On the move

Not always. Anything built after 1966 SHOULD be OK to swap for a RCD consumer unit.

PVC wire doesn't usually deteriorate.

NT

That's what ARW said above. Anything built after 1966 should use PVC.

But if you're unlucky you may find aluminium inside the PVC. DAMHIK

We often said we would like to move to Norfolk (we spent many family holidays there, typically on the broads somewhere) and I'd have a large Wickes like building for me and my projects and a bungalow that she can keep me (and my stuff) out of. ;-)

I could get an old static caravan and maybe even have it in the 'barn' as a workshop / man-cave.

This would mean I could:

2) Have several projects on the go side-by-side (more efficient).

4) Not have to try to do woodworking in an engineering machine shop / visa - versa.

6) Not having to do any of it indoors. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

View it and weep;

It's be quite nice once I've sorted the electrics and lined it to keep the weather out properly.

It can in sunlight and in contact with EPS.

There was also that bad batch from the 60s(?) which leaked green gunk.

Well it's nice, but no where near the size I was talking about.

That's the point, with what I have in mind there wouldn't be much in the way of electrics ... or real need to keep the weather out particularly, more general covered space to be able to have *a few* boats, cars, trailers motorbikes and other kit / plant and space to move / work wound them.

My existing 20' x 10' workshop is pretty easy to heat, is fully wired and has most the kit / tools I need to everyday stuff, not the general room to spread out.

If I was to be jealous of anyone here (so far) for their space and sheds it would be that nice Mr Lamb. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

You have a pipedream. I have a barn.

PCV was also used before 1966, but did not usually have an earth for the lights.

It is surprising how many houses built in the late 60s and early 70 take a fuse box to RCD CU swap with very little problem.

There is often the main bonding to install or upgrade, a borrowed neutral for the landing light is also very common along with a pesky trapped neutral with a socket screw.

The biggest problem is usually the lack of sockets. eg my parents 1969 build only had two 1g sockets in every room apart from the kitchen. It is often as easy to rewire the sockets than add loads of extra ones to an existing circuit.

That many? When we bought our first house (1964) it had been wired in 1946. 4 power points! One in the kitchen and one in each bedroom. There was also

By 1953, my parents 3 bed new build had IIRC six. My father extended them in ways that make me shudder still.

We had one point in the kitchen which we didnt use until we bought a washing machine thing, but my dad spurred an electric clock into it.

We had to unplug the valve radio in the living room to use a vaccuum cleaner.

Ther was nothing in the dining room.

Each bedroom had a single socket we used for electric fires when the room went below zero. Ther was no central heating.

But they were new fangled 13A sockets!!!

The wiring was intact when the house was sold 50 years later, although more had been added by then

In message , T i m writes

Hmm.. The current woodwork shed is shared with bits of agricultural tackle. Prolly about 25% of an 80' x 33' ex grain store.

The lathe, folder, guillotine and welding tackle have gone back the 18' x 36' barn they started from, 10 years back.

All this in 4 weeks as the nicely insulated workshop and the main grain barn have been sold for development.

Anyone feeling envious can consider the impossibility of insulating/heating such huge spaces.

Think it might depend on where you bought the cable. Some wholesalers seemed only to stock TW&E, even where the earth wasn't required for lighting circuits. Lost count of how many times I've come across it present, but snipped off.

My parent's house was bought new in 1936. Power sockets were an extra. Although the incomer was two phase.

Shame.

Still not a bad size. ;-)

;-(

Quite, and why I wouldn't try to and have (say) an old mobile home (or two) *inside* the main barn that you could easier heat for things where you might need to feel your hands while you worked.

And whilst 'oldie worldly may look nice, I would be much happier with a steel frame and no_maintenance_for_ever steel / cladding. The idea is that I wanted to sped time working in, not on the building.

It could nearly be a *massive* car port [1] with 2 / 3 sides as I'd just need to keep out most of the wind and rain but still be able to run IC machines etc.

If the back of the hanger led onto a (non flooding) navigable and ideally non-tidal river or lake (so it also formed a boathouse) and was beside a few acres of land that could be turned into an offroad course (for cars and bikes), so much the better. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

True.

Compared with my pipedream, what you have is just a big double garage (nice though it is etc).

You would have to see Mr Lambs plant shed to get the idea.

The sort of place you could park 10 tractors in and it would still look empty. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

There is a place like that down the road from here, it was full of manufacturing plant but they moved (or maybe shut down) a few months ago. Would make a nice shed but I wouldn't like the heating bills.

The warley model railway club is a few miles away and they have taken over a warehouse and filled it.

Which is why my new man-cave is only 5x9. Metres that is... Split into garage, study, workshop, and somewhere to hide the oil tank where we won't have to look at it, it'll last longer, and be more secure.

Study is insulated to death. Workshop only has 6 inches of rockwool.

Andy