Temp

Not sure if the rules have changed but you must NOT start anything until you have done the CIL exemption paperwork process. Its detailed at the top of one of the claim forms. Fail to follow the process can make you liable for the CIL.

If they won't allow a phased development perhaps the only answer is to submit two seperarate planning applications? Perhaps just one if the owner of the second plot is going to make his own application?

This is 2nd time its come up in a week. I think the only official solution is to apply to ammend the PP to make it phased. I'm afraid I don't know how hard or easy that will be. The council might be willing to waive the rules but historically letters from the council relating to planning matters have not been legally binding unless they are a formal Grant of Planning or a Cerrificate of Lawfulness.

Don't need to skim but should use a primer. Do not use PVA because it can soften if it gets wet. Normally the adhesive co will recommend their own primer. BAL adhesives have a pretty good rep.

Some of ours..

I inherited a similar size petrol rotavator. Useless, it just skips about on a hard surface. I'd rent something bigger. If you still have an excavator on site use that to dig up the top layer.

Take care because you cut off the layer of wood preserver if you do that.

The trick with solvent welding is to assemble the pipe and put depth and angle marks so you can be sure its reassembled quickly and correctly. Then use the right amount of adhesive. If you use too little it makes the plastic very sticky and the set up time is faster. By using plenty (but not OTT) you get a bit more time to assemble and check alignment.

I would recommend using a waterproof plasterboard or Hardi backer board in the shower and around the bath.

Turf wont shrink if you keep it wet enough but it can be a challenge to do that.

If you go for turf make sure you have a good water supply. When we did ours our outside tap could barely supply enough water to stop the turf shrinking. What I mean is it could run two sprinklers at once but even moving them every 30-60 mins wasn't enough to stop some areas drying out in the sun/wind. It also meant someone had to be at home for a week or so.

Knew it had come up before..

Many people use a length of 110mm drainage pipe as a duct for services. The bearing ends need to be 100mm each so minimum length of lintel would be 310mm. However I don't think that's a standard length for a lintel. So better bet is to omit a block and use a 450mm long lintel on two courses of bricks either side of a 110mm pipe. Two bricks and a 65mm deep lintle should be same height as a block. If you need a wider opening opening omit two blocks and use a 900mm wide lintel on bricks. I think 900mm wide lintels might be easier to get than 450mm. 900 x 100x 65mm lintel are £11 at Wickes.

Our study/home office has a cupboard and we chose to put the CU in there along with the telephone line, modem, DECT base station and the burglar alarm panel. The meter cupboard went on an outside wall of the study. We didn't want the meter cupboard to mess up the appearance of the front of the house and the above is around the side but still accessible, so if they do send a meter reader he can get access without us being home. The location of the CU around the side also made it easy for me to run a cable out to my shed 8n the back garden later.

+1 That section 3.3.4 covers a lot. Reminder: It should be zero rated to you. You can't reclaim VAT incorrectly paid on labour. It's best to get the quote amended to show inc VAT at 0% before you accept it. I got our water main diversion zero rated after some argument with the water co.

I looked it up... Approved Document A para 1.6 refers to BS 8103-3: 2009 "Structural Design of Low-Rise Buildings - Part 3, Code of Practice for Timber Floors & Roofs for Housing". I didnt look very hard but could only find a 1996 edition of that for free. In that ... Table 3 covers the thickness of plywood flooring needed for several different timber species. Thickness varies from 15mm to 18mm. Table 4 covers the thickness of chipboard needed 18mm for 450mm pitch joists and 22mm for 600mm pitch joists.

I know the difference ? Nothing like this is in the Building Regulations. It might be in one of the Approved Documents or the many standards they refer to but I've not gone out of my way to look. I'm just reporting what I've heard, which is that people have purchased hased 14mm engineered oak and then had to put 18mm chipboard under it.

Due to an error we have a 12mm step down from engineered wood on the landing to the stone floor in our bathroom. We fitted a strip of wood with a small bevel to cover the exposed edge. Works well. Dont think anyone has ever tripped on it..

The only place I've seen it us in NHBC docs.. http://nhbccampaigns.co.uk/landingpages/techzone/previous_versions/2011/Part6/section4/sitework.htm The other situation where it matters is on top of insulation eg.. Engineered Wood Insulation DPM Sand Blind Concrete slab In such cases I have heard of the insulation turning to mush in high traffic areas if the engineered wood is too flexible. Installers frequently recommend fitting battens (the same thickness as the insulation) at doorways to provide support. The type of insulation also matters.

PS Just make sure the linear drain is well haunched so its not going anywhere when you run/rub the levelling board across it.

If the linear drain is going full length this is how I would do it.. Set up the linear drain on the hardcore with some cement first. Then next day when that's set up use it and a shuttering board to level the main concrete to the right fall. Its basically the same way you level a slab for a shed but with a slope.

What sort of sleepers have you been comparing prices with? I wouldn't use anything other than reclaimed hardwood sleepers for a retaining wall.

OT : Saw a white Tesla today and thought the reg was something like TE55 1AA but it doesnt show up on the MOT data base.

We have the following first floor.. Carpet UFH in screed 80mm Insulation 150mm beams (100mm blocks and 50mm void) Battens fixed to beams using supplied hangers Plasterboard In large living room two steels were used to reduce to span of the concrete beams. These were deeper than 150mm so the top is in the insulation. Main issue we had was the BCO wanting us to use fire rated downlights which in the days of halogen bulbs only just fitted into the void. Were happy with this but you can hear loud TV in living room below.

I've heard of people using decorative stones on the exposed faces of the gabion and something cheaper in the middle.