How do I bathroom / kitchen / extension? etc.

Ha! Corrected.

Any thoughts on building control, private companies v council?

The builders we think we're going with have recommended a company they work with a lot, they're locally based, well-reviewed and the price doesn't seem too bad. Any reason why we'd go to the council instead?

It'll be a lot quicker through the private company and if they forget to declare anything their building control will just put shit through later than it happened (ask me how I know)

Any thoughts on building control, private companies v council?

Depends on the local authority and how much you trust your builder to do things properly. Some local authorities have good inspectors but are drastically underfunded so getting certificates recently has been very slow, but they will probably come and inspect the works more. Approved inspectors tend to be more pro-active and open to finding solutions to issues. Builders tend to like approved inspectors because they are often happy to review things by photos

any more deets?
our extractor is so noisy to use that quite often it isn't, resulting in wet walls / cabinets...

Paging @konastab01

Whats going on here, and can it be fixed? I'm assuming it dishwasher related as the tap hasn't ran for 20 mins and the dishwasher is mid-cycle...

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• VID_20241019_204143304.mp4

Here's what it looks like underneath

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Sure:

I bought a "SilencedAir Silencer 150mm x 300mm" from a ganja spliff weed hydroponics shop and strapped it to the Miele extractor using a "METU Fast Clamp 150mm" airtight coupler.

I'm also going to line the inside of the cupboard that contains the extractor with "Pyrosorb-S Class 0 convoluted acoustic foam sheet" (I have this lying around already, pilfered from work).

The Miele DA 2578 extractor is already very quiet relative to its size and flow rates, but the above makes it totally unobtrusive.

I also fitted third-party activated charcoal carbon filters from German eBay, MUCH cheaper than the official Miele items.

Video doesn’t work for me

cool, thanks for this.

The dishwasher pump is creating a vacuum on the sink

what do people think of using quarry tiles in an upstairs bathroom?

I think they might give a nice texture/authentic finish over using fake stone finish porcelain

e.g. https://matclad.co.uk/all-products/flame-bed-rectangle-quarry-tile/

Has anyone done it? cant find many examples, appear to mostly be kitchens and downstair loos.

You'll want to make sure they have the correct PTV / R-rating if you don't want to crack your head every time you use the shower.

they wouldn't be used inside the shower but presumably if they can be used outside they should be suitably slip resistant?

Our neighbour seemed a bit concerned about our pending extension and the need for party wall surveyors etc.

I wasn't sure why until she came round for a chat and brought a sheaf of letters she'd been receiving from companies as soon as our planning permission came through.

I didn't realise there was such an ambulance-chasing industry around scaring people whose neighbours are getting work done into thinking it's going to be a nightmare.

Capitalism <3

Yep. As I discovered when I had my loft done it is also really difficult to contest the excessive fees they charge.

Did you speak to her before you applied for planning permission?

They’re super grippy, wouldn’t worry about that.

Email or call Ketley Brick, I’m sure they’d be happy to advise.

Yes we did - and in the chat today we discovered that she's going to be really reasonable about it and doesn't want to put us to extra expense. It helps that the architect lives on the same street as well, and that she built an extension about 20 years ago that the woman we bought the house off was very unreasonable about - she doesn't want to be like here.

They’re utter cunts.

We even got letters urging us to engage some bullshit firm as party wall surveyors to protect us from our own fucking planning application lol

Wait til you meet a "right to light" surveyor. Presumably rejected by party wall outfits for being too cunty.

Poor @BRM

Ha!

Few finishing bits to do but storage is in. So much room for activities hiding kid shit.

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Out of all the nice shit posted on this forum, that storage is probably the thing I'm most envious of.