zoothorn

This is where I find it confusing- building regs, building officers, planning permission, planners. But I'm not likely, to get a planner to come here.. or, to present him/her with photos.. in order to establish exactly what I need. Its the simplest of builds, a block box, & thought I might be able to get some answers in this dedicated PP section of the forum.

I shall go in tmrw, & explore thanks Russell.

Ok appreciate the link r....i. Clearer, but its still the 4m height/ 2m from road, distance from house, &/ or what exactly a boundary is (road edge?).. I find complicated. Council offices.. I was thhinking here might have been a better place to ask, but I will go in & see if any building officer in. Doubt it.. they'll just pass me back onto the PP portal site I'm sure. I was wondering if I could add a photo of my area in Q, & someone could help. Many of the 'boxes' I can tick though.. like adjacent to house, floor area are ok.

Hi guys, I want to build a 4.5m x 3.5m block box + roof + cladding. I cannot understand whether or not I need PP. I have the PP portal page (thanks Onoff).. but I just cannot understand the wording: I'm awful at deciphering these 'points' & get stressed. Please can someone help? Thanks, zoot.

Anyone else know about these sort of planning permission &/ or building regs basics? I'm already confused from the off if the 4m max/ 2m max (Height & distance from road) rules apply to 2 different departments. I'm a total fish out of water here, on my todd/ no family to help, or anyone I can go to & speak: I just need some basic advice to get going.. in both the design, & the 'rules' of building it. Thanks.. zoot.

Hi PeterW, that's good of you- will PM now.. zoot

I can't get close enough in to make use of google maps image, its the same "pea-sized on A4" scale as the poor land registry plan. If I zoom in one touch more it goes into 3D with a vague idea only of my property this side.

Now that's a good idea newhome. So somehow to get the zoomed image captured/ stored, & added here.. I'm not sure your able to do this? I am adjacent to a tiny b-road (quietest/ a lane) on the side I propose to site it, & close to the 2m mark at one corner. I have a hedge of mine between. All I want to ascertain is; is this & the 4m height maximum, the only considerations: if my corner point I set at 2.25m away from road edge here.. can I just crack on & build it up to 4m high, or are there a multitude of other things I have to consider/ rules & regs too? Maybe I should I be asking this prior Q to the build, in another section of the forum.

Hi Newhome, I do have such a plan, but its looklike its from 1970's.. tiny pea-sized property on expanse of an A4 page: utterly hopeless. I have spoken to building control chap last year, who suggested I could conceivably go the non-PP route if "4M etc".. but not sure if he was being specific looking at my plans, or a vague general point. You see what I don't want to do is from the reams of info, seems like I can do it > build it.. then for someone to say "oh no you cant do that/ has to come down".. because of some tiny small print btm of page 436 in the mass of info I've overlooked, or not understood something fully.

Hi Onoff. Useful info thanks.. but I just cannot understand the basics as its wording is so convoluted/ its so complicated. This is one reason I couldn't cope with the build I got PP for.. it was too stressful to understand. The only way is to break down each into a simplified Q. Ie, Am I allowed to build it 4M high, or not? how close to the road can it be? Is there anyone on here who could help me in such stripped-down basic Q's? --------------------------- Hi SueB.. I'll look into this for sure thanks.

More suggestions, ideas would be very welcome- the more the merrier. Ive a total blank sheet at the moment still. I do need to establish if I have the following correct for starters: as long as its 4m high max, & 2m min from any highway.. & it doesn't need planning permission. Can someone confirm this? I'm west wales if this is a factor. I am adjacent to a small lane/ road, & needs to go against it ( my hedge only between).. so I'll need to squeeze all I can here.

Well Id like to say all of it myself Carrerahill. It'd all be new to me sure, but, I think I'd be able.. with help/ tips from this fine website as I go. Did my bathroom & kitchen renovating up to a decent std, takes me 4x as long sure as its all new to me.. but no problem with that. Roof I'm not so sure about, so maybe some semi-pro help here. As to the founds: well I guess its a Q of what weight 4 walls of block + roof would need. A Q I'm not in any position to answer.. but did think it would need normal-depth trenches dug whether 1 or 2 stories: I think that's what a building regs inspector told me regarding the original extention plan. Maybe not then.. great. Thanks for suggestions. Declan, a cheap option for sure/ thx for suggestion.. but not nearly substantial enough. One storm & that'll be gone. I'm hammered by gales frequently coming in fully side-on (channels up a wee valley - & WALLOP I'm in direct path, & where this structure is gets hit 1st too).

Hi chaps/ guys, I wish to build a small 4m sq 'workshop' for approx £8k, near-all self-built. Next to my house. I wonder if you good folks could give me some basic help/ tips. Design: simple (cost-effective), single story. Considering timber, but, it needs to be very solid as weather batters the spot in Q extremely hard, side-on. And also sound a consideration: I use a router inside, rural (tho I am a detatched house).. maybe block-based the way to go. Last year I had it architect-planned; a bigger plan with a bedroom above.. an extention. But expense (~£26k min), & understanding the process left me rethinking, ruling out top room, ruling out extention idea (I couldn't cope understanding process too/ got in a pickle). I got planning permission for it tho. So a totally blank sheet again. I was thinking maybe something like the following: A) under 4M high, & 2M min from road (ie rule out need for planning permission). B) a single-block course, gently pitched roof. C) wood cladding on 2 sides (visual/ blending in). D) studs on inner walls > 'sound' rockwool, similarly in ceiling. Is this a feasable preliminary rough sketch? I might well need the foundations pro done.. & some help with the roof. Many thanks, zoot.

Aha I had a sneaking suspicion it could be a U type I was after. cheers for confirming that (& Simplysimon) shortest thread on the 'hub'? Im known for them me...

Hi Peter.. thanks, now is there tho a name to the type of blade this is? assuming the codes on there aren't useful in this regard.

Hi chaps- I have an older Black & Decker DN 531 jigsaw, used aeons ago.. can't figure out what blades it takes. Anyone any idea? this type of jigsaw/ eg here.. https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/113663151130?chn=ps My local store has these.. would they fit I wonder? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/253828642632 Thanks, zoot

Nice one guys- I'm definitely a muppet there's no doubt Ferdinand hehe. Very appropriate end 'note' too. PeterW its gonna be a helluva fiddly pickle blocking even cut up to 1/3rds, such as the tricky gap is about 3/4 of a bricks' side high (the buisiness card is there for size reference in pics).. but extends back/ in a good arms length+ above my bread oven. I was wondering if it might be a job for rockwool? IE its malleable & I could stuff a section in, push it back, then another etc.. but I'm not familiar with it & don't know if it would facilitate plugging the draught. And between the joists, is it neccesary to insulate these ~ 1ft square areas? the edge of bedroom1 is directly above here. Thanks, zoot

So my new job. At my stove end of main room, I discovered a major cold-entry-area; I saw some gaps along top of wall & find a whole brick-high gap running right along, into a cavity above my bread-oven area [Pics 1,2]. The gap along was just covered over by painted hardboard & a wood strip (I thought I could feel a cold draught from around my head s'where!). I can get my arm right into the cavity.. but very tricky to fill it/ I can't think how: its too big for foam, & too innaccessible for PIR I'd have thought. Ive removed all the old bodged-on wood strip, crap plasterboard above [Pics 3,4] & cleaned up all ready.. for.. well, the right plan of attack is what I need help on. The gap along/ into cavity: cold funnels right down from the loft > down the upstairs wall voids > into room, a huge draught right in your face here. I've patched up smaller draughty edge gaps, but this is BIG in comparison. If I could successfully stem the cold into -here, really well plugged- it might make a significant difference. At the moment I can get the room warm, but there's a layer of cold at foot-level that lingers making one's oorse & legs nippy. Thanks, zoot

I'm calling the kitchen- FINISHED godammit! (cos I'm already onto a new small job I need help on!).. & a few final pics of the results. So a -MASSIVE- thanks to Onoff (especially so).. & to PeterW, newhome, JSHarris.. & Ferdinand et al all who encouraged me with kind & helpful comments.

Tbh Ferdinand I'm loathed considering painting them now after my fiasco.. its such a big job I didn't realise: 18x of the sods so spray canning will be expensive too if 2x coats min. I did think spray can must be the only way after I scrubbed my fingers to the bone wire-wooling all the damn paint off. A schoolboy error & such a dreadful result it shot my confidence back a page too! I'll just replace the knobs/ handles & they'll have to stay as is. Kitchen was going to be something of a 'cheapo-job' compromise, & I've far exceeded what I anticipated, thanks to the wonderful help & advice on here.. so I can live with them. Gratias- zoot

Made a major c*ck up on the cupboards' painting: hours spent priming, painting (cream) 3 drawer fronts.. turned out a distaster: horrid plasticy shiny thick gloop. Wrong. Then 4x as many hours, over 3 days, paint-removing!! £12 on paint, £8 on remover & godawful job to get back as was! Cupboards shall remain oak/ as is then. Last 2 things to do. 1) fit two nice 'floating' wood shelves, or something nice like so.. any ideas? & 2) a corner cupboard last. Then job DONE. Close!

Hiatus/ I ran out of motivation (skirting.. low down, back grumbles etc).. but pulled my finger out & skirting caulked/ done! & plinths sort of done too (MFC recommended by jewson's & to be honest, seems firm enough just wedged in for now).

Anything else Onoff?! Nope actually yr totally wrong (for once). It cuts 5" dia logs like so with ease in 3 secs/ no strain. I never rotate/ I bowsaw any last wee bit if a tad over 5". I never cut wet wood/ & lumping logs on (placing on I do) & its true still as its damn solid. Cutting this A+seasoned pine.. I think its -the- most ideal tool for any job I've used. Its certainly the best tool I've had with UK dewalts, skilsaws, japan makitas all needing some maintenance or a bit breaking or falling off: this hasn't even had 2 new brushes or 1 screw loose in 10+ yrs/ 100% reliable. plus I use it the most, & I bought it used so its ~15 yrs old too min? thats saying a helluvalot. I bet my btm dollar your Rage won't last half as long as this. If it were hardwood- sure it might strain to cut 5". so I just not collect & cut over 3"/ whatever. no sense to. Assumptions assumptions.. it says something if my builder of 40yrs experience keeps his eye out for this exact one I'd suggest! hugely recommended (by a pro woodworker too- me!) if not by your chippy mate!

Here's mine. It stays in 'missionary' position straight up 90* (no more reversecowgirl funny angle bllx it doesn't like that), & as such its great.

It is low down relative to a dewalt yes.. but by god its good (even my builder had his eye on the one Ive got), for doing standard stuff that is.. I mostly use it to chop up my fallen/ gathered forest wood. id highly recommend it tbh/ damn relaible for 7 yrs (bought used) a far cry from the modern flimsy things i see.