Ferdinand

Big windows facing South are surely old convention? Perhaps we all need moats and drawbridges ? ?

Bearing in mind that you will be on low energy bulbs, I don't see much stress on the wires. I think the US seller is probably taking care to avoid potential liability. Remember - ProoDave is a sparkie.

What are you counting? There were stories last summer too, but perhaps a little earlier. https://www.theplanner.co.uk/news/districts-report-sharp-fall-in-planning-applications Also possibly linked to 1 - Widening of scope of PD. In the commercial sector, this has been a radical widening with broader Use Classes. Has saved my gym a COU planning application (at least the Council have not whinged yet, and we discussed it with them when the Use Class changes were being dragged through the Courts ). 2 - Start of the school year. 3 - I think there have been modest expansions in PD rights for householders. Planning app. stats. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-planning-application-statistics F

Do you need the screed? I might ad 25-30mm insulation to the middle, and put a floating floor down, using wood or laminate. Could even use plywood + carpet. Did both of those with a renovation several years ago, and it has been fine since. F

Or this?

This?

On the house, I would pause once the weather goes, and do some careful thinking / analysis in the time before Christmas and restart next spring. I think there is a lot of detail that is best sweated now, rather than when you have to change it later. Read some of the site blogs. For the pool, have you considered a natural swimming pool? You don't need heating; you just need not to be a wuss. Though that diving ledge looks dodgy at first glance:

Saints as in Saint Sebastian. (Tied to a tree and shot with arrows)

Demand is forecast to start rising from around 2026 in the latest information from the BEIS. https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2020/nov-2020/chart-of-the-week-uk-electricity-projections Which is quite logical if we remember that under 1% of UK cars are pure electric, plus whatever use is electric from hybrids, and it will not change significantly as an overall percentage for at least another 5 years given the % of the car stock being replaced with electric. And that things like ASHP compulsion for new build (which add less than 1% to the housing stock each year) do not even *start* until 2025. Anyhoo things to do. F

Building Standards are the people you need to convince.

Correct.

How many days has that happened to the whole country on? OK. The numbers. If all the nuclear powerstations except Sizewell close, loss of generating capacity = 6 GW. Currently 2 gas fired power stations mothballed = 1.6GW Wind farms under construction due to come on stream between 2021 and 2026, 75% by 2023 = 5GW Wind farms proposed under the current round due to be commissioned by 2025 = 4GW (And I am not sure that is all of them). Plus demand is falling. Plus we have a number of interconnectors to I think France / Netherlands / Norway, which can service around 10% of electricity demand if needed. The situation is radically different to 2 years ago, and I don't see much of a threat now. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_the_United_Kingdom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_natural_gas_power_stations_in_the_United_Kingdom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_offshore_wind_farms_in_the_United_Kingdom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_the_United_Kingdom)

The Ikea ones slide neatly under the worktop if you leave a void. Too high for your reduced-height Gran - trim the legs.

On the reduced height kitchen, I thought that most "feet" are adjustable, and these days a new set of plinths for when you sell it would cost very little. Could you perhaps slice them 1/3:2/3 so you can make it more normal-height when you come to sell the place? I bet my Ikea one is a smaller quantity of spondulicks. That plus a new bead of silicon on the wall at the back of the worktop. The old one won't show as it would be hidden. Probably just needs some reasonably careful thinking about detail to make that doable.

Places like Ikea do wooden utility trolleys including drawers and shelves etc which are very good small "islands" on wheels. https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/vesken-shelf-unit-white-40307866/ They are called things like FORHOJA !! (which is what small boys shout in Sweden where we shout GERONIMO whilst jumping 4ft down a sand dune) and BROR (which is part of the Swedish for Brer Rabbit, Brer Rabbit being a not very tastefully named Swedish sex-toy.).

You are scoring about 92% in your patience test.

We're avoiding it because it could be a detailed question, but let's chat. It depends on the conditions and what you want to do with it. Do you know what the temperature is in there? Is it like a space under the ground which will have a constant temp give or take (once you are a couple of feet down it will be 5C or so most of the time), or does it fluctuate? What about humidity? is it ventilated to the outside either properly eg air brick or via air leaks? Does it get moisture going through? (Ideally: run a min/max thermometer/humidistat in there for a bit. Useful things - I have about 3 of these at £10. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B017KNQNZA) At present is it adjacent to the outside in any dimension, or is it buried underneath the middle of the house? If you want it eg to put tools in, dryness is important, whilst if you want it for eg wine or jam or plastic things or your drain-rodding kit or bulk household storage, it may be a bit more tolerant. Is it a room above that floor, and do you need to insulate that? Once you have decided what you want it for, then if you need to insulate you either leave it at current temp and insulate the door * and sides adjoining the house, or install an insulated box inside the cupboard and do usual airtiightness things if you want it inside the insulation envelope of the house. If you just want to stand things on the bottom, or install a freestanding shelf-frame in there, then you may be able to get away without a frame and just either glue sheets of insulation together (I did an insulated box for our cat like that), or perhaps glue them to the sides. Imagine using eg large offcuts, or 75mm or 100mm sheets. If you need a frame, then you could potentially glue your battens to the sides and affix to those, and screw to the joists above. Were I doing it, I would want to know it was dry, and I would do it in a dismountable way which lets me get behind the cupboard without destroying it. I hope that is a few points. Spare materials for the house is a good call. Ferdinand * One neat way to do that is with magnetic catches and a panel with two handles that is 'magneted' to the wall.

Point of Order: how does a flayed *corpse* freeze to death?

I think that biodegradable plastics will make a lot of progress for packaging. Plus house construction will work more heavily on dismantle-ability.

Chasing games, or to hold the fondue.

You could get one of those Plasticised Flayed Corpses from Dr Gunther von Hagens, and install it behind @pocster's walk on glazing. Then you can have a hallway like a scare-ride at a funfair, with a light and a siren, and a "bwahahahah" speaker. Absolutely essential if you have children under 10. Squeamishness warning: https://www.standard.co.uk/reveller/attractions/body-worlds-london-piccadilly-circus-a3952486.html

I wouldn't enquire so closely. There is still space...

Do you have some data to support that? It is a factor, but nothing like the total imo. And your other suggestion (better car fuel economy) has not changed in toto. It is a beloved notion as a trump card for people who do not like it being pointed out how well the UK has done on these issues relative to the EU. That's not true in total energy consumption. Total energy consumption by cars is the same as it was 20 years ago (with a switch from petrol to diesel). There is a balance between 20% more cars since 2000, a lower mileage travelled per car, and somewhat improved fuel economy - which all ends up at a total change of around zero energy used. It's correct to say that the energy used per km has reduced. The calorific value of petrol and diesel is with 0.5% of each other. The only thing that will reduce this total energy number may well be a switch to rail / active travel - since electric cars tend to be comparative tanks. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/928350/2020_Energy_Consumption_in_the_UK__ECUK_.pdf I don't buy this. I have already pointed out that we have the best part of 2 GW of gas based generating capacity mothballed. Plus we can flex up imports if necessary. Plus our wind resource is on track to treble by 2030. Plus demand is falling. Given that wind now generates more than nuclear, and is set to treble, I am not very worried about a partial reduction in nuclear. Ferdinand

Reading the above it seems to be an above ground level void (sloping site), so it looks useful as either an insulated space, or uninsulated space (ie insulate the door) depending on your needs.

I wonder what the chap said when it happened? "Er .. ooops". If the bod is not already off the premises, there will be some serious ragging. Ferdinand