Ed_MK

I must say though. since I have been building my house ..I have tried to get the best price for anything and any work. Sure I have used trustatrader, checkatrade and occasionally walked on the darkside with Gumtree and facebook But i am thinking ..is it me? I seem to have attracted more cowboys than a rodeo, and more c**ks than desiree cousteau! ..maybe in a past life i was Pol Pot or something

Well it actually is ..as the classic and others may contain SIMILAR if not identical colours but they have different reference numbers The RAL classic is the widest used and regardless of there being a SPECIAL RAL range for plastics ...you will find that most UPVC/Ally windows actually refer to the choice by a classic RAL ...mostly...ish If you have 1. a RAL colour wheel 2. a sample of a painted product you are trying to match 3. and some sunlight as you should NOT do it inside (especially under Cool Lighting) you shouldn't go FAR wrong what you dont do is 1. use a picture off your phone sent to you by the fitters ...of a range of RAL colours 2. then google the closest match on RAL to hmmmmm, lets say chartwell green!!! ...or ruby red, bone white, anthracite shadow , cuddly copper, jaundiced jade or whatever other utter COCK DRIBBLE NAME that a manufacturer chooses to apply to some stuff they sell to make it sound either funky or classy Oh ..and another thing If you call an on-site paint spraying company and they tell you that they can "spray anything any colour in the known universe" once they ask you ....."what shade of green are you trying to get to my pal?" ...."Grass Green" or "Leaf Green" " RAL? ...Nah We don't do that RAL nonsense pal ...its just for manufacturers and stuff, like bingo ...you pick a number and see if you are lucky" " we got 40 years between us ...we do it by eye" No Just don't Just hang up...you will waste 30 mins of your life ,...trust me

Hmm ..I like the idea as then it wouldnt look so bad ..i.e a failed match...CLEVER but of course it would still have to be painted,, and i suppose if thats the case it may as well be in the old chartwell I mean its not uber noticeable until the SUN hits that side of the house ...then it looks painful I went out last night to check the house was locked up and to be honest i couldnt tell the difference...Result ? Not Quite ...it was 9.30PM and i could hardly see my own feet LOL

Thanks Wozza I will give them a call ...

the cheeky buggers !

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo B*LLS ...by the way ...if anyone out there has the same Chartwell Green UPVC ....(the other windows) Most (if not all) companies appear to use an identical PVC wrap .... and if you are painting wood to accompany it Use ... Weather shield Tuscan glade 3 xxxxxx-120Y (For satin) This MUST be painted with 2 coats on top of Weathershield White Primer (Medium Base) This will get you a near PERFECT match with your windows ... Trial and Error got me there ....so save yourself time and money on me !

Well that tops off a really crap week! Just had the fitters come and fit the last doors ....INCLUDING the specially made aluminium bifold Of course like everything else outside the house ...it is in "chartwell green" ...UPVC doors, Windows, Rafter Feet, Fascia Board ....EVERYTHING Off i went to make them tea and butties and when i came back BOOM...WTF ...I hope thats plastic film i asked! >No my friend ....its the colour I said ...it is NOTHING like chartwell green >I agree my friend So why have i got it > We dont make these doors is aluminium you need to talk boss...is special made to order Yes i remember >and we gave your wife a colour swatch and a form to fill in why, just make them the same as the PVC ones you supplied >because they only do the RAL colour ..so you have to choose close match well she never picked this >ok , you call office, i am only fitter so after an hour.... i got a scan of the order and sure enough she wrote down swatch RAL 6021 which according to the internet is the closest RAL colour to chartwell bloody green but she SWEARS the swatch was nowhere near as dark as this So ...i am sure she cant live with it ....see picture .. They will not refund our £2k as we chose the colour So i guess we have to change the colour ourselves.... Anyone have any ideas? ...only the outside PS ANYONE ELSE WANTING TO FALL INTO THE CHARTWELL GREEN CLUB. REMEMBER THIS ....I HAS SPOKE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AND CHARTWELL GREEN IS N-O-T A RECOGNISED COLOUR IT DOES N-O-T HAVE AN RGB OR CMYK VALUE ... WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT ANY COMPANY DOING A SIMILAR GREENY SHADE CAN CALL IT "CHARTWELL GREEN" SO BE AWARE ...IF YOU DONT GET A FINISHED PAINTED/COATED SAMPLE OF WHAT YOU WANT ...DO N-O-T BUY IT

Well in MK it sadly is not any of the ways above... If they see so much as a Beans tin in the paper sack it gets left. and if the bin bag has anything sticking out ....think empty bacofoil roll ....they leave it. Even the green bin... if it is too heavy and you leave it a few weeks ..they grab the handle and then walk off. I mean it WAS a 74 year old woman that wheeled it out to the kerb !!! Forgot the grab lorry idea already ...I am getting 1 or 2 skips in the new year now I did try the "man and a van" option a few days ago from the local paper ...A man came out and said he would shift the lot for 350 done! But then he wanted me to "book it" by paying 50% up front to cover "tipping costs" this was BEFORE he loaded a damn thing. I must look soft in the head ...LOL

Understood. I guess i have not been frugal enough with mine separating it never came to mind ....also most of it was "dumped on the pile" by various trades. Including discarded lunch in carrier bags and now we have furry friends in there too ... i saw one I would like to think it was a mouse .....but deep down i know it is a ..."pedigree siberian hamster" I think Manuel called it in fawlty towers nice

I must admit, I wasn't excited at the thought of spending Xmas filling at LEAST one large skip with the waste from my build. then someone suggested a grab service ...GREAT (i thought) But after calling several companies up that advertised removal of a load starting from £199 I realised it was the usual BAIT advertising. the asked what the waste was ....General Building ...you know the stuff ...Some Rubble sacks, bits of offcut wood and plaster board some timber, the odd few broken bricks and roof tiles etc etc The quotes came in at almost 800 quid ! and some very DUBIOUS practises ..... Like the company that wanted to charge me a STANDING charge of £170 + VAT and then £150 + VAT per tonne Minimum job = 3 Tonne But you have to pay for 10 Tonne up front and then they "refund " you once it is weighed...hmmmm I mean i have really minimised on waste ...saving all useable bricks and hard standing for later projects and cannibalising any useful wood for studding and stuff later ... Just seems like a lot to me ...maybe because I am in MK Of course there is always the lads from the camp sites wanting a "few quid to move your rubbish mister" but I am 100% sure this would be fly-tipped ..so I wouldnt but I can see why people are sometimes forced to use this option

Hi, I am about to purchase my internal doors they are all solid "cottage style doors" ...you know the ones with an oak veneer like these: https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/Hardwood-Oak-Suffolk-Internal-Door-1981mm-x-838mm-x-35mm/p/480461?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr6qNpObz3gIVD53tCh0hbg1DEAQYBCABEgJDtfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds Now my joiner has asked me do any have to be "fire rated" ..I have ploughed through the building regs and I am a little confused (its usual) some bits seem to suggest that its only over 2 stories or garages or something some other sites refer to FD30 and FD60 and special door linings... some say 35mm cant be fire rated and i should go for 44mm I do WANT to make it a safe job, as we are nearing a build though... money is tight and I dont want to fit £200 doors that would shield the space shuttle if i dont have to ....well not in all doorways anyway ! I dont have many doors downstairs as it is open plan ...just lounge, a small wc and utility really but upstairs there are bedroom and bathrooms, en-suite etc I suppose there are 2 questions .... a) what is the legal requirement? b) would you go above and beyond in certain rooms ..just to be safe? I have spent so much time making sure that any insulation is fire rated, and made sure that cavities, breaks and battens are all done well and doubled up where i could..so i dont want to skimp on places where it really matters ..if you get me

tx Guys ...I will base my buying on your advice ... I have 100mm joists which are filled with Roll acoustic and fire insulation, but i will make sure the space around the lamps are clear ..i hope thats ok

my sparky seems to swear by enlights he says he has been fitting them for years and they are good quality ..so thats what i went for 101 fixed 102 directional 103 bathroom rated 103.s have a push on rubber sealed cover for wet areas to change bulb (pic below) but the others have a handy half turn lockring and the bulb just comes out last ones i fitted in my old kitchen had bugger all space around them ... so u ended up tottering on a dining chair with a butter knife between your teeth and a barbecue skewer jammed in the side then hoping you flicked the right RCD !

the bulb in my old dear mams living room was a 150 ...eek

what's the beam angle on those peter from experience ?

We are finishing the plastering on our new build. so the sparky came in with the shopping list for later ... and i was SHOCKED to find out that i needed 72 ....yes SEVENTY TWO recessed lights!! In the end i managed to source them, sockets and switches and thought i was looking good oops the bulbs ...(or lamps as they call them now) as usual there is no end of people working here with layman advice ...but which makes sense?? you got to get big brand names £10 ish, any cheapies off amazon or ebay etc are crap you should stick to under 5w as the others get too hot or wont fit in the GU10 hole its not the wattage its the width of reflector ...some have a beam like a pencil torch dont get warm white (what the wife wants) ,..they are only half the brightness sigh i love light .....and dont want to end up in a gloomy cave-like room

It is thanks guys. I think the moral here is look at the progress weekly. I should have realised they were VERY slow after a few weeks. Despite getting paid weekly ..We were still getting asked for "subs" ...in the end the job took over TWICE as long as we were told, and i could see they were getting fed up. Frequently late, slack practises, rough work I should have binned them off earlier ...my wife told me to . It was a red flag that on some days they laid about 200 brick! and the "labourer" (hmmm) carried bricks from one side of the site to the other 3 at a time in his hands, just to pass the time once they had wheedled enough of the money from us, boom ....it was both got ill (strange) wont be able to finish ....click ...no more contact i made the mistake on looking at the both as friends (almost) ...but i WONT let it happen again

Well the screed went in today....at last I took the Building Controllers advice and tied some wire mesh supports in doorways and across the crossovers where the UFH zones change ....and the screeders left a 4mm gap in these places as well ...just in case of cracking. Lovely job they did ....flat as a pancake !! all in all 6 hours and they were away Really nice lads and best of all a good price So..... a shameless plug for anyone wanting screeding doing in the Luton, Bedford or MK area's Give Ian a call at Alder Screed ! PS I took a few peoples advice in the end on the expansion joints ...and the BCO told me as the areas were not Overly large and due also to the open-plan kitchen that heat difference cracking would be limited (most likely none at all ) ...even without mesh and extra fibre in the mix....but if i DID put in lower expanders ...they would definitely need to be continued to the top ... and the wife hated the idea of all these rubber strips breaking it up...so that kind of sealed it ! So now i will wait 2 months at least before i can tile ....I have lots to be getting on with !! ...once i can get back in !! I have been reading a LOT on this Ditra 25 matting and flexible adhesive...and sadly (as its dear stuff) ..it looks like i will need to go for it.. unless their is a cheaper alternative ... Tiles going down are large porcelain (imitation riven slate) 600x400x10 ...so i dont fancy these boys tenting or cracking ..as they are not cheap either

thanks for the advice. its quite open plan..so the only internal doors are wc..utility and lounge. . what do you suggest I ask the screeder to put in again...I take it it goes in all the depth of the screed ? and ofc I will have to cut it around for the ufh pipes as the entire floor is surrounded by insulation. .will this help to absorb movement...as ofc ot has play vertically

Hi all, I have been offline for a month or so ...struggling to get the exterior of the house complete ... almost there ...will the weather catch up with me for 2018 ....sadly i think it might (sigh) But anyway we have been cracking along with the internal ....boarding upstairs is done and the electrics and plumbing are done on first fix ... I DPM-ed, vapoured and insulated the Beam and block and then finished with a slip sheets and last week the Plumbers installed the nu-heat UFH system and tested it ...all good so far! the screeders are coming wednesday and they are laying a grit sand and cement screed I have 16 tonnes of sharp and 80 bags of the grey stuff standing by !! But it has got me thinking about tiles ! ..well i KNOW the wife is looking at basically the ENTIRE downstairs tiled in large 300x400mm tiles that are 9mm thick ... Now ...I have had various advice ....stuff like use special grout use special adhesive use a separation or decoupling membrane dont tile for 2 months as it needs to dry as rooms are different zones it will CRACK at door openings and you need "gaps" Is there any truth to any of this ....and what can you advise PS Floor is Beam and Block with 1200 micron DPM, 500DPM Barrier/Slip, 90mm Kinspan TF Insulation with 60mm external and 25mm internal upstands and screed is set to be at 70/75mm PPSThose are temporary stairs (in case you are puzzled)..that is actually a solid wall the REAL stairs will run in from the hall

Hi All, I have been busy the last few weeks ...So you might not have seen me! House is coming on ....But due to a last minute abandonment by my bricklayer ... I have ONE pack / 500 to lay to complete the job . All materials , mixer and scaffold are on site ..ready to roll ...but other trades are waiting now so it has to be ASAP ... Know anyone?...then please message me After sending dozen of texts and paying for most of he job (including accommodation for far longer than expected) ...I was told that he "doesn't really do heights" ...its 20 foot max?!? and that the travelling is "too much for them" Real issue is obviously that we should have made sure we held enough back until the job was complete, now they cant be bothered with the last 2 days work and are fed up...the last day on site they laid 60 bricks ( i counted them) and then left me to point them up because of the "long dive back" ...So only doing 4 hours and then basically sodding off ...you think they would have cleaned up ...? Nope Cement mixer caked in an inch of crud, tipped the last half a load over the roofing laths that belong to the roofer So if anyone knows a good guy that wants 2 days work finishing a job (and can start urgently) please put them in touch with me ...or me to them

Well ..the frame is spot on. But this involved a fair bit of "packing" on some of the kicker blocks. The problem here is the Beam and Block and the Kicker blocks ...nasty laying of the support blocks for walls, un-even bits of the concrete slurry at joints etc ...(sigh) - I must have used a barrow of concrete just filling in bits and gaps here and there and spent a few hours at least knocking bits off where it was too high with a bolster I am just glad the groundwork is behind us ...caused us the worst headache EVER I suppose to keep the floors essentially LEVEL ...I will just have to ask the screeder to top out to the shallowest at about 70mm thick... ..of course there will be areas then when the screed is an inch lower than the TF base (mainly at one external wall)...but ..what can we do

Well thats another question ... If i measure around the rooms at various points the bottom of the the Timber panel to floor varies from around 150 to 175mm. the floor Insulation is 90mm ..So I am presuming the screed will go to the top of the block:? ...does it always? So that would mean that there would be between 60mm and 85mm depending on which wall ... ..to be fair most are OK ....but there is at least one side that is DEEPER. what is the norm please guys ....I take it the screed should NEVER be above the TF bottom?

I discovered yesterday that some of the internal stud walls don't sit across the kick blocks evenly. Which is not a surprise as the guys that put them in were less than accurate ! The guide for laying the cellotex is helpful ...but how do i cope with the edges on these walls (see sketch) on one side i suppose i could just use 2 of the slim cellotex to pad it out to the correct frame level... ...but on the PROUD side ..If i put ANY insulation here ...it is going to push the skirting board out ....I am sure and I can see how the plasterer will be able to work up to it what would you guys do ? oh ..and some of these walls are supporting stuff ...I did THINK about taking a disc cutter to the blocks ...but it is probably not wise

Thanks! I have already cleared them out and filled with Expanding filler. so there is no path to outside now Lots of the frame panels have DPC and polythene hanging off the bottom etc ....This will get int he way when I am trying to lay the Cellotax and the 1200 heavy membrane up the wall ...do you just cut it flush ? ...as the 1200 dpm is already going to be fixed 150mm up the panel