Canski

Nope, I think I will be going with Litecast GT Same but different.

Have any of you used a main contractor for the complete build ? Surely his invoices are zero rated for the build structure and standard rated for additional items that are not part of the build fabric ? What would happen if you set up a company to build your house for you and reclaimed everything as you go ? Professional fees are not reclaimable I hear. If you had a company arranging everything would they charge you the VAT on these whilst reclaiming it at their end ?

As a Bricky I haven’t seen them until this year then whallop they are on every site. Easy to lay but when you come to cut them at corners or bond them you need to be selective with your cutting. There are little pillars in them that a hand saw will not get through. I’ve not tried a stihl saw yet but we get round it with a 3/4 and a 1/2 if you know what I mean. On my place I will use a thermalite block to the perimeter and notch them around the beam and block ends and run them along any parallel beams. PS I haven’t bought any yet so no idea of cost.

It is a tough call. I bought a plot for 2 houses in February. Then the world turned upside down. I need to borrow to build both houses and one I was going to keep. I'm weighing up my options now and last night a good friend offered to take one plot off me for cost plus the cost of obtaining planning and bat mitigation, demolition etc. I am seriously considering it to avoid borrowing money at these interest rates.

Yes its fine. 800 is a block split down the middle and laid flat with 3 courses of block on top. 900 is 4 courses. Don't worry the brickies will get over it. if it gets to 850 then its a block flat with a course of brick on it. So many ways of doing it that your brickies 'should' know. I love getting over things like this. They should teach it in college but won't.

Hmm. This is where us site brickies on a price earn our money by avoiding massive bed joints . There are many ways to get over this depending on the levels. Like Russel said you need to find the high point then decide on tight beds at this place say 220 mm for a course of block and 70 mm for a course of brick. The lower parts can be built up to this depending on the levels. If for example the rest is 20 mm lower you can get it out in 2 courses of whatever if its 50 mm you may go for a course of split block with a joint =110 + 2 courses of brick at 160 mm. This would then come level with your first course of 'tight block' Bricklayers try to avoid too thick a bed in the foundations because it slows them down but there are plenty of ways round it so don't worry too much about it. The brickies will moan but that's nothing new or unusual. An old client of mine used to back the concrete wagon up and tip it in and fiddle with it for 5 mins before ordering packs of LBC's and heading off to the golf club saying 'you're bricklayers aren't you ? get over it' I think his record was 500 mm out of level.

He doesnt know how to lay bricks

A good place to start with another contractor. All the nasty work is done. Now the standards need to improve.

And that it is well ventilated.

I did the same in one of my early vans. I couldn't get the key out of the ignition or lock the doors so I had some musical airhorns fitted on a switch. When the ignition was turned on they went off. All was OK until I got stopped by the police one day with a barn door strapped to my roof through the windows. After a gentle telling off for a dangerous load the policeman was walking back to his car and I accidentally set the horns off with my knee. He wasn't impressed. Moral of the story. Allow for the frame when rebuilding an opening to re use the doors.

Interesting. The finished article looks like a before advert for Hammerite. The build looks like it has stalled.

yep shop around. Timber prices are falling in my area, Subbies are constantly chasing work from me, my scaffolder who carries out work on large housing sites says that they are slowing right down. One of the 2 PV companies that i am talking to have increased their price by nearly 30% since the last quote in June. Kitchen companies that have quoted are contacting me to see if I am ready.. As a brickwork contractor work continues to come in and I'm overloaded but it can change quickly. I usually find out in March if its going to be a busy year but this year it was more like June. Who knows for 2023 ? I'd love to have a crystal ball. It would help me to decide whether to build 1 house 2 houses or no houses following my demolition in January. At the moment we wait patiently and see whilst still planning the build route.

This is why I don't have vans. I have people carriers that I can remove the seats in 5 mins if we need to load up with plant / materials. Ive never had one broken into but nearly everyone I know who owns a van has had it broken into. Only this week a mates van was broken into and they gave chase but had to pull back when the thieves started going round roundabouts the wrong way etc. It's coming up to Christmas and from my experience this is when most sites get broken into. Also van insurance is expensive.

yes they had bat detectors and a sheet in the loft £200 for 4 weeks. No droppings and lo and behold the one time I wasn't there the bats appear. I'm not sure if the detections are recorded though. It is what it is ... we are in their hands. What they say goes.

Absolutely. They are preventing the build of 2 homes. I remain in rented until it's sorted. I don't even believe that bats showed up. In a previous survey we saw a swift circle overhead. There was an ecologist on each corner of the house, it circled over the house opposite then over mine before going on its way. The ecologists all agreed that it hadn't entered the house and I witnessed it all. When the report came it said that it had entered the building and now I have to put swift boxes in. Money for old rope that job.

Arrghh I wish you hadn't mentioned bats. I had my first preliminary survey 26/04 followed by 3 emergence surveys that I attended not a single bat was seen entering the house. The last one was 22/07 then they said that they were convinced that there may be a late season roost about to happen so requested another survey for 30/08. This time I went to the pub for my most expensive beer ever because in my absence they saw bats enter the roof. I smell BS and its not from bats. My planning application is now in but I can't apply to Natural England for a license until I have planning permission which may be early November. They are talking of 6 weeks to process the licence. I was told that the bat surveys need to be completed before you can apply for planning

That sounds like a good idea. This is where they make / earn their money.

What an amazing, concise and informative reply. After the day I’ve had this has actually refreshed my brain. Thank you.

It could be a raft

I used 150 mm type 1 and whacked it in 2 layers. Then left it a couple of months and scraped any bumps out and whacked again. Then I laid about 20 mm of basalt clippings on top and whacked it again this bonded it to the MOT then I topped it up with another 20 mm. Lasted for years without any problems other than a quick rake over once every 6 months or so.

How about 50 mm celotex on 9 mm osb between joists with pug mix around the UFH pipes then 22mm caber deck on top ? Plenty of DIY

Ahh I have some of them. My plumber mate reckons that UFH to the first floor would work out cheaper than rads. I’d also prefer UFH to the first floor and after being talked out of beam and block to the first floor I am considering alternatives.

I'm looking into this at the moment. Any suggestions for 600 mm posi joist centres ?

I think that every brick has been cut on that and it is different to his detail. That looks far better than what you have. Was this shown to the bricklayers on site or did you get it after the arch was built ?

Oh and where are the slips in between the beam and block ?