Things you always wanted to know the answer to [Vol. 6]

[HTP99]

Rich Boy Spanner said:

My wife is the same. I once asked her why the front bumper was hanging off and the bottom of the grill full of grass, and she had no idea. Same for the dent in a front wing and sidewall bulge in the tyre under it. Must be a dent or crease in every panel now. She also managed to reverse into the garage door. She said she didn't see the (large white) door that had been there for 20 years as she reversed on the driveway. That's why she drives an 18 year old car and isn't allowed to drive mine.

Yep, my wife has a battered 12 plate Corsa, when it comes in to work for work (I'm in the Motor trade), the guys always rip the piss out if it, one even offered to put a scratch on an un-marked panel so it wouldn't feel left out. Even left the handbrake off once and it rolled back into a wall splitting the bumper. "I'm sure I put the handbrake on, it must've just come off...."

Yet she always moans about my driving to the point that it's bloody annoying and she's worse when others are in the car too, like she's trying to make a point, none of the cars I take home from work I've damaged, apart from the occasional wheel scuff.

My youngest daughter who's a good driver, came back from being driven by her once, said she was scary and very unobservant!

[Frimley111R]

Why do many modern houses have very steep angled roofs? Surely they are more expensive to build, why not have roofs at shallower angles?

[RenesisEvo]

Frimley111R said:

Why do many modern houses have very steep angled roofs? Surely they are more expensive to build, why not have roofs at shallower angles?

I would be completely guessing but, provision of loft space (storage)?

Something I can't figure out: SEMS screws. Screws with washers. I can't find why they are called SEMS and if it was an acronym or not, and if it was, what it means.

Also: dry risers. Saw this on a van on the way to work. What are they all about and why are they so important to require a business to maintain them?

[98elise]

RenesisEvo said:

Frimley111R said:

Why do many modern houses have very steep angled roofs? Surely they are more expensive to build, why not have roofs at shallower angles?

I would be completely guessing but, provision of loft space (storage)?

Something I can't figure out: SEMS screws. Screws with washers. I can't find why they are called SEMS and if it was an acronym or not, and if it was, what it means.

Also: dry risers. Saw this on a van on the way to work. What are they all about and why are they so important to require a business to maintain them?

Dry risers are empty (hence dry) pipes the fire brigade use to get water up a tall building. The fire engine connects to the external inlet of the building at street level, and the fire fighter connects to the internal outlets on the floor they need water on.

[WrekinCrew]

RenesisEvo said:

Frimley111R said:

Why do many modern houses have very steep angled roofs? Surely they are more expensive to build, why not have roofs at shallower angles?

I would be completely guessing but, provision of loft space (storage)?

It makes a loft conversion easier / legal. I have a 1960's chalet-bungalow with a 30-degree roof pitch and upstairs is pretty awkward for anyone over 6'. I doubt it would get planning approval these days

[98elise]

WrekinCrew said:

RenesisEvo said:

Frimley111R said:

Why do many modern houses have very steep angled roofs? Surely they are more expensive to build, why not have roofs at shallower angles?

I would be completely guessing but, provision of loft space (storage)?

It makes a loft conversion easier / legal. I have a 1960's chalet-bungalow with a 30-degree roof pitch and upstairs is pretty awkward for anyone over 6'. I doubt it would get planning approval these days

Why would a builder want to create the extra space for a loft extension? if it was a selling point they wouldn't build the roof with trusses.

My brother has a new build and it has a steep pitch, but wouldn't be suitable for a loft conversion without major reconfiguration of the second floor. The only place a stair would naturally fit would bring you up at the eaves.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Frimley111R said:

Why do many modern houses have very steep angled roofs? Surely they are more expensive to build, why not have roofs at shallower angles?

My guess would be that it is actually cheaper / easier for them to do it that way. Or due to some regulation or other. It certainly wouldn't be for any reason that benefits the buyer or that incurs avoidable costs.

[generationx]

RenesisEvo said:

I would be completely guessing but, provision of loft space (storage)?

Something I can't figure out: SEMS screws. Screws with washers. I can't find why they are called SEMS and if it was an acronym or not, and if it was, what it means.

Also: dry risers. Saw this on a van on the way to work. What are they all about and why are they so important to require a business to maintain them?

Apparently it comes from an American tooling company to describe pre-aSEMbled fixings.

[RenesisEvo]

98elise said:

Dry risers are empty (hence dry) pipes the fire brigade use to get water up a tall building. The fire engine connects to the external inlet of the building at street level, and the fire fighter connects to the internal outlets on the floor they need water on.

Thank you - beautifully succinct.

[RenesisEvo]

generationx said:

RenesisEvo said:

I would be completely guessing but, provision of loft space (storage)?

Something I can't figure out: SEMS screws. Screws with washers. I can't find why they are called SEMS and if it was an acronym or not, and if it was, what it means.

Apparently it comes from an American tooling company to describe pre-aSEMbled fixings.

Also thanking you!

[Chauffard]

RenesisEvo said:

98elise said:

Dry risers are empty (hence dry) pipes the fire brigade use to get water up a tall building. The fire engine connects to the external inlet of the building at street level, and the fire fighter connects to the internal outlets on the floor they need water on.

Thank you - beautifully succinct.

I had wondered about what a Dry Riser sign was all about, thank you

[BunkMoreland]

Surgeons spend every single day scrubbing the st out of their hands and arms before surgery



Do they end up with terrible skin as a result of constantly stripping it back?

[popeyewhite]

BunkMoreland said:

Surgeons spend every single day scrubbing the st out of their hands and arms before surgery

Do they end up with terrible skin as a result of constantly stripping it back?

It's soap lather, not hydrochloric acid.
(yes I know HCI doesn't foam)

[John D.]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Frimley111R said:

Why do many modern houses have very steep angled roofs? Surely they are more expensive to build, why not have roofs at shallower angles?

My guess would be that it is actually cheaper / easier for them to do it that way. Or due to some regulation or other. It certainly wouldn't be for any reason that benefits the buyer or that incurs avoidable costs.

I'm going with it is more aesthetically pleasing as the primary reason. They are built to sell.

Secondary, I know there is a minimum pitch for 'normal' roof tiles. Too shallow and they don't allow sufficient water run off. I'm guessing it may actually be more expensive to build a shallower roof in some instances.

[jonsp]

You scroll through the TV guide for something to watch. Pick something and I swear every single time whatever channel you choose it goes to ads.

Do they do that automatically or is it just luck of the draw?

[hidetheelephants]

John D. said:

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Frimley111R said:

Why do many modern houses have very steep angled roofs? Surely they are more expensive to build, why not have roofs at shallower angles?

My guess would be that it is actually cheaper / easier for them to do it that way. Or due to some regulation or other. It certainly wouldn't be for any reason that benefits the buyer or that incurs avoidable costs.

I'm going with it is more aesthetically pleasing as the primary reason. They are built to sell.

Secondary, I know there is a minimum pitch for 'normal' roof tiles. Too shallow and they don't allow sufficient water run off. I'm guessing it may actually be more expensive to build a shallower roof in some instances.

Slate and plain tile can theoretically go down to ~20 degrees, fancypants interlocking tiles can go shallower.

[StevieBee]

jonsp said:

You scroll through the TV guide for something to watch. Pick something and I swear every single time whatever channel you choose it goes to ads.

Do they do that automatically or is it just luck of the draw?

It's not automatic.

Two things give rise to the times this happens.

The rules changed some years back to allow a greater percentage of each hour to be for advertising. So, there's a greater chance of switching on during an ad break.

And whilst there appears to be a great many channels, there's actually only small number of broadcasters: BBC, ITV, C4, Sky and UK TV (Joint venture between the BBC and Thames TV which provides Dave, Drama, Yesterday, Good Food, etc) All of their adverts are run from a common platform which other broadcasters also use. This means that ad-breaks are normally synced or closely synced. This is as much for commercial benefit as practical.

[Roofless Toothless]

Why are motorbike chains on the left of the machine and bicycle chains on the right?

[Austin Prefect]

Roofless Toothless said:

Why are motorbike chains on the left of the machine and bicycle chains on the right?

Originally European motorbike manufacturers put the chains on the right because that was the convention for bicycles, Many of them started off building bicycles.

Japanese firms started from scratch and just happened to pick the left. Then Europeans gradually fell into line. A lot of BMWs had the shaft on the right until recently.

[RizzoTheRat]

Presumably the convention of having the rear brake lever on the right means the drum brake control levers had to be on the right, forcing the chain on the left?

Do older British bikes with the rear brake lever on the left have the chain on the right?