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epsilonGreedy

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Everything posted by epsilonGreedy

  1. epsilonGreedy
    The Feb 2018 issue of Homebuilding & Renovation describes the build of a generic house broken down into around 150 steps. Under the section titled Foundations/Oversite one of those steps is: Arrange foot scaffold if necessary and shutter for any steps in the foundations. Does "foot scaffolding" create a working edge to the foundations at ground level for workers to stand on as concrete is poured?
  2. epsilonGreedy
    He became irksome as the conversation developed his attitude was, I know everything about slate and have a monopolistic control over the supply so don't whinge about the £70 / sqm cost.
  3. epsilonGreedy
    I feel like challenging my conservation officer to walk 20 paces away and then distinguish which of my hands holds the artificial slate sample. This stuff impressed me at the NEC show last weekend. http://www.greysartstone.co.uk/products/reproduction-slate/slate-overiew.html In fact for the first decade or two it would look more genuine than freshly mined welsh slate which given its cost must be hand polished by Irish maidens before dispatch.
  4. epsilonGreedy
    These people do the same in a wider 48" fit http://www.redishade.co.uk If we decide to camp out in a part complete house next winter we might need a few of thes. Are they glued on or some sort of spring loaded fit?
  5. epsilonGreedy
    The same chappie at the NEC promoting new welsh slate spent a few minutes explaining the problems of reclaimed slate e.g. the original worn nail holes will be enlarged and so cannot be reused, this in turn means a different fixing pattern which either wastes slate or worse, close tile boundaries on different rows leading to leaks.
  6. epsilonGreedy
    Can a planning department be so specific about materials used in construction to the point where in effect a specific commercial supplier is mandated, though not named? My question actually relates to Welsh slate. A conversation with a supplier of welsh slate at the NEC show highlighted that all sources of welsh slate production are now owned by a single company based in Ireland. This company effectively controls the market price. I am wondering if the commercial situation will weigh in my favour when I have a chat with my local conservation officer about cheaper alternatives to the specified welsh slate.
  7. epsilonGreedy
    A top tip, I now have some A3 plans printed at my local library for 20p a page. Hope the rest of my build also costs 30% below prevailing rates.
  8. epsilonGreedy
    The hedge and site entrance off a public road are communal. The fencing options I mention in this thread are just for my plot.
  9. epsilonGreedy
    Ok. My first thought was that the new build dwarfs the original. Kevin McCloud would say "with a bold and commendable disregard for the mundane local vernacular, Juj has propelled local architecture into the 21st Century or possibly the 22nd".
  10. epsilonGreedy
    This confirms my fears. I will head off with low expectations.
  11. epsilonGreedy
    Not yet. When I asked about Swindon here earlier this year I was told the place only comes alive on a few scheduled days each year otherwise it is the Mary Celeste of trade shows. Anyhow given what you are both saying I might scale back plans for the visit and skip the overnight hotel.
  12. epsilonGreedy
    I need to read up on H&S because I am not sure who such fencing is protecting from what. I still have the scars from trying to fix a setting out pin under the prickle hedge, so the only way into the communal site is via the site lane access point. If the self builders club together for an H&S sign at the entrance that is covered. I could put up a 1m high plastic picket fence beyond the tumble range of the actual build so delivery drivers should not wander into danger. Actual trades need to get beyond Heras fencing to do their job.
  13. epsilonGreedy
    @Alexphd1 I found Grand Designs London in 2014 a disappointment, was hoping the Home building & Renovation show would be closer to the hands-on construction elements of a build and less about which colour of Aga would suit my kitchen. A few of the scheduled talks appeal to me.
  14. epsilonGreedy
    Don't otherwise the Pigs might sue you for invasion of privacy. It is not a good week to consider transgression of privacy, have you not been watching the news.
  15. epsilonGreedy
    I am off to spend two days at the NEC house building show. Are there any must-see parts of the show? For example: I am in a mental spin about different systems for plastic pipe jointing and hope seeing these in the flesh will be illuminating. I think I know which nailing gun to buy but I need to test its weight. The whole gamut of building blocks confuses me with their array of weights and u-values. I hope to get some free structural engineering advice/plans by talking direct with manufacturers of beam&block floors, rafters and chimney kits. Are any any suppliers known for offering once a year special deals at the show?
  16. epsilonGreedy
    My rural plot is in the middle of a quiet village with highly involved neighbours on two sides, just 50 meters away as the hedge sparrow flies. There are three independent building plots enclosed by an established hedge that is painful to break through. The plots have a communal access road with a simple barrier. My options for fencing are none, token or serious. None. Trust my fellow self builders not sue me if they nosy around my build and fall down my trenches. Rely on the hedge boundary to clearly denote where the public should not go. Token Boundary comprised of 1m high plastic chain link style fence. As a minimum I would protect the unfilled trenches and then later in the build wrap this around a mini materials compound so anyone intending theft has to make a clear attempt to transgress the token boundary. Serious Boundary. Erect a bolted together 1.8 high fence either around the whole build area or only the material compound. I remain dubious about the added value of this to prevent determined theft and from a legal liability perspective is it better than a lower plastic fence?
  17. epsilonGreedy
    Thanks, this video from the StrongTie web site helped and now I can picture how the ties work as well though did anyone notice show they skipped nailing the tie to the wall block, is that an error in the video creation? p.s. Do people find these auto enhanced YouTube inserts annoying?
  18. epsilonGreedy
    Ok this is reassuring. I thought the lower part of the masonry hanger had to be nailed to prevent the lower half of the joist from twisting and thus promoting floor flex. There was a long thread here at the start of the year and some excellent photo detective work from forumites identified lack of nailing and thus twisting, having re-read those posts I now think the problem related to wood to wood fixing around a chimney breast. There is however another aspect mentioned in the Posijoist manual, they say if joists are expected to contribute to lateral wall bracing special hangers are required. I wonder if these require nailing. I am spending two days at the NEC exhibition this week and hope to get more technical insight from metal web joist manufacturers.
  19. epsilonGreedy
    I might be guilty of speed reading the OP but has the plan been validated tentatively from a planning perspective? Forum members here are likely to embrace modern architecture with enthusiasm unlike your local community who could decree the roof shape and scale of the building to be unacceptable.
  20. epsilonGreedy
    I get that masonry wall floor joist hangers are favoured over traditional in-wall fixing of joists in the pursuit of airtight homes but can these hangers cope with 100 years of cyclical loading? Here is my beef. Driving a metal nail into a brittle masonry block to attach a hanger feels like an abuse of such dissimilar materials with long-term failure designed into the fixing. Next add 100 years of 80kg cyclical loading as humans walk around inside the home, stir in some thermal expansion and contraction loads on the hanger attachments and surely after a decade or two the hanger nails will start wobbling in the blocks? Then finally for a laugh apply that process to light thermal blocks. Are my concerns unfounded? The no nonsense commercial builder of a plot nearby has fitted his metal web floor joists direct into the inner blockwork and these blocks are heavy structural blocks I think.
  21. epsilonGreedy
    @recoveringacademic Thanks for tagging up my OP. Are these tags exposed to Google & Bing or do they just aid in-forum searches?
  22. epsilonGreedy
    I found the following technical intro to cement usage during home construction useful and thought it would help others at the bottom end of the learning curve like me. Now I know how many bricks can be laid when a full 25kg OPC bag is used. Published by Blue Circle. https://tarmac-bluecircle.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Builders-Guide-170118a.pdf
  23. epsilonGreedy
    I have been reviewing the various threads on computer printers for SelfBuild and have concluded the following: On site communication with trades is simplified if printed diagrams can be handed out. Some of the key diagrams should be laminated. Online postal printing services are fast and cost effective for prints over A3 in size. A printed spiral bound collection of plans and diagrams on A3 paper is useful. General IT advice offered through this forum on printers matches mine e.g. avoid InkJets like the plague and colour lasers are good for non photo prints. Which brings me to my question. For £200 to £300 I can buy either an A3 capable B&W laser printer or an A4 colour laser. I can see the benefit of splashing out for A3 but where is the benefit of colour beyond a few landscaping plans that could be coloured in manually?
  24. epsilonGreedy
    I hope not, I am engaged in shadow boxing with local trades. My first few interactions led me to believe they view NewBuild rookies as a soft target, my first quote for the brick & block elevations came in at £1.10 per brick laid ex. materials. Plan B is to convince the world I am going to build the whole house solo but I will let it be known there is extra cash for those who want to join my team to speed up the build.
  25. epsilonGreedy
    Do they have legal powers to demand an answer? Had you said "hoping to secure employment abroad" what would they have done.
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