saveasteading

I agree that local facilities should be the priority. Perhaps @ProDavecan confirm that they already have good access to doctors etc, village hall, regular buses and so on due to these funds. Also that reducing use of electricity has to be encouraged, but it isn't so important if the wind farm is local. Just as it doesn't matters so nuch if you have your own solar. Wind is a national/ regional asset. I suppose so was coal , and that was whipped away commercially and to the prosperous, and locals employed but only until the coal ran out or they died young. If the terrain allows farming, that is a harvest for selling. Likewise if the asset is wind. We would sell power internationally, so why not regionally? Round @ProDave 's way there are estates of thousands of acres, owned of course by a few with a castle or 2 and a house in "town". At least the locals seem to be getting something.

I've never understood this. The gardening programmes often say to add sand or gravel to help drainage, and presumably they are right. But how gravel helps in porosity I don't know. Perhaps it just forms breaks in the bonds between clay particles.

Distributing to the locals seems appropriate. Are you suggesting it isn't ?

This came to me on Facebook and shows we have been discussing planting and they are listening. It is Scotland focussed but a lot of it will apply anywhere with heavy, esp compacted, clay and waterlogging. From what I know already, this is good advice, and along our intended lines for drainage, so I'm inclined to believe the rest too, esp what plants will thrive and help. Obv enter at your own risk. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DrEZd8UYc/

We have a large order to place and are favouring Roca for a lot of it. We are currently awaiting a quote from a smallish specialist supplier. Any guidance on what discount off list to aim for?

I've looked in detail at the standalone sircon units that are very common in Spain. In the diy stores they will have about 20 models. I box outside, pipes through the wall and a raduator/ fan inside. They are optimised for cooling but will also act as heaters, but not very efficiently....better than an electric heater but not much. It seems that the heat pumps are designed that way ie for heating or cooling most efficiently. I suppose the big difference is that in UK we are heating up to 20 when it might be zero outdoors all day, whereas in southern Spain in summer it will be cooling down to 25 when it is 35-40 at mid afternoon, dropping to 20 at night. ISH.... my new SI term to indicate very wild approximations. I wonder what the Spanish and French do in areas where they get very hot summers and also cold winters. Perhaps their units are optimised to heat and to cool.

I would have assumed there would be proper case studies by manufacturers or academics but I've not come across any. For me that's enough to suggest that it isn't an efficient process.... and many installers are just that, installers, and don't understand the heating principles let alone cooling.

I may tile the garage toilet/utility in a mix of old tiles for fun and mean-ness, I mean economy.

In real life though, are they still in store in case of damage? I can't recall ever having to use one. It would be relevant if changing fittings I suppose. We strive to get another 5% off the supply price then happily put 10% of the cost in the garden shed for ever. Would any suppliers set a box aside just in case? Of course they don't want to, but just might fof a very short period.

I seem to have usually 5% left over. If I've done it myself there will be actual waste due to mistakes, but the thinking out will have allowed offcuts to be used. If it's a professional then I don't expect many errors, and a polite discussion should avoid lots of big bits left over. Big tiles in small rooms won't be happening. Also I have prevailed in there not being bold patterns.... I hate seeing repeats in something pretending to be natural.

But cold isn't a thing, it's a lack of heat, so can't radiate. Heat is a thing. In your explanation is heat radiating from the air into the floor? What temperature are the floor and the liquid circulating?

I know that air to air works both ways.. did it in our office... ashp outside, plenum inside then ducts and fans. If I wanted cooling I'd do that.

Any advice on a percentage to add as waste. The suppliers say 10% as they always do. That suits them. I rather favour 5% but the risk is of being short and not getting matching spares. It must depend greatly on the skill and mindset of the tiler too. Am I right in thinking that big tiles have more waste?

Here's some input from me. Maybe BS as I'm going by hunch and science, not proofs. I can't see how air source pumps work efficiently in reverse for domestic purposes. Of course they work as chillers in air conditioning systems but that is by air circulation. Expecting to use cooling by sucking heat from a floor slab or radiator cannot be the same. In heating, we warm the concrete floor or screed and it makes our feet and lower parts cosy. It then warms the adjacent, cooler air which rises to the ceiling and this continues until the whole room volume is warm. But in reverse, the screed will cool and we will have cool feet, and will slowly cool the adjacent air, but it will stay there. The warm air above will stay put. If I'm wrong on any of this please advise.

For general info. Crushed tarmac and road planings used to be a waste product and was very cheap and great value. Then other people discovered this, some nay-saying consultants were converted to allowing it, and the price increased. Then it also became available graded as type 1 etc. Unfortunately crushed aggregate has always been abused by some suppliers I once saw a guy loading 3 parts rubble with 1 part soil from adjacent piles, into a crusher, and it was for sale. Even ethical efforts can contain some junk. All you can do is pay a lot for guaranteed clean and graded or take a chance.... or maybe visit the source. You can do a diy quality check by mixing a sample into a glass jar and swirling it in water. It settles in layers and you can assess how much silt is in it. Paper and wood will float.

It's not the M1, and will be strong enough. Block paving is flexible so you won't get cracking even if it moves a bit over decades. A whacker is plenty. Do drive over it many times. If it's going to compact , then do it now and the sand will level it off. And now stop worrying.

3mm under a 3m straightedge is the official measurement for industrial floors but I haven't checked re domestic.... logically it should mob be less stringent. That is in any direction and includes if you press down one end and measure under the opposite end. But finding a 3m straightedge isn't easy. Tiling adhesive will take out minor variations, but for LVT I think it could be a big issue Probably needs local filling.

@Redbeardis correct. Type 1 is designed to be as dense and stonelike as possible, and it follows on that it has low permeability. Crushed bitumen road is much the same mix with added bitumen so is even more so. @Willg you haven't mentioned this and perhaps you have a slope in mind and somwhere for the water to go

Recycled tarmac is great as long as it is a coarse mix, and not only fine stuff from toppings and footpaths. Many people don't realise that it is nearly all stone and sand, and the black stuff just glues it together. (5% or so if I recall) If you ask the contractor why it is not acceptable it would be interesting to hear. If well crushed, (not in big lumps) then well laid it can be better than type 1. It's 150mm thick and you have presumably whacked it or rolled it. It will never get that load again. The problem i see is with 30mm sand. That is very thick and will be affected by rain and weeds. Also, with block paving, you can get very local point loading. 30mm sand tends to suggest you need it to adjust to a good plane surface could you use less? Test the surface by driving back and forward many times. Does it show any settlement? Now jack up the car so you have half a ton on a small area. OK? Worst case? If it ever settles locally then blocks can be reset. I've even used it under a factory slab taking very large loads. No problem.

We have a brick ornamental pond about 1m deep all over, with plants on shelves ( cheap plastic shelf units). So the fish have cover and roots fof spawning. But they swim around the surface and are very visible from above. Herons occasionally fly in but don't expect the deep water, and panic and fly away. Pots around the perimeter remove hunting stances. I expect it is a quick end for any fish or frog caught. But having an otter! I don't see anyone else with that claim. For the new property I think we will have a swale, with depths and shallows and gravel verge, as part of the drainage strategy. It will go dry in summer. Plus a decorative brick one.

If you don't mind sacrificing your fish, an area of floating plants or rushes will allow small fish to stay out of harm from large predators. They will still meet newts and dragonfly larvae. A pair of fish will make hundreds of fry among the roots, and then some may get by. Chances of getting a male and female goldfish? .No idea. If they weren't gold it round help but you wouldn't see them either.

I've had this by email but it doesn't mean much to me. Ignore if it's old 'news'. Or let me know if you want me to find the whole article. BS 7671 adds battery guidance 2 hours The BSI and IET have updated the Wiring Regulations, BS 7671, with a new chapter on battery storage. Domestic solar is often supported by battery storage. The new chapter covers stationary secondary batteries, responding to the rapid growth of energy‑storage technologies and their increasing deployment both with and without solar PV systems. It sets out requirements relating to system

Cryptic.. good luck

Any blocks will be capable. When you say steel and reinforcement are you implying that the wall itself may need more support underneath?

Probably a similar amount under the building but outside could be different as more exposed to wetting, drying, trees. Depends a lots on factors we aren't party to. When pipes were clay it mattered more, and there were standard details for articulation. So just don't run at minimum grades and bed the pipes as specified and should be fine.