Home  5  Books  5  GBEzine  5  News  5  HelpDesk  5  Register  5  GreenBuilding.co.uk
Not signed in (Sign In)

Categories



Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

PLEASE NOTE: A download link for Volume 1 will be sent to you by email and Volume 2 will be sent to you by post as a book.
Buy individually or both books together. Delivery is free!


powered by Surfing Waves




Vanilla 1.0.3 is a product of Lussumo. More Information: Documentation, Community Support.

Welcome to new Forum Visitors
 Join the forum now and benefit from discussions with thousands of other green building fans and discounts on Green Building Press publications: Apply now.

The AECB accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site. Views given in posts are not necessarily the views of the AECB.



General: Proffesional or DIY?

Bottom of Page

61 to 84 of 84

  1. <
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. >
    •  
      CommentAuthorfostertom
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010
     
    Posted By: owlmanwe're a nation of "jobsworth's" we love inventing rules and regulations and an army of enforcers
    Not till, I'd guess, the 1960s - till then, Britain was quite laissez-faire, pragmatic, unlitigious. Am I right? It definitely is a Napoleonic/EC tendency - but wd prob have happened anyway.
    • CommentAuthorbarney
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010
     
    Joiner,

    I quite understand the spirit behind CAT and I didn't refer to the individuals involved as numpties.

    My point was that a suck it and see approach is fine if all it impacts on is you and yours. If however what you are doing impacts others (and that includes potential occupiers of your current property) then we need a little order to things - and with that order comes professionalism.

    Regards

    Barney
    • CommentAuthorsinnerboy
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010 edited
     
    Posted By: marktime
    Hands up who didn't get the Walden Pond reference and couldn't be arsed to google it?
    :swingin:
  4.  
    Posted By: sinnerboy
    Posted By: marktime
    Hands up who didn't get the Walden Pond reference and couldn't be arsed to google it?
    :swingin:" alt=":swingin:" src="https:///forum114/extensions/Vanillacons/smilies/happy/swingin.gif" >


    I would guess at http://george.loper.org/interests/housing/thero/thoreau.html and scroll to the bottom half of the page.
    • CommentAuthorJoiner
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010
     
    Fair do's, Barney. But potential occupiers of my or anyone else's current property are free to walk away from it if they or their surveyor don't like what they see, or negotiate a price based on what they estimate it'll cost to have things done the way they want them.
    • CommentAuthorbarney
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010
     
    Well all I can say to that Joiner, is the cost of putting right someones bad and unregulated DIY eventually impacts on the country's bottom line - and on the embedded carbon burden of the initial works and the remedial works

    I'm not in anyway against DIY - I do plenty myself, what I am against is the mentality that thinks it's above submiting to a simple checks and balances process and belives that all professional input is somehow not required in thier case.

    Regards

    Barney
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010 edited
     
    Posted By: Joinertheir surveyor don't like what they see


    Are they not professionals?
    • CommentAuthorevan
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010 edited
     
    There's a difference between having your DIY work checked (or guided) by a qualified professional, and there being no other option than to pay a qualified professional to do the work.

    The latter is what galls people.
    • CommentAuthormarktime
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010 edited
     
    MarkBennet wins the thread!! :bigsmile:

    Thoreau was certainly not the first to reuse and recycle building material, plenty of Roman stones to be found propping up Catholic churches to show that, but he was probably the first to document a truly green building built with his own two hands. And not a professional in sight.

    And now you're going to say, "Well it's so much more complicated today." But aren't we supposed to be much cleverer than our 19th century cousins? Seems to me we've lost something along the way.
    • CommentAuthorbarney
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010
     
    In terms of building regulations Evan, would you care to give an example where you have to employ a professional rather than DIY

    Regards

    Barney
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010
     
    Gas work and/or wiring work spring to mind. possibly sound/noise transmission testing?
    • CommentAuthorbarney
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010
     
    Not at all Tony - if we take electrical work as an example there is a mechanism for a competent DIYer to undertake the work - the duty rests with BCO to confirm compliance - don't believe everything you hear about part P

    Regards

    Barney
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010
     
    I havent found a BCO who does that though --- have you?
  14.  
    Lifts
    Skyscrapers
    Nuclear power stations
    Oil rigs
    Off shore wind turbines
    Cross channel tunnels
    • CommentAuthorbarney
    • CommentTimeOct 7th 2010
     
    Tony, actually I have.

    I won't name the authority but I assisted a friend in this matter due to him deciding he wanted to rewire his house and new extension as a DIY - including installing Schuko sockets in his bathroom (german wife - don't ask).

    At first the BCO was quoting this and that until I explained the wording of Part P and the obligations of teh BCO. In teh end the BCO had to arrange for inspection (at thier cost) to a harmonised european standard rather than BS 7671.

    It did blow thier minds for a while but we got there in the end

    Regards

    Barney
    • CommentAuthorbarney
    • CommentTimeOct 7th 2010
     
    I guess very few are planning to DIY anything on that list Bot

    Barney
    • CommentAuthorevan
    • CommentTimeOct 7th 2010 edited
     
    Posted By: barneyIn terms of building regulations Evan, would you care to give an example where you have to employ a professional rather than DIY


    As others have said, anything to do with gas is one (including aircon / heat pumps). Not that I'm really complaining about it, but it's an example.

    Wood stoves. Although I'm in the middle of installing one, someone very knowledgeable on here has said that by the letter of the regs I can't.

    And any renewable at all, if you want to benefit from feed in tariffs and so on - there is no other option than to pay someone to do it or go though the hassle of becoming approved as an installer yourself (been there, done that, had the entire approval scheme scrapped from underneath, back to square one).


    Yes, I know there are some valid reasons for this but to my mind it's too precautionary and restricting.

    Everything is very much geared towards having a contractor working for a multinational company come in and do a very expensive job - small single traders and even small firms with employees seem to be muscled out.

    Anyway, that's my moan for the morning out of the way :)
    • CommentAuthorrhamdu
    • CommentTimeOct 7th 2010
     
    Individual trades are, in some ways, becoming less skilled. Plastic pipe and push-fit connections have simplified plumbing. Push-fit and quick-release terminals are spreading into electrics. You now pay very little for the kind of woodworking tools that allow an amateur to achieve precision results. Perhaps we can even look forward to cheap, idiot-proof equipment for spraying plaster.

    However, every tradesperson needs to know more and more rules. In a modern building, many complex and critical systems are trying to co-exist in the same space. Each trade has to do its bit without compromising what others have done to achieve structural strength, airtightness, energy efficiency, moisture control, electrical safety and fire safety... not to mention comfort, ergonomics and visual design.

    Professionalism is increasingly about understanding the building as a whole. Electricians should know that downlighters can let noise and flames through into the room above, draughts can blow through socket outlets, and PVC cables are rotted by EPS insulation. Plumbers (I hope) know that hot pipes aren't good for electrical cables, and TV aerial installers should know how to make a waterproof cable entry.

    I am all for DIY, but DIYers need to understand how each thing they do will affect everything else, and that ain't easy.
    • CommentAuthorbarney
    • CommentTimeOct 7th 2010
     
    "As others have said, anything to do with gas is one (including aircon / heat pumps). Not that I'm really complaining about it, but it's an example."

    Not strictly true - all the GIUR requires is that persons are competent - if it's DIY on your gas system you don't need Gasafe registration - you can just crack on. Of course, if you make a hash of it you clearly aren't cometent so face prosecution.

    Wood stoves. Although I'm in the middle of installing one, someone very knowledgeable on here has said that by the letter of the regs I can't.

    I don't believe that to be true

    And any renewable at all, if you want to benefit from feed in tariffs and so on - there is no other option than to pay someone to do it or go though the hassle of becoming approved as an installer yourself (been there, done that, had the entire approval scheme scrapped from underneath, back to square one).

    More a commercial issue than one of building regulation compliance though Evan


    As far as I can see, the only place you need an independant professional is in the lodgement of an EPC

    Regards

    Barney
  20.  
    > anything to do with gas

    I have bottled gas for my kitchen cooker. There's a 47kg bottle of propane outside, a regulator, and a pipe that goes through the wall to the cooker.

    I am told that I may unscrew one side of the regulator to change the bottle but I may not unscrew the other side of the regulator to replace it when it gets very old and looks like a new one would be a good move.

    At least that's what the bloke who sold me my new regulator told me.

    Hmmmm.
    • CommentAuthorbarney
    • CommentTimeOct 7th 2010
     
    As I said, the Gas (installation and use) regulations are the statutory provision - for sure HSE who determine who is competent would like you to use a gas safe registerd contractor but the regulations (and thier guidance) doesn't actually say that it's illegal for a competent person to undertake DIY gas in thier own home

    Regards

    Barney
    • CommentAuthorbatkinson
    • CommentTimeOct 8th 2010
     
    Its also worth pointing out what it says in the begining of the building reg approved documents
    It basically syay that it is the installer,builder, designers responsibility for ensuring work complies with the regs

    also if you do electrical work in my Local authority it wll be inspected properley
  23.  
    ...but where is the beauty, the artistry, play of masses brought together in light...?

    :cry: :cry:

    lost, lost, all is lost...

    J
    • CommentAuthorJoiner
    • CommentTimeOct 10th 2010
     
    But not, thank god, a sense of humour! Nice one James.

61 to 84 of 84

  1. <
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. >
Add your comments

    Username Password
  • Format comments as
 
Back to Discussions Top of Page
   
The Ecobuilding Buzz
Site Map    |   Home    |   View Cart    |   Pressroom   |   Business   |   Links   
Logout    

© Green Building Press