saveasteading

Perfect then as you will be facing due south and use optimum elevation....but they don't look great. Lots of daylight in Angus....the soft fruit industry proves that. We are thinking of orientating new outbuildings to face south.

Don't say where you are exactly, but area of the country, aspect of the site and roof?

Tarmac the lot. First clean the muck off. Then get a specialist to do it, as they will fetch the material and lay it. It is a skill. They should really fill up to existing tarmac level and roll, and then spread the whole area and roll again, to avoid bumps. It needs a tack coat of bitumen first so that it stays stuck. Tarmac remains flexible and will survive over the cracks, but resin won't.

Conversation me with bricklayer. There's no bricks Did you not realise they were running out? There's no bricks. I have never been able to justify ICF on any projects where it was an option, and I really tried and was being offered very big discounts . Perhaps this is slightly unfair as none of these was a single house, and it doesn't lend itself to larger spaces. My feeling is that it works best in a self-build scenario, as the blocks are easy to carry and build, without bricklaying skills. Also perhaps the other factors such as wastage, propping etc are a risk that is discovered later on some projects. I did use a concrete block equivalent though, and was shocked by how much the blocks joggled during concrete filling. Does that happen with polystyrene? And quality control...is there a risk of voids within the blocks?

I can't get my head round the effect of internal blinds and curtains. The sun has already come through the glass and is in the room, and heats up the blinds which then warm the room. But I know it works to some extent....perhaps it slows the effect long enough to spread the heat into the evening. External blinds on the other hand keep all the heat outside.

solar: Someone on Buildhub knows a lot about this, and can calculate if it is worth it depending on location. In principle as you go north you get less sun in the winter, when you need the power, and more in the summer, when you don't. Experts will perhaps join in now they see the change of subject.

I studied this at some length when wind was all the rage (Cameron very visibly fixed one). At Ecobuild there were probably 20 suppliers, (now there are none) but it was all fluff and fashion, and nobody quoting efficiency or payback. except one who honestly said that his pretty helical turbine would make enough power to light the lighting display on it which said ' powered by the wind'. Without lots of grants, a windy site and a big turbine it just doesn't work financially. See examples around London. The big tower block with a very visible turbine built into the top.....I have never seen it turning, and it would only power a few kettles if it did. And SW next to the M25 an array of helical vanes on top of a warehouse....again never seen turning. They were very expensive statements that were ill-advised. Some clients requested them in the grounds or on top of big factories, because they would tick a box for 'ethical' clients. When I explained the 30 year to infinite payback they rightly dropped it. I do know a business with successful turbines but they are the type you see on hill-tops, so if you have a few million to invest, and a huge site on top of a hill.....

Not much. The important thing is to use a quality hammer-drill, as they will provide a smoother operation. Also nice new hammer drill bits, with top brand names (de Walt, Bosch etc) as they are very much better at cutting rather than bashing. Some may go into mortar, and you will know that because it will be softer and different dust comes out. Most will not, and once you know where the mortar bands are ,you can adjust to mis the rest. I would also use stainless steel screws, as the dampness won't matter, but quality, coated screws should be ok too.

Welcome. Tidy drawings. Where will you park the car?

Thankyou for asking this as I have learnt something. I was close to saying that glazed fire doors all come with wired glass in a small pane, but found this page. https://www.todd-doors.co.uk/fire-doors/internal/glazed I don't think you will like the price, but I'm not surprised, as I have no idea how they make these big panels survive the furnace test. I thought that at least they would need a solid bottom half to allow a fireman to sneak up on the door. I checked to see if they were foreign, but it is a British supplier.

The timber that comes out of a vacuum treatment contains the nasty chemicals and the oil that carries them, and is covered in it.. When fresh out they look and feel oily. Therefore I suspect that paint will not stick well. Perhaps better just to paint the back with wood treatment. You could also put felt or similar between the skirting and the wall surface.

If the concrete was not adulterated with extra water, then there is very little surplus water left to evaporate, as most becomes chemically bonded. I think plaster is much the same but would I have to check the chemistry. So, yes the place is damp after the plasterers but the whole fabric of the building isn't (shouldn't be) as wet as it might seem. With lots of air flow there should suddenly be a big improvement and you will wonder why you were worried.

I mean translucent fibreglass (grp) rooflight panels, to the same profile as the top sheet, as opposed to the multicell polycarbonate as shown here. For half decent insulation with grp panels you need 2 of them and an extra layer between of polycarbonate. I didn't mean filling with fibreglass quilt, or a comparison with an insulated area of roof.

Your ward councillor is allowed to support you, but may have to abstain (depends on the council's own rules, which she likely doesn't know). Not wanting to is a downer. So, you are supposedly entitled to a councillor's help and yours refuses so, yes, ask the next one. If they don't agree with your proposal then that is another matter.

Sometimes there are other clues such as front wall and gate positions, and old fences down the back garden. Look, kind neighbour, the boundary goes from here to there and the fence is wrong, but hey I wont make you move it and you allow my gutters.

Good suggestion as it is also water resistant/proof. If in any doubt you can plug and screw...even just at corners to hold it tight. If knock-ins means hammer fixings then that should be fine, but I find they don't always pull as tight as plug and screw (prob if into mortar)

He replaced the boundary which was yours. He had not complained that the gutter was over the boundary before, therefore we can assume it was not. He has attempted to extend his land onto yours, to the extent of being under the gutter. Therefore ask him to move the fence back to where it was.....or let it be.

If I haven't explained properly, tell me and I will try again. But I would do 2 things. 1. If you have graphics of how little this will affect the street scene/ neighbour, ask the planning officer to display it during your presentation. Just one definitive picture, not a slide show. 2. Lobby your own councillor as they have by far the most credibility. Give them a precis and pictures that make it easy for them to understand and explain. They can talk almost as long as they like. They will also ask another councillor to support the motion. I remember the last time I did this, the supporting councillor simply said ' I know the village and the passion of the parish council, and if they say that this will spoil the village then I support them.' and sat down. The rest of the councillors will tend to go along with that proposal, as they don't care much, but will want similar help themselves some time. If it goes your way, the planner then agrees a form of words on the spot.

This was in England so I am only answering re England. Having spoken in several planning meetings on behalf of a client or the Parish I can only answer re those Borough or District councils I have been involved with. (I have attended many more meetings as an observer and heard the process) There is only 3 minutes to speak, therefore you are making it clear to the councillors who have not read the documents (they haven't) that the case is good. When speaking for the parish, you are effectively speaking for many people. If we weren't making this statement it would look as if we didn't care. However the main point is that it is before the committee because we asked for it to be, and it is essential that a councillor proposes acceptance/rejection on your behalf. I have often heard it said that councils/ enquiries take the presence of locals as a given, and a lack of attendance shows that they don't care enough. In summary the Parish Council has a say, but it is not a given and they have to support with evidence, not just vague statements.

The planning officers generally work to the rules laid down to them, some of which are subject to interpretation. They report to the council who can allow a delegated decision or get it 'called in' to the full committee. This is dealbated and councillors vote. I have been to many meetings and seen councils overturning the planner, and the planner doesn't take it personally , that is the system. I don't agree. Been there, and had planners' recommendation overturned BUT you must present a solid argument and MUST get your Borough/District councillor to speak for you...they get a mate to second it and the rest usually don't care much. If it goes to appeal, it gets a quick assessment from some consultant in Bristol and tends to be reversed and go through. Council gets another windfall development towards their punitive target. Re the tree photo above. Councillors and even many planners are no good at reading drawings or imagining. As above, submit a rendered photo combining the view and the proposal. I have done that many times and you can feel the relief among councillors when they understand the context for the first time. If you can't see the building at all, still put in the photo 'Look you cant see it.'

So don't be stressed out as that doesn't help. Even those of us who have extensive experience can get in a fuddle about all the options. If you think you need an architect then you probably do, so start there. Get recommendations, contact a few who do this sort of work* and see who you like. * Architects generally take on any work but you need someone who can do it well and simply, with your budget in mind.

Off-site manufacture (Modern Methods of Construction/ MMC) has been marketed as good value for many years. In fact it is costly but justifiable if the client needs simplicity and speed, You are paying for their factory and managers, plus a margin on everything. You can probably half their price if you can manage efficiently, and of course find good workers with lots of skill. A very big set of IFs there.

It is about banging your head and causing injury. therefore a sloping ceiling isn't going to do much damage but a beam would. Rooms where there is movement should have 1800mm though, and common sense should apply. The rules have been written by non-tall people, as 1.8m+ is very common.

This has been discussed before.

A very interesting table thanks. looking at 20p/unit as an example it is shown that upgrading from........... 100mm to 200 costs £4,000 and saves £ 920 per annum. An impressive return BUT from ...500mm to 600 costs £4,000 and saves £ 48. per annum A payback of 80 years. In normal times you could invest (or not borrow) that cash at say 3% and earn £120. Guessing what energy will cost in 50 years ....well I can't. Maybe it will be cheap or maybe humanity will be dressed in pelts. Also, it is simplistic to only allow the cost of the insulation purchase. In the floor, the structure is being heightened by that amount. In the walls the lengths of the walls are being extended or the inner space reduced,. In the roof, this creates a limit, OR we apply additional structure to support the extra. What this table does show is that the calculation assumes that the outer thickness of insulation is not doing anything like as much as the inner insulation. Which is what I speculated (no more than a hunch) many messages ago. Do you know what the assumptions are in these calculations? They appear to be more realistic than the manufacturers' or Building regulations imply/ assume. What an interesting table though.