BIG MAC

Dunno why, But I found myself laughing in a slightly manic way at that .... I have Viking ancestry maybe thats it....

Oak clad steel maybe? Just a thought....

Hmmmm I thought there was a restriction on unvented systems? I prefer solid fuel back boilers to be vented as pressure can build up immensely when running at full chat. Its funny when people fit a plastic F and E tank and the open vent melts it down to a thing resembling a crisp bag!

Just a thought  would gel coat be suitable as in the material used for coating fibreglass boats?...Do you live near a marina?..

Tempted to say that it will work slower as the line voltage is 10v less. I wont but I would point out that microwaves in the supermarkets are cheap as chips anyhow. Even if they tend to be Tandoori makes. Please note that a combination microwave which has electrical elements (Not too common these days) will likely be unsuitable even although they are running on a 16a uk plug top.

It usually takes me about a  week to strip out old bathroom, re-carcasse  plumbing and electrics then install a new bathroom suite, floorcovering  and  tiling ......how you getting on? Don't give up, it gets easier with practice!

Bumpy tiles will not present a problem as the small bead you are tooling in will likely be not much larger than the grout line which it conceals, flexi finger does the rest!  

When you remove the valve from the body of the tap you will likely see that the 'jumper' has dropped probably as it has either unscrewed or the circlip has come adrift. Both really easy fixes.

you could of course form an oak frame plate it from above in floor boards  then lay a membrane turned up the wall into which you resin fix starter bars tied into rebar mesh same at other end then cast a slab in situ LAID TO FALLS away from the house. 1. Looks like Oak from below 2. Is structural if you choose to create 'pockets' in masonry (making sure reinforcement goes in and has a minimum 50mm cover) 3. Can be tiled 4. Robust 5. sheds water 6. Will accept railing fixings etc. A slot formed by the removal of a polystyrene upstand would create a water trap rather than provide any real benefit and would compromise a mechanical joint, expanion would go other way on the oversail.

An accident starting prior to midnight on the 31st December and finishing 1st Jan possibly?

I was thinking along the lines of a reversed plate heat exchanger / heat pump as they would use in a supermarket to reclaim refrigerant heat  Chris

I wonder if you couldnt use a small heat reclaim unit?

Hi Guys many thanks for your various replies (Keep em coming) Chris I have pm'd you. Re taking a shufti. Cheers all    

You can use tape if you are nervous. Use a smaller cut on the end of the silicone nozzle, it's all a bit feast or fast! Try to run in the joint in one smooth movement shape roughly with rubber gloved finger wipe excess and  finger clean with ordinary toilet tissue making sure no residue left. Using a plant spray with washing up liquid at about 90/10 concentration water to washing up liquid, spray the joint with a mist  do same with finger and smooth the joint. on internal angles run the finger past the joint and clean the excess off this will afford a clean corbner when you gun in the next run. Its all about confidence, I have fitted so many baths in my time I am quite blase about it but why not try perfecting your technique on the internal angles on an old drawer or similar? Hope this helps.  

EEEEEK dont drill the bath! you are drilling below the bottom lip so that the shank of the screw abutts it and the washer grabs the lip.

I tend to chase the wall to recieve the edge of the bath then clear the slot and offer the bath into it levelling the edge to allow tiling up from it. I gun the bath into the wall with ordinary silicone sealant  ad allow to go off prior to filling the remaining gap with plaster. I then go under the bath either end and drill one 8mm hole each end just under the bath rim to recieve a brown rawlplug into which I insert a 2 inch 12 stainless screw with a stainless repair washer on it. I then wind the screws in so that the washers  catch the edge of the bath I then silicone them to stop squeaks. Bath frame 2x2 sawn with a length of 2x1 batten inserted upright under the lip of the bath, create a 2x2 ladder frame with the 2x1 designed to slip under the bath edge and locking in place once the frame is tilted in allow the frame to sit back by the depth of your ply / tiles etc plus 5mm drill and screw bottom rail through the grout joints between tiles (ensuring you arent drilling into plumbing or cables a good tip is to site the frame on plastic spacers ala window frames, this allows you to gun the resultant gap underneath in with silicone  and avoid it getting wet. The panel can then be fitted using mirror screws.

I have heard WD40 can be sprayed into a nest and it spoils it for them. I am not about to try it to find out though.!

Any people project planning or trades folks thinking on stocking up? I am not fully au fait with the whys and wherefores but am told Focus Do it All are having a liquidation sale, certainly our local (Waterlooville) store is being systematically cleaned out. Pretty good prices on tools and things like taps / electrical / lighting. I am unsure what they will do with the items left at the end of Jan when our  store closes but I will be there with a transit van to 'help' I have today bought a Black and Decker compressor, air line , nailer a Mutt bar (Like a very big heavy scraper can be used for root cutting and things like that), a Heavy tamping iron for localised compacting of soil / tarmac etc. and some drawer handles = £90 plus change Thought I would mention it in case there's people Franceside with Relatives/friends here who could take a look and grab them a bargain.  

Currently £199 in B and Q at the moment

Its a big mistake to diss the wife because they look after the figure work......   Ahhhh the old double entendres are the best!...teary eyed in Blighty.....

I am thinking of removing a Greniere roof (Crux frame oak) it's a shame but I hope to use the frame elsewhere, the rest is way past its best. I would like to replace the structure with  cut roof including one large dormer. The room is rectangular and measures about 4.5 metres by 6 metres and includes a chimney breast at one end, the other end is the wall of the main building which is a couple of metres higher. Any of our resident chippies hazaed a guess as to what I should expect to pay a French artisan to produce an insulated structure, clad in fibro slate? all internal work placo etc will be by myself. Job is in the Mayenne region. Cheers folks  

500mm! I wouldn't go less than 1500mm no insulation required indicator tape is a good idea pipe should be sleeved when passing through walls which in turn should have a lintel inserted above the duct

http://www.materials4diy.co.uk/metal-polish_19_1.htm?ukclass Zebo equivalent however I would maybe have a go with baby oil first! believe it or not that's what many lift engineers use to clean fingerprints from new stainless...works on kitchen appliances also. 

I take it you already have a cess pit which will likely already have a leach field whether neighbour likes it or not. The poo will be munched by the anaerobic bacteria and the run off by a combination of aerobic and anaerobic bugs. A chat with the neighbour pointing out that you already fertilise his land may be fruitful? Not sure on the law in France re (Existing Installations) perhaps sneaking under the wire with an extensive repair to your cess pit (read chuck the Klargester / biodisc whatever inside it maybe?

It is down to the bearing capacity of the soils vs the imposed load. Generally back in the day footings were of indiscriminate quality anything from building off the side of a felled tree through brick corbells to extensive stone / concrete plinths. if you are looking for a typical average for two storey house building the 1200 to 1500mm in low plasticity clay or well compacted gravels poss deeper if in fill / peat / high plasticity clay. I would joint to existing masonry via sleeved stainless steel dowels to allow a construction joint as likely you will use concrete which will expand at a different rate to stone. I would imagine there will be French books of standard architects details which you could crib from to keep the Mairie happy if need be. I wouldnt lift a 25ft rc beam however I would cast one in situ if I needed to. hope this helps.