Vijay

Afternoon, Will be at the stage of digging the drainage and service pipework this week and still haven't got it clear in my head where to run the services too. I hate the outside meter boxes, so I believe I am allowed to have the electricity meter internally, as long as it's on an external wall. I'm thinking of putting it in the garage where the red dot is on the attached layout. I could also put it in the porch if needs be but I think they're a bit of an eye sore. I have yet to confirm where I can fit the gas connection (they have been a nightmare getting back to me), but I'm hoping I will be able to fit it internally (especially with smart meters). I though of running the water pipe to either the garage or the utility room? Where would I run the BT ducting to?? The distance from the service point (blue dot) to the garage is approx 34m and to the front of the house if approx 25m, so would it be OK to have direct pipe runs? I will also have an understair area of approx 1.2m wide by 2m long with a good head height (black dot in hall) where I thought of putting the UFH manifolds, so maybe meters or CU boxes could be in there? Anything else I've not thought of?

I got a wickes trade card just for being a selfbuilder

are you building in ICF?

Why so much rebar?

Thank you. What pipes would you use it on apart from water?

What sort of wire would you use as a trace wire?

Just an idea, but can expansion slots be cut in and then finished over?

Probably more important than the house!

But there doesn't seem to be any specs for the slope ratio

How deep did you dig for the chamber??

So the brick will fit in the vice but the blade doesn't get into the corner of the brick?

Garage is just under 13m externally but I'm having front and rear doors (garage door at front and some sort of french doors at the rear)

Does that rage saw cut a brick length ways by any chance?

Cheers Ian. But is there any advantage with going more than a 100mm step? The only thing I can think of is it would bring it level with the external ground level, but I think it best to have a 100mm step and then a final slope towards the external doors, so they finish level with the external ground (150mm below FFL)

Is 100mm the norm when it comes to the step down from the house to an attached garage? My AT suggested making it 150mm to replicate 2 brick courses but I just can't see the point???

Already got one of those open reel fibreglass ones but looking for something more precise for measurements on the actual build

It helps to know so I can blame it though lol

Says it all really

Wow, never would have thought that on different days I would have got different measurements depending on weather

Just interested to know what the builder had to say about his mistake before he was sacked, was he even apologetic or give an explanation to his mistake?

I remember that post cos it's a nightmare when you have to try and find the laser dot But I almost have the first course of ICF so would hopefully be much easier to locate that illusive dot! lol PeterW mentioned a Lufkin tape measure in the post I mentioned, anyone used them as I'd like to know the width of the actual tape? (I think it's 10mm)

There was a post a little while ago where someone was asking about digital tape measures. I've got a Bosch digital tape measure which I used for the profile markers, but have been using a steel tape measure for the first course of ICF. For those who've used digital tape measures, how have you found their accuracy? Cheers Vijay

You can use different thickness of board with Polarwall, so you could easily have a 100mm board on the outside. Maybe give Alan a call as I'm sure he'd be able to help

One thing to consider is keeping an external pool clean. My sister in law is American and she grew up with pools and hated external ones cos the maintenance was constant

and maybe local press to get the Police more interested?