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A lesson from this thread for the novice might be forget solvent weld and use push fit where you can. No time limit, plenty of time to do each joint one at a time, and if you have a space issue, a slip coupling is your friend.

We had always heard that self build was not only exciting but difficult and stressful, and it was living up to its reputation as we worked through all the issues of foundations and sub structure to get ready for the Timber Frame. There was a hiccup in the Beam and Block floor supply that pushed the schedule out a week but it was all looking good for B&B on the 27th March and MBC Timber Frame on the 6th April. This was a really tight but achievable schedule, and the Internorm with windows on the 11th of May would have been great - heading to wind and watertight by end of May. Then the world went crazy!!!!! Right now we are pushing ahead, and have been amazed at how committed and flexible our suppliers have been, but who knows what will happen tomorrow - things change hour by hour. Today we have the scaffolders on site preparing for the TF, we have a somewhat tenuous commitment to deliver the B&B floor and crane onto site on 1st April (the irony of that particular date has not escaped us). our groundworks lined up to fit the blocks and prepare the plinth, and MBC on site on the 8th. This all sounds possible - but it is so finely balanced and inter-dependant that one element in the critical path will bring the whole project to a standstill. And we get the feeling that this could happen at any minute. Guidance seems to allow work on site and as long as the folks are safe and able to maintain distance then we are happy to have them working. We are keeping our site visits down to a minimum but as self builders we believe that we are OK to follow the guidance for the construction industry and are able to travel to site - anyone out there been challenged on that? Our intent is still to try to get to a shell, but there is certainly an argument to pull back and sit it out - however we are in rented accommodation so that adds another element of pressure to the equation. Added to this is that most of our build budget is invested and shrinking by the day so funds are tight to the point that we will need to get stuck in and do the unskilled labour to even get close to finishing. Internorm just pushed out the installation of our windows out by about 4 weeks, and subject to review, so if we get the TF up then it will sit without windows for ages - a situation we have been trying hard to avoid. We have a roofer 'pencilled in' but who knows if he will be able to work, or if he can get the materials to site. So , this is not in any way belittling the major world wide disaster that is unfolding around us all - more to just to let you know that we are doing our bit to keep our project afloat and keep the very squeaky wheels of the construction industry turning. While there is some criticism of the construction industry continuing to work, our position is that, providing its safe to work, then if we dont pay the guys then they dont have money to feed their families. We are painfully aware as our Son lost 16 weeks work as a self employed lighting designer when they cancelled his David Gray WW tour as it hit production rehearsals and he lost all his income from that and the summer festival season. Hats off to anyone else who has been attempting the impossible over the last few weeks - and commiserations to anyone who has put their project on hold on these 'interesting times'. As we seem to have some more time on our hands we will get round to the time lapse video and keep our blog up to date

The CIL is charged on outbuildings even if they are covered by Permitted Development. If you need to claim an exemption for the outbuilding then NO you must not start before all the paperwork is done. The first few paragraphs of the Residential Annex Exemption Claim Form (Form Eight) say it must be granted before the commencement date. There are also surcharges they can hit you with if you get the procedure wrong. Beware some web pages say "xyz is exempt" but it's frequently only exempt if you claim the exemption and follow the process to the letter. As for your house extension.. you would need to make another application for the CIL exemption for that and notify them of the commencement date. When building the outbuilding avoid doing any work that could be mistaken as you starting the extension. Eg it might be unwise to clear the ground where the extension will go just because you have a digger on site for the outbuilding. Edit How did that emoticon get there and how do I delete it?

I was due to be writing about the happy day when my SIPS kit arrived on the Island, but instead I find that I have closed up the site and reduced outgoings as much as possible because the SIPS team can't be accomodated and fed on the Island given current restrictions, and travelling the length of the country is hardly sensible conduct at this stage. Just so there is something to see from the site, here is the beam and block floor going in. Close to 1000 blocks and 68 beams placed in 3 days by 3 people and 1digger. The white blocks have good thermal properties and will be used along with a PIR insulation upstand at the sole plate interface to reduce the thermal bridge. So now I have to find something else to write about. I haven't said much here about the house design and my goals. Here are the floor plans as submitted for planning permission. Chris (my architect) and I spent time discussing dimensions and circulation spaces but the overall concept remains to my original plan. The only change from planning to build is that the main bathroom has been flipped so that the large cupboard will double up as a service access. These pictures show the elevations (apart from north west - which is really boring). The planners decided I had to have real wooden cladding instead of cedral. Bricks were similarly not allowed. You may ask why there isn't a window in the obvious place on the SW elevation. It makes the bedroom layout impossible! The master bedroom has a vaulted ceiling, so the half round window will provide light from the SW and the window on the SE will provide a good view of the garden. I have designed a sundial to fit in the place where one might otherwise have expected a window. The house will be a SIPS panel build, aiming for a good SAP A rating without "cheating" by putting a vast solar PV power station on the roof. Because of the design of the roof, based on SIPS panels and purlins, the attic space is open. This gives a good amount of space for hobby rooms or allows eventual accomodation of 6 double bedroooms. There is a designed in space for a spiral staircase to access the attic. There is no mains gas and I am not keen on burning things within the house so it will run on electricity. I plan to fit 6.6kW of solar PV panels (apprx 20) on the southern roof space. This should generate sufficient energy for 60% to 80% of hot water and heating needs. Heating and cooling will be provided by a ducted airconditioning system and hot water by a thermal store or unvented cylinder driven by an immersion heater. I will be allowing provision for water heating by ASHP but initially this seems unnecessary. Similarly, I am provisioning space for a battery storage system but will wait for battery pricing to drop. I will be installing a rain water capture system and using it for toilets, garden and probably clothes washing. I know the payback is long, but my building inspector is quite keen I make an effort at meeting the water use targets, and this tips the balance and allows the bath that the boss has asked for. Final SAP rating for the design was 96 (with limited solar PV) and well over 100 with the full 6.6kW.

I find leaving EACH joint overnight works...

Hope pic helps

Ready mix screed and no just me and it's up stairs

You block the drain to stop it emptying AT ALL. You will also need to block the stink pipe, and then pump it up from one remaining drain.

use sixflex or tiger seal --that will take an hour or so to stick firm and up to 24 hrs to be solid --depending on thickness--stuff they stick windscreens in with

foam glas chips -- between joists www.dreieck.co.uk £85 cubic m bag

At 70mm the maximum thermal conductivity needed is about 0.024W/m.K so no realistic alternative. EPS300, thermal conductivity 0.033W/m.K would have to be at least 100mm to get 0.28W/m2.K The 150mm slab will spread any wall load to a considerable degree, wether sufficiently will depend on exact construction details

tipex --i what iuse on cam pullies when doing a cam belt

Screwfix are Need one of these

Poc. To be fair it looks rubbish. But if it don't leak, then it don't leak. An air test would be best fella.

Running a tap is NOT a leak test. You need to get a proper drain test kit, which has plugs to plug the end, and you pump it up with air. If this job is subject to building control they will probably insist on witnessing that anyway. NOW is the time to get it right, not to find it has a small air leak after it is all boxed in and finished.

That's what I was doing ? Regarding all those other products I shall investigate and make a bold choice ?

Hope he did. He was told! ?

That is an issue - I like to "bench build" as many pieces as I can, but let's face it, there comes the time you need to fit it to your building permanently and this can cause alignment issues you describe. Another option is to try fit the whole system - then mark every piece with a number and an alignment mark. That allows you to set elbows and Tees to the correct angle as you solvent weld them.

you could have dry assembled and marked all fittings how theywanted to be orinentated before glue was applied

I would say, although not ideal, as long as the pipe went in and ended up with a good welded joint to the the coupling, it should be OK. I sort of pressured tested all my PVC work by reaching down the brand new, clean, soil stack and jamming the 40MM waste up at the boss with toilet paper, I then ran the sink and bath until I knew the whole network of pipes was sitting full over water. Maybe you could alleviate some fears of your own with a similar test. On hand-over/completion of projects, say a big office block the architects and consultants and anyone else within the "design" team usually have a big party, there is what is called "the big flush" where everyone was to go to the WC's and kitchens and tea points and simultaneously flush all the loos and run all the taps. It was a bit of a gimmick at the system had been tested already, but it was to emulate a busy working building, once it had been done everyone would return to the party as normal and contractors would the go round risers and basements and plant areas looking for leaks or failures.

I hear you! Some pipe runs can be done easily but when you need to slot new pipe in between existing fixed points it can be a bit of a mad dash to get it all fitted snug and lined up before the solvent starts to cause the PVC to bite.

not sure if its tricks of the camera but in some of the pics the pipes do not look to be inserted properly into the fitting, is this the case? do you have movement? Will this pipework be boxed in with no future access? Never used the gap filling cement but CT1 wouldn`t be a good long term fix for this IMO Without coming across as an arse, would you reconsider doing it again and maybe cut the long upright allowing you to assemble the tricky bits with more care and then joining the now cut pipe with a slip coupling.

How about some PVC gap filler wiped round with a gloved finger into the joints you're concerned about? Might be a bit messy but so what. https://www.tradingdepot.co.uk/polypipe-gap-filling-cement-gfc100

@Onoff Same product. The CB one is an own brand badged version of the one @AnonymousBosch linked.

As a french polisher I would suggest clean them as you like - you can see them I can - but the option are chemical, sanding/blasting or scraping. As for finish that depends on the look you want, a weak water based stain like Van Dyke is nice. Then wax if you want them to age or a 50-50 clear varnish or button polish then a wax. Whatever you do don't pledge them. If you want a deeper texture think about wire brushing them along the grain. Another option if you do that is lime wax. All very nice finishes imo.

Yes, it has to be earthed as it has exposed metal parts.

The building regulations set only set the minimum standards for ventilation, and it's more-or-less accepted that those standards are fine for day-to-day living if the users use them properly. If the turn off the MVHR, don't change the filters, close off the trickle vents, don't open windows, etc, there will be a problem - and that's more likely in poorer households where people struggle to pay for heating. However a new house may or may not have a VOC problem, depending on the products chosen, particularly during the the first two to three years. I have seen a study on this but don't have the details. At the moment, in the UK, there's not even much awareness of the issue. France, in contrast, has had a mandatory labelling scheme for key construction and decorating products since 2013, linked to the levels of 10 key VOCs, plus the voluntary 'intAIRieur' auditing scheme for the indoor air quality of new housing. Since you have time for research, you may want to check out the Natureplus database (an Austrian initiative, so mainly Austrian / German products) and the USA Healthy Building Network and Healthy Materials Lab. Plus the work of the UK Green Building Council and Alliance for Sustainable Building Products.

Hello David, thanks for the reply and I am sorry I kind of ignored your response initially because I simply wanted the sum. I'm a little rusty on bldg regs these days and need to catch up, I still think in 1980s standards. The only constructive criticism I would add to your statement above is that "sick building syndrome" was a big topic in the past and the experts (CIBSE) state typical ventilation rates, for a dwelling, of one whole air change per hour to ensure the pollutants (including the ones less easy to sense and detect including perhaps: COVID 19) are diluted. So seeing fresh air rates, on this enthusiastic forum, of less than one I do find alarming. Yes you can live with it, but are they healthy? Building Regulations' minimum of around 0.43 air changes per hour, demonstrates the thinking has changed in recent decades but that is average. As we know you still need intermittent blast of fresh air for kitchens & utility rooms from a health requirement and WCs from the "wife" demands. These intermittent demand raise the average minimum. Your argument with the guys on here will go on I see, as you try to overturn the converts with what we in the industry call Life Cycle Costs of the different solutions to air control in buildings. One aspect I can add is that Green buildings are seldom a good investment in terms of investment appraisal, so the selling point of Green tends to be the benefits that are subjective or emotional. I have the opinion that unless fossil fuels incur carbon tariffs (methane is way too cheap and competitive) Green will always struggle in investment terms and will continue until we run out of gas/oil and for now it will be up to wonderful Greta & others to persuade us all to change. The main point is you cannot take one function of a building in isolation, you have add it all together and look at the whole answer in terms of costs over the life or the term you are going to need the building. The value (the later is what you are all arguing about) of these things will increase as more people get educated or informed but the infamous estate agent is a barrier to progress on that front. thanks for reading and forget the cost argument it never works.

A trusty warrior hoist 500kg to do all the lifting best 250 quid I ever spent

No worries. If it helps all good. Velox does have a tendency to warp slightly in wet weather can become a bit banana shaped which makes alignment a bit harder. So the slower the build the more the difficulty. Don’t get me wrong. Warts and all overall all said and done I do like it and wouldn’t say don’t use it. also had a few boards split through the centre during pour but noticed them and managed to brace them in time. You learn as as you go along and will make mistakes... trouble and strife shared can make it a smoother process for others. gables are difficult though and really do need lots of bracing. I tended to brace using 4x4s every 2 meters and sometimes less.... you can also insert additional timbers between the WSD boards and the bracing screw lock the walls plumb..... takes some trial and error to get it right

In these troubled and emotional times I wonder that you can cope on only one joint a night - me I need 2 whiskys these days, joints I don't do.

He gets me.

Would seem speedy compared to @Onoff's bathroom . . .

Wouldn't want to rush the joib.

I took it as a challenge to go solvent weld. I blame that Welsh fu.... ?

Ffs ! I’ll cut the bitch out !!! ?