Ferdinand

That looks like 184 fixings. How do you get a middle one off afterwards for maintenance? TRADA should have a decent detail for this, applicable even in huffandpuff land.

I think we have the answer, which is that it is overwhelmingly likely to be fine to proceed. They are hardly likely to propose that he be forced to rebuild it, as he has permission to demolish!

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I suppose you could use one of those hand cutting chains used by survivalists. But that perhaps requires it to be held in place as firmly as a tree branch. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alomejor-Lightweight-Portable-Emergency-Outdoors/dp/B07PY85ZFW

For a handsaw I have used one of these for cutting plastic, an Irwin fine tooth floorboard saw. £9.99 from Screwfix https://www.screwfix.com/p/irwin-xpert-floorboard-saw-13-325mm/9429x

Broader than that. I see it as part of the process of you getting the skills to know your own needs, and explore them, which will mean you can be an active client and use your architect well. And to be the basic output documentation of that whole process. And then a check for your reference at each stage over 2-4 years so you know how you got where you are. So really, as the foundational document throughout. F

I do not think there is a definition for a "brief". It is whatever lets the architect evaluate you and vice-versa. And if it doesn't work in your relationship and process you recast it. Probably the most important thing is to have actually stopped to consider your needs at all. I like the "one line - one sentence - one page" outline as it lets the thinking develop.

You need to think about heat as well as ventilation. My Ts sun lounge also has 100mm rockwool in the roof, and an aspect that does not get sun until mid afternoon (NW side of the house - deliberately). What she finds is that it is a 4 season room due to the insulation (also has a big rad) and ventilation (2 x 0.8m square opening windows at opposite ends), but that when it is just *hot* for several days in summer (eg as we had recently) the heat soak gets her and makes the doggies uncomfortable. Ventilation does not work because it is also too hot outside. She has a portable air conditioner for this situation, which may get occasional use in the summer. This is a mini implementation of what @JSHarris just did with his aircon, and what I will be doing at home. I also have a similar issue with my conservatory, which is well insulated and on the N side (the only place I would put a conservatory), and gets some sun in the afternoon. That runs up to a high temperature quickly for the short time it gets sun. I manage that because it is really a link room between lounge and kitchen, not a living room. That has a similar thing in that it is usable 3.5 seasons, and only not in winter as we choose not to use the heating - could be switched on eg for a party. So shading helps make it useable for the vast majority of time, but you will have the same issue. Most of the time it will be fine, but having gone for a "warm" garden room means that heating will be cheap in autumn/winter, but that you risk not being able to cool it when it is warmed up and being uncomfortable when the outside is say above 25-26C. I do not think however much ventilation will address that. This is the problem that several BHers have found last year and this year. As your garden room is shed-size, it will have less time-buffer. My house can take several days before it becomes uncomfortable; a garden room should be less. I would suggest considering your possible usage patterns (and others if it may be used differently in future) and consider: 1 - Arranging vents such that you can purge-vent securely overnight (consider height, wind, orientation) at opposite ends, to give you a nice morning temp during hot periods to let you partially use it. 2 - A couple of (second hand?) solar panels on the roof and a small split aircon, so that you can heat or cool when needed, and when you need to cool it is cost-free. Depends slightly if you have house solar. Run the numbers. Or a portable. Perhaps make provision, but wait until the first time you get lobstered to see if there is actually a problem in your circs. Ferdinand

I am about to order a 2.5m x 2.5m corrugated roof for my shed from somewhere15 miles away, and last time they charged me £50. So it is now a £50 contribution to a roof rack.

Great to see that you got there. We have a thread for architectural briefs, but it only has a couple on it. Is there a chance you could add some of your stuff here, to be an example for future readers? > Writing a Brief for the Architect ?

Could you reapply for two dwellings, and sell off a small plot? ?

In theory the difference would be how much the seller has spent plus something for their losses for waiting plus something for the time saved and convenience gained in theory by the buyer plus X. Minus Y. ? F

You have a lock in agreement which gives exclusivity for a period of time, and have some mechanism for compensating the buyer .. an option agreement with an option fee attached. And some penalty should the seller welch on the deal. And some agreed way of dividing the uplift in value. F

You can set whatever conditions you like. The issue is to make sure the seller is willing to work with them. You need a suitable agreement to make sure the increased value plot is not sold to a n other, and somehow to compensate 5he seller for the extra aggro you are causing them.

Building regs are 0.18 min. for extension floor. Can you take a bit off the ceiling height? You could perhaps consider a floating floor makeup with ufh overlay, and say LVL tiles, which would give you a bit more l.. but needs detailed comments from others. Or go around the skirt with insulation. I have less than 100mm pir and ufh. And it works. But it is now 10+ years old and I wish I had more. Run the numbers and see if you are acceptably happy. It will be a OK, but there will be a hopefully modest cost. My conservatory has 100mm PIR in floor but that has electric ufh really as a tick box for future buyers and is hardly ever used. The installers were planning 50mm and gave me another 50mm in all the walls and floor when asked. Ferdinand

I have set up the first part of my watering system. Easy to do and quite adjustable. Works fine from a water butt. I also have my lower tech device to warn me when it s probably time to have it on for a bit, before the soil dries out much.

Luminous, semaphore version of Bernie the Bolt. And a shattaf for fun.

Thinking laterally like Dr de Bono from the other end. So no problem then. You will have already left the house and will not be disturb by the swearing. 40 pairs of earplugs for 4.86. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Laser-Lite-Ear-Plugs-Honeywell/dp/B018RIA44S/ref=asc_df_B018RIA44S (So you have something to use even if you are still in the house.)

Found some more Zoot Music. You got a cat? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAuLONmIof0

One thing to watch for is to find the mixing amount with which your mixer is comfortable. Ideally it is also the amount that relates to a whole number of wheelbarrows-full, so that you use a comfortable but towards the top of your capability load each time. It is also worth reminding yourself that if you are eg coutning shovelfuls to measure your quantity put in the mixer, that as you get more tired your perceptions of how heavy it is will change - so get used to doing a visual check on your amounts as you shovel it in. If you have bags of ingredients, it may be that you can do no of bags in the proportions to give you your mix and make an amount that is comfortable. But in any case you will get some sense of what you need after the first dozen loads, and a better sense as you do more. F

I waiting for the news story that a canoe has run into Zoot's Jetty and sunk with all hands.

This is the definition of the various terms from the document linked: So, based on the conversation above, the reduction of C02 Emissions Factor for Electricity, the SAP Rating should not change, and the EIR Rating should reduce proportional to electricity usgae, and C02 Emission Rate should reduce similarly. By contrast, in 2018 the SAP algo was adjusted when they found that solid walled and uninsulated walled properties were relatively better in CO2 emissions terms than had been thought previously. https://www.bre.co.uk/filelibrary/SAP/2016/CONSP-16---Wall-U-values-for-existing-dwellings---V1_0.pdf The assumption had been U-value of 2,1m which was updated to I think 1.69. (The background is that the previously assumed value was derived from that used for sizing heating, so naturally assumed it was worse to help make sure that systems were comfortably big enough.) F

No. I have not checked whether the update has been made.

Depends whetehr "better" means quality of build or ease of understanding. The Gravenhill one is about 5% of the size of the Building Regs, for example, and for the layperson probably does not seem to be written in Chinese.

How did the two different numbers compare, Jeremy, if you have those. I think that your current SAP is a 107? What is the new impact rating? (Will try and comment on the other excellent points from everyone later.] F