Ferdinand

If I need ice in quantity these days it comes from Aldi at £1 for 2kg. I haven't tried to calculate the cost of icemaking bags or the specific latent heat of freezing I am saving. One bag lasts a couple of months and the payback period for a Yankee fridge would be more than my lifetime. My ice hammer for construction cocktails is a rubber mallet. Ferdinand

Let me add one more reference - a system called "Trench Arch", which is exactly what it says and needs zero power or maintenance. There is an excellent paper here discussing the various possibilities for rural churches with an excellent description and photographs. http://www.gloucester.anglican.org/content/pages/documents/1352755360.pdf Ferdinand

Since this conversation has diversified, where does something like an Aquatron fit into this mini-zoo of waste-processing options? Website: http://www.aquatron.se/start/ It is described as a "composting toilet using ordinary water closets". At the old house, my father replaced our previous septic tank with one in the late 1990s (estimate), and just put it on the end of our waste pipe about 30m from the house at an appropriately lower level to allow gravity feed - essentially beyond a ha-ha / retaining wall. It was the kind of obscure but reasonably sensible idea he *would* come up with; such ideas *usually* worked. The Aquatron has a spiral centrifugal separator to separate liquids and solids - solids fall into a composting chamber with worms, and liquids end up in a drainage field. The only maintenance was digging out the compost every year or so. No power consumption, and cheaper than any treatment plant afaik. We had no problems before we sold in 2013, though if I put one in now I would probably insulate it (zero centigrade kills the worms). Perhaps the only limitation is land for the leach-field, or if regulations have significantly changed. The liquids would probably be the limitation. There is an excellent old thread on Aquatrons and other things at the other other place. http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=1414 Ferdinand

The article you quote yoruself above includes the following quote: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/section75-protect-your-purchases The first phrase may sound ambiguous, but even if some argue, it is not much of an imposition to pay a £100 deposit on a CC. Ferdinand

I thnik that Saniflo are OK; Stuart Turner pumps also have a good reputation. As to pumping uphill, I think you need to work out your height gain and ask their technical people. Macerators are not a place to cut too many corners :-). F

Having just chased a small squirrel off the cat's lunch, I am in the mood to use squirrel tail hair. Though the (18 yo) cat caught the squirrel's sister yesterday, so perhaps it is revenge. Ferdinand

That is perhaps an argument for paying for materials direct, even with a main contractor. Ferdinand

I think my fibres came from Wickes. BTW you need very little of it. Mine came in a packet smaller than a bag of salted peanuts, and I seem to remember that it cost £3.50 or so, and were more than enough for a 25sqm 125mm slab. Check your numbers or you may have half a kilogramme kg of fibres to leave to your grandchildren's grandchildren, minus the 4.5g you have used. Ferdinand

I thought it was one wall at one school, then investigations into similar projects? Did I misunderstand? I think we can listen online here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live/bbcone?area=scotland Ferdinand

People swim in natural pools, and these are often full of ex-rainwater...

Just thinking, and asking people who know more to knock holes in my thoughts. Rather than running 2 pipes to everything, are there ways to make it more cost-effectiive. AFAICS greywater can be reused directly (ie unprocessed) in certain applications such as garden watering. So could the high volume things - bath, sink, washer, shower - be connected directly to the grey water tank, and not connected to the normal outlet, and the water can then be used as needed. Equally could the rainwater be sent to the same place to save expense on the outside. Is there a problem with applying a bit of filtering to the grey water by running it down through a gravelled drive, or a drainage field under the garden, with a collector at the end? The biggest problems I can see are that this is potentially not dot-and-tittle clear enouigh for any British Standard, and consumer resistance from house purchasers. Ferdinand

Perhaps a similar tile to downstairs, but in a lighter, tone might suggest moving into the more intimate areas of the house (see Caliwg's design book or "Pattern Language"). UFH? Or UFH in a corridor from the master bedroom and not the others? Must reinforce the hierarchy ! Ours is carpet, and our former was was wooden, but we didn't build either. Could you use other tile materials? Ferdinand

I would think that the time in the setting process is crucial. If yuo start while it is 6 hours hard, rather than 6 days hard, does that help? I always think that it would be nice with marbles. Ferdinand

Trying to make BuildHub rhyme in a limerick. Failing miserably. Ferdinand [Update: A builder had kept quite aloof From house and container, forsooth He returned to discover Owls, batmen, and lover, Had all built their nests in his roof. ] I am now retiring under fire.

In that case I would go for the cheapest panels from a brand acceptable to you, but ask for a couple of lollipops before placing the order. Ferdinand

If it is in the Approved Full PP that the windows you want are acceptable, with no relevant conditions, then it will be too late for them to impose anything. If the Heritage People have only made a comment which the Full Approved PP has not taken on board, then it will not be relevant. Unless there is a gotcha somewhere - eg there may be a condition for approval of samples etc. Ferdinand

When I did mine in January, 250wP were the cheapest. If I were going for a 4kwP installation and had no limitations on area, that could be the determining factor. However, I think that manufacture, warranty, reputation, deal etc might be equally important. I didn't go for the cheapest panels, and was given a couple of spare panels and inverters (OK - solaredges in my case) for free on asking to clinch the order - for a larger 35 panel install.. At the point you are placing the order they may oblige.Perhaps ask for one of each? Ferdinand

Thinking from my point of view, I would employ an expert to accompany me once I was sure that I was looking at a serious prospect for the purposes of: 1 - Sanity Check - am I barking up the wrong tree? 2 - Have I missed anything obvious where my expert has expertise I lack? 3 - To have experience complementary to my own. eg I know my way around my local planners, the land registry, and the rental market very well, but I do not know much about loft conversions, tanking cellars, and access design. 4 - To provide a different perspective on my ideas. It doesn't matter too much what that is, but it is important to grapple with alternatives. 5 - I would want a different perspective at a decision point which could lead to a investment of a couple of hundred k. I would explicitly not expect any liability from the expert - stated in writing if necessary. In that context, and expecting the viewing to take perhaps 90 minutes, I would be willing to pay perhaps £50-70 up to £150+, which is a small price to pay for an informal insurance policy on a 6 figure spend, depending on: 1 - The expert concerned (eg an Architectural Technician or Chartered Surveyer). 2 - What I got back - just the viewing, follow up emails, a short memo report or a conversation over a gourmet lunch. If I had done more than about 3 or 4 of these and none had gone forward, I would look to hone my own "project selection" skills. Thoughts welcome. Ferdinand

I'm not sure that this is the right forum, but I think it might be a useful spin off comversation from my other posting . If you were taking an expert adviser with you to a second or third viewing of a house or potential house, how much would you be willing to pay - in your terms, and what would you expect?

I need a recommendation for an architect or architectural technician to advise me on projects, and I wonder if anyone knows someone within a realistic distance of Mansfield. My need is for someone to: 1 - Look with me at projects eg second viewings of houses where I think there is an opportunity or I am interested. Projects will be mainly domestic. 2 - Suggest ideas and come up with initial plans. 3 - If a scheme is of interest, draw up plans. 4 - Potentially to take things through PP and supervise the project/build/conversion. 5 - Be interesting to debate with over lunch. I expect to be looking at a series of projects over a number of years, which will depend on what comes up. I'm keen on energy saving and the things we talk about here, but not dogmatic, so I think (OTOHICBW) I need a pragmatist who is likely to be either: a - An experienced person who has been round the block several times, and is therefore somewhat flexible. b - A less experienced person who is not yet set in their ways. I don't need a Planning Guru etc, as I have some knowledge myself and know lots of specialists having spent a rather large amount of money on reports for my recent project. If anyone can mention names please PM me rather than post here. Thanks Ferdinand

You need a *lot* of trees to deliver a significant quantity of wood chippings. When I took down 25 20 year old beeches, once the main bit of each 6-8" trunk had gone for firewood, I got enough chippings to cover an area about 4mx4m only. Ferdinand

I just asked at the counter :-) . With Gift cards you do need to do your homework, because there are sometimes limitations etc. I think that they are really an application in search of a reason to exist. There used to be fee-free gift cards and some people round tripped them - buy card, get points, pay into an account (classically Amazon) or recycle via ebay to the tune of hundreds of cards a year. Employee discounts are good if you have access. Ferdinand

I am naturally quite risk averse in particular fields - I don't, for example, do heights without a lot of precautions. 99% of the time it would all be fine, but it only takes once and that's it. Ferdinand

In my dreams I hope you shot the Inspector ... slapstick style.

Agree there. In my case with the DG I will try and get them to pay me the deposit back, then pay the full amount via a CC to make sure I am covered. Ferdinand