saveasteading

I wonder if the grout is quite weak, it crushes before a tile cracks, as with mortar and bricks.

If I recall, mdf has a grain, so the ends will be more absorbant. The @ProDave block solves that for the architraves. The Georgian detail that suits mdf?

I can't see the point unless the floor is very badly made and likely to shrink or deflect. I've never known tiles to crack in my house (old and poor quality slab) or commercially ( new but high quality slabs) or even over hardboard over floorboards. I have seen a crack elsewhere: parallel to a movement joint, so the slab must have been moving. Would a mat have prevented this? Maybe. Summary: in a newbuild of unknown quality I might use it. Otherwise no.

So it's your decision. With any over-roof the big 6 will dry and become benign so will last until the building is removed or needs altering. Now or later the asbestos will need removing. If you can afford it I'd strip it and tip it now. It doesn't need specialists but does need control. Then your new cladding fixes to the purlins and so is easy. The costs balance a bit because of the easier cladding and you've got rid of the asbestos. The specialist skip is about £2,000. You can also think of adding flashings and efficient gutters to improve the quality. I've done just this on 150m2 outbuilding. We used 40mm composite cladding for a tiny bit of insulation and to stop condensation.

I've done loads of things commercially. It kept factories going. There is still going to be an end of life cost in demolition, but that might be 30 years because you've fixed the roof. We always fitted a steel over-rail system first because direct oversheeting won't fit and the existing fixings will clash. Then you can use any metal profile you want. BUT it's not easy. Don't fall through the roof, and don't make dust.

I've no idea because I have only heard of them in "wind in the willows". I hope it's actually a plastic pipe with a riser and rain/mouse barrier. If it's meant to prewarm the air then that won't work past November.

My concern would be at the bend to the vertical pipe. The liquid runs fast and shallow around a bend and can leave solids behind. So it's just attention to detail with good fittings.

That was to be my next question. So nobody thinks it's the right price. Time to have a straight talk with the agent. The properly professional ones will give unbiased advice to their client about the market and realistic expectations. The cowboy agents want a sale and the commission and not be loyal to their client. They might even hint at what might be acceptable. Are you confident at that price? Have you any selling points such as having the cash, not needing surveys, quick completion?

That's sentimentality to some extent, if the building is well past it. Unless someone thinks that , yes the location is wonderful and i can live in the house. Extenicd adaptation or incorporating into new is very much more expensive than new build. But perhaps you can retain and reuse sone foundations, services, drains..... is the garden established and attractive. There's a thing... if the drainage was approved at the time you can likely retain it. But often a plot is simply overpriced.... it has been their life.. and there isn't much you can do about it.

But I'd be very precise and use lots of ties to the joists: wire or straps, so that it keeps the slope and doesn't ever sag. Maybe lay a timber under it where possible.

make sure they understand the local Highways Dept requirements for licenses and specification.

Simply by immediate appearance the top one looks preferable. I think as long as it is all roddable it is acceptable, but wold have to read the reg's with that in mind. We are installing ours within the slab insulation, for pracitcal reasons, but with the added benefit of retaining height. that can create 'cover' challenges outside, but overcome-able. Apart from keeping trenches shallower as a benefit please consider where the digester will empty to.

OK. So technically feasible. But you must not undermine the road so the likely option would be hammering a big steel pipe through to a fall, then emptying it of earth, or insert a cheaper pipe and grout around. Very specialist and expensive. And check there are no services in the road.

Superb.

No, but silt trap. For grease build a wall across the middle of the manhole thing you are building, to above the water line. Allow a gap near half height so gunk goes below and grease and floaters above. The gap can be a perpend missed or a pipe. OR on the outlet fit a T with one end above the water and the other to half way down. OR buy a grease trap.

Augering I don't think is viable as it would be complex and somehow avoid the road subsiding.. Even if it was, you would need a very big pit both sides to be deep below the road. Road closure and a council approved contractor for a pipe, I'd say £5,000. More if it needs traffic lights. Plus any permissions coats. Can you dig a big trench or lagoon?

When compared to lower performing insulation such as newspaper or plastic sheet pinned to timber.

fine in a warehouse. Punkah Fan is perhaps not a permissible term now. Also an option was a fan in a flexible tube down to ground level. I've been up at the ridge of a warehouse in a cherry picker in mid summer and it must have been in the 40s. C

Oh yes. Weatherboard without membrane outside. But if I put a floor to ridge pipe, or ceiling to ridge, in a passivhaus it would draw air in through every gap and in at the vents. I'm not saying it is ideal or controllable but it is real And I don't want anyone thinking it isn't. In the new project with some vaulted ceilings we anticipate it getting hot ul high. We expect to retrofit a natural or fan vent, but either way it will be closable.

A few bags of small offcuts has no value. It will be buried or incinerated. Useful sizes of offcuts may be just what someone needs and save them a journey if free. But it would need photos. I'd be looking on 'marketplace'. Plus you get a gold star for encouraging reuse.

I've got a woodburner. I can demonstrate passive stack by cleaning out the ash. It creates dust of course and it goes up the chimney. Spill some ash at the open door and it flows swiftly in and away. This is accompanied by a swift flow of rhe heated room air. Rate of flow about 15 seconds per metre through a 100mm duct. Stack effect is real. I've an open fire too. I stuff fibreglass up the chimney when there will be no fire (for hokey effect only, not efficient heat). I've had my head above the chimneypot while working on the tv aerial. There is a horrific flow of hot air constantly... that's central heating warmed air. Stack effect is very real.

I was wondering why they shouldn't be named and shamed in words. They'd hardly sue would they. with this going all over local media? But I think I've worked out who it is, and which sex of county it is.. Well done. It's shocking lack of judgment / knowledge among buyers. mostly fleeing London. Much better older houses in better locations are dropping in value because of all this junk development flooding the market. Is there a dislike among younger buyers in buying 'used'?

It could then be softened for dismantling if necessary, without damaging the wood. eg a violin, wobbly chair.

Certainly not, it is very helpful. Beware growing plants over it. It will catch the wind, and you don't want pigeons or any drippy plant above your car.

No I'm assuming it is, or is similar to, a pump mix, so has a plasticiser or super-plasticiser and small aggregate. From further reading it looks to me as if we are talking about the same sort of mix but with different terminology. I'm surprised it can include fibres as they tend to clump and make the concrete very sticky to handle, but maybe with the plasticiser and very prompt use, that is overcome. I'm guessing now, but would also expect that it is easier with small and rounded gravel than with crushed quarry stone. I'm pretty sure it will not be self -levelling which brings us back to the original question. Do you have any info on the relative cost and any disadvantages?