IMO. In your shoes, I'd move the whole house down the plot very slightly - only by a metre or two, so that you can then swing the garage around 90 degrees and have the door to it on the north side (as one looks at the plan) as opposed to the east side. I'd also link it to the house, so you can access it internally without having to go outside in inclement weather. This provides the addition benefit of being able to easily convert the garage into extra living accommodation / workshop / granny flat - or whatever in the future should you want to. It will also be an attractive benefit on the property particulars should you ever want to sell it. If you do this then, from the outside, the garage will appear as an integral part of the house and won't scream garage on arrival. Attaching a trellis to the east wall and having some planting will soften the whole look. Aesthetically, if you go down this route (or something similar), I think it will make a huge impact on the overall look of the building - for the better, obviously. This is especially true for people arriving at the property for the first time; first impressions count and all that. Just my £0.02p worth. Tim.

Hi Ttw, I can't speak for anyone else, obviously, but it's not clear from you post what you want help with? Is it the type of roof to build and how to stay within the 2.5 metre height restriction? If so, this chap's videos are quite instructive and, as in the example I've linked to, he uses a sort of hybrid between a warm and cold roof and doubles up the joists for added strength on wide(ish) spans like yours using 5" x 2" timber. See if this helps: Roof construction for a garden office I’m Tim.