ProDave

Why no more? Because we have enough already, and the grid can't connect more and get all that power down south. So they have decided sensibly, lets build more down near where most of the power is used. Drive around Scotland and it is hard to find anywhere you can't see a wind farm. Drive around England and it is often hard to find anywhere you can see a wind farm.

The report itself seems okay, it is the lousy "report it to Joe public" news article that is of the dumbed down nature. As I say, it DOES highlight Scotland has been the target for so much wind farm, and now there is a document confirming we have more than our target, so please no more. Time for England and Wales to have their share if they want the lights down there to stay on. I will be forwarding this to everyone I know .

I suspect it is all related to that drain. That looks like cast iron, and for the plumber to bash a hole in it like that with no sensible means of covering it is just plain bad, I would not be using the same plumber again. I think that whole corner around the drain pipe needs digging up, a proper look at what is going on there. I bet you will find all sorts of problems which is why the drain blocked in the first place. I suspect that whole stack will need replacing and a proper inspection chamber put in there for it to connect to. Then all the paving can be put back and levelled. Please don't ignore it, this is your human waste going down there via a pipe now with a big hole just above ground level.

I think it is time for a look in the roof space as already suggested. To my untrained eye I would say it has front and rear add on extensions with the existing sloped roof added on and continued down. So I still think the yellow wall in your sketch is the original wall where the roof finished before it was extended. You should be able to sell by the thickness of that wall inside the house. I bet it is a thick double skin wall showing it was once the outside wall.

Thanks. I had a look at that, not the easiest site to navigate, but it confirmed what I have thought for a long time, Scotland has enough onshore wind generation already. I pulled this paragraph: "Onshore Wind What’s the situation? Across some parts of Great Britain, there’s a shortfall in onshore wind power for 2035, meaning not enough wind projects are planned to meet the targets. England and Wales especially need more wind projects, while Scotland is already above its target. What happens next? In the next round of applications to connect to the grid, only wind projects in Scotland that have special protections (like planning permission) will be allowed to move forward. England and Wales will be open for new “ready” wind projects to help fill the gap. "

"They have then used a company called brick doctor to match some other bricks. The above picture is actually it repaired. " If you mean the picture I have re posted is the repair? If so the brickwork looks good, BUT before you agree to sign it off as complete, something needs doing to fill the huge gap between the (pretend) stone cill and the bottom of the UPVC bay window.

More pictures needed of that rear elevation from a side view or partial side view. Can you grab a satellite image of it and post that suitably anonamised?

A bit of common sense at last. Someone has finally woken up to the fact the required updates to the UK electricity grid just cannot happen as quick as needed, so they are now prioritising maximum return and scrapping what they are calling zombie projects. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/news/zombie-electricity-projects-in-britain-face-axe-to-ease-quicker-grid-connections/ar-AA1RUHYT?cvid=c5a99d221d7e4946a24f8787fdfa1199&ei=21 I would hope that means the scrapping to yet more relatively small wind farms here in favour of bigger ones in better locations (off shore) and likewise the something like 4 battery storage plants planned to occupy some of the fields not far from here.

That has had a wrap around single storey extension. So the Yellow wall is the original back wall and is holding up the original pitched tiled roof and the red wall is holding up the flat roof to the extension. You could take out the yellow wall, but not before organising some form of lintel to bridge the gap where you are removing the wall to keep the original roof up.

It is now with a big hole in the wall.

Quote of the year.

Completion certificate and an A EPC certificate to frame and hang on the wall.

(long sentence / paragraph) The dream : A unique chance to build the house of your dreams, designed and built to your design with perfect craftsmanship and detail. The reality: Nothing goes to plan in almost every way you could imagine (and plenty you could not) and you have to adapt, fight, be patient, get inventive and work your socks off to eventually reach where you wanted to get 5 years ago. Then the ultimate stupidity, you don't learn from your mistakes and think about doing it again.

I am shocked that a brand new car has been written off by this. As said above, that was some hard hit.

They are most likely immitation stone bricks, often cast from concrete in a mould with colouring. Bradstone was a well known manufacturer about the time that house was likely built, I don't know if they still exist. As above, you will be far better off getting the builder appointed to rebuild this, to salvage as many as possible of the original bricks for the outer face as possible, any new ones should be interspersed rather than having a patch of new. But don't let anyone tell you they are not available, they will be from somewhere preferably any "new" ones needed will be reclaimed and similar age / weathering. It will be an insurance claim so make sure you have a loss adjuster / surveyor on your side to make sure it gets rebuilt to your satisfaction.

Was that really new work done recently? It's a LONG time since I have seen joists fitted without joist hangers. Not since I was a boy playing on building sites at weekends (as you did then before elf and safety) and I remember thinking even then, gosh is 3 nails banged into the end grain all that is supporting that joist. And back then, it was.

Yes that is the thing. Just check it is the right size for your stove flue.

I have looked but I can't find it listed where I bought mine from. It is just a fireproof insulated sleeve that goes around the twin wall. In practice, the outside surface of our twin wall is barely warm to the touch and would not threaten even a piece of paper from igniting, but that might be very different with the pipe encased in insulation. Whatever you do, don't do it without the approval of your installer.

When I did mine, I used an insulated sleeve, supplied by the flue supplier for the purpose. It was 50mm thick and obviously fireproof and thus everything else gets the 50mm from combustibles it needs.

Pictures? Doesn't building regs say to nail in every hole?

Conductor area 1.25mm No I would not buy that. My long 250V extension lead is self made using 5 core 2.5mm with 2 cores in parallel for both L and N. I doubt you will find a pre made lead with 2.5mm cable, read the small print. Buy a drum of 3 core 2.5mm flex and make your own lead to the length you want with no joins and a good quality plug and socket each end.

Better to use a heavy duty 240V extension lead and move the 110V transformer. 110V means a little more than twice the current so double the volt drop and larger cable needed.

Most boxes are just too hard and brittle to drill. You can cut them with an Abra file in a hacksaw blade, but you have to start at an existing hole and cut from there.

IF those points were argued clearly and correctly by the main stream media, I strongly suspect the declining oil reserves would be a far more compelling reason to adopt more renewable generation and a great deal more people would support that, than some mythical suggestion that if we don't the world will end in climate disaster.

Can you post pictures of one of the old ones with dimensions of what you are trying to match? Alternatively buy one of these and see if you can accept the look, if you can, these are a softer plastic that you can drill to match the holes of the old box. https://www.screwfix.com/p/deta-tte-2-gang-surface-pattress-box-32mm/437vt