Nickfromwales

It’s down to geotechnical surveys and input from an SE. Trying to short cut and ask questions like this here are (sorry) a total waste of your time, and nothing typed here will be of any value or use whatsoever as none relate to your site You can bite the bullet now, and do the geotechnical and grounds conditions surveying, test pits and percolation testing etc done, as you’ll need these to decide on what type of foundation is required regardless, as "feasibility". Also, this will discount the possibility of having to do a piled foundation, in the worst case. With a good engineer anything’s possible, but more info would be needed about where the 4m deep manhole gets its input, from the new house, as you may need to alter this to become a proper backdrop chamber (with such huge inverts).

There’s a piezo buzzer / sounder on the PCB, the white circular gadget, so it’s defo got alarm indication for some sort of warning when something goes wrong, the manufacturers literature will tell you what this is and then you decide your appetite for risk if you delete it. I doubt if it being on constant makes any sense whatsoever, and personally I think that would decrease longevity. @Russell griffiths, how often does yours go on / off and how long is the pump running each time? Do you know what the alarm indicates?

Looks like you’re going to need a new PCB (the main control board). You could try removing it and putting it over a small heater for 24hrs to see if it drives the moisture out. If the pump is 230v you can hook it up to a standard plug in timer for now and just run it manually, whilst trying to dry the PCB out.

It’s about supporting statements, and yes it’s the BCO who decides, but if you approach them with nothing then you’ll just get the knee-jerk FO. Phone calls and emails cost nothing, but hopefully sense will now prevail for the current client with so much positive supporting feedback, from both the council and the fire brigade. Just wondering what the odds are, of the bins catching fire on bin day lol.

The entire 2 storey outer leaf of the MBC TF twin wall system sits on it (the EPS upstand), and it's rated to also take the feck knows how many kg/m2 of cement board + adhesive + 30mm thick stone slips that hang of that outer leaf.

Will the EPS that's holding the whole house up compress? Erm, "no". Once the weight of the static (not dynamic) load of the window / door is spread out over the 3/4/5m lengths, and is sat onto ridiculously strong CF200, then you can literally park a car (or a window) on it. Bear in mind it is higher load capacity EPS too, not the stuff that stops your new washing machine getting damaged in the delivery truck. If both Norrsken and MBC are doing this routinely, I think the pill of chill can be taken. As principal consultant I have to go to actual peoples actual builds, and actually do these things. I sleep well, and my phone stays quiet at night, which comes from nearly a decade of working with high-end fenestration and all types of foundations and insulation systems. Nobody's rung me up to say they've had an issue.........yet. I am quite meticulous in the execution and methodology of these installs, (batshit crazy levels of OCD actually), so it is accepted that a crap fitter using the same materials would have a poor outcome with reduced longevity. Do the job right, do it once.

Can't get a labourer for less than £140-£160 in the land of the English. Last time I QS'd a job (very) near London, some were advising to allow £600 a day (landed) for a sparky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Got to pay to sharpen their tools and all sorts

As long as its anti-tear, yes. This is better stuff, and can be delivered. https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/BG10T.html?source=adwords&ad_position=&ad_id=&placement=&kw=&network=x&matchtype=&ad_type=pla&product_id=BG10T&product_partition_id=&campaign=shopping_excluded&version=finalurl_v3&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17412537060&gbraid=0AAAAAD-6GhlJa-VEmBUZA3QiMsZIdbAub&gclid=Cj0KCQiAk6rNBhCxARIsAN5mQLsb5uQjxT58j8lVt6RN3m5ce5vT9k99qOyPwbiZavHMyGxo9IJ4eRsaAiHjEALw_wcB

Sensible deviations should be allowed, per case, with the applicant paying the admin fees to review and resolve each case. Wheelie bins in a nice store at the head of the access to a property should be acceptable, vs ugly rows of bins being left permanently on display (to the detriment of the area). Homeowner can then transport refuse to the bin store at their inconvenience. On bin days you pull the bins out of the store to the kerbside. Simples. "Nick for president!!!!" I suggested a used golf buggy to my current client, with a trailer, for doing the 200m 'refuse runs'. Fleas come with the dog, with adverse sites, but the owner can decide if they are happy to accept the compromise and inconvenience (or build somewhere else!).

For a current new build I'm consulting on, 200m driveway, the fire brigade said that they would simply lay down hoses to go up the drive, and reach the nearest hydrant in the lane. They are willing to provide a supporting statement, agreeing that the presence of an "Automatic Fire Suppression System" (Mist or sprinklers, mist in this case) mitigates the majority of their concerns. The client suggested a 45,000L holding pond, or even paying to extend the hydrant feed in the street onto their property (at cost) and the fire brigade remained pragmatic and agreed that simply laying out hoses would be 'the norm'; plus they'd likely dispatch a water bowser to arrive as a failsafe anyways. Start talking to these people and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Go for a mist system. Speak to the council and they're usually amenable, and will provide a solution for the bins.

100mm is fine, as long as what it's on is not crumbling etc.

Once you get into the highways, don't expect much cheaper. They have to do EVERYTHING by the book, and it gets inspected so it can be adopted. In Leicester we had to dig down at the pavement 2m and drop in pre-cast 900mm concrete rings with all the man-safe and public safe guidelines to follow. Closure plates of x dimension so a man couldn't fall down there, foot-pegs, immaculate benching, and all sorts. It's a major headache, so if someone quotes for this then sit down with them and break some bread. It is NOT going to be cheap.

OK. What's provoked the question? Have you been asked / told to provide anything, or is this a 'pre-worry' only? Most trades salivate over a splendid tool collection, with most having all available gadgets that save them time / money and max profitability. If they ask you for plant, like heavy SDS max breakers or petrol disc cutters (and blades) then this is perfectly normal. Festoon lighting, a 100v transformer and leads etc, plus first aid and eyewash stations is down to you. You'll be expected to offer some oil for the cogs, but not to feed and burp them. Read the small print in quotes; if there isn't any then ask why.

All modern traps are "top" or "self" cleaning, which means you don't need access to anything other than the basket and trap that you get to from above.

Post back here when you go to do this and we can advise on methodology; you don't want to open a can of worms by disturbing the boards either side etc

It's supposed to be rodable outside, or inside, if solids are present (food waste), but if this is a basin, then you can likely get a deviation from the BCO (if there's one to pacify?).

Sounding better with each sentence. Great to hear you've done the proper due diligence of "prove it". 3G is a good option if noise from roads or neighbours is a consideration, but other than that I think 2G is suffice for most.

Get it chased in, and low access threshold as possible. The riser kits are horrible, and an absolute last resort.

The new team are providing a heck of a lot more for £12k ?! What doors and windows? 1G?

Current MBC PH TF project is all Norrsken, and they are all going to be completely off the slab and atop the EPS with 20mm of (Compacfoam) CF200 set in situ to take the loads (biggest slider is <4m iirc). Same on last few with raft founds (Rational and Velfac) with zero issues tbh. I just asked the installers to go all-in on the side and head brackets, and made sure the CF or Bosig is set down very robustly. Threshold can be strapped too if needed, but by the time these are set down onto foam and CT1/other, the sheer weight stops these things from moving about at all.

Are you making the house airtight, throughout? Need to understand where exactly you intend to stop and start any membranes. If you're going belt & braces, then the ducts should lay on the plasterboard between joists, packed with insulation, with more insulation on top open to the cold attic. Any membrane should be underneath the joists, as with all the cables etc above it'll be a pig to detail. Going to need some attention to details here, and a lot of time and patience. Is this part of a major refurb?

Only ever done DHW in 28mm, but haven't used a cylinder smaller than 300L for a good few years.

RIP.

Drill a deeper hole and set some threaded 4mm or 5mm threaded bar in with resin. Then a nut and washer to lock it there forever. I'd use stainless, but do not over-tighten it.