ProDave

I have a Makita cordless multi tool. The reason I have it, is I have a joiner friend who had 2 of them that had failed, basically the mechanism had jammed. So I took them to see of I could fix them. The front motor bearing is the weak link and had massive play causing it to jam. A bit of searching and I was able to buy a new motor for £20 on ebay. So I bought 2 new motors, fixed both, and my payment was I got to keep one. Before that I had a Parkside mains powered one, still working fine but of course I use the cordless in preference. These are one of those tools you don't realise just how useful they are until you use one, then you wonder how you managed without.

The US has very different climate to us, but lots of different climates in different areas. I still remember well my first trip to the US, just outside Chicago in the middle of summer. I could not believe how hot it was, their normal summer temperature we would be calling a heatwave and not coping. Everywhere had air conditioning and we spent as little time as possible outside getting from one aircon building to another, in our aircon car. Second visit was the same place in December. I could not believe how cold it was, and how much snow there was. But there were enough snow ploughs to cope. So my take away from that, was the need for a lot of heating in winter, a lot of cooling in summer, and I suspect there is not much time in autumn fall and spring when it is a comfortable temperature. I concluded that would be one of the very last places I would choose to go and live. What little I have seen of typical US timber frame build is they are not as well built as what we do, and I am sure I remember they design for a 50 year life then tear down and rebuild.

Inside turn for us. Can't be bothered fiddling with a key to lock doors from inside. (if I had to the key would remain in the lock) If the weakest link to entry is breaking a triple glazed glass unit, you are not doing bad.

That is only PART of the outcome. What happened next? Was it left but without BC signoff (would only be a problem if they sell) or did BC insist on remedial work?

Simple if you fit as you build the frame. DON'T build the frame then try and fit the PIR. Instead lay one stud. Lay a cut piece of PIR next to it. Lay next stud, squeeze together and nail studs to headers. If you cut the PIR on a machine or even buy them pre cut to your dimensions I can see that being made as a nice tight fit everywhere. I don't know if that is really how they do it, but if I were building the frame and fitting PIR (or EPS) that is how I would try it.

Trading standards?

It might be counter intuitive but pull the wired UP. Pass jointed cable horizontally until you are sure it is past the hole into the void, then it will be easier to pull it up from there.

Just make sure you get a full 23KVA / 100A single phase supply. It might be worth discussing with the electrician to do the wiring as though it were going to be 3 phase, i.e. split between 3 separate consumer units, initially fed from the single phase but would then be easy to swap to 3 phase should it ever become available.

I used the Scholmore ones as the client insisted on "metal back boxes" and I did not want the additional work to fit dwangs to screw conventional metal boxes to. I agree the Scholmore ones have a habit of the springs jumping out and are fiddly to re assemble and I did not use them again. As above though, why do you think you need fire rated back boxes?

This is down to detail. Is this "plaster on the hard" or plasterboard? If plaster to brick or block the back boxes need to be well fitted and deep enough to reach almost the finished level of the plaster. If too deep the spread has to do his best forming an edge in free space. One of the reasons I hate plaster direct to brick or block. If you don't want surrounds as suggested above, you need to build up the gaps and form a corner with a good quality ready mixed plaster.

+1 lovely workmanship.

I would want to go to the shop and physically look at one before buying. the Q&A section, one reply says it does have a non return valve, another reply says it does not.

If a hard water area, soak it in Viakal or similar once removed to disolve the limescale.

So it is suspended? But you only say "likely" Just an amateur suggestion, to determine if the beams are sagging, or it is the screed that was laid with a depression, drill and measure the screed thickness at the centre and the edges.

You need to know if this is an insulated ground supported slab that may have settled (or been laid badly) or a suspended beam system that may have deflected too much. Surely the builder can tell you how they built the house? Do you know if any others on the development have a similar problem?

And if it then deflects further over time? I am not sure I would do that.

We have had Ed keep telling us the only way electricity prices will come down is more renewables. BUT what he does not tell us, is the more renewables we have won't make any difference while we have the ridiculous market set by the highest cost generator, usually gas. So until gas is only used occasionally the prices will remain much the same., A change to the market system could bring prices down sooner, and in a way that gradually reduces as more renewables come on line. Does our next PM have the balls to stir up the market and actually do something?

Have you measured your "50mm" battens? I bet they are closer to 45mm?

Carpet.

Apart from re taping the joints, that would not trouble me.

Why does it need to be more solid? I understood it was just fill of a void and would be covered with plasterboard?

Go got 195 studs then you can get 2 goof layers of Frametherm 35 type mineral wool between studs. Less nasty to work with than other types of mineral wool and is stiff enough to just push in and stay put when cut a little over size. If that does not get the U value you need over board the inside with PIR, no need to cut sheets to fit, butt the edges together and tape them then 25mm battens for service void.

And what do you think the owners of the plants will do fir the 10 dormant months? Pay to keep them maintained with no income? I wonder what they will charge when they are asked to wake them up for a short time? My concern is with the bonkers pricing system we have, in those periods electricity prices will rocket. Before we get to that point a plan needs to be devised for ownership, maintenance and costing of plant only used for short periods. And the wholesale electricity pricing changed so we are not held hostage to high price supplies to fill the gap.

That sounds like somebody talking sense at last.

At last you are starting to "get" it. But most of the inhabitants of England have not yet "got" it. All I am saying is it is about time much more wind power was built in England. Then lets see if people are so much in favour of it?