saveasteading

The jobs thing is interesting. Whisky is oft quoted as a major employer. It is significant for the nearby village (a visitor centre problem has more employment than the production) but isn't on a regional or national scale.

I know it makes radiation and is dangerous but I've just twigged something. Boffins comments sought. Wind, sun and water all provide a fairly closed loop of extracting energy from current nature and releasing it as heat almost in real time. Effect on the planet fairly small.(?) But can a boffin confirm that nuclear does not have this benefit? Oil coal and gas are energy stored over millions of years , being released over tens. Bad. Burning timber from commercial forests is the sun's resources collected over a few decades. But Nuclear energy was created in the Big Bang, quite a whike ago, so is adding to heat gain in a sudden manner and is not "renewable". Bad. So we should only use sun, wind, hydro and tides, but perhaps some timber from waste, and from rubbish.

A read back will show that I have " got it" thoroughly. I am deeply in favour of non fossil- power (not so sure on nuclear). But, as ever, it needs a plan and policies for all, not left to the free market or the usual snatching of resources from otherwise neglected communities. Hence my proposal for a big electric meter at each development, and the tariff going to your local council

If the hoist hadn't been to hand, this guest might have been tricky to evict. Other than by messy gruesome means and some decorating. This might have been where it was born... feeling guilty now. this introdudes a practical matter: does anyone know a source of very light duty mewps to buy for changing of light bulbs 6m up? No more doing it by standing on a chair. A genie lift for a person.

Sounds as if it is straightforward. The SE will show piers and specify a lintel. Bricklayer forms the window opening which the window supplier measures (don't order by theoretical window dimensions as they can turn out different. , but you can get a quote from it).

A plan showing the house, all manhole and grille covers, & directions of flow. As well as flushing as a test, a piece of toilet paper proves where it is from. There is a product called drain trace. It is brown power that shows as luminous yellow when diluted. With that you can trace from toilet pan through each pontoon it's journey. It's unlikely, as you say, that a mains leak is getting in there, but perhaps an overflowing tank or wc.

Currently proposed near Inverness. Makes sense as a use for spare wind power. Like pump storage reservoirs it could be utilised only when there is spare power. But more likely a justification for more turbines With Loch Ness proposals for another 2 dams, it would make Inverness a major power centre. The downside being the huge local effect but not a lot of jobs.

Thd anomaly is that a stage is reached where it does not "benefit the local community". Planners work yo a tick- box system and cannot include approved but unbuilt projects, so more get approval Then the national grid takes it away. It would be a simple solution to levy £/MW and pay it into the community in perpetuity. Perhaps in real time. But that would be a UK government thing. or? Could it be levied as it is exported to the grid? That could be a planning condition. How big would the meters be?

we had a screed with ufh, over chipboard. As a last minute decision we decided to lay 5mm rubber matting first (between floorboards and the eggbox grid). the logic was simply that there was one chance to do it. as it happens it proved useful as the plastic grid did not fit well/ was not fitted well and had areas not touching the floor. Having the matting meant that normal staples bit into the mat and held the grid down. perhaps the staples would have gripped the boards equally well. we will never know if it makes a big difference. My hunch is that it will make a difference for low frequencies and running footsteps. we ordered online and it came in 2 days. very good quality , clearly made of car tyres and well bonded yet squidgy enough. it reminded me of the matting on a golf range tee-off area.... and surplus will become that and a football goal areas on our field. so yes, we decided to do it. The moral though is to diy the matting or watch the installation. Ours was very ropey with overlaps and gaps with speed dominating over quality.. followed of course by umpteen excuses.

Have they remembered to stop at tunnels?

It should be a routine framed opening within the wall construction. What is the wall construction? Your SE will have allowed that the wall construction can support vertical load (up as well as down) from the rafters. In reality the gable wall is often not a portal frame as it isn't spanning from foundation to foundation.

Lofts get silly hot in summer.

I'm of the same persuasion but we found some that comes in 20 patterns and I like it. Otoh a relatively thin skin of timber slows heat more, but doesn't stop it.

If I recall, you are on sand which is very free draining and not seasonally affected. It would be different on clay.

No, but it's just tiling, which is standard practice. The only issue would be using long tiles on a floor which might flex. Do you feel any suggestion of movement when jumping on the middle?

Of course it matters massively where your doors are, to walk out onto land or mid-air.

I've done a few buildings ( schools and factories) on steep slopes. My principle has been to build a platform at the higher level, then a conventional framed building on top. That keeps it simple and vastly more economical. No basement as you get into a different level of complexity and risk.( digging into the ground, waterproofing, stability, access) So that is conventional strip footings ans walls up to level . Then beam and block or precast planks make the surface. You are then out of the ground and on a solid surface. With a raft you have a big hole to dig then work in. If the slope is steep there is potential differential movement of the ground. If the slope is extreme then you can perhaps have a natural extra storey or part of one. Worth mentioning perhaps that in a couple of those jobs the original designers had assumed the dig and raft technique or retaining walls and mass fill to make a platform. I met one during negotiation and discussed the principles, and he was simply surprised at the cost difference, not being a contractor. Beam and block then a conventional kit above is my suggestion.

The same rules apply. In efficient structural design concrete beams and slabs would be completely integrated, but these appear to have been designed for speed and tying in has been for location and nothing more. The NY building probably has concrete floors too, tied to the steel with studs.

Scotland has differing values and goals to a large extent. Hence a left wing government for a long period , despite the voting system being designed to prevent it. So lots is different And lots was not devolved. In summary? More collectivist and egalitarian. Eg social services. Less of a class system Naturally against privatisation.

Thats perhaps intended as a distraction. No, but they could get a reduced rate for using non- peak times. It's also common sense, as a no Investment solution. People are entitled to not turn on the cooker any time they choose.

I don't think they can except at aonb / heritage sites or where local need is vastly oversupplied. Certainly they cannot on major power lines which is a UK thing, and could go over the Chilterns.... but don't.

Wind seems not to be even considered. Solar expanses are going ahead though, on farms and marshes but not large-scale on roofs where it will be more difficult. Can't do that. Farm sheds are designed for about 40% less loading than peopled buildings as the factors of safety are low to nil. And the quality can be lacking. Adding another 20kg/m2 would be unwise. That's what they say in planning applications. Removing all direct sun from a field will obv affect photosynthesis. So I say it's unlikely in a temperate climate.

The big detour would cost more. ICs are plastic and about £150, plus concrete, gravel and labour. Needed whatever you do. Another matter is the gradient. Assuming that the drain was designed efficiently, by taking it a longer route you are flattening the slope and it might not work. Say £1,000 diy. Double or Treble that for a good contractor. Add fees for the licence but building control will cover that with the building work. I'd still be digging to find that pipe. But first feasibility on budget and permissions.

Agreed, and lots onto industrial roofs: vast areas of metal just sitting there. Just look on Google Earth at a commercial estate near you, and the amount of roof as seen from above can be shocking. Plus they are usually in or near the towns that can take that amount of power into existing cables. They aren't designed for the extra loading but most will have enough if we look at whether snow load allowance is excessive. However if required at planning then the cost of the extra steel and suitable detailing is relatively small. When you and I are asked to sort the world out will you agree that price structuring can also help for both power and water.? Reduced rates for less than the reasonable need per head. Then it increases for anything above that, by enough to subsidise the lower use. And then a curve to make excessive use (car washing, swimming pools, hose use) an expensive matter. This rate can change at times of shortage, so right now we would be charged a lot for uneconomic use of water. The rich will simply pay but that's normal and at least it can be used for infrastructure. The middle ground is where habits can be changed, and I think that is fundamental. The formula will alter according to region and water resources. Sorted.

As often by those from the South, Scotland is up there and is wet and cold. The reality is of a very varied and large place. 3°C colder on average, in the populated areas. Nobody lives on the mountain tops. The west is generally wet. The east is generally quite dry, except last winter when it reversed. The saved Steading area has rainfall much the same as Kent. But if up high then of course it gets colder. Proper winters with snow. We put a woodburner in. It is in a very large open space, including stair well. There is a lot of outside wall, including lots of glass and exposed, uninsulated walls. And yet the one log at a time principle applies. So for there it was the right decision as it is: 1. Expected, esp for rentals.* 2. Very pleasing. 3. A backup in the highly likely occurrence of power cuts due to trees v cables. * paying guests include the wbs in their incredibly positive reviews, so it is also economically justified. This discusson is very helpul and timely for us. We are (were?) currently planning to fit a wbs in our current family project in the scorching SE. I think we may leave it out for now, but the air intake and flue routes are ready if we change our minds. It can be very cold here... I liken it to Dutch winters of a damp cold that eats at your being.... not so much in recent years though. Question. What is a sensible backup if there are long term power cuts? I'm thinking that winter solar might run the basics and a little ufh. Thick socks and jumpers and buy a gas stove or 2?