ProDave

Is this a condition that can be appealed if you can't meet the extra 40% allowance but could meet the basic 1 in 100 year flood risk? In any event you, or the vendor is going to have to dig a few test pits to establish the soil type and measure the percolation rate before you can proceed.

There is a lot to digest there, and I have to go out just now so can't give a full repply. Tread carefully here. If you make an offer to buy the plot, make it conditional on finding a solution to the drainage issue AND satisfying both building control and planning that the solution is okay. Drainage solutions can take up a LOT of space on a plot, make sure it will all fit and still leave room for the house. Remember is is possible to get PP for a house that is impossible to actually build.

Hi and welcome to the forum. I think that now makes 3 electricians on here.

I used one of the ECO+ brand tripple glazed roof windows. The quality of finish is definitely not up to the Velux / Facro standard, but in your case that may not matter as a roof light you are unlikely to look at close up. I had no trouble fitting it and that supplier provided prompt delivery. The cheap ebay one I would avoid. I am not even sure it would meet building regs.

I allow 1 our per point for first and second fix, and it's usually less than that. So 160 points is probably 80 hours work for second fix, so 2 weeks.

I fitted it myself. The joiner just wanted to avoid the "it doesn't fit" complaint.

Just be wary of time limits on building control. Up here a building warrant is for a fixed period of time. you can extend it as long as you do so before it has expired. If you don't then you may end up needing a new building warrant and having to comply with anything that has changed in the regs since your first application.

It would be interesting to know if the issue is the meters themselves catching fire (design or manufacturing fault) , or the installer failing to tighten the terminals properly leading to high resistance joints, heat then fire. I doubt (unfortunately) any of these programs will tell us that. There is / was an "issue" with consumer unit fires, and rather than tackle the issue, they changed wiring regs so all CU's must be non flamable, which in reality means metal. So rather than investigate and fix the problem, the solution was contain it.

I'm even more confused now what the root "issue" is? Did the builders build the wall wonky? Or did the storm move it before the mortar was set?

When we had the staircase made for our last house, the joiner insisted on coming to measure the opening, and floor to floor height. He was not trusting anyone elses measurements and wanted to be sure it would fit. HE then decided what tolerance to apply. It's not just ensuring it fits the space, also check the rise, going, width and angle all meet building regs.

This is one of the multi foil thin "insulation" products. I don't think you will find anyone here that recommends them. They seem to work by reflecting radiant heat, and are not necessarilly a true insulator in the normal sense. If you are thinking you can insulate your house with a thin layer of this sort of stuff instead of thick layers of normal insulation, you are going to be very disappointed indeed.

This is a good point. WHY do so many commute so far for work? Something the likes of HS2 will only increase. What is driving people to live so far from work? Commuting has never done it for me (an hour each way on the works bus during my aprenticeship put me off that for life) I have always wanted to live somewhere close to my work, and more importantly, somewhere with not traffic jams en-route. It we tackled the commuting issue, that would go a long way to solving the vehicle emissions problem.

Of course the cynic will say this is just a sticking plaster ignoring the "real" issues. The thrust of this is to solve the air polution issues in city centre streets. The real issues are why the hell do so many people want to cram themselves in close proximity to so many others? Country living in villages is so much better? And the real issue is there are simply too many people, but that's the taboo issue nobody will even mention let alone debate. So we "solve" this by everyone converting to en EV. Where do you think the electricity to charge them all will come from? The FIT scheme is effectively dead so I can't see a massive growth in personal solar PV. Besides most will want to charge them at home in the evening and there's no sun even if you have PV. Charging your car from self generated solar PV is a luxury for the retired. And with all this extra demand for electricity, what's that going to do for overall polution OUTSIDE the cities? and which way do you think electricity prices will go with all this extra demand? That's not just EV charging electricity, but your domestic electricity as well. Someone needs to "invent" red electricity (the equivalent of red diesel) so the tax bandwagon can tax vehicle charging like it presently taxes road fuel. We are being sold the myth that EV's are "green" which can only be true if the power to charge them is not from fossil fuels. THAT is one hell of a big challenge. We can't even generate enough of the present electricity usage by green means, yet we have put in motion a plan to massively increase electricity demand. (off to get my tin hat)

Some more interesting discussions. How are people with no off road parking expected to charge their EV at home? will it become acceptable to have long extension leads crossing the pavement and possibly the road? Confirms my long held belief that off road parking is a 100% must have of any house I own. Someone mentioned the high cost of an EV is offset by the cheaper fuel cost. Some fag packet maths. My previous car had done 170K miles. Let's assume 40mpg, or 8 miles per litre, at £1.10 per litre it would have burned 21,250 litres or £23.3K worth of fuel. Even if ALL the electrricity ro charge it was free, the purchase price of an EV would cost more than the purchase price and lifetime of fuel for an IC car, and that's before you factor in battery replacement at least once.

But classic car ownership is all about originality. I won't even fit a radio in my Landy as it was not original equipment (and I can't find one loud enough)

So, back to IC engined cars. There has been a lot about this in the news today. It seems the plan is to ban their sale in 2040, then ban their USE in 2050. So they are going to force you to scrap a 10 year old vehicle? What about classic cars. Will we no longer be able to use them at all? (all a bit tongue in cheek, I will be 87 by then, if I am not pushing up the daises by then, I probably won't have much apatite for driving much, but then you never know.....) Also a lot of talk of what will they do to replace the massive tax take on road fuel? Enjoy the honeymoon period of free road tax and cheap energy for EV's. it won't can't last.

I too want to know the back story. I suspect if you do a the OP suggests, your brickies would walk off the job.

Another vote for Knauf Earthwool Frametherm 35. It's less nasty to handle than most forms of glass wool, rigid enough to place in between the studs of a timber frame and just stay there without slumping, even on a 45 degree roof, and does not need to be an absolutely perfect fit like completely solid insulation boards. Increase your frame to 190mm and fit two 90mm layers. An extra layer of solid insulation inside or outside will get you to a good U value. There is also almost no waste at all, unlike cutting solid boards. I was going to use blown in insulation originally, but changed tot he earthwool when I found it was about half the cost, gave the same U value, and wa a DIY job saving the cost of getting it installed and meaning I could work at my own pace.

If you are going direct electric heating, then have a look at the E10 tariff. The 10 hours of cheap rate seem reasonably well distributed, the only "black spot" being the early evening. If your house is well enough insulated that the early PM cheap rate time will heat it enough that you won't need heating in the evening then it may well work out the best option. I looked at a GSHP, and even having my own digger at the time, so installation costs would be just a few gallons of diesel, it was the cost of the pipe and cost if the antifreeze to fill it that made it not seem viable. And don't forget you are supposed to change it something like every 10 years and in addition to the cost of the new antifreeze will be a disposal cost for the old. And to finally tip the cost argument, I am one of several on here that have got an ebay bargain ASHP for around £500 I do know 2 people near here with GSHP's and they do seem to work, there is no question about that, but so do ASHP's.

Reading this with interest, and sadness. The FIRST thing they need to do is scrap the rediculous need for a certain level of EPC before you can qualify for the FIT in the first place. That has stopped me getting solar PV while I have watched the FIT price plummet. (yes you may detect I am somewhat bitter about the stupid system) Why can't we have a simple bidirectional meter in every house (NOT a smart meter) and simply pay ANYONE that exports an export rate for what they actually export without the burden of FIT's, MCS approved installations, etc? WHY do we always ignore the SIMPLE solutions? Sure, then in ADDITION to that have a battery storage system that will export on demand when the local grid needs it, but please don't over burden the system with MCS installers, FIT's with rules to lock you out if you are not "perfect". We know just about the only ones to REALLY benefit with that sort of system are the MCS installers that can get away with charging a premium because they are the only ones "allowed" to install such a system. If you need an example, go and get a quote for an ASHP install from an MCS installer in order to claim the RHI, then look at the cost of the components and draw your own conclusions.

I'm confused. Your third from last picture "picture of the stairs as they are now" shows a different structure with only 1 diagonal whereas your diagram shows 2, and the front post looks new. Almost as if this is a picture of what you want to achieve, but it looks like you have what you want??????

It's normal to have the water companies stopcock close to your boundary. I asssume that is what you are having? In my case from Scottish Water's stopcock, my pipe then runs to 3 of my own underground stopcock, one to feed the static caravan, one to feed the standpipe and the third to feed the house. Your proposal sounds no different to what I have done.

Another tip someone posted on here, or was it ebuild? Before having an important discussion with SWMBO, have a discussion about something trivial. If that reveals her to be in "the wrong mood", postpone the important discussion for another time.

A wacker plate is a bit of equipment that one should buy, use, and then possibly sell on. I have already hired mine out twice and that has covered about 1/3 what it cost me.

You have to learn the art of making SWMBO choose what YOU want and still thinking it was her idea. When you have mastered that, please tell the rest of us how.