saveasteading

No, shifting assets sounds dodgy, although that money would be in the company now gone could be seen as a means of keeping solvent. So that's a lot of cash to lose.

Doors going in now. This style appears ubiquitous at present. All seem to be made in US using American oak veneer. The quality is very high and it appears to be quite a thick veneer and to be made of veneer strips not the usual moulded method. I was surprised to see such distinct grain, and the mirror effect resulting from splitting a timber and folding them back. Anybody know how these are made? Are they going to a lot of trouble to create this effect or is it just the way the veneers come off a pile?

Good point. It is correct to go into voluntary liquidation when the situation is hopeless. Different to being wound up by a creditor. It is very easy for the owner to be optimistic until a more independent person points out the hopelessness. That tender about to be accepted, the slow paying client about to cough up etc... So yes, maybe they can work out some compromise. If they are well enough thought of they may get time to pay debts, etc. It is possible of course that they have had a big hit from a bad client or a big financial claim, and have done the right thing . On the negative side..what can a solicitor do? Spend your money. But if there was any naughty shifting of funds, then perhaps that could be recovered from undividuals or associated businesses. Unfortunately the tax man then the bank get preference. The suggestion of keeping contact is sensible. Angry but reasonable

Doesn't take much looking. They are at toolstation and screwfix, any DIY and builders merchant. For a lot I buy them online from a specialist (not ebay), where they offer plain steel, galvanised or stainless, and the fittings. Get 1m lengths and put nuts on before cutting into 3 or 4 (I'll explain if you go ahead with this). Rod, nuts, washers, angle grinder.

There is only so much you can do with your fixed circumstances. The advice is all good. Pick and mix whst suits you. Don't obsess about the book-case. Settle for some improvement anc accept that there will still be noise. Good luck, and please report back when it is done.

Or stone , or insulation?

You need mass and separation. Heavy vinyl is expensive and ugly. My suggestion remains heavy curtains....blackout probably to seal the fabric. Worth a few dB at most, so it has to be your decision.

That would have been criminal damage, even to our own property., and 800m2 is a big thing to chop. But we did turn up at 6 am with a hiab to at least take away the 15T of unfixed cladding. A gang somehow soon turned up with chains and threats. Police came, then stayed and allowed us to load up. Well done her. Well done them. It would be helpful if they can offer security of ownership. That is easy and cheap for a big company. They perhaps have the material schedules for most orders.

I don't know these building systems in detail so please excuse any errors of understanding. I like celcon type blocks in the right circumstances, but would use concrete blocks for footings. They are stronger, less likely to crack during construction or in service, and have better fixings pull-out resistance. If they are to remain exposed they are also tidier and readily take a coat of blackjack. Celcon will soak up water. The insulation difference is trivial and can easily be recovered in other ways.

You are right of course. There are bad clients too, and then the contractor is at risk. It could all be sorted but, for some reason, it never is. English law favours the landowner client, of course. We had a 100k debt from a dodgy client once, and it was all lost. ( 2 years of helpful suppliers allowec us time to pay it all back). The steel building stood there, belonging to us but we couldnt take it down again. This does not happen on the continent where we could at least have dismantled it, and that would aid negotiation. One client carelessly told me that he never pays a supplier he won't need again. I added 3% for the retention we would never get. None of this helps Jamie of course. But it stinks in both directions and the good people's money doesn't disappear...someone has it.

Yes that is for sound. Not great for thermal insulation.

Yes the whole wall. A heavy, sealed fabric. A carpet with foam backing, but could look a bit weird, s heavy curtaining. I'm not saying this would make enough difference to justify it, as the mc noise will still come through the window. For sound insulation, the gap in double glazing should be very much wider than for thermal insulation. Something like 30mm I think. You could try an additional inner glazed panel.

So it is going well with the levelling clamps. Pretty well essential for these 900 x 150 tiles, and quicker than manually minimising the steps. Achieving about 1m2 per hour with whole tiles, but will prob get faster.

The rumble from heavy traffic is the whole building trembling. Covering the back of the bookcase will make a difference but not much. All the furnishings will help, and the weight of the bookcase and other furniture may stiffen the floor and help too. A tapestry would possibly be the biggest help....or drapes.

Won't the water just sit there, sometimes freeze and the wood rot?

Best not do that then. But it would stop dripping onto the garden chairs, if you could tolerate a cascade at the perimeter. The ads didn't mention cleaning or the potential buildup of wildlife, tho I expect you could hose occasionally.

I reckon 10mm of good quality is fine, just. To deflect it has to compress or stretch, and it really shouldn't if fixed tight. What do you mean by ' lots of screws'? 200cc? But the heat barrier of another 2mm will be very little. The underlay for ufh is expensive, and the carpet has to have an open backing too. That will matter more than 2mm of ply.

For some reason I get lots of ads for a membrane underlay for decking. It is hung loose between joists so that it acts as a channel and spouts the water out at the front, or side. Any fabric would do, but having Proctor visible all over it might be an issue. I guess if you hang it looser at the outlet end it will have a slope.

A nerdy but excessive solution could be to create a chicane at the bottom of the door. A plate of about 50mm spaced off the door, and extending to the floor using brush strip, so that air could travel down then under the door. Noise however would have to bounce around 3 faces and so fizzle out. I wouldn't trouble the building inspector with it.

Books will be good. They are dense but also loose which will absorb some sound. The noise will mostly be through the window. Heavy curtains will help a bit. Get blackout ones and the pores are closed and one side at least does not gather dust. Heavy is good. Any sound through the walls will be low frequency from heavy vehicles. The books are good. Anything dense hanging on the wall will help a bit. Noise gets through gaps, so it is a case of the 'weakest link'

Care to summarise your +/- ?

Typically £25 each. Or made of scaffold boards to free plans. The £30,000 bat Palace is probably too clean, the wrong temperature and made from treated wood. Just guessing. Somebody made some money.

Have you anything recent on record? This situation can be caused by a severe non-payment to the company. More likely though there have been cash problems for some time. Have the directors been taking salary or even dividends the while? I would make all possible fuss so that they know this isn't just going away. Perhaps that might get you higher up the list? I don't have much faith in liquidators..they always seem to get paid though. The design is yours. Have you got the drawings and calculations? If not then demand it, as that will take them 10 minutes. Jamie was full of positive chat.....anything on the record? Even if not, summarise it now and email it to someone, to here perhaps, to date it.

On our current project, we had stick build, so the timber was immediately ours, delivered by the BM. The joiner still called it "kit" but it was he who converted it from sticks and sheets into kit, on-site. I recommend having a look at this option.

Yes, I'll have a Glenlivet, thanks.