epsilonGreedy

You would get offers of £15,000 for the yacht or crew on a trial run to Weymouth. However would also be told that with the right approach sailing to the Azores is an achievable objective. In contrast this place is quite hostile to the genuine aspiring hands-on self builder. I blame the boomer wealth bubble that has distorted the UK economy. The self build industry has structured its operations around the assumption that a self builder is a cash rich retiree who will commission a self build via a limited range of options. Although @JSHarris cannot find the thread, very early on I was strongly advised here not to get involved with real hand-on self building, cleaning the site portaloo was a suggestion given. When I said my foundation plan was "dig & discover", the cynical reply here was ha ha what could possible go wrong with that. I have received more positive feedback from a lady who walked past my site the other say and stopped for a chat. I thought we would talk about the weather, but no it turned out she had self built 38 years ago and even hand dug her foundation trenches with her husband. Where have the real UK self builders gone?

The only discussions about cement mixer safety I can find on this forum were initiated or provoked by me. I had positive responses to my first blog entries, you seem to be on a personal jihad to find fault with my posts. You even resorted to trying to dispute the term Small Claims Court.

This is a bit of a distortion of the thread dialogue. I had been asked to cut a few blocks and quickly concluded I was doing something very dangerous. I came to the forum seeking a completely different solution for cutting blocks. You kindly offered guidance on how to cut blocks safely with a petrol powered cutter using a wooden pallet as a platform. To be honest I am not sure your technique enhances safety because of the complexity of the setup or maybe I misinterpreted your advice. The two dangers I see are (1) mis guiding the tool toward part of the body and (2) loosing one's footing and tumbling while using a dangerous cutter. Leaning over a pallet would seem to compromise the basics of establishing a stable footing.

I came here with a specific question whether a 1000w suitcase generator could power a mid sized electric mixer. No one had a clear answer at the time. Months later I provided an answer as a follow up which is usually considered to be good community practice. You read something that alarmed you, with good reason, but in a rush to ridicule you failed to convey your main point clearly. I had to read your post a few times before guessing you were raising an issue about mechanical care and I think personal safety as well.

A new regulation introduced this year mandates a minimum energy performance rating of band E or better for rental properties. There is some debate about the scope of the new legislation both in terms of the type of tenancy covered and difficult to insulate properties in conservation areas.

Ofcourse it was condescending. It was such a self indulgent exercise in condensation only those already expert in cement mixer operation would have deduced the underlying motivation for his post i.e. not to restart a loaded mixer because of safety and mechanical concerns. These points are now clearly stated in the public domain because of my follow ups. You should be thanking me.

I like the lateral thinking. Yes. A workshop & store room situated over the suspended floor with void below then another larger single parking space for a car on a ground bearing slab. I expect the slab to be lower than the suspended floor which might mean the heights are wrong to implement your idea. My takeway from this thread is that a single wall of airbricks is wrong even for a small void 16ft x 8ft. I will sketch something and run it past my AT and BC guys.

When I started a thread here specifically about cement mixer health & safety where were you?

After clocking up a month of mixer experience I can see the wisdom in this advice. I would never poke inside a turning mixer to dislodge something stuck to the drum but I sometimes stop the mixer to scrape off a static scumline of unmixed cement or sand at the edge of the churning mix. I doubt this scumline would form with a pristine clean drum.

Noted. I will be more cautious near the beast particularly as the weather cools and I will be wearing more clothing.

I was not advocating hand assisted starting of a loaded drum, I was highlighting where the limited oomph of a small generator becomes apparent. I also said that setting such a generator to fast idle, (the hare icon) on a Honda, overcomes this limitation.

Avoid being the key word. I was warning that when starting a loaded mixer a small generator will struggle unless switched to fast idle mode.

I will try to do that but it is a juggling act to maintain a desired gradient and regulation distance to other buildings.

You should send your complaint to the manufacturers of storm crates who see the need to offer a range of different weight bearing ratings. How many domestic drives can support a fully laden 44 ton HGV without risk of damage? Anyhow it could be useful for a new self builder to have some idea of delivery weights if only to plan ahead for laying down hardcore on a green site or knowing when best to finish the drive capping.

So will I once mains power arrives on site, much the preferred option. When starting this thread 4 months ago I did not know whether I would need to buy a new generator.

At least 28% of your post was useful. Not sure why you felt the need to be so condescending. Various pro's visiting my site have been genuinely intrigued to see a small suitcase 1000w generator driving a mixer, in my part of the world they use larger noisier frame generators.

Follow up: A 1000w suitcase generator has no problem driving my industry standard Belle 150l (orange) electric mixer. Edit: For the health & safety agent provocateurs. Original = When restarting with a fully loaded drum it is best to either switch the generator to fast idle or leave it in quiet mode and use muscle power to help the first 10 degrees or rotation. Update = Should you ever have to restart a loaded drum such as when your brickies take lunch early due to the oppressive 32 degree heat and 30 mins later you have to "liven up the gobbo", then a small generator should be switched to fast idle mode to help it deliver the higher initial load. The neighbours probably appreciate the quiet generator if I am working late in the day.

A 20 foot steel storage container is a biggie for the list, just 2.5 tons but needs a crane.

Forgot this: Static caravan sale collection at the end of the build. Not a heavy item and it would be possible to pull one across the site with a tractor to an HGV trailer waiting on a public road. More of an access turning issue, so delay entrance gateposts prior to dispatch.

Another post got me thinking about the point in my build where no more HGV vehicles need to drive onto the plot and it would be safe to install an underground water drainage soakaway tank formed from plastic storage crates. Here is my league table of typical material delivery weights per wagon in descending order: Foundation Concrete. Bricks and blocks. Driveway hardcore. Tiles. Suspended ground floor concrete beams. Floor screed. Roof trusses. Glazed windows. Plasterboard. Patio flag stones. Fitted kitchen. LPG underground tank. What have I missed?

It looks like mine will need to domestic drive grade able to take the weight of light vehicles. I will need to delay laying these until bricks and tiles are onsite as a minimum though at that sort of price I would be prepared to store them.

Pleased you posted that, I was beginning to think that my foul drain was not to regs, as it is 1.6m deep built with sections of 450mm rings.

Ok so the problem is volatile combustible gases entering the void rather than damp manky void smells entering the parking area of the garage?

Is that general industry practice? I thought foul drains could only be formed from shallow gradients plus vertical drops.

The garage is a single story detached structure and comprised of two spaces. The smaller space 16ft x 8ft (internal dimensions) will be block and beam with a void that needs ventilation. Given the beam orientation it would be simplest to have airbricks down the external 16ft wall but will this be enough given lack of airflow? I assume airbricks on the opposite internal garage 16ft wall venting into the enclosed parking space would be a no-no from a building control perspective?