Ferdinand

Here was one I did last year, using the Plastic not composite version. On that end, the gable was done in about 2011 and the "corner" was done in 2018 - as closely matched as I could find as the painted surface was weathering. The product on the corner is a Rosewood Cladding Product from Eurocell. I think it was of the order of low £ twenties per sqm. It is mounted on roofing battens.

What stage are you at? Lots of options, but may not be applicable if your glass is in already. As JSH mentions, you could use something switchable. You could also perhaps go for something printed to break it up a little - but that would perhaps also show through in the light. Or could you consider a modern strained glass design? Abstract and/or monochrome? Or can you specify translucent glass, or enamelled or textured glass from someone like Linit UK on 01634 890750. They also do printed glass and lots of others. Based in Kent iirc, so not too far away. http://linituk.com/linit-colour-enamelled-glass.html You could even do it as an Interior Design thing with a full height latticework, bamboo Japanese style, or fretwork screen behind the window. It will cost a deal of money, though, whatever you do. F

"Ooops !"

Glutton for punishment, or inspired minor adjustment? Hmm. I can see the benefit, especially on the entrance route, and perhaps someone can give you a ballpark number for the cost of those foundations. Rather than a full sketchup, try just adding the new outline bits onto a printout or trace a plan onto a new sheet over with a pencil or coloured felt tip. An option for the hall-light would be glass panels beside the front door. Would you try and pull he garage inside the insulated envelop? You could do the hall and door and bay under PP, then leave the garage/gym for PD? Remember you only have 3 years to start . F

You have obviously not met my niece ! Unless it is a staircase like the Spanish Steps.

In that 1.5 acres, and if you are aspiring to be carried out in a box (being a little provocative again ), then you have space and time to do something quite spectacular outside - in terms of establishing a treescape etc. That could be done even if you keep the pastures as pastures, bulbs in spring etc. It really is a lot of time. Not quite Tarzan Towers, but potentially a joy to live in and watch. F

Aldi has a 2.5ah 16v cordless drill for 29.99. https://www.aldi.co.uk/workzone-16v-li-ion-cordless-drill/p/096976230604100 Reviews very well. I have one and it is good for something you intend to use as a sacrificial or lend. There is also a corded track saw for £80. F

Thanks guys. The reason for doing it now i because I am adding a leanto for the T, and the roof will be on soon. There is no intention to do EWI; I looked at that for the whole place when I started doing major upgrades a few years ago, and it was 14-15k - nowhere near viable in energy or rental terms. Since then I have upgraded to roughly halve the bills despite increasing the floor area by 50%, so I think that the >15 year payback exception would apply to a small project on this gable. There are currently no damp issues, so I may be alright with cement render. Need to think a little still, but it is looking like remove the loose stuff, patch, and paint with masonry paint for the aesthetics - perhaps brick red. Painting is not something I want to do, but perhaps I should this time. Any further comments also welcome. Cheers Ferdinand

Hi Again @Sue B General points, since you are still thinking generally. I am trying to be a little provocative, so apologies if I have missed anything you have already told us. Firstly, I am having trouble with the sharpness of this plan. Do you have your compression level set to less than "best" on the PNG file, or something similar? You say very few plots have lawful houses. Does this mean you may not get PP, or do you know you will get PP for something? Just checking you are not being premature and diving into detail too early. >get the 1 mile down the track to the nearest corner shop than the house with luck That means you need sufficient provision for bikes (including potentially trikes), and robust (=Type 3) multiple mobility scooters (charge points!) - that you can get to without going outside or cold (wouldn't want to be tripping on returning in winter at teatime and be stuck outside until morning with a broken leg a mile from help), that you will go barrelling together down the lane on wearing purple when you are 86 and 87. >planned an overhang from the floor above along the entire length of that wall to keep the ground floor cooler in the summer That will need to be incorporated into your heat calculations / modelling. > So finding what is "normal" is a little tricky. Pre-app advice? (Need a lot more contextual info to advise whether that is a good idea). > flat roof There are options for that. Totally flat, or low angle (say 20-30 degrees), or trad, or a mix eg pitched roof into the wind backed by sheltered flat terrace for enjoying the views. There are pros and cons for all of them. There are always options for hiding them (eg see Jeremy's in-roof system, or I have 35 panels where they cannot be seen from the front), without letting it control your whole roof form. I think you could perhaps consider intermediate space - that is something between inside and outside, such as a sit-outside-but-sheltered-from-the-weather place, with a secure, warm but (storage, maybe work area - eg scooters) and an outside under-a-roof area. I think that is one way to root the new house into the landscape. I think the design is OK, which sounds like damning-with-faint-praise, but is not meant to be that. Have you thought about the house-in-its-setting as well as house. You may already have done that, but I think we have only seen the plan. I mean things like sun orientation, vistas from rooms into your planned garden, prevailing wind, existing trees, and how the design relates to it all. These are things that architects should be strong on - if you have an AT and muggins, it may not be sufficiently considered. Classically the design process is both outside-inwards and inside-outwards, then the two are resolved where the ideas meet. Can I recommend that you read the blog by a member here called Caliwag - Jim Comrie. Currently @caliwag seems to be on sabbatical. His blog is mainly thought-provokers about design. He also wrote an E-Book called 'Self Build Home...the last thing you need is an architect', which was a set of notes he then expanded into a full book. It has been very beneficial for a number of us.

The centipede was happy, quite until the frog in fun said "Pray, which leg goes after which?" and worked her mind to such a pitch she lay distracted in a ditch - considering how to run !. F

Would that be due to Buiding Regs. I had not had that thought. Is that the same as indoors ... more than 50% of the thermal element being re-rendered requires a full do-over? Cheers F

I am not counting step ladders, beyond that in the 1,2,3,lots... maths system, it is “lots”.

Personally the tallest set of ladders I have were left at a house purchase because the previous people did not have the capability to take them away. If they move it will be to be weighed in. I get get nervous about ladders, and always go branded or known rebranded. I have a three section rebranded Youngman which was sold by Wickes as their Professional Range. I think it is 2.50m as it is just long enough to crack the windscreen of a Vauxhall Corsa if you misalign it with the thick part of the rear door. I know this through careful measurement *. It has been fine and I would recommend. They do a longer version for just over 7m which would fit in the longer car Which for some reason I have now. It is 3m folded and about £220. Eg https://www.laddersukdirect.co.uk/trade-extension-ladders/youngman-t200-triple-extension-ladders-195.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1rOS3bjh4AIVhoXVCh2d6wBgEAQYASABEgL48_D_BwE I have a telescopic ladder from Aldi, which is surprisingly good, and a pro scaffold tower which also fits in the estate car. It sounds as if you need your correct ladder, then roofbars to carry it. The other item I have is a work platform ... again Youngman via Aldi, Which is good, and can be a platform to 1.5m or a set of ladders that fit together as a pair. All are recommended by me. Ferdinand (*) /liar

Those updated labels will not attach themselves every year ... ?

I have an end gable where the render is coming loose in patches. It has been much repaired over the years and is not especially prominent. The details are: - Solid wall - half brick. - Cement render. - Dri lines inside. - House well ventilated. My idea is probably to chip off what is there and rerender the whole thing, probably with concrete render. The existing is probably 100 years old. I would take the Tv aerial down at the same time. Any comments would be most welcome.

Perhaps a section can be rolled back at the top.

@Moggaman Reminder: don't get bogged down on ultra-details of roof windows *until* you know it is an issue - check first. We usually debate precise understandings which may be slightly off topic for the OP. The sort of thing that will make it an issue is if your escape route from upstairs is not compartmentalised from the habitable rooms downstairs, or those where a fire could start. F

A scaffold tent is a shelter completely encompassing a build, or part of a build, to allow 'indoor' working whatever the weather. Recently a ran across a 16C barn inside one when I was taking the scenic route from Canterbury to Lewes to buy scaffolding. The project was a builder restoring his barn, after a Planning Process that had taken more than a decade.

Hi @mrbees Sorry to hear that, and on the day that one of our members has won on Appeal after a two year process. So at least there is hope. There are also strategies, some of which are stories from members here. Can you first explain what your objective is, and desired outcome, (i e what do you want to build and what will it be used for) and perhaps post a site plan / site location plan and more detail of the reasons for refusal. Then we can ask more question to help focus our ideas. That you lost by a single vote at PC may be cause for a grain for optimism; perhaps you just need a mafioso ?. Ferdinand

Well done @oldkettle - good to see a result. Now to build it... If only one could build a papier mache model then use a pantograph.

I th8nk that cash loss is now under 1%, even with an ISA, and may be well under 1%.

I think 2 other space-feeling improvements would be 1 - Put the entrance to the bathroom where the shower cubicle is, at 45 degrees, with a Larger shower. 2 - Does the plant room really need to be that large? I would prefer a wider, shallower, staircase. Even 150mm and 37 not 42 degrees would be significant. F

You will get a lot of varying opinions on this. According to an imaginary estate agent, who I think use the govt guidelines, height over 1.5m counts unless they attach some extra weasel words, I make that room 3.65 * 2.75-ish metres. See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measuring-practice-for-voa-property-valuations/code-of-measuring-practice-definitions-for-rating-purposes That surprised me as those dimensions make 10sqm+ which is quite generous for a single bedroom. So it may be fine, The Building Regs potential issue is correct ... needs checking in detail, though I doubt that a roof window counts as escape unless it is within x of the edge of the roof and y of the ground or similar. You may not need one as they are not inner rooms, unless you have a compromised main escape route. IMO the way to fix that would be slightly to widen your slit windows and make them opening. I think there may be potential to eke out a bit if extra .. say from 4m to 4.3m or on the other dimension; that would be worth it if no major compromises are required. that would then allow a whole wall of storage or other clever design. What happens if you change your roof angle to 27.5 or 30 degrees not 33? I think that will give you a lot of extra height at the low end. I make it that at 30 degrees you gain something like very roughly 200mm in height at the end, which makes the area of 1.5m height about 12-15% larger. I would also see what it looks like with a different illustrative layout. Why not involve your children ... eg mark out the new size on their current Bedrooms and move all the existing furniture inside the line to find out? Ferdinand

There are a lot of considerations in this, and it can change in direction rather easily. My thoughts: 1 - Maintain your options until you can’t maintain them any more through demands or if it will be too expensive. 2 - Whatever you build is likely to cost more than you think ==> have an extra nest egg that other parties do not know about if you can that can be drawn on. Ferdinand

Looks like a fantastic book, and a good price for an architectural biography. Fiona MacCarthy is really, really good. Two things on Gropius. Judging by the cover photo he is definitely an Eeyore not a Tigger. And did you know he made it into one of the funniest Tom Lehrer songs? Now off to order my copy...