Ferdinand

Interesting thread. My comments. 1 - I would not do two 90 degree bends, as you may end up with standing moisture in the horizontal run. Plus sweeping may be more difficult. 2 - I don't see any way of reconstructing that without comprehensively removing the hood. Though taking out the arch and the triangle of 3 central bricks may work structurally (self-supporting - maybe) I think it would look clunky. 3 - Can you replace your stove with a rear entry one and bring it forward to the edge of the existing brick platform? I think there are regs around heat proof material needing to be X mm wide around the stove, but you do have those pavers there afaics. 4 - If you are redoing the fireplace, consider insulation behind the stove to stop heat escaping directly to outside (if it is outside). Probably rockwool to be heat tolerant. 5 - One of those infrared point-and-shoot thermometers may be a useful tool for investigations first top explore just where heat is going - they cost from about a tenner. That would make a large difference to the amount of heat radiating directly into the room. ATB F

You may be able to have an effect depending on what your surface is to be, depending how far you have gone so far with your structure. Practically it needs the structure to be dampened or stiffened, or something else stiff being put on top. But it's difficult, and far more fun to suggest alternative strategies: 1 - Use a Segway or in-line skates. 2 - Learn to love it. Wishing you the best. F

So where does one buy a half gallon of vinegar, and do they call it "non-brewed condiment? I seem to recall that one of my local chipshops - if a bottle of n.b.c. (threatening acronym that) is purchased from them, offer free refills.

I've had a session using normal descaler. and both shower heads (including the Mira one pointed out by a tenant that had been in situ since I think 1994 which I *did* by a replacement for) are much improved and still suitable for my showers. I spent the £20 saved on a bottle of gin. One interesting little recommendation was to go for a smaller head as that would be more likely to keep flow due to the smaller space with the same pressure. Not sure about the scientific logic of that, since imo most more concentrated shower patterns should be advantaged through mass of water and bigger holes therefore greater concentrated force not higher pressure.

Having read all the above, I'd say rather than try to separate it from the wire: 1 - Cut it out with the attached wire. 2 - Do a repair using ~£2 worth of chain link. 3 - Put feet up for the time you have saved, drinking gin.

Can you hire a relevant tool? Or I wonder if a bow saw to cut by hand 3-4" off the ground is he way?

TBH invest £50 in a bloke to grind it out in 30 minutes. By the time you have pfaffed for an afternoon it is worth it. Then leave the gap at the bottom of the fence for perambulating hedgehogs.

If done properly, there will be a special 90%+ Planning Gain tax as part of the package, which is needed to boost Local Authority funding which has been cut by 1/3 to a 1/2 nearly everywhere by the existing Governments.

I'm interested how much account Octopus take of different EPC values to give an appropriately sized ASHP. 6kW at 1600 sqft or so seems quite modest, so I assume they do actually notice it rather than install a behemoth by default. My advice to anyone thinking about taking advantage of the Octopus offer (which to me seems very good) is to move quite quickly, as the last few years have been an everchanging kaleidoscope as schemes on offer have been driven by politics not long-term planning. This particular £7500 increased from £5000 grant looks like a smokescreen to distract from all the other green policies being wrecked or cancelled by Rishi Sunak to create money to try and buy the next election with tax cuts. I am also not clear if they have specified how many will be available, as the UK ASHP market is roughly doubling year on year, so I can see it being withdrawn in a year or so because it is "expensive green crap", or if the Conservative Party gives us yet another "last Captain of the Titanic" who has a need for Potemkin policies to feed red meat to his Neanderthal wing. My main now semi-retirement income is a portfolio of rentals, and I would be jumping on the offer but I only have one boiler that is older than 'recent' - having invested, or taken advantage of a couple of "free replacement boiler" opportunities over recent years (which also reappear then vanish). So for me the probably better strategy is to wait for prices to fall, unless it will help me meet needs for a big EPC boost. But Rishi Sunak is such a self-serving political coward that he has also killed the excellent regulation of rentals by EPC, and just run away from any attempt to encourage owner-occupiers of old housing stock (which is the biggest problem) to invest in their properties. So - having gone round the houses - suggest that the Octopus offer deserves a very serious look at this time. Details of offer, which includes hot water cylinder, radiator work as necessary etc. https://octopus.energy/get-a-heat-pump/ F

If you've got a trench open, put in a couple of conduits with drawstrings rather than extra naked cables. The house to the gate is exactly the tope of place you will have need for a new run at least once in the next decade eg if something like a phone cable or an old data cable breaks, or if you need a new one. The prices of bigger rolls of conduit falls so sharply that the extra cost is minimal.

An anonymised map would help us comment. Speak to the Rights of Way team at your Local Highways Authority, which is likely to be Borough or County or Unitary Council. Processes do exist but they can get involved and take time (at least several years). If you find the Minutes of your "Local Access Forum" or "Rights of Way Committee" it may help you understand how it works from ongoing business. Equally, have a look at any material from the Ramblers Association or the Open Spaces Society, who promote public access. If it is a Public Right of Way it is by definition a Public Footpath or similar - even if it goes nowhere. Also check if it is on a thing called the "Definitive Map", which is also managed by the Highways Authority and is in general terms the authoritative definition. The Definiitive Map may or may not be online - eg Somerset is online, Notts (where I live) is not (bugger). Each RoW has a name and number attached to it, eg "Tunbridge Wells Path 78", which makes it far easier to discuss precisely. There may be notes or agreements etc attached to the RoW Record for that location on the Definitive Map, which will give you more background. Here is an FOI Request I did about one recently which a 'develop' (ie shyster in this case) has blocked up, and is trying to keep the public off the Public Right of Way illegally by gates, fences, loose dogs, "beware of the dog" signs, threatening behaviour etc, which I am working on getting reopened. Feel free to use it as a template if that helps. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/please_supply_information_held_a#outgoing-1518500 In this case as it is such a recent build, also consider phoning up the developer and asking them what they know. When discussing these things with your LHA or whoever, What3Words is very useful for talking about geographical locations rather than eg postcodes (which are too big) or Grid References (which are also big) or Lat Long from Google which are things like (52.95333546548519, -1.1495320509882963) . HTH F

On cost estimating, if a "newbuild" figure is (say) £3k per sqm, then that averages out more money on the ground floor because you don't need to build eg another set of foundations for upstairs. In your case, since you are remodelling and extending downstairs, I'd say use the newbuild figure for the whole thing for an upper estimate rather than reduce it "because we are remodelling", as you are doing extensive work downstairs too. That will in practice give you an extra contingency -which given the project may be useful to have built in. For a second estimate, perhaps use the newbuild figure for the area of your extension downstairs, plus the areas of the other stories, plus a 'remodelling' figure for the existing area you are retaining. Perhaps add a number for the extra cost of each "feature" if that is not in your basic numbers. That will begin to give you a pair of bracketed numbers for upper and lower figures (they will be indicative, not boundaries). Tip one: study your T&C agreement / contract with the architect with a fine tooth comb. If you have a % deal (say 15% for design and supervision to completion) then what happens if your needed budget increases by say 15% is that you suddenly find yourself paying an extra 15% extra architect fees without much extra work being done. It's your call how to deal with that type of potential elephant trap. Tip two: Architects quite often quote for an idealised version of your brief, and have a whole selection of ready less-expensive feature suggestions for when the customer goes GULP! Don't be afraid to ask for 95% as good but less gold plated ideas. Ask your architect for his better or more practical ideas than your suggestions or what he has shown you - that is the experience you are paying for. But also the more knowledge you develop yourself, and the more thinking time you give yourself, the more effective customer you can be. In this case, I'd say that you are quite attached to your architect, and you need to keep an eye on yourself to make sure you reflect on each thing before agreeing to it - rather than risking being a "Yes Customer". It's all about creative and thoughtful dialogue with an architect as you design your house together. HTH F

Hello.

I'm just about to do a round of descaling shower heads - as recommended by a 7x year old tenant and it seems to woek. Currently my only descaler in the house is the expensive one for the coffee machine. Can anyone suggest a good general purpose descaling fluid, or a la Harris something on ebay for thruppence which has the same active ingredient? Cheers F Medical update: docs are happy with current recovery and (as evidenced by this post) I am getting some energy back. Expectations are that I should be back at more or less normal energy levels by Christmas, which means I will be able to be as large a PITA as previously.

That's a beautifully smooth design, but I'd not convinced of the practicality / safety for say a 70-year-old - "forever house", remember. The handrail looks very very smooth, and very difficult to use for applying steadying force at the hand - especially dry and weaker hands of elderly people. Sympathetic staircase design is one of the elements that makes a house practically liveable or not as we get older. If the space is available and you want a curving staircase, I'd suggest an open well staircase to make it more sympathetic, with the spiral handrail as a feature. Given the project is large, I'd also provision for a lift. F

I think the overall feel is Grand Designs about 10-15 years ago. Out of date for a contemporary buildng, and I can't imagine it ageing well. Loadsabling and veined marble. Ick. I wonder if the original is listed, or Planning tried to treat it as if it were listed? I think the sharp distinction between old and new is still a preferred approach for listed buildings. Perhaps that's the only way development was allowed. The Architectural Bollocks is .. architectural bollocks. "Masterclass of blending old and new" ... lol. It's the opposite of blended - it's oil and water deliberately separated so both can be appreciated on their own for their separate attractions, in theory. Isn't Saltwood where the shagging-obsessed-Maggie-obsessed diarising politician Alan Clarke, with the appetite for older cars and younger ladies, used to live in his 15C mini-castle with his collection of Bloomsbury Group paintings? Fantastic writer of diaries (inlcuing Backfire about the car collection and his wife's later reflections), but a bit of a sh*t.

PHPP has been mentioned. Also, one of our members created a spreadsheet which many have found useful. You may find this useful as a starting point. Here's the thread.

My grandma in her 70s used to look just like that. All of 4'10", with a hat pin.

Yes - chronic condition came out of remission, and needing the next round of treatment. I have since 2020 (lockdown year 1) a rare form of leukemia called Hairy Cell Leukemia. No one knows what causes it. It is treatable but treatment loses effectiveness every X years, resulting in massively depressed energy levels until it gets short term treatment (a drug called Filgrastim) to stabilise until long term treated can be done again. My 2020 treatment, which was the second line one for COVID reasons, had that happen in January. I am being set up for retreatment hopefully later this month with a drug called Cladribine, having previously had a monoclonal antibody one called Retuximab. Let's say I am getting value from the NHS - just looked up the prices of the above, and I thought diabetic treatment was expensive ! I had a period in hospital in May-June resulting from being immuno-supressed letting a bug in in June - quite the experience. I didn't know they had so many IV antibiotics (nearly 100 portions over 2.5 weeks) in stock in the entire hospital. Massively impressed with *all* the staff at my local District Hospital (Sherwood Hospitals Trust). F

A serious illness intervened, I am afraid - spent several months flat on my back. The fox is still around, but the back garden has not been touched by me since last year.

Make sure you pay attention to ventilation as well as insulation.

Since this has woken and I was summoned, here's a piece in Country Life I did not link before. https://www.countrylife.co.uk/gardens/natural-swimming-pools-everything-need-know-building-one-garden-184617 and House an dGarden https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/article/how-to-build-natural-swimming-pond

That's over my line. I will keep stumm and let them make wrong assumptions, but I will not lie to a supplier. My choice. Also - TBF - my generation is heavily morning biased (80% of panels East Facing), so little generation in the peak period, plus my traditional 'overnight time shifted' loads are covered by my heavier AM generation. F

Sounds like a possible next step for me then, if I go for a battery at some stage - and it doesn't screw the FIT, which is worth about £600 a year to me.

Octopus are really helpful in my experience. But there are hoops including needing extra documentation about your FIT install if your solar install is FIT.