Alan Ambrose

>>> So if I can justify PHPP is equivalent to TM59 criteria, its ok. This is from your BC? They should know that these are not the same, so unless that particular LPA has decided to accept PHPP (some will/do) then that's a somewhat polite way of saying TM59 or nothing.

I've not made my mind up yet, but I was looking at the little Hyundai 2kW 'suitcase' generators e.g. HY2000Si . The framed ones look a little too heavy at 50kg to move around a lot - in a wheelbarrow maybe. Max sabre saw is ~1.5kW, so that should be OK. Having said that you could probably buy a cordless sabre saw kit cheaper than a generator.

The worst 'vaidation' shenanigans for me were with Openreach. The plans I sent them had already been validated by my LPA - but they were not good enough for Openreach... Eventually I raised an official complaint and that sorted the matter out fairly quickly. Not sure I would do that with my LPA unless pushed though.

OK small ones: 265 x 165? handmade? . I think it should still be a bit of fun, if you have, say a telehandler, to avoid the muscle work and the roof pitch isn't crazy high.

Steaming works well with softwood, not sure how well it’ll go with hardwood. I used to help my dad build wooden boats when I was a teenager. Amazing what you can do with a former, some tensioning device (e.g. string), a standard kettle and a bit of patience. I seem to remember we did it in stages i.e. steam and tension, leave to cool, repeat until you get what you want. If that little moulding is softwood, it shouldn’t be a problem. Oak may work but it’s a bit brittle. Use softwood for that bit and then stain? Otherwise (depending how much you want this) you could router the shape out of a bit of solid plank. A local carpenter could do it for you if you want.

Ever get the feeling that you’re your starring in someone else’s Kafka play?

Here I am wondering about insulation thickness and somebody is telling me that temperature is all b…..ks anyway.

All LPAs have a bunch of ‘validation rules’ as does the appeal body (as do some utilities companies). Some LPAs document them well, sometimes they’ll have rules that they don’t bother to tell you about. I get the impression that ‘validation’ is left to a junior, there is no common sense applied, they just run through the rules as automatons. If it says you need a road name, you need a road name. If it says you need a North indication, you need a North indicator. If it says you need a scale bar, you need a scale bar. Etc, etc, etc, etc. Sometimes the rules don’t make any sense and sometimes, some of their regular architects seem to be able to evade the rules. Sometimes the rules apply to one person or application (e.g. heritage impact statement) sometimes they don’t (even for the same plot). By and large it’s just easier to play along. Sometimes when they’re being dumb and annoying, I send them the answer back perfectly politely but with the ‘missing item’ (that actually wasn’t missing) with a big arrow and 24pt bold red text. They probably don’t get the sarcasm, or maybe they do and they don’t care. What’s that phrase - choose your battles?

@flanagaj 1,800 tiles maybe? Actually it’s all v quick. I’ve only done one but suggest: + 20% of time/effort for membrane/ battens. Yeah, layout carefully but v easy job. Get the laps right on the membrane. + 30% for getting tiles in stacks on the roof. Bit of physical effort. I had a forklift to get them to eaves height. Suggest telehandler / lift is worth it. +30% for laying, v quick and easy, a bit hard on the knees. Nail about 15% especially edges? + 15% for fitting hip / ridge tiles etc. Just a bit fiddly. Cut clean through my angle grinder cable without blowing a fuse. Be more careful than me. + 5% guttering. I was nailing by hand, a nail pouch on a belt is handy.

Part of this is ‘we’re too expensive / precious / (insert your own adjective) to deal with you as a human, talk to our computer instead’ thing that is wildly prevalent these days.

Those sound good. Anyone used lime plaster internally or lime paint? @SimonD - your mum might reveal the recipe she used?

Standard paving slabs loose laid on the shingle and along the pipe - if only so you remember where the damn thing is?

I'm sympathetic - I even paid for an optional face-to-face meeting only to have my LPA renege, change their policy and not give me my money back. Lovely, eh. Sometimes I see it as an exercise to wear down applicants - that and the crazy slow response time. How else are you going to keep the rate of building down and preserve the wealth of the ruling classes?

Anyone used any plaster finishes which are not just matt painted plasterboard? I have in my minds eye something with a bit more actual and visual texture? Yeah, start by making all the jokes about Artex and 80s rag roll finishes etc you want - I'm thinking of something classy , maybe something a bit ... continental.... This kind of thing maybe? https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/venetian-plaster-trend-guide

>>> spin it out while you gather support Maybe get your Architect to propose (verbally without drawings) some ideas to 'mitigate' the visual impact - some roof amendments, planting ideas, anything - just to keep them engaged. File some good photomontages or models etc - sometimes the idea of a negative impact goes away when you can illustrate the actual visual impact? Lots of people can't 'imagine' in 3D very well from 2D drawings.

>>> We must get more than 3 supporting comments Run around getting some friendly neighbours/Councillors to help? Is this a local requirement - I thought that it only required one Councillor to 'call it in', no? FYI there was a bit on planning committees in May edition of Homebuilding & Renovating p113-115 - or some here are knowledgeable on that subject. Best to act quickly before the LPA issues a decision or find a way to spin it out while you gather support. You can withdraw or, of course, appeal if you are not in a rush and/or submit a somewhat different design.

I wonder whether you can use something like a fibre cement board for that part of the build only e.g.: https://www.cladcodecking.co.uk/3-66m-fibre-cement-exterior-wall-cladding It may also be possible to use say steel or aluminium square tube 'battens' instead of, say, spruce. Then you would have: ... cement board membrane V steel 'batten' H steel 'batten' cement board planks .. which looks properly fireproof - to me, at least.

Is an option to get is sent to committee before the final announcement comes through?

Anyway, if it was me I'd use Bedec Barn Paint on any softwood cladding and probably a specialist metal paint for a steel portal frame.

Probably just a paperwork snafu. Send a carefully worded email / letter referring to the one you received explaining just as you've told us. You probably didn't tell them you had reverted to a building notice, and your bco probably won't have told them either. (And your dodgy neighbour won't have known either.) They'll just update their system and send you a 'that's ok then' letter. Enforcements btw are usually kicked off by a dodgy neighbour's complaints as enforcement dept doesn't have time to check everything is built to plan. Don't worry, enforcements take 18m or longer to work their way through the system.

What kind of construction is it presently? The first person I would look for is an SE with barn experience, especially if some of the structure is dodgy. Then figure out how you add your required amount of insulation to the frame re roof, walls, floor. We have a barn conversion atm and love it.

The OP, I think, is talking about Bedec Barn Paint (the brand) rather than generic ‘barn paint’ - which is any old paint you paint a barn with 😀 I guess.

You may be able to see on google street view (the dated images) when they were removed. Also you might be able to gauge the size/age of tree from the stump diameter. I have a couple to go also, and I think it’ll take a sizeable digger to remove them.

We used black Barn Paint on our barn conversion (on the softwood cladding) a year or so ago. I think the cladding was still in its ‘straight from factory’ finish. I tested a few paints on patches to see how I liked them beforehand - including Osmo and others. I liked Barn Paint the best. It”s nicely thick, like cream, and covers very well and v easy to brush. One of the others I tried (the Osmo I think) was stupidly thin and didn’t cover. I also used the black on the outside of a bought in softwood log cabin, with white Barn Paint on the softwood window frames. No prep, two coats on bare wood - I can’t remember whether we did the 1st coat as watered down ‘primer coat’. Actually the first coat was a thin clear preserver, I’ll check which one as I have the half used cans. I used the black more recently on some hardwood door cills which were about 5 years old and had been baking in the sun (again in their original coating which was clear) with good prep including proper sanding and filling of the weathered surface. One coat, didn’t prime. That is not so good now, with some flaking and I’ll have to do them again in the next week or so. Whether that’s due to the fact that the hardwood is less absorbent, the wood is more oily, the barn paint didn’t like the original finish although it was well prepped, or movement in the wood itself in the sun - I’m not sure. I don’t have any idea whether it’s good on metal. Suggest apply a bit and see how it feels.

Sorry, finger trouble - added the rest in an edit.