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Showing content with the highest reputation on 06/25/21 in all areas

  1. I could not afford to buy oak so salvaged it from a big oak tree that fell down on my road, got a mate to slab the trunks and I turned the bigger branches into roof ties, my dad is a dab hand with an axe so the finish was very authentic.
    5 points
  2. In a word No. To victims and families of victims of asbestos related illness/fatalities I am sure they would say, hold on a minute, but having essentially been through accidental and chosen, risk managed exposure (with PPE) I have done a lot of research into this and founded my own ideas. There are various types of asbestos, blue, brown and white in order of danger, blue being the most deadly due to the smallest fibre size. Most asbestos containing materials (ACM's) found in houses will be white, from floor coverings to corrugated cement boards and almost certainly the stuff you had in your house. Most ACM's like flooring, adhesive and roof sheeting have the 5-12% of asbestos bound into them - so even when cut the fibres are bound up by bitumen or cement etc. making them bigger and heavier therefore they sink, don't float in the air as much - especially outside, and due to their size don't find the same way into your lungs. The boards used on roofing and for soffits and what not was often cut by installers with a hand saw with not so much as a paper mask, generally done outside this work thus concentrations of the dust was low and quickly carried away. There is good evidence to suggest many of these guys are still about to tell the tale how they used to cut it. White ACM's are also the only ACM that non-trained personnel and DIYers may remove under the HSE guidelines. Until not that long ago it was acceptable to dump old cement asbestos sheet material onto farm lanes and tracks to fill in potholes and could be buried on farms - the place was awash with the stuff being ground up into smaller and smaller pieces over the years - there was not a documented increase in agricultural workers with asbestos related illness. White asbestos is one of the only asbestos types that can actually be cleared from the lungs. One of the highest rates of asbestos related disease from white asbestos is actually school teachers and hospital workers due to the fact these buildings were filled with the stuff - not those who worked with it strangely. I think I would worry if I had had long term exposure to the stuff, I have removed a garage roof with full PPE and sort of accidentally cut through floor boards with a circular saw which was covered in bitumen adhesive and bits of old vinyl flooring, I do suspect they were ACM's - I didn't really consider this when I started this job - it was a bit of a worry but I had to move on a hope that my hopefully one off maybe high exposure will be OK. The benefit here is the bitumen and vinyl sticks to the asbestos, much like cement in cement board and doesn't actually just instantly release clouds into the air. I didn't read a few websites for my research, I downloaded medical journals and HSE reports and guides and spoke to Asbestos removal experts and read risk assessments and managed to speak with loads of old timer tradesmen from yesteryear to form an educated summary of just how bad is this stuff. Something else to bear in mind is that ACM's are sitting in gardens and farms across the land, old 50-60 year old sheets deteriorating away, rain washes the dust into the ground, it dries up and blows about - there is asbestos in the air all the time I do not intend ever to deal with ACM's again - I think my couple of instances of contact will be OK and I think yours is even better. What way was the wind blowing? Or even was it blowing at all? Any air movement and unless it was a prolonged release of fibre being gently blown towards you, then chances are you are fine. Even a breeze towards you would arguably have carried the fibres off so quickly due to their very low mass that you never even got a change to breath them in! Don't worry.
    5 points
  3. cement based asbestos is low risk anyway, its very likely that the dust you saw was just dust and not actually from the sheet. They are incredibly hard to break and when they do they don't make much dust, you would have to take to it with an angle grinder to get any proper dust.
    2 points
  4. Given that they are for cosmetic purposes, I would say it all adds to the character of the beam. We too have a couple of oak beams which are simply cosmetic and we chose to have them "shaved" / "have the edges rounded off" in places, to reduce the "squareness" of their appearance, if that makes sense. A couple of images might help in understanding what it is I am trying to say!
    2 points
  5. It's not taking any load. Will be supported each end as a cosmetic ceiling beam. I'll fit it with the bow up / ends lower
    2 points
  6. Our VAT clam was submitted in February this year. Today a big fat envelope arrived in the post with all my receipts returned and a covering letter telling me the claim has been approved in full with no deductions or contested receipts and payment will be made by BACS within 20 days. So that's a little under 6 months All very handy as our 0% credit cards are due in a couple of months so we will now have the funds to clear them and not need to find somewhere else to roll them over.
    2 points
  7. Hi Just joined up after recommendation from another self builder. We've got planning for a house in Wiltshire for us to downsize into. This will be 4th new build, the last one 20 years ago - after which I swore I'd never do another one !
    1 point
  8. Thanks everyone, all good advice and thanks also for the support. Don’t know what I would do without this forum. Often feel alone with this, particularly as the only other people I know who are building at the moment are some friends of ours who went with a building company that were way over our budget and an architect and project management package that cost £40k, so they are having, they tell me, a very stress free experience. I stopped taking the neighbours calls a while back. They are horrible people. They are the neighbours that put in vehement objections to our plans at every opportunity. They are both retired and don’t need to work, but young enough to get out and about. And yes, I will have to just ignore family for the time being. We are going to bake some muffins and take them round to the builder and his guys. It’s been a couple of months since I’ve taken them any snacks and tea bags, so feel bad. Although they have converted my son’s future bedroom into a canteen/site office, with its own sink and boilling water dispenser, so I feel they’ve made themselves at home.
    1 point
  9. With gas, just get one and try it. If i had spent 600 quid on a new gun I might treat it to Paslode nails and gas. I paid 150 second hand on ebay for my gun so after 4-5 boxes it will have paid back the cost of the gun.
    1 point
  10. I think this answers your question. local parish councils don't have any real powers when it comes to planning as far as I know. they can 'make suggestions' to the planning department on applications but don't have much more of a say. our local parish council said that 'flat roofs were against the parish council policy', the council planning department still approved our application that has 2 x flat roofs!
    1 point
  11. The idea of a vcl(I think) Is to prevent any moisture created inside the house getting trapped inside the building fabric and potentiality causing problems. it would be normal to have the vcl all the way from the ground floor up and linked into the ceiling vcl. But I am unsure how it works when your insulation is on the outside but I am sure someone will know ! I guess e question would be how breathable will the actual wall build up be from the inside and will it actually perform as predicted as it can only breath into the house. Paint plasterboard cork insulation block work external insulation something else ! It’s all above my pay grade but I think you need to have a clear understanding of how the wall will perform when you have two layers of insulation sandwiching a block work wall in. Maybe you can use the cork but then stick a vcl up behind the plaster board…. It costs very little and should be easy. But then if you have a vcl would this not prevent off gassing from 25mm of calotex which would be cheaper and easier to instal maybe…. sorry not much help but maybe some questions to follow up.
    1 point
  12. More progress! Really pleased with the brick choice and decision to go with a raked out mortar joint, hopefully mortar will dry light grey. Rooms looking a good size now walls are up. instagram photo download chrome
    1 point
  13. that's exactly what we found ?
    1 point
  14. The registers are simply a way of assessing demand for plots - no LPA is going to allocate a plot afaik. What they do with the info is to run it into their 5 yearly planning policy exercises where they create or revise their Local Plans - Local Plans should have enough land allocated to meet projected demand. LPAs don't put land forward, land owners do and it's registered in the SHLAA strategic land availability something or other. When it comes to the Local Plan 5 yearly revisions, LPAs should use this as the source of land for allocation but of course it's a free for all when the Local Plan is being updated... He who shouts loudest, has friends in the right places etc. So if you are holding your breath waiting for a plot allocation from the LPA stop now! You could look at your Local Plan and see if there are any land allocations for self build and then you'd have to approach the land owner/agent but in all likelihood all of the plots will have gone almost as soon as the plan is adopted or even before. A more productive way maybe of finding a plot in the local area is to drive round areas you like looking for badly maintained bungalows (the owners may be on their last legs) and keep an eye out for them coming on the market. It would likely be a (nearly) demolish and build of course. It's also worth putting a nicely worded letter through these doors to say you are a couple looking for a new home in the area and see the property has lots of potential etc. etc. And keep doing the lottery - one line a week - you never know!! And GOOD LUCK!! Simon
    1 point
  15. Just frustrating weather for June. completion date probably more like January now
    1 point
  16. Scroll down here to "diagonal rafter bracing" and the diagrams.. https://nhbc-standards.co.uk/7-roofs/7-2-pitched-roofs/7-2-9-bracing-for-trussed-rafter-roofs/ and little bit about long braces in here from 11:36..
    1 point
  17. Word of advice, if you can relax a bit and just accept Christmas, you and those around you will have a better life. I don't know if your target date is driven by you and your families own expectations and eagerness to get in or if there is a financial implication or maybe current living situation implication. I used to set targets and dates for completion stages all the time, until my wife asked me what would happen if we were not done by date X. We were on holiday when she asked me this and I had a clear head, I thought for a bit, but I must have looked rather perplexed to her because I had no answer. Nothing would happen, I'd have just failed to meet my target date. We came back from holiday with a new date, it came and went, I didn't care. It will be what it will be. I now even have some weekends off from working on "the site". We are actually nearly done, our gravel arrived today for the newly landscaped bits, so did our fence timber. Maybe I should say completion date is the 27th of June... or maybe not, who cares. It will get done. I got my completion certificate yesterday so technically I am done, but you are never done with a property until you sell it!
    1 point
  18. Battens won't give you the sane stability as diagonal or diaphragm bracing
    1 point
  19. I agree, i leave my electric mats on 24/7 in the bathroom - use virtually nothing power wise and the cat loves the warm floor
    1 point
  20. We looked for seven years for ours 12 months looking for our second Then two plots and a field fell in to my lap
    1 point
  21. The electric mats are low wattage and not a nightmare to run I understand - I went for this in the end even though I had spare ways on the GF UFH manifold. In any event, the spreader plates are not that effective through a timber floor so having a mat under the tiles makes sense really.
    1 point
  22. Glory work at last! Not a favourite job for anyone.
    1 point
  23. This is this case for sure. You must look closely at who writes some of these articles. If I was an ACM removal specialist I know what would be in my website blog! Every story has 2 sides. Everything out there is rigged to lead people down one train of thought. I called out 3 ACM business to quote me to remove my garage roof, I got a great quote, £300 - I had the cash in my wallet to go for it, but didn't trust them not to rip it up, spray broken sheets all over my garden, maybe grind the heads off bolts. At that money they were also surely going to dump it. Next guys were £1200 - I told them that was steep, how much were they factoring for ACM disposal to which he said £800 - I told him he was being ripped off because I had 3 quotes for disposal, 1 from a place I had to take it myself wrapped up £160 - and £350 for a small ACM skip and the worst quote was about £700. He didn't like that I knew the costs. 3rd was a joke at nearly £3K. Mention ACM's and people get greedy. I can think of more dangerous and hazardous jobs that cost less.
    1 point
  24. When we applied for PP back in 2005 there was more than one "file" on a site. In our case there were at least three. There was the online data, a public paper file you could ask to see, and the planners own files which were a grey area. First time I went to the planning office I was able to see the public paper file just by asking to see it. Receptionist just went and got it and I was able to use their photocopier. Second time I tried to see a public paper file it was a pain. Visitors were no longer allowed into the planning office and I had to make an appointment to see it in the "visitors centre" where there were no facilities. Still it was interesting because there was stuff in the file that wasn't on the online database. Mostly letters to/from the previous owner. Later when we needed to hire a planning consultant it turned out he had been involved with the plot before. He had a letter from the planners that was very helpful to us and wasn't in either of the public files. When I showed it to the planning officer he asked where I had got it from and then went to get his boss. They rolled over pretty soon after that. How much of this "selective publication" still goes on I don't know .
    1 point
  25. Spiral is better for heat transfer overall and less hot spots
    1 point
  26. One way of looking at this that nobody has mentioned is to compare current situation with buying a ready built house. Round us people are struggling to find houses to buy and prices have gone through the roof. If buying a plot right now, I'd count my blessings that I've got a plot and relax in the knowledge that unless I'm massively flush with cash to speed through the whole process, things will be clearer once I've got planning and design sorted out, let alone got all the builder quotes in. But then I've done all of it myself so it's taken a rather long time, but as @nod said, it is self-build!
    1 point
  27. Many thanks for taking time to write such a detailed response, really is appreciated as been really quite worried over it and more I read and responses on here then am being much re-assured that this accidental short exposure happens a lot and is was as lethal as touted in some resources then many diy'ers would be dropping down of asbestos related disease. Thanks again, really is excellent forum, Lawrence
    1 point
  28. Slab laid, 120 slump, though the gw was complaining it was going off too quickly
    1 point
  29. Thanks for such quick reply, good advice on the worrying although the clothes thing does worry me as stupidly stayed in the same clothes right through the kids bedtime, I had been outside a lot during the day (not near the building) so hoping stuff would have blown away, been googling a lot and does seem a lot of people make mistakes and guess if lethal from a short exposure any more people would be going down with asbestos related illness. Many thanks, Lawrence
    1 point
  30. Sadly this would have been good to discuss before the planning application and I am sure we all would have advised against describing it as derelict or disused.
    1 point
  31. Just in case anyone finds this thread and is thinking of door sizes in general, here's a link to loads of diagrams about door sizes .... I found the charts helpful to explain why I'd made the rough openings the wrong size. Nuvver lesson learned. ? Its Friday. Be Happy.
    1 point
  32. Ah sorry class q can't be used in an AONB.
    1 point
  33. Whats the building been used for? Any chance it was in agricultural use prior to 2013 and not used for storage by the utility co? Eg did they rent it out to a farmer or ? I'm just wondering if its in good enough condition to qualify for class Q.. https://www.newbritishdesign.com/post/a-guide-to-class-q-barn-conversions-to-create-your-new-house-in-the-countryside
    1 point
  34. Yes, there's lots to consider isn't there? I knew about visibility splays but didn't understand the theory behind it so it's been very useful to learn about it. M ?
    1 point
  35. Could obscuring glass satisfy the planner? What rooms having windows facing you parents? You could fit standard windows with stick on obscuring film and then find it doesn't last very long.
    1 point
  36. I did not know about this splay, had seen a place with buildings and planning supposedly, but the entrance-exit is right on a bend and other possible was also quite awkward. Another pitfall to bear in mind, thank you.
    1 point
  37. Ordered the lights.
    1 point
  38. reasonable to whom ..? You’re not a construction expert, he is. You have a legal background, he doesn’t. What is reasonable to the man on the top deck of the No38 Clapham Ombibus ..?? Interesting discussion in court where a judge would decide if you had created an unfair contract term and awarded against you on that basis. In truth, an LDs clause is only useful when you’ve got legal judgement and agreement for full and material breach of contract, and tbh that would be long in the future so isn’t it better to sit down over a cuppa and a pack of chocolate hobnobs and talk it through ..?
    1 point
  39. Here is mine mate if it is of any use to you mate.
    1 point
  40. Diaphragm bracing can work well if insulating between rafters. You usually lose an inch of head height if diagonal bracing
    1 point
  41. IMHO if you mention or threaten "liquidated damages clause" you might never finish your house
    1 point
  42. The general rule with basements is the smaller they are, the more they cost /m2 as there are fixed costs to consider and economies of scale. So this could end up being a very expensive space to build, adding very little value to your house and potentially becoming something of a logistical challenge to get kit in there, service it etc. Remember that a UVC will need means to vent hot water externally, ours has an outflow pipe next to the external door but was a proper head scratcher for a while.
    1 point
  43. Caveat preemptor - @nod is unique in achieving such low figures. Being in the trade, owning your own business and doing nearly everything yourself puts you in a unique position. I wish people would add context when posting figures on here. The unwitting, lay person will see such posts and potentially misjudge costings for their own potential build. There are very few who achieve figures of £1000/m2 and below. Very few. I would suggest that the average tends to sit between £1300 - £1800 per m2 and that is heavily dependent upon standard of finish and the amount of work you take on yourself. You will also find that people on here report their figures very differently, some may include everything such as legal costs, landscaping etc. etc., whilst others will not. Take the figures you see on here with a healthy dose of salt and question what they have included, else you may gain a false impression. The number I mention above is pre Covid madness, God only knows what the average is now. I daresay it is a fair chunk more.
    1 point
  44. Is it a new build? If so, then including the garage in the planning with get you the VAT back. Building it as PD will require you to pay the VAT. I'd go option 3, amend the existing planning, and carry on building what you currently have planning for, only starting the garage if they pass your amended plans. Yes, if they refuse planning on the garage, you can go the PD route - assuming no conditions on the planning that remove PD.
    1 point
  45. The same neighbour wrote on 2 pages how he objects to our house becoming larger because there would be shortage of smaller less expensive houses in the area for the families to buy. his own property is twice the size/height and value! So whatever we do to increase ours to create more space for ourselves - he will be against by the look of his lengthy objection essay. Hard to imagine how to get such character on board - more and more inclined to be working with a more reasonable appeal officer who unlike our LA planner will actually visit the site to see how our proposal can make things better and not worse. the comments here are clarifying so many things for me, it's great, want to hug everyone ?
    1 point
  46. That's only for alloys known as 'weathering steels'; in appropriate conditions the rust develops into a protective patina. It needs to be used carefully - particular attention to water shedding details and corrosion losses built into the thickness of the steel. It's a pig to weld, too. But agree on the post - surface discolouring isn't serious and once encapsulated, shouldn't corrode any more.
    1 point
  47. Agree. Picture above looks fine to me - just surface rust, and that will eventually form a protective layer that will stop any further penetration unless it's really exposed to the elements or you're right on the coast & getting salt spray
    1 point
  48. If steel is encased it doesnt need anything (think of rebar inside concrete). If its exposed then it can be either coated or not. Most new bridges are now left unpainted because it has been found that the rust layer protects better than deteriorating paint.
    1 point
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