Ferdinand

I have one on my downstairs shower, because when I added a bath and new shower to the bathroom upstairs last year I started getting some washback into the downstairs shower. F

I think the only other issue is whether anyone owns the verge - when you will need permission to go across it. Though it is unlikely that anyone owns it, or would notice if they did - short of a neighbour getting the hump. I wish I'd picked this up sooner, as I could have semi confirmed your finding. I had an embarrassed council chap tell me that he couldn't stop me opening up the front of a house in town as a driveway because the road was unclassified for a length of approx 4 houses. But he could make me put a proper pavement crossing in. Presumably the defiinitive map is the same one for public footpaths, bridleways etc. If it is online you are furtunate as not all are. (This is in England, but the system is ancient so I would expect them all to be approx. the same.) F

Welcome to the madhouse.

Ai Caramba ! A discount from B&Q that actually landed at the till...

When I looked, there was no shortage of suitable offcuts on eBay.

Corian and similar can be carefully routed.

The best I have been able to do is that my Wickes has an I pillar next to the studding so I can compare every one both ways. Still moves, mind.

Welcome.

Planning depends on where you are. Councils are doing different things eg whether Planning Committee is meeting virtually. F

Offered without comments.

Welcome. At least you aren't a squirrel, then you would have to break into the roof space and live there whilst doing the work . Wishing you all the best. Do ask any questions - there are others around who have installed ufh upstairs. I think the best immediate advice I have is from Pooh: "Rivers know this - we will get there in the end". Ferdinand (Nearly avoids saying "Fenton, Fenton, Fenton, Fentoooooonnnnnnn. Jesus Christ, Fenton".)

@AliG >By the time the cute hands over the sides you Cannock another 100mm off that. Quality . Mr iPad had an iPad?

How much extra space do you need inside? This idea would give you about 2.7m extra front-back dimension to the outside face of your new house wall, which is the same inside if the new wall is the same thickness as the one you remove. You could turn your retaining wall into a stepped border to give a feel of more space. Or move it back at greater cost. I think you need to start by thinking in more detail about what you actually need / want.

Welcome.

As soon as people start climbing it is a team of 2 or 3, at 125-175 each at least per day plus all the rest. Soon adds up.

And spend half an hour rewiring it afterwards when you want a shorter one.

I was thinking 1000–1500 based on what I paid for my last big one. May be worth asking if him taking the wood will make a difference .. he may or may not change his price as he will also be selling firewood. F

I standardised on Makita power tools 18 months ago when my Metabo tools had finally become too old. So I have about 4 batteries, and no need to buy any more than a bare tool here. Also, I don't exactly have a lot of hedges - more shrubs and informal borders - so I do not need the power of a petrol one, and would rather avoid the weight. Previously I had a Metabo cordless hedge trimmer that was vintage 2000, used at my parents' house which *did* have a lot of hedge - both sides of a 60m drive. And I would need to get 2 stroke oil in again, and maintain a supply of unleaded with nothing else to use it for (car is diesel). Ferdinand

I can tell you that percolation test holes half full of water are not things to go and inspect just to see how it is doing if you are dressed up to go out on the posh.

Garden redesign required to put a track in . No pussyfooting for me this time. It will be one of these which is an 18V trimmer. https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/makita-duh523z-lxt-52cm-20-5-hedge-trimmer-body-only There is a 36V version at double, but I don't think I need that.

It may be of interest to some - Gravenhill, the self-build estate in Bicester, are offering a series of online seminars in early June. The first 3 webinars are available to book onto now, don't miss out on your chance to get the answers to the questions you need. Tuesday 2 June, 2pm - The Graven Hill Story Tuesday 16 June, 2pm - The Graven Hill Experience Tuesday 30 June, 2pm - Self-Build Made Simple Others are planned. I would expect a mixture of useful information and a sprinkling of marketing. Ferdinand

Good point @Mr Punter. Will probably do just a maintenance trim soon as recommended by RHS. The guideline for farm hedges is not until 1st September, and this is probably of that type - so a heavier trim will have to wait. F

Thanks for the comments so far. I can get a Makita Hedge Trimmer for 70-90 to go with my existing batteries, so I do not see that hiring is worth it at £15-20 a day. I think it will need 2 goes this year - within the next few days, then again in perhaps August. @AnonymousBosch I don't think it is perhaps as bad as it looks - it is only about 8m long so would actually be doable by hand in an afternoon if I really wanted to. @Temp In my head I would like to bring it down to 5-6ft with a conveniently angled top, as a compromise between not driving the roosting sparrows out and a height that is sensibly me plus the tool used. I think it is trimmed nearly every year. I don't think the branches are too bad, but probably need half an hour investigating to find out. I see that Makita now do a couple of pole hedge trimmers in their 18V LXT range. Thanks for the thoughts all; helpful as ever in clarifying the thinking. Ferdinand

It will depend on the intended use of the loft. If it is a habitable, usable space (eg bedroom), then Building Regs will apply ie 42 degrees, and the usual headroom. There would also be other requirements - escape, fire etc. If it is storage, then you may be OK. But they may have a view if they think they are being played and it will be changed later. Not sure what happens then. We used to have one up to an office, but it was a full attic floor with a real staircase too. An early GD ("Urban Space Pod, Peckham) had pigeon toed stairs to minimal bedrooms in a roof pod. It had KM in paroxyms about the efficient space usage and the sliding roof, and included a mini dance studio for the dance teacher girlfriend. When I lived in Chiswick I knew someone that used one to an attic conversion bedroom in a terrraced house. Ferdinand

Welcome.