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I like this approach, was a very enjoyable (long) part of my build. Last shot before Cedar cladding fixed.

Hi Again ! So we now have planning on this... Sailed through with no objections and very few conditions. Currently working with an Architectural Designer and SE to get the construction details correct for Building Regs submission and finance costing approval. Still looking at £1-1.2k per m2 as a cost guide. Mostly self built with some trades (e.g zinc roofing) We're leaning toward leaving the current slab totally undisturbed and dropping an insulated raft foundation on top. Tying this to the icf walls and topping off with a cut/SIP's roof. The roof is probably our main discussion point at present as we're torn between scissor trusses along the length of the building or just a plain open vault. Also much discussion about the support required for the structural openings...SE wants to do Steel (understandable), I like Amdeck or similar. Decisions.....Decisions.... Lots of aspects need to be clarified such as how to bring services and waste pipework up though the raft foundation when we're sat on a concrete slab as opposed to traditional earth/subase. I think we may have to channel out the slab just for these, as we don't seem able to maintain falls if we place it within the Raft foundation EPS. Happy days ! Crosslands Farm 040624 redacted .pdf

I’d like to offer help to anyone who needs help doing drawings or designing their home or extension. I'm a Registered Architect with some time on my hands. I use my iPad and an app called Concepts to draw and have already helped out a few Forum members.

Hi We are demolishing a prefab bungalow to build a new house on the plot. The plot is roughly flat, but sits below the height of the road, we have been asked to get a topographic survey to make sure that all the levels are OK. The bungalow is still in situ but I was wondering whether it is possible to do a topographic survey before demolition, which is likely to be January 2025 so that we can push ahead with our building control plans as soon as we have Planning Approval? The existing bungalow and the new house will overlap in footprint by about 8 metres. Thanks

I’ve been waiting weeks to get the garden turned and field where I buried the spoil from the house Hopefully we can get it pyrowd today and seeded tomorrow Weather permitting

Yes it is asbestos, I didn't mention it to avoid the thread careering off track Someone is coming in next week to remove it.

Thanks for the knowledge - appreciated I’ll add it to the cat sanctuary charity donation I make every year instead of sending Xmas cards to people I know. Always feels like a much nicer thing to do at Xmas

oh no problem @joe90 we all are busy with life I’m still a smidge concerned about the weight even with I-Joists (which are 1/3 of the weight of timber equivalents) but I’ve been up in the loft today and noticed part of the loft already boarded is actually double boarded - I obviously didn’t trust what was already there and boarded over the top!!!!!) I reckon some of the boards I won’t be able to use so I’ll not go right to the edges My delivery of ventilation gap things arrived today to stop the loft insulation going into the eaves and stopping air circulation - should also stop air washing thro the insulation too…. Like most moulded components I’ve seen better quality but for £1.96 each and I needed 32 it’ll stop me worrying about ventilation issues. only thing I will need to buy is the loft insulation rolls so currently investigating options and pricing for that. just need the weather to turn a little - currently it’s 30 deg in the loft (south facing roof with concrete tiles that do seem to absorb a lot of the sunlight and cook up the loft)

I’ve really sympathy for the farmers We are on a nice quiet country road man’s it’s like Grand Prix for tractors when the sun comes out

Both Block and landscaping plans have North indicators. It's just this elevations and layout drawing that had the wrong labels.

Looks like a tidy job.

I would be careful just fitting a 2 port valve and thermostat as the original functionality of the system is lost a d you then zero means to protect the floor from excessive temperature. Is the grey cone bit just a tamper proof cover, fitted instead of the thermostat knob? Instructions attached AI000086447883en-US0201.pdf

A 2 port motorised valve and a room thermostat wired or wireless, but you will need a power supply to that area for it.

@Mulberry View, you have my sympathies. I have also been very cautious with the use of contractors. Unfortunately unless you watch them like a hawk and actually know how to do the job yourself, it is always fraught. My wife and I joke that this is our perfectly, imperfect house. I only recently realised that the contractor that installed our ground floor UFH, only fitted 75% of the designed piping. This throws off all my heat loss calcs and means the ASHP will have to run at a higher temp. Unfortunately the damage was done a long time ago and there is nothing that can rectify it. I’m sure we will survive. Good luck getting a decent resolution.

The topo people normally do something sensible, but add anything you think might impact planning or building. It's annoying to go 'I wish they had measured xxx while they were there', but you will undoubtably forget something, so don't sweat it. (for planning) + Ridge, eves, position of neighbouring buildings + Location, heights of existing building, driveway, access, gates, paths, outbuildings (for building) + Positions of services, drainage runs, manholes, inspection hatches, invert levels, ditches, culverts, meters, position & height of poles and track of overhead lines + Size, position, spread of trees + Geo features - ponds, fences, boreholes, wells, hedges, ridges etc

Well I’ve sat and thought about it for a few days and the price of I-Joists seemed to only make it viable for the centre section (so I’d end up removing quite a lot of boards) then I came across an advert for some 2840 mm by 240mm I-joists thar were surplus to requirements so I’ve bought 25 of them for £237 which seemed like a bit of a bargain I can do pretty much most of the loft area that is already boarded and maybe a couple of crawl walkways to enable me to get into the two smaller loft areas for access to wiring/poe cabling for cctv cameras which is pretty much in every corner of the house (downside of being burgled is a tendency to go way over the top with security cameras)

That's what I've been telling my wife when she asks why the glazing isn't happening 👍 😂