Squaredy

What I find distasteful is that those BBC guidelines effectively say that any high profile person at the BBC must express no views on anything that could be considered party political.  

So for instance David Attenborough would be breaking the guidelines if he were to say that the uk were offshoring their carbon footprint.

 Or if Claire Balding expressed the view that the UK was not doing enough to challenge homophobia.

 So everyone who works for the BBC and criticises the state risks being sacked.  Mmmmm that sounds familiar.

21 minutes ago, scbk said:

Strip the bark off, that will help it last a bit longer

 

 

 

Virtually all the swan timber I buy is larch (occasionally douglas fir!), straight from the mill, and that is never kiln dried or treated

I no longer buy swan timber for environmental reasons…..

6 hours ago, carbs for arbs said:

Hi

 

I have a larch in the garden which needs to come down... 

 

And I'm in the process of building several wood shelters (along with other outdoor projects I have on the to do list)...  

 

I was thinking to use the larch for some of the posts etc, either as is, or splitting the thick parts of the truck to make better sized more useful timbers.  What I don't know is whether there are major drawbacks to using green wood for such things.  On the one hand, I see these bushcraft types and "Life in the Wild" types building all kinds of things including houses, with the freshly cut wood from trees around them.  Yet on the other hand, I know green wood will move a lot as it dries/seasons, and more obviously when you buy wood for such projects it has been kiln dried, treated etc.  

 

So if anyone has any info in and around these questions please, I would love to read and learn.  

 

Many thanks

It will be fine for garden structures, just allow for a bit of movement and shrinkage across the grain.  

47 minutes ago, waterbuoy said:

Difficult to recommend a specific product because I'm using it for different purposes - usually involving grp or acrylic (so 291 is our choice but not necessarily ideal for wood.  A quick search on the Sikaflex website suggests that their Sikaflex -11FC Purform might be suitable, but then again they also have -118 Extreme Grab as well - links below.

 

I have found that their technical support dept is very good and more than happy to advise.  Deffo worth shopping round/google as prices can vary widely - almost by an order of magnitude.

 

Don't exclude other products from your deliberations - we also use Arbokol, Arbomast and CT-1 depending on the specifics of the job in hand.

 

 

Sikaflex®-11 FC Purform® | Expansion Joints & Perimeter Seals

GBR.SIKA.COM

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Sikaflex®-11 FC Purform® is a 1-part moisture curing elastic adhesive and sealant. It is used for interior and exterior...

 

Sikaflex 118 Extreme Grab - Elastic Adhesive Bonding | Sika UK | Elastic Adhesive Bonding

GBR.SIKA.COM

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Sikaflex®-118 Extreme Grab is a 1- part construction adhesive with very high initial grab which bonds most construction...

 

Thank you I will give them a ring tomorrow.

13 minutes ago, waterbuoy said:

Can't help so far as housebuilding is concerned, but we use Sikaflex for bedding windows in to boats.  There are many polysulphide/polyeurethane (sp?) sealants out there that will do the job.  Some also swear by butyl tape which is clean and simple, but I have no experience of that.

Thank you, I have always known Sikaflex as great boat products - used for caulking between planks of carvel sea going boats.  Which actual one would you use?

New question: anyone recommend a good glazing sealant for softwood (sequoia)?  I am not using putty as it goes hard and brittle eventually, so I want a high quality glazing sealant which will adhere well to glass and timber and not be affected by the weather.

Also, am I better off applying the sealant directly to the wooden frame, or should I seal the frame first?  My intention is to use Danish oil.  My inclination is to fit and seal the glass in bare wood frames, then apply oil but maybe you disagree?

Thank you in advance as always Arbtalkers for your help.

49 minutes ago, GarethM said:

Must have been aftermarket 🙂

Oh yes, the newest Land Rover I ever owned was at least 25 years old.

Just now, htb said:

Didn't know you had a land rover?

Well I have found all manner of items used to bodge repairs in old land rovers.

 Occasionally I even found decent quality parts properly fitted.

50 minutes ago, spudulike said:

So what do people use to seal between the splash back and basin or bath, between the shower enclosure and base or between the bath side and tiled floor?

Got me baffled that one

 

I think there are alternatives as showers have been around at least a century.  
 

But I personally think a good quality sealant is fine if used in the right place for the right reason.  I have so often seen cheap sealant used to hide bodges, bad workmanship etc etc etc.  

29 minutes ago, Roosaaliiee said:

Thanks. I have none of these! Everything else is electric.

Have you had your chimney/flue checked and swept?

55 minutes ago, GarethM said:

So we all buying loose tea from now on ?

Well I do now.  I quite like making it in a pot though!

Buggles had it right by saying this is the plastic age.  And that was back in 1980 or so.  
 

I often wonder how we managed before plastics took over the world.  I am of course typing this on my wooden smart phone.

1 hour ago, Roosaaliiee said:

Hi all.

I have a small woodburner that I use every day. Yesterday my CO alarm went off. I left the house and ventilated and all that, but I want to know why this happened. My guess is that because there was no wind and I had the vent almost closed, there wasn't enough draft into the woodburner and the smoke wasn't going into the chimney. I did see smoke puff back a bit, when opening the door, a few times, which I understand now is not a good thing. I use dry enough wood (I checked), and combine it with coal. The chimney was swept and the woodburner checked last October.

 

I only moved here last year and I'm quite new to using a woodburner, so not sure what I'm doing wrong, and if my guess (fume 'build up' due to not enough draw because no wind and vents almost closed so low slumbering fire)

 

Any advice / thoughts/suggestions apart from getting the woodburner checked (will do that anyways)? 

 

Thanks

Not saying it isn’t the wood burner, but you should consider all the appliances in your house.  Do you have a gas boiler, gas cooker, gas fire, or indeed oil of any of these?  All are capable of producing CO.

1 hour ago, AHPP said:

Based on microplastic particles 0.05mm long, wide and high (as per article) half a standard mug would be solid plastic. Busted. 
 

 

Good point.  I wonder if anybody has pointed this out to the bbc?

2 hours ago, difflock said:

I was thinking of this post this morning, as I was lying in bed with the weak Sunlight breaking in through the East facing  window, which rays of light beautifully illuminated the thousands, millions of dancing motes of dust circulating above our bed.

And I was thinking, hmmmmm  .  .  .  humanity evolved to survive and indeed thrive in such shitty dusty natural environments.

Then I went out for a cycle and tasted the diesel/kero exhaust fumes from passing cars. And I was thinking, hmmmm, you know what, that shit is probably not good for my body.

Cheers,

Mth

 

 

 

Yes apparently all our houses are filled with plastic dust (presumably from our clothes).  Even more shocking that a single cup of tea apparently can contain 14 billion (yes BILLION) microplastic/nanoplastic particles.  Here is a link re the tea bags: 

Microplastics: Premium teabags leak billions of particles - study

WWW.BBC.CO.UK

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Microplastics in drinking water do not appear to pose a health risk at current levels, research suggests.

When you see stats like this you wonder what to think and what to believe.  Can we really swallow that many particles each time we make a cuppa?

Personally I have stopped buying tea bags containing plastic - I did wonder why my home made compost contained many not quite rotted tea bags even after several years of decomposition.

Is there any large scale independent research about all these particles and how harmful they are?  Apparently it has been discovered that car tyre dust reached the poles at least fifty years ago!  So it is everywhere - we just need to know how it is going to affect us, and all the other organisms around the world that ingest it.

On 01/03/2023 at 14:00, Chalgravesteve said:

I bought this one before Christmas and it’s been indoors ever since  

 

gradually started cracking and I’m wondering what anyone might do to stop that continuing  

 

I appreciate that it’s just caused by the wood drying out but I didn’t expect it to be quite as significant as it seems to be getting 

 

any suggestions? 
 

As has been said not a lot you can do really.  Had it been left as a log the same thing would have happened.  Slow drying may have reduced it but in the end it was always going to split.

 You could slice it into two along the crack and fit each one to a wall somewhere.  Each piece would be unlikely to split then.

8 hours ago, Stere said:

Why evil?

 

Is it because 95% of new double glazing seem to have thoose very wide chunky UPVC frames which look ugly versus the narrower  old frames ?

 

Also when the sun warms them  they are  often noisey creeking etc

 

 

 

On grand design etc they always seem to have alot thinner frames which look loads better but they are probaby  more expensive?

 

 

I especially have a hatred of all plastic windows, and doors.

 Some are better than others, but in my view virtually any house built before about 1965 in the UK was more attractive when built than when upgraded to plastic windows and doors.  I make my living by running a sawmill so I am biased but I think timber is the best material for windows and doors.
 

 It is a pity timber windows got a bad reputation for rot through poor quality construction and design and fitting.  I love going to a Georgian or Victorian building that still has its original timber windows, and often in perfect condition.  Cold I admit!

8 hours ago, Stere said:

Why evil

2 hours ago, Justme said:

Why so down on double glazed panels?

Just a personal preference for things that last a lifetime.  Double glazed windows are fine until they fail, then in the bin they go.  There are currently three DG windows in my house that have misted and are awaiting replacement.

 But for the house I accept they are probably worth it.  For a porch probably not.

 As long as the porch can stay a few degrees warmer than outside I will be happy.

4 minutes ago, aspenarb said:

 

Laminated glass is thermally more efficient, its probably the better option and the sort of thing any decent glass company can cut, cab glass and the like offer a mobile cutting/fitting service..

 

Bob

Yes I have heard that laminated glass is a bit better than single sheet, so I guess that is probably what I will go for.  Safer as well I guess.  I appreciate your input.

1 hour ago, Dan Maynard said:

My wife's aunt got some windows fitted recently in her utility room, she is what you might call extremely frugal so didn't want to run to the expense of double glazing but actually found double glazing was cheaper due to mass production.

 

I guess unless you're going to make the frames from logs and glaze with putty then your material cost will be lower than the finished items.

Yes I get where you are coming from.  The new porch is built and the wooden frames are integral.  Therefore I just need glass bedded in mastic.  As I said it is not all about cost, I will avoid double glazing if I can.  Here it is - made of coastal redwood if anyone is interested.  Not quite finished - needs a threshold and glass and roofing sheets.

8 hours ago, GarethM said:

Appears to be a plastic film bonded to glass, not sure if it's just on one side or laminated like a windscreen.

 

Obviously it's a halfway between single pane and double or triple glazing.

 

If it was me I'd just go double or triple, probably a lot cheaper in the long term as the frame also forms an integral part of the thermal insulation.

Thank you for your replies.  I could go down the double glazed route I know.  It is only a porch and I don’t really feel it is necessary.  I just wondered if there is something single glazed which is a bit better than just plain glass.

I regard double glazing as a necessary evil for the rest of the house but to be avoided where possible.

8 minutes ago, GarethM said:

Not really, whilst coatings may reduce solar gains or losses etc.

 

A single pane of glass is just that, looking at the histoglas is it mono version ?.

Yes the product is mono rt+ which is claimed to have a thermal conductivity of 3.6 compared to standard 4mm glass of 5.6.

11 minutes ago, Stere said:

What do you mean a frame?

No I am asking about different types of glass.  Are there types of glass which give better thermal performance without being double glazed?

If I want to fit new glass to a frame and don’t want to go for double glazing, what glass is going to be the best insulation?

Google mainly returns loads of results for secondary glazing, double glazing etc.  I did find a company called histoglass who have a special glass which is meant to be an improvement on standard glass, but cost for supply only of five panes was about a thousand pounds plus £800 delivery (from Germany).

 Any suggestions (other than go for double glazing)?

I know the rules (on emissions) are being tightened over time, but the UK now burns around 15 to 20 million tons of domestic and commercial waste every year in dozens of enormous "Energy Recovery Facilities". 

A decade ago when they wanted to put one of these incinerators on the Gwent Levels one of the objections raised was that although PM10 particles were filtered out and monitored there was nothing to even measure PM 2.5 particles.  Is that still the case I wonder? 

If so these facilities will be pumping out PM2.5 particles on (literally) an industrial scale.