JohnBishop

I went for MKM as 4x bags of Cotswold chippings costs me half of what StoneWarehouse charges me :)

I have estimated I will need 2.7 tonnes but most likely will take 3 tonnes.

right, but does it have to be 10mm or 20mm is also good? I cannot find anything suitable as there is a lot less 10mm stuff available in bulk bags. I checked in the spec again and it says "EcoGrid stone infill (6-30mm sharp angular or slate)" so it will take any size it just have to be angular or slate but I reckon smaller is better

How about Cotswold chippings? I think it's ultimate white. It says good for driveways but it does not say what is the diameter. https://mkm.com/product/cotswold-chippings-bulk-bag-b003833 I also come across Hanson Limestone 10mm I reckon Golden Gravel 10mm, Pea Gravel/Pipe Bedding or Gravel/Shingle 10mm isn't good.

We actually capped the man hole with plinth as it is reinforced while council slabs are not. I have a question re stone infill for the grids. I have calculated how much I will need but the installation guide does not specify what stone infill exactly, it only says angular. Is White Angular Limestone, 10mm any good or should I look for a smaller stone e.g. 5mm? https://mkm.com/product/white-angular-limestone-10mm-850kg-bulk-bag-b020595 Is it better dark or white stone?

I saw that video of Colin Furze who built underground bunker and an escalator garage in his front yard and according to what he said he did this without a permission but got a permission afterwards. I think he must bribe his neighbours and the council that they didn't stop what he was doing.

What if it was a castle but made of just 4 walls ~2sqm? Does something without a roof counts as an outbuilding?

maybe it will sound stupid but I wanted to build a small scale castle that is within that 3sqm limit but I understand this only applies to the porch and nothing else.

Hi All, I hope you are well. Is that right that the only thing you can build in the front yard without a permission is a porch? Porch that: It covers no more than 3 square meters in area. The highest point is no more than 3 meters above ground level. It is at least 2 meters away from any boundary with a highway. Thank you

Yes, we gonna cap it with two council paving slabs.

After some rain overnight the duct inside the manhole is bone dry. This tells me this is abandoned and not connected to anything. We can wait for heavier rain before capping it for good.

By the way the cheapest EcoGrid I found is at https://geotextilemembranes.co.uk/

Hi, Does it make sense to paint a water repellent over the mahogany stained posts? If so should I sand the stain lightly before application? It is so slow process. It takes almost 24 hours for the stain to dry. The hot weather prevented me from making any process.

right, isn't water company the drainage company?

I mean there is nothing else in it apart from that deposit you see on the picture. No smell so I don't think it collects anything organic maybe rainwater but again no leaves. I can see plenty of leaves floating on the water in all 3 nearby street drains so if these are connected to this manhole then there should be some leaves, small sticks, organic matter in it. We are lowering it by 3 courses of bricks as I don't want to trip over this thing every so often. Thank you

I pour a bucket of water to one of those street drains but I have not noticed anything getting to my manhole. There is water with leaves standing in all the nearby drains.

I mean golden gravel but I can see it is a mix of angular and round stuff. Should it be 20mm or better 10mm?

What do you mean by examining the deposits? Should I use my tongue? 😂 Its location is weird. It's few meters from a house and even further away from the street. The manhole is at a bend. It could be it connects with the manholes on the street (in green). Have a look at the attached map. Orange is foul sewers at the back of the houses. The concrete is too prominent to my liking but we won't demolish it. If unused I could convert it to a cellar or a one-man hurricane shelter or something. However we will lower it by 2-3 courses of brick so it's more or less level with the ground. Thanks for the suggestions, I definitely test with a bucket of water to a nearby manhole to determine the connections if any. However it makes sense to examine the deposits first before I flush them away. LOL

Hi again Alan, I reread your old post and I see this important note you made about using sharp gravel. What classifies as sharp gravel? I got for heavy duty 50mm grid. I think about filling up the grid 2/3 with some cheaper material (sharp) and some more decorative on top. What do you think?

We opened the manhole and it looks like a sewer but it's not foul sewer, no smell, pretty dry inside could still be an abandoned sewer. There is no indication of such sewer on any of the maps I looked including the online one. There isn't any sewer in the vicinity either but foul sewer at the back of the house.

Sounds good. For this project at least: 24x M10 caps 16x M12 caps For the following project I will use the same configuration.

I checked and the holes in those bases are M10 so I go for M10 stainless steel rods and M10 nuts and washers. How about the support for the 7x2 girders. Do you think M12 is enough or should I go for M14? I want two threaded rods to support each girder at every point of contact which makes it 2 girders on each side of the post, 4 rods, 8 nuts in total. There won't be much weight on the roof itself just polycarbonate sheets on top of 8x 5x2 however I do fantasise about a one man/2 people swing. Do you sell these plastic caps? Can I order some from you? Actually I don't see M14, Direct Channel only sells M10,12,16,20...

for coach screws do I use the same drill bit size or smaller?

so your saying no to bother with long ones that go across the timber. I go for the thickest M? that can fit into that hole. For the girders that are 7x2 and 6x6 posts I will use carriage bolts I reckon M12 220mm+ long.

Please can someone advise re bolts for this base? I have a drill block to drill holes in straight line but do you think I will be able to arrive at the right spot on the other end? Or should I just not to bother and use shorter screws? Thanks