Encid

Just curious... how thick are your AAC blocks? What brand? I was just browsing on FB earlier today and noticed an ad from SCG Home that was advertising a product (from the USA) called "Xtra-Cole Ceramic" film. I googled the product name and found this website which had the following table for their "ceramic" films: Of course UV radiation is at the cool end of the spectrum so I am ignoring that, but it seems to be a real challenge to get an acceptable compromise between blocking IR radiation and visible light.

We are planning on building a U-shaped house similar to this. As you can see there would be some overhang but as it will face due East we will receive a lot of morning sun.

I have been giving a lot of thought to this subject and am seeking advice and ideas from others based on their experience. I am planning to build a new home in the near future, and it will have full height floor-to-ceiling sliding windows and doors... 2.8 metres high. I was initially thinking of going down the double glazed route, but these would be heavy and expensive so I want to explore the possibility of using film instead. Double glazed glass is good for soundproofing, security and heat insulation, whilst film is good for security and heat insulation only. I am not concerned so much about soundproofing as our new house will be built on a farm with no neighbours for several kilometers radius. So… most of our sliding doors and windows will face East, so will receive full solar radiation from dawn until near midday. Now I understand that solar energy does not travel in just one big wave, but instead in many waves that differ from each other by wavelength. Why is this important? Because different solar wavelengths give different challenges to address with window film. The shortest wavelengths from the sun are the ultraviolet radiation/energy, or UV, the middle wavelengths are called visible light, and the longest wavelengths are called infrared heat/energy, or IR. I would like to find a film that is spectrally selective... one that blocks out more IR than visible light. Any suggestions, or should I just go visit the local SCG Home and listen to their recommendations?

I think you're right there. I also think that they have been losing a lot of customers to AIS up-country because their coverage and data plans are better. I have been with DTAC for 20 years now, but when I move up-country when our new house is built, I will be changing to AIS too. Good idea... I think I will do the same.

I guess you would need to go heavy on the PTFE tape in that case...

I like the idea of using galvanized fittings instead of PVC up to and including the first stop valve. Do you experience any galvanic corrosion or oxidizing of the dissimilar metals? Typically the threaded socket in the tanks is copper and your union is galvanized steel.

Two-part adhesive epoxy putty for repairs, bonds, fills, and seals

Will this fix the problem? Scrape back to bare concrete, apply an acrylic resin primer like JBP Contact-F Primer, then an undercoat, then a couple of coats of a good quality external paint like Dulux Weatherdhield?

It looks like a puddle flange to me. Try a google search for the term "puddle flange" and you might find some good examples of what you are looking for.

Making easy access to your wet areas for snakes too...

They are a very good solution and will eliminate the smells completely.

Recently my wife and I decided to develop part of her family farm and plan to build a new house on it in the near future. We contacted a builder and he installed some poles and electrical cable overland from the nearest PEA pole to our building site. We then contacted the PEA who installed our meter and connected our wiring to the grid. It is a 30A 220V single phase 2 wire supply. But our supply is not earthed or grounded, neither at the meter nor at the junction box at the building site. What can we do to rectify this?