saveasteading

Probably yes on both counts. It is easy to understand their concerns. I think you need to speak to a local Party Wall Surveyor. Might as well get on with it as they will otherwise insist anyway. I am ducking out of any more specific advice.

Yes, you do need to advise the neighbours formally, but it does not require a party wall surveyor unless the neighbours want it.....you pay.

The nuisance to the upstairs neighbours would be the main issue. The side neighbours are not having their shared walls affected so this wouldn't be a party wall matter (the beam is already in both shared walls), If the neighbours tell you they are ok with the work then just confirm that and you will have no issues. If they are not happy then the next thing is to show them the party wall act and perhaps they will drop it. The actual 'Act' is a lot of words but this booklet is helpful. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-resolving-disputes-in-relation-to-party-walls/the-party-wall-etc-act-1996-explanatory-booklet Talking to the neighbours can do no harm. The upstairs people need to know that the structure is not at risk...show them the drawings, even invite them in to see the beam. Try to talk about dismantling the wall rather than demolition. Do make your own mind up on this as I don't know the full circumstances, don't know you or the neighbours and have only dealt with PWA a few times.

Agreed as all above. It is an easy enough job to change these. have your replacement grey parts ready before you take the brown ones off. Put an obvious marker, even sign, on the wc or you may get a nasty surprise. change the two bends and the vertical as they are all in the daylight and probably inferior, plus, it will be easier to persuade these off and on with that arrangement. You might need someone in the house to push back and prevent the pipe in the wall going in, or damaging the internal fittings ...but maybe not. Expose the remaining ends in the ground before you dismantle it and clean very thoroughly or you might leave muck in the seal, and the smells will continue. Grey pipe is more expensive than brown, but it is the right thing to do.

1. Possibly, if you are changing how the wall attaches to the wall/floor/ceiling between you and the neighbouring house/flat. Depends on your circumstances. A sketch would help. 2. They can object but you are allowed reasonable noise. tell your workers to keep it down, and avoid unnecessary noise such as shouting and radios. 3. If nothing you are doing increases the chance of noise then, no. If you add sound proofing then that is more than reasonable. What are the floors constructed from? Keep photos of the conditions now and insulation being applied and complaints will fail.

Many 'electricians' and 'plumbers' are not trained or qualified, and have to get someone in to sign off their works. So it is possible that they don't know the regulations and are repeating what they saw somewhere else. I suggest not quoting the reg's but handing a copy, and never mind any embarrassment. I even had to work with a client's electrician who handed out trainee certificates, as few clients knew the difference. He came unstuck on our job as I asked for proof of his accreditation (the work was so scarily dangerous, but he claimed he didn't take instruction from us) I had to call HSE in to stop our own project....a first said the inspector.

Igen is I believe the reply. What a tricky language. I only recognise people's names. Fortunately half of them are Atilla.

I'm afraid so, so it has to be occasional. The worker has a flask, and it runs out about 3.00, so another mug then might help after 'how long are you carrying on'. I found that the drinks and snacks don't appeal to Hungarian workers, as they preferred healthy, robust food. A slice of salami is another matter. And work the daylight hours less 1/2 hour. 9.5 hours work? This contrasts dramatically with SE gangs who disappear for cooked breakfast at 9.00 having got their tools out and had a think, come back , then the work of the day then lunch break, and afternoon break. between 8.10 and 4.00 typically. 6 hours work? No cost difference if on a price but the programme is affected.

Call me cynical but I expect this to require installation by an approved contractor or agency....again. Or a lot of paperwork and applications. But I agree with the principle. No VAT on insulation would be a very efficient fix for the reduction in energy use, and the nation would get a quick return.

Do I lose a point if I get a sad face emoji? If so I will avoid irony.

Respect goes a long way., and that can just be a smile. They are doing their job and a tip would only be for something beyond the call of duty. eg hiab driver offloading. then moving a pallet again to the perfect spot. Coffee and a bun yes. If I was managing a 'big day' (time critical) but was not needed for a short time I would buy bacon rolls/ coffees etc for the workers, as they didn't have to stop/ deserved it anyway. Likewise working through foul weather.

the beer in a plunged cup principle will work, catch them before the seedlings grow.

Or a lovely bonfire, which releases all the carbon for no benefit other than 'tidiness'

The less they know, the more they think they know it all. Anything they don't know is wrong, or 'science' which is not true otherwise they, being experts, would know it already.

Where is that? I worked in the Black Country and the risk of mines was standard. The maps were very approximate so houses were blighted that had no danger, and others moved or collapsed (Crooked House pub anyone?)I Studied a site in NE England which was dirt cheap because of multiple coal pits. Historically they dug a hole then mined sideways all round until some limit of scaredom at a few metres, then moved to the next hole, so very little strength under. Grouting up the holes costs millions. And met a potential customer who builds massive digging machines which rip coal out, but simply keep digging forward. I asked what held the ground up and the answer was....hydraulic jacks until we remove them and then nothing. At some stage soon it will all collapse, with the landscape dropping a few metres, (forest and all).

fire needs oxygen, and presumably none would reach the PIR

Combine all the above nuggets, add my own, and we have: Yes it is sensible but make sure the floor is non-combustible, that there is a grille on the underside (with allowance for the air blockage of the grillage) that it can be inspected in case of dust/spiders blocking the intake, and that the air bricks, or other details allow plenty of air at all times. There is more risk of this going wrong in the long term, with change of ownership and lack of maintenance / understanding of air-movement.

£10k and more? If they ever take another supply off it they should recompense you for that share of the infrastructure.

These are at Bathgate, which was once known jokingly as Bathgate by the Bings. The bings are/were red slag heaps from shale oil mining, and the material is nasty toxic stuff, and nothing grew on them. So anyone who wants to use some of it for fill or to model pyramids would be welcomed. I assume that these pyramids are made of the stuff, but then capped for the safe growing of grass, and sheep. So yes, Art/landscaping/heritage/fun.

Available if there are more specific questions. I am deep in the subject at present and favour simple footings and ground bearing slabs if the circumstances allow.

Very substantial rubber bearings. I hope there was more work done after this picture, as there are holes around the copper pipes that need sealing. Pray tell, what is the brick doing?

Are we Philistines, discouraging challenge and aesthetics? No I don't think so. Letting people hear the pros and cons.

Yes it is. The roof has to be lined with a membrane that is root-proof. There is some sort of crate structure to hold the medium and then the seeding. All of that plus the fact that it hold rainwater adds a lot of weight which has to be supported by heavier joists. That is a practical design as you can do the gardening or collect dead birds/litter without being too close to the edge. £20,000 extra at a guess.

A good idea, thanks. Trickier to install, but only the once. I suppose the opposite argument is that we would be pre-warming the air for better combustion (I am only guessing that helps in any way). That sounds sensible, as you take control of the draught. The air adjustment on the fire will control the intake. With your current arrangement there will be a draught into the room when a door is opened. I had originally thought of having a duct to the back of the fire then letting the air find its way, and some adjustment to the louvre in times of not needing the fire. But I see that most modern fires seem to have a facility for connection so will probably go that way, as drawn Unfortunately these stoves are double the cost of the excellent Spanish one I was eyeing ( I mean half the price if bought in Spain.....it must be very expensive on the ferry.

Every new development puts a strain on existing supplies. Therefore developers often have to pay for improvements to mains cables and water supplies, perhaps many miles away. Also towards schools, hospitals etc. It is seldom a better result for existing residents, but not as much worse as it might have been.