Posted By: markocosic"To all the folks suggesting we drop baths: where do you suggest people should wash their children?"

In the shower. Stand them in the corner (of your 1700 x 900 shower tray) and hose the little buggers down.

When they can reach the (thermostatic) controls they're big enough to shower on their own. With digital showers (remote controls) this is about the same age that they can walk without smacking their heads on the floow regularly.

Else use a washing up bowl in the shower. One can buy fancy looking versions labelled baby bath. One can also use a mop bucket.

Actually that's a pretty comprehensive answer.

I will have to wait until I am a grandparent, to try the mop bucket

By the way I am not against installing a bath if you have the space and the money. But it saddens me when people (I won't say designers) automatically put a bath in, stick some crap shower over it, and throw away the chance of simply having a decent shower in the same space.

<blockquote><cite>Posted By: SteamyTea....... All very worrying as we had a yew tree in the grounds.

Was that planted to placate the Pagan staff members, stand watch over the bodies of the buried errant pupils, or to supply the chemistry teacher with berries for his potions.
It's the fires in the nearby woods late at night that you should really have been worried about.

Level access for every house
Accessible shower/toilet for every house
Suspended wooden ground floors

Turn this on it's head, what *should* every new house have ....

South facing roof to maximise mandatory PV installation.

Means you're wasting water and energy to heat it by washing up 'manually': verboten!

To be avoided. Under-slung sinks

I know v busy! They are the cheapest option, which is why I have them. I hate them because once laid they settle and you need more gravel within a few months, put too much and ladies in heels can't use them, then you have to put more gravel down every couple of years (there must be a little animal that takes 200 pieces of gravel away every night). The gravel gets everywhere even over low boarders, high boarders are trip hazards and difficult for lawn mowers, sack trolleys and wheelbarrows (all of which I use all the time). My son's Ape (think tuk-tuk) has narrow wheels and quickly leaves groves - even in the stabilized stuff (which is dirty so not good for places where people often walk). You can put a landscaping fabric down but it changes nothing, after a while the crud builds up and the weeds grow and lots of them, so that means weedkilling, which I hate - more weeds grow in gravel than any other alternative. Any type of slope results in migration of gravel in v heavy rain. It is easy to wheel spin or skid a car esp with trailer or in reverse making more mess. Stimming anywhere near gravel when cars are present is v bad for paintwork. Like I said I am busy and so this is just a short list. I have lots of gravel: I hate gravel

I ask because I have a good crushed stone base in, laid over geotextile which has been there since we poured the foundations so 2½ years old now and well compacted. I am debating what to use now for a finished surface.

I want to use something than will drain naturally and not create run off so obviously want to avoid any hard surface, tarmac, cobblelock etc.

The choices are pretty limited....

And you can't sweep it, so when I have my annual 10 tonnes of wood delivered I end up with a big pile of bark et al mixed up with equal parts gravel because one has to rake it. And since you can't sweep it all the shrubs, oak trees and, worst, pine trees dump needles, leaves and crud which quickly covers the gravel, breaking down very slowly to produce compost for weeds. And I bought large white and now the local quarry only makes pink ish so I can't buy white other than fine white anywhere within 20 miles, but perhaps a lot further.

Chris, deal with the run-off and put some hard surface down!

Come on people - some justification for your hates so that those of us who are considering them know why we shouldn't have them.

"To be avoided. Under-slung sinks" ? Why

"gravel as a driveway" I spent a few years growing up in a house that had a thinish layer of gravel over tar. In summer the tar melted, gravel stuck to shoes, in house. Just horrible. Avoid.

"what's objectionable about draining boards?"

I really don't get this one. I've tried living without and just doesn't work for me - there are regularly pans too large/dirty to go in the dishwasher that need to be washed up by hand. To clean up the kitchen after cooking needs a bit of hot soapy water on a cloth - while you've got that you may as well wash a few things up in it. They need somewhere to dry. There are things (kitchen knives, delicate glassware) that are not dishwasher safe - they need somewhere to drain.

I have never looted to closely at the dishwasher v hand washing data.
Is it water usage or energy usage that is meant to be greater, or both?
Commercial dishwasher get really hot, probably 90°C+
Washing in a sink is probably less than 55°C
Though some people I know seem to think that a constantly running hot tap is the only way to wash up

Well here's one justification for dishwashers v. hand washing. I'm sure there are many more and usually they come to the same conclusion.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/aug/19/carbon-footprints-dishwasher-washing-up

There's nothing neurotic in thinking through how to combine a kitchen, dining, living space so that you are not looking at drying mugs, dishes, etc., forever cluttering up a draining board. Look NOW at your draining board and tell me it is clear! O.K. you don't have to tell me, I've seen too many not to know that the majority will have crockery of some sort drying away.

You do require to become a little less precious about your cutlery/glassware and invest in an efficient dishwasher that provides total flexibility in loading. We have a Miele and it's the bees knees. I'd defy anyone to present a family cooking utensil that wouldn't go into this beast. And be washed to perfection, employing a variety of programmes that range from 40º C to 75º C.

And before we sit down at table to eat, which is what we do for every meal, the worktop is cleared, all pots and pans into the dishwasher and the surface wiped clear. Pure harmony, which has convinced me that draining boards are the devil's spawn. Have a nice day.

Hey! I live in Spain. One pot meals? Re-heat convenience food? Go wash your mouth out this instant Gotanewlife!

What is wrong with 'one pot cooking'.
Boil pasta, let it drain in colander, put sauce in pan, heat that up, put pasta in and stir.
Put on plate, wash up pan, lid, colander and wooden spoon.
Eat and wash plate.

Can do the same with rice dishes.

I got sauce pan, colander, lid, plate and wooden spoon on drainer. Hardly seems worth putting them away

Ah! SteamyTea, the answer lies in the sauces.

To stay on topic: front door letterboxes

Posted By: owlmanyou could do it all on a camping gas burner

I quite often do when camping