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its so difficult even getting something bog-standard done unless you do exactly as told by the plumber!!I'm dreading showing the plumber my Navitron info as I can just imagine the reaction! Sucked lemon face as my friend outs it!!

I felt bad that I could not help 2 little puppies that someone dumped in our lane earlier this year.I fed them for 3 days but then I had to come back to the UK.I've used their quick paypal link to leave a donation .

You could try something like a nylon pan scrubber to get the oil stains lifted.I would not go for the steel ones as they are a bit too abrasive.Ive made a mark with peach juice of all things and just cannot get it shifted! Tried a weak bleach solution, scrubbed it washed it but its still there.The 2 women 'Kim and Aggie' from C4 'how clean is your house' seem to have lots of tips for stain removal - one good one was to use metal polish on ring stains on wood, it worked!! I've used mayo but the metal polish was better!Yes linseed oil and tiles not a good mixture ram!

please don't regard it as a personal criticism if I chose to debate the points you made - I feel more strongly about  the benifits of a solar system whereas you think the panels are unattractive and would prefer to use electricity.Its not really enough to fall out over is it ? I'm interested in hearing all opinions!quote 'I am quite happy not to make any comments or suggestions if you feel they are not informative.'Does anyone think that we can find a complete kit for the Navitron price ( £1,500 expensive whereas navitron are evacuated tubes.) in Italy ? They seem to be flat plate collectors which are much more. 

boxes for bats would be the way to go and dormice too.I have not known them to be destructive but in the winter they will shred up textiles / paper etc to make nests so a nestbox full of shredded paper or wool may deter them from doing this!Dormice spend most nights outside the building and sleep there only during the day so apart from the nesting and fruit storage they should not give you too hard a time! 

You've just answered your own question haven't you Badger? With the horrifically high fuel and electricity prices in Italy no wonder people are looking to other means of heating their DHW and CH!!Solar systems will not provide all the hot water from October - April that's true but even if they do from April until Oct that's covered the emissions from running a small car for a year - if you are also doing it for green reasons.By adding a thermal store to a standard system even more hot water can be provided and be made avaiable at more useful times of the day ie showers first thing in the morning.Solar systems will also become more and more economical as fossil fuels run out or are made unavailable.And if they are passive systems or ones run by a solar pump then they can run when the main power is off!   

Wax and oil will do that ! We have slates in our Cornwall cottage and I used to lightly linseed oil them but it was not a very good idea.If I want them to look nice and clean I use milky tea mopped on then over with a dry mop ! Basically its much better to aim for a dry surface.It may be worth leaving instructions for your guests on how to care for the floor? People used to laminated wood or modern tiles might not realise that theses tiles need different treatment. 

Most people seem to do all that they can to get rid of wildlife when they move to Italy ! Well done for thinking about how to encourage them.Dormice, when they are not living in your bedroom are lovely little creatures and very interesting to observe.They seem to like to make stores of fruits and nuts to see themselves through the winter so if you can provide somewhere for them to do that?I'm not sure if bats co-habit with dormice? You will need only very small gaps to allow bats in and out.You might also consider putting up some Barn Owl nest boxes as they may well have to be evicted from your house once rennovations start? Owls eat lots of rats and mice ( oh dear some dormice too I fear) so its great to have as many as possible.Good luck with it all!

It's a matter of taste I know but I personally think old tiles polished to a highly shiny surface look awful in the context or an old property. I would avoid varnishes and the like.You can buy a very good but expensive product I think its called Filo idrorepellente ? I've used it on new but old looking tiles on our kitchen window sill as I was already getting it marked by coffee cups etc. I put on 2 coats - it goes a fair way and I would estimate a floor or say 30sq metres would take about 1 hour to do and cost around 60-80 euros.Thats with 2 coats. Its almost impossible to tell the tile has been treated once its dried. 

Yes as they saty ' a picture paints a thousand words'!!!