Ferdinand

That sounds Ed Balls' number for Strictly next week!

Edited

Does something that big physically unbalance a multitool ? I find that a 2ah battery gives me a huge duration on my 14.4V cordless drill, so I am not sure I need a huge one for this. Ferdinand

OK. About ready to decide. Which Makita battery system is the one to use from a fresh start? I need it to be around for another 5-10 years, and be both light and powerful . Ferdinand

I have a Dewalt cordless drill which is excellent (not as far ahead relatively as the Metabo from the 1990s which died three years ago), but very good for the size. But I heard things about Dewalt going for a less high end market with their newer products in the last year or two, so I am not committing to them long term. They can be the mistress. That was from my local trade powertool centre who maintains his Dewalt 'ticket' so he can access repair services etc for customers on dealer terms. So it looks like Makita, as a better "spouse". Ferdinand

If it is *really* waterproof you could seal the door and have a plunge spa through the loft hatch. Or an alligator tank.

Spotted today: 50mm Celotex B&Q have about 40% off 50mm Celotex 1200x450mm insulation sheets if you buy 10. 0.54sqm each, works out at the equiv of £18 for a 1.2x2.4m sheet and goes in the car. +10% more if you take a pensioner on a Wednesday or have a trade account. No idea if old traders get 20%. Free delivery over £250. http://www.diy.com/departments/celotex-insulation-board-l1200mm-w450mm-t-50mm/307375_BQ.prd Decorative Aggregates Major and Bulk Bags Wickes 3 for 2 on various until Tuesday. http://www.wickes.co.uk/spotlight/q2decaggregates?home-page-banner=8

This thread is intended for short term excellent offers, perhaps especially for normally non-discounted materials and things which can be stocked for the future. It is intended to be complementary to the longer term material on the "Rewards" thread. We all know about regular good value such as Wickes for Postfix. I am not sure if there is a need/call for it, but I spotted a couple so I thought I would give it a try.

My dad once made a bathroom moulded as a single piece of fibreglass, inclduing everything except for (I think) the WC. It didn't catch-on. You could go for one of the kitchen alternatives such as Corian or similar, or granite. Or marble (find an old shop-counter)? OT: On vanity units, Ikea do some very nice inexpensive vanity unit/whb combos for a couple of hundred or less. Ferdinand

I have had a Fein Multimaster tool for more than 10 years, and I am looking for a cordless one. Can anyone recommend? I am tempted to go Makita or an Aldi/LiDL if a special buy turns up. If I go Makita is it a standard Makita battery? Or could someone recommend a different brand? My existing tools are almost all Metabo, but a number of years old so it may be time for a change. My requirement is not going to be heavy or constant work, but I normally go for either good quality or disposable, not "just OK". Cheers Ferdinand

When you are happy for the oiks and the potential injury claimants to have easy access?

You could probably do it more simply than that if you need, by e.g. Stating that you will install a secure cycle locker such as http://www.johnlewis.com/rowlinson-wall-bike-store-willow-cream/p1872079?sku=234269307&s_kwcid=2dx92700013375172350&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=CPiNvqatmdACFawW0wodkI0ENg&gclsrc=aw.ds IF you wanted that could become a garden storage unit. So there may be no need to vary the condition - you could comply with it instead. You may even get away with a couple of wheelbender racks installed inside the garage as 6m x 6m may be rather larger than the absolute minimum and could claim that an appropriate slice is bike storage. LPAS tend to be different on this, but a 40-50cm slice across inside the door may be enough. IF you can move your door even 20cm outward that may help. Phone up your planner and ask. Ferdinand

Think I just spotted a place for a gathering :-) .

I would have thought any of the founders / mods would be very good, especially as doing a fluent podcast interview is usually roughly just reading a briefing email, thinking while doing other things for a day, perhaps jotting down a few notes, imbibing a double tot of alcohol or tea, then receiving a 45-60 minute phone call. Most of the work (and imo there is not really much of that unless the podcaster is are a perfectionist - good interviewers will do it in one take and just need to top and tail then filter and encode) is post-processing. I would go for someone who is a) self-building and b) can express a good grasp of the overall purpose of Buildhub and c) has a clear, well-articulated voice. It is quite enjoyable to be interviewed in that way, since it is just talking to one interested person. Ferdinand

Presumably you have to create a blister in the superinsulation over the water tank so that you then leave the trad hole underneath but have a 'hat' over the top. How you create that is an opportunity to be innovative. Interlocking box made out of 150mm kingspan sheets with no bottom? One side easy to remove? Bell shaped frame filled with polybeads, and a winch to lift it like a cloche over a dinner? A Waterbombe Surprise, so to speak, Mr Wint. Or an insulated attic closet with a minimal floor.

On the ridge if you have one, if you make your pitch 45 degrees each side you can use the same L-shaped barge boards for the ridge. Suspect that if you are say 35, 40 or 42 degrees pitch they will just flex elegantly when you screw them down. Simples. Ferdinand

The layout sounds as if you could move the outside door to be from the new kitchen diner to the back, rather than via the ss extension. That is, in the position where Kirsty from Homes Under the Hammer is always gagging to put patio doors. Plus room for a small canopy or porch? Ferdinand

I see that Wickes have shower cubicles and bathrooms etc reduced by 50% until November 22nd. It seems to apply to the instore display models, but not the cheap "suites" eg the P-baths / loos / whb packages normally displayed in the entrance. One I noticed was a "Linear washroom kit" reduced from £2500 to £1250, which includes everything except tiles incl a nice dual rainstorm plus shower head shower. In my Wickes, they are also disposing of ex-display units. There was one where somebody had paid 30% more for the ex-display unit than the current discount on the new version . They also have "kitchen units" down by half, but I can get similar quality units for well under that anyway. Imo the bathrooms are mid-range quality and perhaps worth a look at those prices. Ferdinand

OK. May have some gold dust for you, Stones - if you are imminently going past a Wickes or know a bod who is. Wandering around my Wickes today, they seem to be clearing out their kitchen and bathroom displays, and my Wickes had a Franke approx 500mm wide sink, which was a sink plus a small side sink, for under £140. With an appropriate basket or cover either sink could become a drainer. Does Inverness have one? The staff seemed to think the clearout was not a local thing. I will attach piccies below in a few minutes. (They also have a half price bathroom sale with some decent showers and wetrooms at half price until Nov 22nd, but I'll do that separately). They also have *this* nice looking Astracast 500mm wide sink with lifetiem guarantee, deep drainer, shallow drainer, and ice bucket (!), for £200. http://www.wickes.co.uk/Astracast-Single-Bowl-Stainless-Steel-Compact-Sink/p/148595 Personally I would go with the Astracast as it has all the gubbins, if the quality is OK. Ferdinand

Cut your losses. Hey diddle diddle, they are taking the piddle...

TO pick up one other ... Inhave had no issues with overlapping one box or two boxes. And my roof has minimal fall ... about 5-6 degrees iirc. Ferdinand

I can see 2 other option - one would be a sit on top sink and drainer to cover the whole unit (which I expect you have considered - that would be my choice), the other a bigger sink taking up the whole thing with a sit on top removable drainer. I think the latter would be a great solution for a utility - space for large buckets etc. Franke do these drainers (we have one fits inside the sink profile), but I have not seen their sinks and mini drainers, and a cute chopping board on wheels. Ferdinand

Yes - Lazy Susan is a turntable for the table. The pulley is called a Lyons Maid ;-o ! Ferdinand

Not clear how "compact" you mean. Dimension? For our kitchen sink we paid £400 for a nice Franke, and it was worth it. I also picked up a Franke for a utility for £100 a couple of years ago. Currently Screwfix have *these* Franke utility sinks at £99 incl waste and fittings, but they are inset: http://www.screwfix.com/p/franke-ascona-inset-sink-s-steel-1-bowl-860-x-510mm/79251 Our SF does free delivery if the order is over £50, but I am not clear if that applies to Mongolia and Outer Scotland. 860mm wide. Good reviews. Ferdinand

I think either would be OK if you have MVHR. Perhaps choose a condenser drier that you plumb plumb in to avoid having to empty it by hand?