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Don't mean to sound defensive, but just in case anyone thought my misfortune and crazy long timescale was due to not spending money on professional advice, i totted up what i have spend on professionals: architectural fees: £26k planning consultant £5k SE £4.7k RICS Surveyor £1.2K But I agree that none of these professionals did a good job in advising me of the length of project i was undertaking.

You are right. But, at the time the house was designed, the idea that Debbie could come home to an empty house, and switch a light on (and off) in every room from one 5 Amp master switch by the main door put a smile on her face. And made her feel more secure about coming home when no other family member is home. That made whatever minor inconvenience a 5 Amp circuit causes in a new build simply irrelevant. The financial saving is irrelevant too.

Hi all, thank you for messaging on this and providing some feedback. It’s been very helpful. Over the last few days I’ve spoken with over 6 other companies and they have all said that anything over 6m will require a join. The company that I brought the doors off have now filled in the gap with black silicone. So now although I can see a line, it looks ok.

Well our builder was a crook and we lost a lot of money. Happened just at first lockdown. Luckily enough that meant working from home for 18months so de camped to the site and built it myself and skived work as much as possible. Doing video calls whilst in a building with no roof in the rain.... Said wifi was too slow so did voice only lol. 2years on and next week we are getting BC in for final sign off. Looking back, I now know the original quote was miles too low, if we had paid a proper builder it would have cost a lot more than we have spent even allowing for the money we lost from the original crook. Oh and we were renting locally, they decided to sell and wanted it empty so we moved into the house in Oct 2020 with no heating, no internal walls, no plasterboard, temp stairs, temp electrics and a site toilet.... Didn't even have any cladding on the outside, so it looked like a giant purple quality street with the vapour wrap on. That was a Grim winter huddled around a couple of electric radiators. But, and for us this was critical, we never fell out of love with the site. 2 acres of woodland, our house in the middle and a 10 min walk to the centre of looe and the beach. Oh, and access is via a very narrow and steep road, I can just, and I mean just, squeeze my Toyota hilux onto site. So everything had to be brought in on that. I will never forget putting in 240 sheets of 18mm OSB on my own. And plasterboard, my god the fireproof stuff is heavy for 1 person. 140mm woodfibre external insulation, also bloody heavy. Never had any scaffolding on site, as I was on my own I worked of a decorators platform, dodgy as hell but never fell off! Never had any skips, cant get em on site lol. And as of last week told work I am taking early retirement at the end of this year. I can afford it, just. Retiring poor, but just affordable. Going to enjoy the building and location this summer for the first time, all worth it! I can certainly say, without this site I wouldnt have known half the stuff I do now and sharing pain is great ?

My workshop is similar in size and no steels just standard roof trusses and metal roof.

900mm from ffl

Decent 1-8 Wilo Yonos for those needing the more powerful circulators is reduced in BES this week - less than £130 https://www.bes.co.uk/wilo-yonos-pico-25-1-8-central-heating-pump-21903/

Thank you everyone for the comments and replies. I've decided to go off grid with a solar/battery powered gate and 4G intercom/camera. Thanks again !

Looks OK to me.

My builder and I went with no2, hangers into the wall, parged over before fitting, we had a good AT result.

Found a tiler that has installed this inside and outside in 3mm thickness - very pleased with it and highly recommends it. So with that I guess I'll get my pricing and hopefully get this going. Will update in case anyone else takes a shine to 3m tiles ?

I also have a single skin (rendered) garage/workshop on a slab with no damp problems!!!

This is not strictly correct. I have a block garage on a 10" slab and have had no issues with damp. I ensured that the ground levels around the slab are lower with no build up, and I took the render down to a bellcast bead just a smidge above the slab, I caught the DPC and pinned it up, just caught it and no more, I used a 2 coat silicone system which you can spray with a hose all day long and you never see damp coming through the mortar joints of the garage (which is always the first to let water migrate through). From ground level up to below the ballcast I used a smooth cement render with waterproof additive which I then painted with water-proofer a year on and after weeks of dry weather. FGL is about 6" lower than the slab, except at the front door. Garage is so dry that even when using my nailgun to build things the exhaust port air is enough to kick up all the floor dust even after the 2 weeks of solid rain we had up until the weekend. I also laid my slab on a DPC, which you said you have done too, so where is the damp issue?

Mortar will not adhere to steel. you could take a membrane down the bottom part of wall and over slab edge, then render over. single skin roof sheets will form condensation whether solid of skylights. too many variables here to give meaningful answers, maybe you need to sort out your build method etc. First and then we can assist with details if you cannot find anything by searching past posts

If the DPM under the slab extends up the sides of the slab you can lap it with the DPC for the blockwork, although you may need to some additional paint or stick on membrane if the 2 would not otherwise meet. Rendered single skin block is fine for a garage. You will need some internal piers as the walls are quite long. If you have a metal roof you can get panels sandwiched with foam insulation, which prevents condensation forming and dripping down.

For those with smart meters, register them with loop - it will show the 'phantom load' and simulate the impact of solar and battery.

It is used extensively in huge projects such as motorways and estates. However it only works if it reaches another layer that can accept all the water and so this is getting technical and expensive. Also, they fill with muck and need the gravel replaced every few years. And there are strict rules to avoid the localised water flow causing sink holes. So not for a little job unless you happen to know that there is a layer of porous ground, not far beneath the non-porous surface.

I think he means the steel building cladding would extend over the slab and take water down past it, where a block build without a outer leaf rebate (can’t remember the proper name for the step) will allow water to creep under the DPM and into the garage.

Just drop in a service void at the ridge. 200mm should be more than enough. Run the ducts along the ridge and then down a service cavity to the manifold. This is ours. Still have 3.4m ceilings. We had to have one anyway to cover over the ridge beam.

Or use coanda effect supply valves to throw the air across the room. The air follows the ceiling for about 4 to 6m, then descends and comes back across the room and out the door.

Could you make the internal walls a bit deeper to accommodate the ducting and vents? The supply vents tend to be located at the opposite end to the doorways.

Hello, Not sure if this is the correct section for an intro. Have been looking at ideas and inspiration for a bungalow dormer I'm doing and this forum seemed like such a valuable place that I had to join. Everyone seems absolutely brilliant and very helpful so a great thank to everyone for sharing their individual and collective skills to help expand our knowledge. I have actually forgotten the question that I had to ask ?. Thank you for taking the time to read my introduction.

Same age as the rest of us then. .... Welcome

Or use double sided tape to hold in place.

this is exactly what I am planning to do this week! :-) I don't see why not. when I do it this week I'll report back and let you know.

What’s wrong with 5A lamp sockets? We have about 5 of them and I’m excited to use them when this nightmare eventually ends.

You own the survey and it is confidential and you should keep it that way unless it acts as a lever to reduce the price. If the sellers get wind that it's all OK, they may change their mind on price or purchaser.

Exactly right. But once not long past the point of no return (Outline PP awarded) , every little thing we do to fulfil our dream means increased commitment. Then one day you realise you're trapped. Welcome to Higher Highs, Lower Lows. A test of mettle. Backs to the wall, we all fight harder.

I’ve been a carpenter/builder my whole life and this has been hard, living in a caravan has been hell. It’s demoralising to wake up, Graft all day, then go back to the caravan without leaving site for days on end. Still- I’m ploughing through it. would I do it again? Not a chance! I won’t go back to building because simply I can’t be arsed with all the paperwork and stress- and I’m not fussed about making money. what I wouldn’t mind is building other peoples ‘self builds’- Labour only and site management. The passiv side of it has been fascinating.

We're more of a 'damn I wish I knew then what I know now'. We'd handle things very differently from the start if we did it again. With the current build there's lots that we could have done better. But at our time of life, we're not starting another one..... Simon

You owe me beer.

Oh . I thought they were one and the same ?

Welcome ! I did see a few end up on GBF and Camelot (??) but lots of the ex-Nav lot seem to have vanished off the grid if you pardon the pun …

Morning Harry. Only just read this thread. So how long have you had the planning officer boarded up inside the place. Did you supply them with food and water ? Hope you got on ok fella.

I doubt it will be enforced. Not that long ago i had Two air tests on Two new houses. When the guy turned up (same fella that the developer always uses) he asked me what i wanted the result to be. !!!!!! He then smiled, and said " I can make the result say whatever i want". Same with a Saps test. I used a guy recommended by the same developer for an extension at my daughters with lots of glass. When i rang him he said "No i don't want you to send me anything. Just tell me what result you want"