Bonner

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/goods-and-services-you-can-claim-for-under-the-vat-diy-scheme Not unless they are floor tiles

It’s difficult to see from the pictures but mine (different stove) just sits on top of the fire bricks both at the back and sides.

I have a MiTower+, easy to errect and really stable. Got a used one from FB marketplace, should be able to sell for the same price I paid but can’t part with it!

Correct, some are also described as ‘self bunded’

I would say open bunds are not commonly used in a domestic setting. Most tanks have an integral bund formed by a double wall design in a similar way to oil tankers (there may be some with secondary skins purely for protection so best to check specs).

You could ask a (trusted) builder to give an informal assessment/budget cost, to see if they think it’s a major problem?

Sounds like quite a large garage which they are concerned could become another house, a separate property. You should be okay with games/sun room and even a home office.

The internal photos seem to be a different location, not the other side of that arch. Did you take these photos? They are more than hairline cracks, I would be getting a structural engineer to look at it. Remedial cost could be anything depending on cause.

Exactly! BC do not need to be informed or involved until completion. We informed insurers that we were moving in before completion, they did not impose any conditions or additional premium.

Must be fixed down before the glue sets

Needs to be screwed to pull the boards down flat onto the joist.

I don’t believe there is any BC sign off required to move in (in Englan). We didn’t engage with them before we moved in part completed. What we did was ensure buildings and contents insurance was covered.

Looks like it’s supposed to be a box frame not just a filler. Rip down the cladding and make and fit the box frame before face cladding up to it (will need temporary bracing to keep it square). A bit fiddly but will look good in the end. Is there a x-section of the window head showing any rain drip detail?

Thanks, I was thinking about a gate valve but wondered if I should consider something more sophisticated 🤔

I have towel radiators on a by pass circuit so they come on with DHW demand. This works well apart from noise during heat pump overrun. All the flow seems to be directed through the towel rads when the DHW valve has closed and, particularly in the summer, the rad valves are nearly closed. I am thinking about installing a flow control valve in the plant room rather than rely on the rad valves to throttle the flow. I am conscious that there will still be some noise and this will transit through the piping so what would be the best type of valve to install (22mm)? Thanks

One of the best things I did, self installed in a similar sized house for less than £2k. Very simple unit, no sensors, rigid plastic ducting. Wouldn’t want to live in a house without it.

Keep it simple, use gravity to do the job. The drainage field will balance itself over time. I would only use a pump if absolutely necessary.

Welcome, I have found it very helpful to share problems and maybe even solve some!

I don’t think anyone can tell for certain however there are some good ‘all surface’ paints available (ex. Bedec, Zinsser).

Holiday exchange or house sitting should be allowed, somehow avoid any arrangement which could be construed as ‘letting out’? Otherwise, I would agree with @Alan Ambrose, talk to your LA CIL officer. And by talk I mean on the phone, not an email, you can get a completely different answer through dialogue (by all means follow up with an email for the record).

I had a nightmare with eaves detailing which the architect had drawn but didn’t work with the necessary roof structure. Make sure the main structural elements are worked out before ‘signing off’ the design.

12m steels are going to expand and contract a bit. If they are bearing on something which doesn’t move it may make a noise depending on the materials. I have found noise problems with joist ends on steel. Solution was to create a slip joint with plastic sheet.

What is the white stuff around this joint? Shouldn’t need any sealant on these flue systems. You might need to remake some joints or replace an elbow, certainly don’t need a whole new flue!

By thin tray, I guess you mean floor level without risers? If so the answer is probably not unless you can lower the whole waste below floor level. The basics are, trap needs to be connected directly to your shower tray outlet and the waste pipe should fall continuously all the way. If it drops and then rises, it will collect gunge and eventually block. You can get low rise shower traps to minimise the height of your tray but it probably had one already.

Can’t help then. I had a few bits left over after installing my Nolte kitchen, nothing has fallen off yet …