epsilonGreedy

Follow up: Today was a rare day when actual progress exceeded plan. I had intended to disconnect the builder's supply standpipe, then use one of my fancy Plasson connectors to route mains water through 24m of blue MDPE already laid in the footing trenches and then reinstate the standpipe alongside the static caravan. Then I noticed the copper to MDPE standpipe connector looked similar in size to the copper plumbing bits below the caravan where currently a garden hose was rammed in place and clamped on with a jubilee clip. Net result is the garden hose has been retired along with associated health risks and proper blue MDPE pipe is connected direct to the static. The MDPE pipe Plasson connectors are pretty fool proof though it is easy to think the pipe is fully home when a bit more force and rotation of the pipe results in another clunk and the pipe moving a further 1cm into the connector. Re. my opening question, yes the internal mechanism does permit multiple connection attempts so no downside to having a trial run on a test section of pipe. I found it useful having a bucket of clean water next to the jointing operation to rinse off the components before assembly, I also found the screw on clamping collars are nice and chunky hence easy to torque up with direct hand power.

That would save a day or two of manual digging through the boundary hedge base back out to the road verge. Maybe I was too focused on not having any connector between the boundary meter and internal stopcock. The water pressure is good in the area so I hope the throttling caused by the connector pipe inserts will not adversely affect domestic water delivery which will probably include a combi boiler for hot water.

I have ratchet MDPE pipe cutters, the sharpness of the blade is almost evil and yes I have a bag of pipe inserts. Like the pen mark suggestion, I would not have though of that. I assume branded Polypipe lubricant as supplied for brown 110mm underground drainage pipes is chemically safe when applied to MDPE pipe plastic? Edit: I noticed the following advice in a manufacturer's doc Page 58: http://www.plasson.co.uk/images/Fittings/plassonuk/cms/Fittings and Accessories for PE Pipe 2014 Price Catalogue.pdf

Ah this could be a significant gotcha next year when the main house water supply goes live, thanks for the warning. I will have a look and take a photo of the meter coupling. Unfortunately the stand pipe is connected via a 2m section of pipe, it will need 5m to run from the boundary meter up to FFL.

I am coming around to the idea of using dpc roll, I had not looked at the price before and assumed it would be too expensive for a temporary measure. A quick ScrewFix search indicates dpc roll is a cheap option. There is no need for a cavity tray on my site but I wonder if 450mm dpc roll would be suitable on the inner block wall with the surplus 350mm lapped down the side of the block to meet the upstand of the damp membrane over the block & beam floor? One concern I have is whether dpc plastic is too thick for a 90 degree bend over the top edge of a block?

Not up to dpc yet. I have an enviro recommendation for an extra couple of courses of bricks below damp, i.e 300mm above ground level. Think the brickies will appreciate open trenches when the build continues.

I am hoping for a happy Swmbo. She got a flushing toilet in the static caravan for Christmas with an end-to-end continuously integrated disposal system (to borrow a few terms from software development), so I am off to a good start. Next year I hope to complete the garage which will deliver a proper office, temp utility room and storage. After that I will strive for a watertight shell of a house before the autumn rains arrive.

You have described my long term plan pretty closely. I am lucky that it is only 4 meters from boundary meter to front wall of the house and this will be an independent straight run without connectors to FFL. The temp caravan supply route is more complicated as follows: Boundary meter > 2m pipe to builders stand pipe > connector > 20 meters pipe > T connector (with 3m branch to shed and Swmbo's washing machine) > 2m pipe > T connector (with branch off to temp garage supply > 4m to under belly of static caravan. Think I will be ok with 25mm because the water pressure is so high, the static caravan is currently connected via a garden hose and even so Swmbo declared the newly commissioned shower via combi boiler to be the best in years. Our prior showers have been electric and another had poor pressure with a header tank in the attic to give some oomph to the hot water tank.

I laid my blue mains water pipe to the static caravan today and need to connect it up tomorrow which will involve a few joints with Plasson connectors. If I practice with these connectors first on a test section of pipe will they be less effective when reused on a permanent joint? My concern is that the plastic in the fittings will distort once tightened up and then be less effective (grip or seal) when used a second time.

(1) My footings blockwork which is two courses high at ground level has not progressed since September and before any real hard frost arrives in the new year I want to reduce the moisture levels by laying a temporary dpc roof about 350mm across the top of the cavity and blocks. (2) I want to restack about 400 blocks to tidy up the site and also sit the block stacks on a layer of membrane to prevent rising damp. (3) I have had a few trench floods from surface runoff during heavy rain. The trenches a now dry with help of a sump pump and some manually dug sumps within the footings oversite. So I now intend to create of water runoff deflection bund about 300mm high long a 20m length of the site boundary . The core of the bund will be a length of blocks with membrane overlapping these blocks and all buried under subsoil that is still onsite from the original foundation dig.

What is the thickest polythene waterproof membrane sheet generally available at BMs for a sensible price? Some sheet is described as nnnn grade others are quoted with a thickness. Some internet searching this morning leads me to this product as a best candidate: CAPITAL VALLEY DAMP-PROOF MEMBRANE 1200GA which works out as £0.66 per m2. https://www.screwfix.com/p/capital-valley-plastics-ltd-damp-proof-membrane-black-1200ga-4-x-15m/59191

Excellent pro level stuff and comprehensive, I sense the builder/producer has staying power with this video series endeavour. I get the impression he intends to appeal to a younger generation of self builders with his video production techniques but at the end of the day the substance is there even though I had to watch a couple of minutes of dash-cam footage as he drove the quarry to pick up his cavity-fill ballast. Perfect for a hands-on self builder like me, think I will become a regular viewer.

I am building on a small communal development with two other self builders and feel this is a big advantage particularly as one property is 9 months ahead of me. We have instant new friends, free advice and an effective shared security network.

I am particularly sensitive on this aspect of house design because my previous house of 15 years, developer built 2-story 1410 sq ft, was very short of space at the bottom of the stairs with only 2/3 of the distance from bottom step to front entrance wall. The extra 350mm in the OP's design seems like a useful improvement to me which I suppose demonstrates we view such design decisions relative to our own personal experiences. Whenever looking at a house design I go through a 4-step process: (1) Does the design encapsulate a life style objective that can be comprehended from the finished design? (2) Has the design competently achieved that objective? (3) Would I enjoy a 2 week holiday let experience in the property? (4) Would I want to own the property? Applying these criteria to the OP's design I reckon it scores well on points 1, 2 and 4. I agree and my own self build is probably weak on this point because the design is constrained by a conservation zone and I purchased the plot with detailed planning permission. Having said that there is bad aspirational design and successful grand designs with a wow factor. The difference between a successful and failed grand design is a £20k architects bill and had I splashed out £20k on an architect's redesign I would have to have forgone a roof or a garage.

I feel you are being unduly hash in your assessment of the design which could be explained by your current perspective of a much larger recent self build. Many DIY version-1 designs uploaded here for review are either strange or frankly sometimes awful, so your label "developer built house" does at least confirm the OP's design is competent. Given the requirement for a 2+1 house with occasional guests I think the design works very well for an 1900 sq ft home, though I would caution the OP in spending extra money trying to second guess the requirements of the market in a future resale. There is an historical trend towards smaller household sizes so I do not understand the focus on future subdivision of rooms. I do not find the house "too small" for the number of rooms. As shown the 1900 sq ft house is a 3 bedder with a downstairs study, so the average room size is larger than a mid sized developer 4 bed house. Mainstream developers start squeezing in 4 beds at 1200 sq ft and at 1700 sq ft a 4 bed house will be labelled "executive". The OP's design is absolutely at the sweat spot of modern living requirements with a very generous master bedroom suit, large contiguous family day area, cozy late evening sitting room, dedicated internet/homework/work at home station and a utility room. Leave 2/3 of the under stairs open plan and add some coat hooks. Agreed but it looks like a mislabeled study to me. Yes it is a weak point particularly @newhome's concern about disability regs. This is a good and often overlooked point but relative to the size of the house and market norms, the entrance design is acceptable (correction: having just looked again at the dimensions the hallway is generous and probably in the upper 90 perecentile of UK houses).

Would incorporating a breakfast cupboard help tidy up the main worktops? https://www.pinterest.com/pin/359232507770073269/

A SAP report is one click away on a RightMove property profile. I reckon the average house buyer is more sap aware than folks here believe.

Acquisition is the new R&D as they say in Silicon Valley.

You have a well drained site there in view of the time of year and recent rainfall.

@JSHarris I am trying to understand thermal mass. Which would be better for thermal mass: 100mm block+100mm insulation+100mm block+50mm insulation Or 100mm block+150mm insulation+100 block The above layered external to internal.

Local councils have powers to deal with this type of problem, I once reported the poorly installed staff carpark flood lighting at my local police station.

According to figures published in a self build magazine a few months ago, brick and block is still the preferred construction method for self build and absolutely dominates mainstream house building. Three brickies in a tatty transit van do not have a marketing budget unlike those promoting alternative manufactured brand-name build methods, hence the unbalanced impression given by magazines and trade shows.

I am also in a conservation zone and had a visit last week following a complaint about the static caravan that arrived on site in September. The building control inspector was apologetic and said they had to investigate complaints even though he reassured me there was no problem because I was obviously making progress as a hands-on self builder entitled to live on site. He took a few photos and said he would no doubt see me again when the next complaint made. We considered a 20ft container but thought that would be pushing our luck with a small plot in a central village location not far from an historic monument.

Yes. Think I confused @Nickfromwaleswith my non industry standard terminology.

If there are any tight country lanes then best have loppers and a saw to hand. I could pop up the road to assist if that would help?