Hello folks! I haven't disappeared, just had whooping cough (yes, seriously!) with a garnish of gastric flu and torn muscles from coughing fits. So that has severely impeded our efforts (hubby's had it too, and it lasts around 3mths so we're not out of the woods yet!) with our new house (which I now describe as semi-derelict before we bought it) and so had no time/mental energy to properly get updated on what's been happening with you guys. Truth be told, I've started reading a few times & either got interrupted (mummy-ness) or fallen asleep, without finishing. I've missed this, but u guys, esp Monica & RoRo have been in my thoughts. Where to start?! I think I've taken in all that's happened in this thread since I went AWOL but might have missed some finer points. Monica, I'm so sorry to hear what u'v been through, with the RTA & the cowboy tiling / wallpapering on top! (& work always picks worst times to intensify - I just started on a Task Force this week, when shd really still be on sick leave). I mean, a marker?! Seriously?! Isn't it common knowledge / common sense to use a lightly applied pencil? Sounds like u r doing best thing by looking at it as a learning experience. Still, he deserves an honest review somewhere. Anyway, onwards and upwards, I'll look at the lounge link when I've finished this post. BTW I LOVE your artwork. Vivacious, bright and deep - is there an insight there? ;-) And RoRo, wow you've got a lot on your plate! We've been so frustrated with being held back on our projects by health, but u have taken on a bigger scale of project altogether, sounds like it's verging on municipal! U guys inspire me. :-) Thinking of starting a thread on our living room, it's the most 'civilised' room of the house so far, but I didn't take the north-facing position into account when I decided on a colour scheme of turquoise, grey and lime. (Doh!) So far I've made some headway on a concept I'm excited by, but it needs some tweaking so it doesn't feel 'cold' with the blue tone of the natural light. Are you up for sharing some of your thoughts on this??? Hope so. :-)

A bathroom is a humid environment - this may adversely affect a wood or laminate floor finish. The humidity or water contact could cause the floor to swell and bulge. Cushion Vinyl flooring might be a good option - having a good finish can depend on how level the floor is, often it is a good idea to overboard the existing floor boards with 15mm thick moisture resistant plywood before laying the new floor finish

Hello, We've recently started selling wood flooring, so we're not quite experts yet, but we have sought expert advice before bring our products to market about laying. It is imperative that expansion gaps are left when laying a wood floor, at least 15mm around the perimeter of the room and against any 'obstacles' such as doorways, fire hearths etc. Wood is a hygroscopic material, so is sensitive to changes in humidity and temperature. It is normal to expect some movement in the floor in response to seasonal and atmospheric changes and is one of the characteristics of real wood. It is normal to see small gaps between blocks and planks that vary slightly over time, but you shouldn't see bulging! Wood should be laid as part of the final fix, so once any plaster work has completely dried, as well as the screed. It is also important to acclimatise the wood before laying, so it should have been stacked in the room they were laying it for 7-14 prior to installation. We'd also recommend having the underfloor heating on (not too high, just warming the screed and no higher than 27 degrees) for around 3 weeks prior to laying the floor. After the floor has been fitted, we would then recommend turning it up by a degree per day, until normal running temperature has been reached. Any temperature changes thereafter should be done gradually. These are just the basics, there is a lot more to correctly laying the floor, and if the builders have cut corners then you will I have problems! I hope this helps and you manage to get it sorted properly. Good luck. Sophie // Floors of Stone

Many years ago I had a job where I saw plenty of reports. These particular observations were not standard comments on every report (some comments for example about drains used to be as they can’t inspect). My understanding is homebuyers is quite limited and is really only an extended look over a house. Basic valuation is a very quick look round to establish the price. Structural report involves pulling back carpet, maybe drilling in walls and a lot more involved. Not every seller will be happy for your surveyor to do these things to their home. By you choosing the homebuyers report makes me think you wanted more detailed information about the property condition. This is likely to be your most expensive purchase. If the surveyor has recommended strongly a structural engineer inspects the property I personally wouldn’t ignore this. Yes you could have surveyor go round and all be fine potentially wasting their fee or it could identify a problem potentially saving you thousands. In either case it would give you peace of mind about what you are actually buying.