Roundtuit

Sacrifice a handsaw?

You're not likely to absorb any through skin contact, but the edges can be sharp, and it turns your hands black.

Maybe more experience of living in a damp house, but I'm no expert. I've read your link, and there's some really interesting thoughts in there. Every day's a school day! No-one's deliberately feeding you BS; ask for advice and if you're lucky you'll get some. It's up you to filter it.

That doesn't seem to be quite the case, but hey ho. At least we've got a newly-minted damp expert to call on.

Owning it yourself is the only way to control its future use. Assuming it is registered to someone, why not try and find the owner and have a chat. If they don't want to sell, you can at least make them aware of your neighbours activity...

Hi @mike2020 Sounds like a great project, and I see from your other posts that you've had some good advice from experts on old buildings and I admire your enthusiasm. I spent 10 years or so renovating a listed building, and I'd just suggest that you need to decide where you want to be on the spectrum from 'historical purist' to 'financially viable renovation'. That will help you decide whether you're going to try to replace a ceiling with lath and lime plaster full of horse hair, or take a more pragmatic view using modern materials. Your house: your balance! Good luck!

Can't comment specifically on laurels, but I planted 250 hornbeam bare root plants. Setting out to do the best possible job, half of them were planted in a dug-over trench, but because it took forever, the other half were planted in slots with a spade. There's was never any visible difference in development, so I've probably put in another 250 mixed native hedging in using the slot method since, with less than 5% losses. Watering next year is probably going to be the most important factor. Top tip: get a few extra and pot them up, in case you need to replace a few in the first season.

Why not use blocks instead of facing bricks if it can't be seen anyway, and maybe a fillet of mortar to shed water? Alternatively, you might find smooth blue plinth bricks are a lot cheaper than ones that match your facing brick.

Sounds reasonable to get you back in the right place!

Yes, sharp sand though, dry or semi-dry mix ?

Not sure about the paving etc, but I suspect that removing the hedge would have required permission in a conservation area. I'd have a chat with your council's Conservation Officer.

I don't think it works that way when you buy a second hand car, so why should it for a house? (Apologies for off-topic)

Judging by a random Safety Data Sheet probably not much different to the foam itself...

Mainly Ash from pollarding a few trees 18 months ago, and some small stuff from a fallen birch. Just about finished the Siberian larch offcuts from cladding 2 yrs ago; made great kindling.

Nice! 6C outside here. Lit the stove a little while ago, and we're just reaching 26C now. Mrs Roundtuit is complaining its too warm, and the dog's thinking about moving to another room. Me? Shorts and T-shirt and a warm glow from the thought of the electric I'm saving. Better throttle it down a bit now though...

It looks fine I reckon. I'd try and escalate it within the council, and call their bluff. They'll be hard-pushed to justify any enforcement action given their lack of engagement and error regarding the windows.

A broker is probably worth while. Not all lenders ask the same questions, so someone who knows the market could save some pain.

Sorry, but it looks like it's been done in the dark, with chewing gum, by a 4 year old. If they've done that sort of job where you can see it, I'd be concerned about what you can't see.

Or infrared thermometer. Finding the cold spot could save you a lot of effort. There could be differences across the party wall depending on how next door heat their rooms.

Filter probably needs a clean. I had a flow rate error code this morning (Hitachi code 070); I think now its cold, radiators and ufh zones are opening up and blasting through bits of crap that are still in the system into the little stainless steel gauze filter. 15 minute job to remove and clean filter and all's good. (Check out youtube videos for filter cleaning- could be an easy fix).

Brush it off, or if the surface is smooth enough, floor squeegee? (foam blade, not solid rubber, are best)

And be too high? I know it's a bit of a thing to put the TV on the chimney breast, but it can be too high for optimal viewing comfort.

Rainwater; I suspect that whatever you can do with your discharge, it won't have a significant effect on the flooding issue if the rest of the street is flowing into the culvert. Sounds like a bigger problem than you can fix, but worth exploring the issue with whoever is responsible for street drainage. Soil pipe; does the soil pipe running to the septic tank exit the house above ground level? If so, could a new pipe be run across the back of the house and drop into the stack on the corner? Not pretty, but way easier.

+1. Mines never been cleaned. Can changes can be a bit messy, but let any excess go off then scrape it off. Same with the nozzle; a quick scrape with a Stanley knife blade before use and all's good!

Best not to confuse hay and straw, but I think you're correct that small bales are now a bit of a niche market. It might pay to get straw baled specially to order, particularly if you can get it locally.