How do I bathroom / kitchen / extension? etc.

I wouldn't take it personally, 50% of their posts are derision / scepticism of integrity levelled at someone

Is it in relation to their integrity though?

Thinking through some common complaints, a lot are around not considering certain practicalities like costs. Sometimes I think it's a bit unfair as they aren't a QS, but then other times you so hear e.g.s where they come across as not being too fussed about the budget... at which you can't help but wonder if it's a tactical move to do something cool to win the bid then let the client sack off bits latest to bring the cost back down.

So yeah maybe it is integrity.

The integrity thing - more about the stereotype that architects always aim to increase contract costs when on a % fee for financial gain.

If it’s the only ‘period feature’ in the house, it’s a bit late to worry about it. If it’s a fireplace in two rooms and not stripping the house of any character then go for it.

I wish the previous owners had removed the dining room and back bedroom chimney breasts. Would have loads more room, but in a ‘finished’ house it would now be a big messy job to do.

Oh right.

I never assumed it was for personal gain, more because when you're spending someone else's money it's easy to get a bit

The integrity thing - more about the stereotype that architects always aim to increase contract costs when on a % fee for financial gain.

The reality is the contractor will probably make far more from any increase in the contract value or any variations. For this reason contractors have historically been known in some instances to underbid on contracts in the knowledge they can scrape the contract for variations.

Chimney breast / stack gone from garage to 1st floor = structural engineer,(although they surveyed the whole house/ build not just this bit)new wall from top to bottom and fair bit of ££

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You had a fireplace in your garage?

No, garage underneath the living room so the structure started down there and went all the way up to the roof

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Can anyone recommend a bathroom fitter in the south London area? We’re looking to get our small (2m x 2m) bathroom refitted on a tight budget and would rather go with a personal recommendation if possible. Ta!

AW23 is all about roughly cut untreated plyboard bath panels.

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Some more progress here today. Quite a lot of the various unstable levels of plaster are off, ceiling now insulated, chasing has been done for the cables and the majority of electrical first fix has been done. Some battens for the lowered ceiling have been cut and installed as has some of the extractor hood ducting dry fitted as well.
For those wondering about the UFH screed mix, it was specd as an 8:1 sand cement ratio called "biscuit mix" apparently. Seems its legit as the builder, plumber and Google all seem to acknowledge.

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PSA: if you are having an additional flooring layer put down in to your kitchen (e.g. laminate, engineered wood), make sure your flooring fitters lift kitchen appliances's feet to be in line with the new flooring surface. Failure to do this will make removing any of the appliances to fix or replace an absolute ballache, so be kind to your future self. /PSA.

When we moved in to our place, the previous owners had put down 20mm insulation and engineered wood on top of the original tiles without removing the kitchen. Replacing the dishwasher was not a fun job. I think I had to pull up 3 rows of floorboards to have enough room to wiggle it out.

Hah, yeah. Had to fix the dishwasher last night. Luckily, just 13mm of engineered wood, and the design of the thing means it's possible to just get it out with a lot of adjusting.

Was tempted to rip the worktop off tho

(we didn't fit the flooring, it was previous)

In my limited experience of working with an architect (once, and he's an old friend), he has explained that it is his job to look at as many options as possible as often the client will not be considering something or has internally vetoed something right out of the gate because of a fear of additional/ridiculous cost. Part of the architect's job is also to make sure that the client doesn't cut their nose off to spite their face and miss out on something that could add a great deal of value for "not as much as expected" cost. He has been absolutely fantastic in that regard when planning our extension. I would have been paralysed for fear of making the wrong/expensive choices and ended up with a shit design that met none of our needs if he hadn't suggested half of the stuff we are likely to end up with. But if they aren't then also explaining that value, then they are not doing a good enough job.

Our builders left the washing machine in place when they poured the self-leveller so it was set into the floor so thankfully that did make me think about the levels of things before laying the floor!

New meaning to "built in" appliances.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think they're valueless. They have great value.

A mate had a massive extension planned and their architect rowed them back as it would have sacrificed too much of the garden and reconfigured the inside to give them everything they wanted. Clearly invaluable.

At the other end a builder mate asked one to design their downstairs beyond what they'd thought of, and the architect just came up with a massive open plan room requiring £00,ks of steels and no real added value in terms of space or property price.

Like most professions people vary, and people vary on the day.

The ceiling is up and the wall that'll be behind the range has had some plasterboard attached. Starting to look like a room again.

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Unlacquered brass taps:

Having experienced some at a friend's house, I'm obsessed with the finish. What are the forum-approved models? I can't seem to find many that explicitly state 'unlacquered'...

Unless you spend a lot of money, they’re all PVD stainless or (perversely) brass with brass-effect PVD on top. This is for modern style ones. Victorian style may be easier to get.

ffs, this is what I feared. I've found Vola & similar, but I can't justify paying £000's for taps!

Any cheat codes?

Buy lacquered and strip the lacquer?

That said our Arte Form Porto range bath waste is unlacquered brass so they may do a tap