Ferdinand

Up early to work whilst it is a bit cooler, and cool the house by a few degrees for breakfast time, and I am wondering about purge ventilation. Hoping to drop the temp by 3-4 degrees from the 27C it was mainly at last evening. Is there (or has there been) any useful work on the amount of open window needed to cool a house down, or rules of thumb? This morning I have about 200mm x 600mm x 4 area (=.48 sqm) of open skylight (ie 600mm centre hinged open 200mm) upstairs, and a conservatory door open downstairs (=1.5 sqm ish), and it is going to have a noticeable effect. A couple of top windows would not be sufficient. It depends on the ΔT between the inside temperature and the outside temperature, and also the thermal characteristics and size of the house and the materials, decrement delay, thermal emissivity etc, time that it is open etc. Is anyone aware of anything? I am thinking of something as simple as the building regs rules about window area vs floor area for adequate light etc. My 'single data point guestimate' says 0.5-1 sqm of ventilation opening aperture per 100sqm of average storey floor area size should be enough. Probably. Cheers Ferdinand

Why? Are there not some lamp posts that need counting, or some baked beans that need eating with a cocktail stick, or something? Perhaps I will never understand..

An alternative would be Bifolds with a leaf size of say 330mm. With appropriate adjustments to the stud ... say a bookcase each side of the opening in the sitting area. F

Get a mixer, even if you eBay it afterwards imo. Mixing that amount of concrete by hand will be a learning experience.

Ok Problem fix. Half used soap falls through wire hangover soap dish. Solution is new kitchen scourer cut to size. if I were being posh, I would use one of the samples of walk on shower non slip matting I have.

Exempt under critique and review. ?

Vicissitudes of life. My Claber kit, being examined, went in about 15 seconds from the previous “not interested” to “Bwahahah ! Mine !” Pah. Need now to order some more bits for the management. It is like cats and a bag of crisps. Have been informed that a water butt and a watering can are entirely adequate for my bit of the garden. F

Tempted to say clear something so you can monitor. Do Osmo do one?

Possibly not quite the terminology intended ?. It is about understanding different ways of modelling similar things. However people have tried, and here is a recent one with an SS to which many variations of build cost are included by quite a few people. May be useful to build on this.

May be worth the mixer. Not expensive ... around 300 for a Baby Belle type, and save a helluva lot of work / time. And you get decent quality concrete / cement. Ferdinand

This is an interesting one, with a number of difficulties. There have been one or maybe two occasions on which this has worked on BH. The biggest issue is perhaps that we are a herd of cats spread out in time and space. My comments 1 - I reckon BH could perhaps have groups of size 5 - 30. That is too small to work by mass-bludgeon. Instead we need to supply a notable boost and/or other benefits ie treat them as our customer too. 2 - Any group buy needs to offer savings enough to cover the work of doing it, and to out compete what any individual can achieve by surfin' and lookin' . BH supply side is mostly about more appropriate products, cheaper individual sources for the same thing or alternatives who do not price gouge. This needs to be better than that for the cases where it is used. 3 - Effectively we need to find things where we can help the business take out cost from *their* process, add very little extra (ie manage there being 20 customers), and perhaps us do things they would normally do. 4 - Perhaps the group within BH (or an audience segment we could develop) would be around those who are slightly risk-averse ie not those of us who are wheeler-dealers. May be custom or PM-ing types rather than those of us who start with a tree and a quarry and a computer and do it all ourselves. 5 - We need suppliers who will play ball. 6 - We need suppliers where the product is standard, or BH experience suggests the supplier is reliable. 7 - We perhaps need to think in terms of other than money - eg making real slates affordable rather than relying on a Chinese import. One might be stabilising cost and reducing risk in markets which are volatile in their pricing. 3G or kitchens? 8 - What is there that is out of reach for most of us, but would come into range for a good deal? Quite a challenge. Think we need to focus on particular things within the self-build process. Which brings us to: eg Kingspan are not going to give us 30-40% off insulation by buying orders for even 50 houses. It would need to be a big reduction because you can get nearly that much off by just shopping around, and for say Kingspan we would need to put together a regional-developer sized long term order, and some way to make it like dealing with a very few customers. The counterparty risk for KS on a big enough order would negate the benefit. So I have this as my guide as to where this might work: 1 - Look for products or services where we can take cost out of *their* process, or be significant to their business. 2 - Suggests places where the cost of customer acquisition is high, the value / margin is high, the process is complex (and BHers - whilst being awkwards sods - perhaps know more than average so can save there), or a smallish group will add a significant chunk to their business. 3 - Things where a knowledgeable customers may be a help not a hindrance. 4 - Smallish suppliers where say 25 orders at once or 25 orders spread out over 6-18 months would be beneficial. Are there semi-craft businesses wanting a bit more turnover? 5 - Look specifically for win-wins. 6 - We need a mechanism to prove that BHers are BHers, so they are getting a known customer. 7 - High value / small size. Also well-defined so we avoid rejection risks. For me this is saying "not commodities" are the lowest hanging fruit. So where does that leave us for areas that may be amenable? My immediate thoughts are double glazing, front doors, some services eg soil testing, small suppliers or those with innovative products, product trials / research exercises, maybe house shells eg MBC or Scotframe, "luxuries" some of us want eg Sageglass, importers who could get a bigger wagon, smaller suppliers, helping create a simple and durable new House Management system, AliG swimming pools, unusual roofs or high quality rainwater goods? Plus windfall opportunities eg job lots of things. That probably needs the prices to be 10-20% of retail or less. Current example of this might be these. We may perhaps trigger some to offer "Buildhub versions" of their product or service. Think this will need to be an action-learning thing, as a route to create a template as to how to do it. Ferdinand

Is that not a game that anyone can play with any country? Though I would probably say that the UK is perhaps very eclectic in diet, even by Western European standards, if we manage to avoid the attentions of some of our aspirational militant beef banners. For Germany perhaps starting with the real brick-like black bread, or some of the more distinctive offal dishes, or the Germoline Pink Herring Salad. Horse, for example, is delicious and still I think common in France but unpopular here - and that is mainly a matter of fashion / prejudice. Put a hunk of horse in the fridge in a student house, especially say a named variety such as Dartmoor Pony, and it may have interesting results. (Apparently Asian supermarkets in Gernmany are the place for teabags). Ferdinand

A weekend thought about design ideas. Given an extra 1 sqm of space, where would you put it in your house for most benefit? Either the current house, or the previous house. I am exploring opinions on which constraints are most beneficial to release very slightly. I have three answers: 1 - To make a small hob a big hob with a bit of extra space at the side. 2 - Inside the shower, to make a shower cubicle into a walk-in shower. 3 - Into the staircase to change the angle from 42 degres to 37 degrees. The first two are spaces where we spend a lot of time in a small space, so the extra benefit is perceived often. The third is again making something we use multiple times a day feel more relaxed. Any other ideas? Ferdinand

@Onoff is a One-off. Kyrie eleison . (My iPad cannot even get liturgical Greek right without mangling it. Lord, have mercy ... since no one asked.)

I'm not dealing with the "thick northern racist" thing, through I think that is perhaps an underlying cultural perception for some at the BBC - see for example the 'personal' twitter feeds of some presenters and staff. The Guardian has no external regulator, and would need a team of dozens just to keep track on the pratfalls imo. It has cost them their reputation. Now, on the BBC being held to account - imo they are tenacious in refusing to correct when challenged, and get a large number of things wrong. For example, you remember this graph from the Euro Election months ago, on the BBC - where they got a 'majority for remain' by pretending that the Tories were not pro-Brexit. From this page (now removed): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48403131 To hold them to account for this took three rounds of complaints, and a threat to go to OFCOM, before they switched from dead-bat tactics to admitting an editorial "misjudgement". And this for what they finally claim is a minor mistake. The history is here: There was another one iirc last week where the BBC extensively reported on "the need to stop eating beef" as a prioirity to stop climate change, entirely out of context of the actual international report which also included many other things as equally, or more, significant. No time to round that up now. This concerns me as they are the UK's media monopolist, with around a 40% share. They are just not very good at news istm, and refuse to be held properly to account short of extreme efforts. Not good enough for a tax funded setup. Ferdinand

Imo mainly by being realistic and talking. This is largely a bit of a self-feedback screed from mine, but touches on the q. 1 - You do not know completely what you will need, in the main. (In your case, you can perhaps predict eg some aspects of hand-grip - or lack of - to design for, just as I can predict possible ultimate blindness, preceded by eye conditions, and maybe an amputationor two from my Type I diabetes). I would argue that preparations now need a bit more flexibility than 'strong points for grab handles' - say to allow for different heights etc. You may have this covered. 2 - You also need to cater for other users. eg I am now more than a foot taller than mum, who has shrunk by nearly 6 inches over 15 years as her back has collapsed after a career as a physio and a hobby maintaining a 2 acre garden for 40 years. We are used to this in our kitchens (eg no wall units iirc from one of our BH 'one and a half' couples). But it also applies in spades to things like shower seats and steadying rails; if you put he seat at the height for a taller person, the shorter person may have no purchase on the shower tray with their feet. OTOH a relation who is sometimes here has just had an early hip replacement, and is 15-18 stone. So my downstairs shower seat needs to cater for the larger person "plonking" onto it, because the consequences of an injury for someone already more vulnerable are unthinkable. And so it has 100mm bfo screws into breeze blocks. 3 - Aesthetics vs the best safety possible. Ultimately imo it must surely be function over form, but you can be creative. I speculated about chrome handrails, and my fitter pointed out quite bluntly the potential extra likelihood of slips, and the devastating potential impact on someone in her 80s of say a fall in the shower, or a trip over a door threshold onto porcelain tiles. Bye bye chrome rails except where they are "lean on" only. It may be that be as younger older people you can get away with a different compromise first time around. 4 - What do you get if you cross a growing-older person with a shower cubicle? Bloody great screw holes all over your multipanel. Once you have put grabrails and things in, your nice pristine shower will be a complete mess should you ever move them. I have largish tiles, and no fewer than 12 of them now have almost 30 screwholes drilled for adaptations. What happens if it changes? Will you gut it and start again, or have you a strategy planned for repairs? Being strictly practical, I have the advantage here that my older person has already gone beyond incidental adaptations, so I know that the next stage is likely to be residential care and probably will not have to move it all around again. Ideas for Flexibility? A - One thing that has been manageable but not thought about, is that currently we are sharing a shower due to the other one not being refurbished yet. And requirements are very different. Mum needs the shower head at my belly-button height to match the seat, which would make it annoying to move around every day. Fortunately it is a dual mode rainfall / shower head thing, so it is OK. You will need the shower head to wash your feet when you stiffen up. B - Take time thinking, which you do anyway. We spent a couple of hours in the shower room talking about grab rails and other things, and working it out afterwards. It has to be done sitting there. The closed loo was a good convenient guide to height for us. C - Places where most force will be needed are where you need the best grips. These will be ribbed plastic, but for aesthetics knurled stainless, rubber sleeves, or rubber inserts can be OK. The latter three are probably better for 'first time around'. Careful positioning really matters. Inside our front door I have installed an oak handrail to match the banisters as it is just a 'hang on whilst opening the door' thing. For aesthetics such could be part of a built-in umbrella stand, for example. Or a walking stick stand, of which I am suffering a plague like Egypt. How can one have 6 walking sticks, and they are all always somewhere else? Ditto mobility equipment (Sholley, Skimmer, Zimmer, Chair .. Wheelchair, Imo mainly by being realistic and talking. This is largely a bit of a self-feedback screed from mine, but touches on the q. 1 - You do not know completely what you will need, in the main. (In your case, you can perhaps predict eg some aspects of hand-grip - or lack of - to design for, just as I can predict possible ultimate blindness, preceded by eye conditions, and maybe an amputationor two from my Type I diabetes). I would argue that preparations now need a bit more flexibility than 'strong points for grab handles' - say to allow for different heights etc. You may have this covered. 2 - You also need to cater for other users. eg I am now more than a foot taller than mum, who has shrunk by nearly 6 inches over 15 years as her back has collapsed after a career as a physio and a hobby maintaining a 2 acre garden for 40 years. We are used to this in our kitchens (eg no wall units iirc from one of our BH 'one and a half' couples). But it also applies in spades to things like shower seats and steadying rails; if you put he seat at the height for a taller person, the shorter person may have no purchase on the shower tray with their feet. OTOH a relation who is sometimes here has just had an early hip replacement, and is 15-18 stone. So my downstairs shower seat needs to cater for the larger person "plonking" onto it, because the consequences of an injury for someone already more vulnerable are unthinkable. And so it has 100mm bfo screws into breeze blocks. 3 - Aesthetics vs the best safety possible. Ultimately imo it must surely be function over form, but you can be creative. I speculated about chrome handrails, and my fitter pointed out quite bluntly the potential extra likelihood of slips, and the devastating potential impact on someone in her 80s of say a fall in the shower, or a trip over a door threshold onto porcelain tiles. Bye bye chrome rails except where they are "lean on" only. It may be that be as younger older people you can get away with a different compromise first time around. 4 - What do you get if you cross a growing-older person with a shower cubicle? Bloody great screw holes all over your multipanel. Once you have put grabrails and things in, your nice pristine shower will be a complete mess should you ever move them. I have largish tiles, and no fewer than 12 of them now have almost 30 screwholes drilled for adaptations. What happens if it changes? Will you gut it and start again, or have you a strategy planned for repairs? Being strictly practical, I have the advantage here that my older person has already gone beyond incidental adaptations, so I know that the next stage is likely to be residential care and probably will not have to move it all around again. Ideas for Flexibility? A - One thing that has been manageable but not thought about, is that currently we are sharing a shower due to the other one not being refurbished yet. And requirements are very different. Mum needs the shower head at my belly-button height to match the seat, which would make it annoying to move around every day. Fortunately it is a dual mode rainfall / shower head thing, so it is OK. You will need the shower head to wash your feet when you stiffen up. B - Take time thinking, which you do anyway. We spent a couple of hours in the shower room talking about grab rails and other things, and working it out afterwards. It has to be done sitting there. The closed loo was a good convenient guide to height for us. C - Places where most force will be needed are where you need the best grips. These will be ribbed plastic, but for aesthetics knurled stainless, rubber sleeves, or rubber inserts can be OK. The latter three are probably better for 'first time around'. Careful positioning really matters. Inside our front door I have installed an oak handrail to match the banisters as it is just a 'hang on whilst opening the door' thing. For aesthetics such could be part of a built-in umbrella stand, for example. Or a walking stick stand, of which I am suffering a plague like Egypt. How can one have 6 walking sticks, and they are all always somewhere else? Ditto mobility equipment (Sholley, Skimmer, Zimmer, Chair .. Wheelchair, Walker, Self ... like firemen in Trumpton); nearly needs an extra garage. D - Think rails not just handles. And whether they will need to take full bodyweight or just steadying. I would suggest two tall rails either side of the shower apparatus is a good idea and unobtrusive - perhaps textured stainless for now, and you can add a very grippy sleeve when needed. E - Occupational therapists and eg Age UK will offer excellent advice, as may the Council. We had a free visit. Prob would not get priority, but it would probably help them too to think about possibilities in custom builds. F - Ultimately you will need to think about moving around the whole house comfortably, but that is a different can of worms. G - Standalone stools can be OK in the shower eg for putting feet on to wash - say from bamboo or other material. May be a good compromise. H - I have an inkling that flexible handles as seen used by straphangers on the tube may be an interesting discreet interim idea, or leather versions thereof, or even rope. Perhaps not for showers. Have not seen this, nor tested it. Loops to tension against on the wrist can be better than things that have to be gripped with fingers. Just thoughts. There is quite a lot of this touched on in my accessible bathroom stuff, and a list of links here. Ferdinand

Is this not up with John Harvey Jones in Morgan: “I am surprised they do not start with the tree.” I dread to think of the fear inflicted on future partners. “Good morning darling. BTW I converted your car to run on porridge while you were in the shower. Cornflakes for you this morning.”

Peers down Alice’s rabbit hole. Thinks about going to have tea and come back a bit later... (try a few searches, perhaps via a google with +Buildhub in it. There are a lot of threads about this.) To me this is the impossible question. The answer depends 80% on the client, what they want and them knowing their own requirements and criteria. Briefly, an architect should supply inspiration and wow if you need that, provided that you know your own mind well enough to choose one well and be an assertive client, otherwise you may get their vision rather than yours as they have more weight in the debate; it is like a seesaw needing equal balance. An Architectural Technologist should supply drawings plus a bit more if you choose well, but will not have the same hinterland. An Architectural Designer is not a specific registered thing. It means that somebody who is not a Chartered Architect or Registered Architectural Technologist wants to offer that service. You need to judge them solely on their rep. and portfolio. For the other two the title means something. Architects sometimes get really narked about ADs, because they feel it as a bit close to the bone when they themselves in the UK have had a long training of 7 years .. shorter elsewhere. As to whether they are good value .... all of that is in your own hands and judgement; I do not think I can comment on that in general terms. Ferdinand

There are several contrasting examples on this thread. The idea is that it is a tool to think about what you want and need, that you can then feed into the process, and come back to to keep yourselves on track.

if you are going for the clearance stuff expect to paint it. May be worth a call just to check that it is suitable for your application.

This is the Guardian headline: And this is standfirst and the 2 key paras of the article: Can one of our financial gurus confirm that a "net return" of a bond incorporates the value of the original capital, so that these returns are indeed all that is left? There seem to be several definitions of "net return" around. Cheers F

A nice thing about oak is that it grows hoarier, cracked and weatherworn, and more characterful as you live with it over the years, just as you do yourself. THere’s a Tolkien quote that matches sort of, just like my office. F

Beading. Can you use hardwood quadrant as used for edging laminate floors? But you will need to check the suitability of the product. There s nothing to stop you eg protecting it first by soaking in whatever in a 3m chuck of gutter. Need to consider carefully, plus your painting etc may make a difference. Curries are quite good on this. They have red hardwood beading being cleared at about 60p a metre in bundles of 10 2.4m for about £15. I had about 150m of it for my next house or two, which is now in the garage. Their prices are Ok for the rest eg oak for 1.80 ish a metre for 12mm. https://roncurrie.co.uk/dark-hardwood-16mm-quadrant-mould-decorative-trim-moulding-2.4m-bead-wood-timber?search=Quadrant They may also have beading beading, but I have not asked. F

I do not know if anyone has numbers, but I would think you should be at perhaps 1k-2k for the window, and about the same again to fit it ... not the 3k+ that other one was going to cost just for the window. All I am saying is take a long hard look at your costs and check here. once you know what you want, someone may have a recommended supplier at half the price you get. It is that variable. For cleaning, accessibility matters ... I can clean most of mine from the inside, both surfaces. Choose carefully. Plan B is that your window cleaner may charge 50p-£1 a time to clean the outside, and may have a wotsit to do the inside in his van. F

Yes, but I think because the deal on VAT recovery is better if it is all encapsulated with a single supplier. See post 782 (or the appropriate number ?) on the VAT thread.