Ferdinand

Is your previous designer so much on his dignity that he won't sell it you for £xxx ? Find out what the extra cost will be to redraw from the new one, and have a chat to the old one. Screwing you for a few hundred more should cause happiness.

How much are your green ethics worth to you? Or can you get a better price?

Cornwall !

Galv steel would be fine. Wood concreted in would rot just above the concrete in a depressingly short time.

Wickes are removing the charm from life. Their name for "olives" is "compression rings".

Well. That sort of worked.

How have you protected your posts? Or are they galv-steel as well?

Like that. "Tighten until tight." ?

Yes - pretty much. Get a spare olive to take along just in case. Find some PTFE tape. Then clean the end of the pipe (sandpaper?). Presumably I can use a pair of plumbing spanners. Then see if it is leak proof !

You can get real creosote with a Google search. Legal depending on how you use it.

As the world's most useless plumber, can a kind soul advise me how to mend this outside tap that has come adrift. Thanks F

Yes. It's the blog header. If you want to read it put the links form here into archive.org.

How did the asbestos get into a 1900 house? This is integrated solar on the right: There is a membrane like the 25 year pond-liner stuff (HDPE ? EDPM ?) under the panels, and no tiles. And some sort of mounting system. F

It sounds as though there is quite a lot related to the extension (big beam across etc), and then some more relating to the loft conversion on what is a big project.

Thanks

I have a lead replacement flashing over a polycarb carport roof. Can anyone recommend a good sealant to use? The flashing does have room to move etc.. Thanks Ferdinand

Valuing of eco-credentials etc *does* happen, but it is only developing slowly. Expect it to change if, eg, the Govt slug Stamp Duty for inefficient houses, or add a band to Council Tax for houses D or below on EPC. Or put VAT properly on heating fuel.

Welcome. My only comment at this point is to think VERY carefully about the things you only get this chance to do, and to do them to the whole thing not just the extension. I mean things like wall insulation to at least newbuild standard, things under the floor, making it all maintainable for the future, and so on. Ferdinand

I thought Code for Sustainable Homes went voluntary 6-7 years ago. How do they make a standard that is no longer maintained (aiui) compulsory?

Concur.

One q that has not been totally clarified. So if it is more than 1m back it does not require a license? On the Heras you could potentially cover it with something eg fake grass to ae it look more attractive, and block he view. What does the extra cover to £10m actually cost? That may be an option in your policy and the cheapest route.

This was my comment: -------------------- Green point 1 is always Fabric First - make insulated, ventilated, airtight, so that your energy requirement is 1/3 or 2/3 less, and you can have a smaller, cheaper whatever-it-is at the start. Nice thing about terraces is that you only have half the walls. Technologies in this situation? (I would build a heat model so I can countercheck whether I need the version they claim - ss here https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/439-fabric-and-ventilation-heat-loss-calculator/) ASHP is probably a good one. You may need bigger radiators for distribution or perhaps look at a thin-layer ufh system which are available down to about 18mm thick. OTOH existing rads may deliver the heat you need if you have fabric-firsted well. Don't forget about the hot water, which is always a bigger instant load than heating. Or that for really well insulated houses, often cooling it down at certain times is the bigger challenge. Something like a Sunamp heat battery may be a decent boost (heat it up on offpeak), or for the water. I am not sure yet whether that is yet up to being a full heating system - again depends on the house. Or as it is London with its 'orrible air quality, something like a forced air heating system which would incorporate filters might be suitable. That could use an Air to Air Heat Pump. ASHP can also feed rads I believe. Just thoughts

If he can do that, then your plots are too cheap. You need to choose a price for your plots such that you get the profit. ?

Yes - agree on an estate-level scheme. I think this one is already owned, and so I have said do the fabric first to a C or a B of course. Think of say a modest terrace in Chiswick. It's somebody who has already done a barn conversion in the Lake, so knows at least a reasonable amount of stuff. We were all debating the piece in the Sun today about fines for people who persist in wanting gas boilers. The story is mainly wrong, but an interesting debate in a political space.

The request was for any ideas. So speculating. Personally I might be tempted to storage heaters plus a boost, if ASHP was not suitable.