Found the cutting discs!

           So Josh wanted me to catch the bus to the shops to buy some cutting discs for the angle grinder so he could begin cutting the metal piers to the right lengths. He thought he already had some but couldn't find them in the shed. Hoping to save myself a day trip, I got up early and started looking through the shed in the vain hope they would be hiding somewhere in there. I knew I could easily spend an hour rifling in, around and under boxes, crates and cupboards - and still come up empty-handed - but it was worth a try. About 2 minutes in I was looking in what I thought was a silly spot and lo and behold! there was a pile of cutting discs! They were very well hidden under a flat piece of wood so it wasn't surprising that Josh didn't find them.

           Most of the piers have now been cut to size and we just need to buy one more length of steel in order to finish this step. The nearest Bunnings wants $150 delivery fee so we are hoping to rope a local into giving us a lift! We have also been researching under-floor insulation as I thought it might be easier to install BEFORE putting the yellow tongue down. The reality is actually much more complicated. There are basically 2 types of under-floor insulation - thin stuff which is like bubble-wrap covered in alfoil, or thick stuff.

           The thin stuff comes in long wide lengths which you can simply lay over all your bearers and then put your flooring on top, which sounds to me fairly easy. The thick stuff comes in widths which are made to fit between your bearers, and then need to be held in place. This stuff is mostly designed to be installed after building, and all the instructions tell you to staple or tack it to your wooden beams.

          Well, we are working in metal so what are we supposed to do then? Some of the companies are quite lacking in information and do not reply to queries. Also, I need to know about whether the insulation would be bush-fire proof, would be vermin-proof, and whether the under-floor area needs to be enclosed? And if so, can it be enclosed vertically around the perimeter of the house, or does it need a whole seperate layer of 'floor boards' attached to the underside? Sounds expensive!

           Other things to take into account are whether the insulation is healthy to live with after installation (eg. fibres aggravating asthma or off-gassing of VOCs), whether the production method is environmentally friendly, whether it will degrade over time, and whether it is made locally. Oh and of course - price! Would love to talk to someone who has done this before!