Alan Ambrose

As we have not met up in person for a while, I’m interested in how everyone’s getting on?

My analysis so far:

@saveasteading I'm wondering how your rainwater plans are coming along as I'm just looking at this subject? For us, garden watering only and I'm wondering whether I can use a crate system like you would use for soakaways but surround it with DPC-like stuff so it mostly doesn't leak. We have a bunch of big pots planned and at our current place these are supplied by mains water and an irrigation system - works well but not inexpensive to run... The kosher tanks seem crazily expensive?

In a non-airtight non-PH, we used rockwool to provide the non-combustible barrier. There will be a bit of thermal compromise of course for the penetration, but I see no reason not to use a non-combustible for ait-tightness - some combination of cement board, high-temperature mastic, silicone sheet gasket maybe? We intend a woodburner in the new place so will have to sort this out ourselves in the future.

I think Octopus likes to revert you to their standard tarrif on a regular basis unless you intervene.

I wonder whether they could reliably locate the old drawings and calcs - might they have slimmed down the sections at the top of the building, perhaps during construction, not expecting that anyone would put on another 19 floors 60 years later. Also, do they ever produce as-built drawings after the fact for big commercial buildings likethat? Lastly, was there any reliable way of verifying the section many years later after the concrete was sprayed on? For all the beams/columns?

Actually reading through the list, I'm thinking of applying for pumped hydro using coal gas or peat fuelled steam turbine and then storage using either diabatic compressed ammonia or zinc bromide batteries. Maybe a little less than 50MW.

(0) For 'fun' make an account and look at HV & LV resources in your area together with unutilised capacity. Hope that it's shown in green: Network Infrastructure and Usage Map (NIUM) — UK Power Networks

OK for anyone following along from home, for UKPN: (1) Go here Distribution Energy Resources (DER) | UK Power Networks (2) 'Buy' the forms for free from here: ENA Document Catalogue and they'll email them to you (FFS). (3) Fill them in and email them to the address in (1). .... (4) Laugh as you've received about 820 pages of closely written text and example diagrams of tidal lagoons etc. (5) Consider whether Friday 4:30pm is too early for a beer?

@Spinny re siegenia: Thanks, as far as I understand: battery, bluetooth and retrofit.

Thanks. For anyone following along, it seems Rationel were somewhat unsure where there sensors were and said they couldn't do them on tilt-and-turn. 21Degrees claimed to be able to fit on anything and mostly knew where their sensors were.

You wouldn't believe the nonsense I got back from the various 'brick matching' services e.g. below. I know less than nothing about bricks but even I can see 3 or 4 shades in my example and err, one in this. I told one guy, who had shipped me a bunch of random sample boards of any old red brick - to just stop and cross my name off his list.

No, and I think it’s sold now. I see there are other machines on eBay though.

Depends what you’re doing, of course. But, we tend to use (for a timber frame build) 3 x sets of bought in sawhorses with sheets of 18 or 25mm ply on top. No vice, maybe the occasional clamp. We’re largely cutting sheets of ply and C24 at this point. Not much use for an mft yet. A tool strongbox for somewhat nickable tools, some wire shelves for non-nickable tools and supplies (these are both undercover now) and a 20ft container for less used tools, fixings etc.

@Captain Scally I’ve asked you questions here and on eBay as I’m interested. Any chance of answering them?

I believe one consequence of the current UK system is that new houses pay far more than old houses, regardless of market property value or floorspace. So, some consistency would be helpful & fair. I think property taxes in the US are far, far higher than the UK. Depending on state, they are often based on market value. This encourages people to down size as they get older, but some people are forced to sell if their area becomes more popular, house prices move up, and the owners can’t afford the increased taxes.

Maybe this would be a good 'ub tool loan machine.

I'm interested - will it handle woodfibre?

On this subject again - anyone used these things instead of wire mesh? Although I've used stainless mesh before for this task, it was a significant faff. And you're putting it everywhere the cladding has an edge - top, bottom, around windows & doors etc?

Yeah, if you assume there will be all sorts of contractors, tradesmen, authorities, planners, neighbours etc actively trying to delay / stop / trip you up etc then it’s just business as usual. Self build seems to me to often (a) require the exercise of sheer bloody mindedness on the part of the self-builder and/or (b) being prepared to play a bit part in a Beckett / Brecht play. Sometimes this is just hilarious. We just received a letter from the local environment geezers, courtesy our delightful neighbour, touting ‘light pollution’ ‘cos we forgot to turn the site lights off inside the building one evening a couple of months ago. Guffaw and carry on…

Congrats, now for a good rest 😀.

Presumably your foundations, slab and drainage would stay intact.

>>> Thank you. I'm buzzing! Check that you’re not accidentally plugged into an outlet 😀.

>>> Was told by last 2 BCO’s to “fill it full of water” Then you time it and take pics of your phone for stop / start times. We did today and everything was good:) I still wouldn’t mind a decent testing kit for UFH etc.

Ah, as Dunc says there are some calcs - by and large they ignore the roof materials and sometimes the location/rainfall characteristics. Don't know how I missed those...thanks guys. e.g.