Adam2

Note that the piles will be cut at ground level and flat plates on a socket fitted on top. All steels galvanised and rock tips used - ground here is compacted sand/sandstone.

As our house is on a steep hill and limited space for materials etc up top, one of the first things after demolition is to build out the new driveway. This runs out across a slope and near some trees so the best option seemed to be screw piles. After much research and calculation (is it cheaper to manage the separate parts of this vs getting a contractor for the whole job) I went ahead this week. By having an excavator on-site with the ground workers (currently building garden walls etc) it saved hiring one in so total cost for the piles/ steel structure + the beam and block + the concrete top should come in about 60% of the quote received from a contractor for the whole job. Piles were delivered on a pallet 5 piles at 2m long each + 2 x 2m extensions for each should they be needed + the excavator attachment with torque readout. No dramas - all installed in half a day with each pile OK for a 375kN loading. Didn't need 5 of the pile extensions as hit the torque needed at 2.5 to 3.5m so that's some cash back ? Next bit is tomorrow when I have the steel fabricator out to measure/design - all being well the frame should be in place in 2 weeks and a week later all ready to use.

After doing the usual services disconnect and CIL forms, stripping out various materials etc it was time to bring it down (... and back up ) Amazingly that didn't take long house_down.mp4

There are some nice options that could work well with more contemporary designs as well. We quite like this approach, providing that the cover can fully retract the shutters: https://www.iqoutdoorliving.co.uk/iq-awning-roof/

Slightly off-topic @vivienz but interested that you have no additional ceiling lighting - same style we are going for to minimise the potential for warehouse lighting look with loads of spots. You find it OK at all times of day having just the inset lighting + table lights? So I recall that you had multiple LED strips to get different levels?

Currently have an overhead rainfall unit that is rectangular and connects glass side panel to wall. At end have bar with hose attached shower head. Control is a remote control circular thing, i think Mira. We love this, minimal wall bits and bobs. Remote allows temp, pressure and choice of either or both showers. After having this I think we'd not go back to manual controls. Am away but will take a pic when home.

Hi Kernow, if you're using a builder check to see what experience they have with different products, if you are underground at all then check you can get a combo of ICF product/waterproof solution/warranty co and builder that all fits together (if a warranty is of interest), reliable supply (there have been issues in 2019 with this), access to a wide range of "shapes" to minimise on-site cutting and/or shuttering. Most important, always with with people you like ? Good luck, there is loads of choice and it can be hard ti differentiate

Yes included Hy-ten - decent prices. Will look at the fabricated option - cheers for that

I'm getting quotes in for rebar and looking at £530/t - mind sharing what you managed to get yours for? I tried 3 places and ranged 530 (bent and delivered) to 600. Would be good to know if worth shopping around a bit more. cheers

Yes, seems they're the rules but there is suspicion that installers aren't exactly following the rules. Will see when I can work out how to find a Bp chargemaster app on android - instaleld one and it was just for the bloody petrol station payments! Interesting thread on Tesla forum - they have too many tempting after-market mods, much too distracting from my house build.....

Ah yes can see that is an option. All I can find on digging into this is that past customers have had letters saying that they needed to start paying if they wanted to keep access to the app/data - sounds more like none is paying the SIM bills anymore ? Not sure how to tell if this is actually installed without opening it up, though for current location not so concerned.

So to continue the EV journey... buying used from Tesla is painful in the extreme, not enough people handling orders so 2 weeks after deposit paid only 1 email, no calls or emails answered and no delivery date of course. But, the price is great compared to alternatives so will have to be pleased with that for now! On the charger front some great news - that is installed. ChargedEv did it fast and cheap though to be honest would have preferred the secondary exterior box on the inside but the pre-attached cables were not long enough. As I have an electric metal door they couldn't use an earth rod so installed a box of tricks to deal with that somehow - no issue but it does buzz a bit. They installed a new switch in the consumer unit, an adjacent metal box with an RCD in side, the black box to deal with earthing due to door, exterior interconnection box and the main charger connection wall box. Some pics below in case of any use. All took about 3 hours and should cost £300 - though the billing system was not working so no invoice yet ? @Jeremy Harris FYI - this unit has no connection to house wifi so no capability for external interference. Well unless they have a 3/4G modem and SIM but I very much doubt that. Note metal bar is in fact part of a ladder

It depends - I understand from my architect that the risk (only applies to a knock-down) is that CIL is generally the increase is sqm and if you start demolition then do a new planning app you may have 0 sqm so CIL would be significant as would be based on total sqm - though if process followed correctly still avoidable.

Am super interested as just pressed "buy" on a used Tesla - think I saw you on the Tesla forum Jeremy :-) Thinking that maybe the quickest way to get a charger in place would be a self/electrician installed socket that would work with the 7.2kw 32amp. My install is as easy as it gets as the unit would go on the side of the garage which has the consumer unit & meter in. Though will call a couple of install companies and see what they can do in next couple of weeks. Quite excited!

Good to make sure - don't want your sewage going to Sydney, even more rules then ?

I had understood ( as someone that is learning so not saying this is correct ) that 1:80 would mean 1cm drop per each 80cm in length.

Just create a trade account. You don't need a company - many "trade" accounts are for sole-traders with no ltd co. I have a couple I setup as "AS Developments", any credit check they may run will be against you. It's just smoke and mirrors but works. Though in this case maybe that horse has left the (tool) station ? I know mixed metaphors and bad joke all in one

OK so it looks like (from one supplier/installer at least) that you may not need a data connected charge point to qualify for the rebate. This is a transcript of the chat

OK - I'll ping a msg over to an installer co and see what they say when I tell them there is no wifi at the charge point location. I bet they will still like the money ?

Great thanks @Jeremy Harris for the info re the rebate as that would rule me out also if I have to connect this for external data visibility. I wonder how this works though - presumably you must connect it to your home LAN over wifi - which can easily be disabled at a later date if wanted. Maybe as I'm only living in the current house for another year or so maybe I could suffer the data issue if it means it's less hassle than DIY and only slightly more expensive

Looks good @PeterW - are you eligible for the rebate as it looks like you can get an install for about 300 after rebate anyway so not a lot more than buying that part and they do all the work. I was just looking at the part as I figured would save £100 or so but maybe even then not worth it as the features of the one in this link look quite good. https://www.chargedev.co.uk/at-home/

Am planning on getting an EV so need a charge point at home. But we're building a new place so don't want to spend more than we must so wondering if I can install this myself with 10mm cable as it's 32a and get an electrician in to connect to consumer unit. Any issues??? https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F283674349013

Great to read this - I'm just planning the GW & foundations for our project at the moment so it is super helpful! Will look at movie as soon as I get to a bigger screen than my mobile! Mine is a replacement for a 1930s house also built on a slope. Current house has no damp (good free-draining compacted sand/sandstone), so like you, feels like the new ways of working are adding in a lot of cost for marginal benefit - all helps the economy go round I suppose!

So my engineer co has designed the slab reinforcement using bars (lots - generally H16 at 150 centres) and the builder contacted them to see if they could re-do as mesh - the engineers are talking 3K to do this and say they have specified bars as in compliance with eurocode..... Now, every image I can remember seeing of slabs has mesh so I'm a bit curious as to how standard specifying bars is. Engineer says using staggered laps reduces material... Appreciate any thoughts - may be pretty hard to see the detail on the design if I post that up but may see if I can tomorrow if that is of interest/help in advising me - ultimately choice is pay more to have a mesh design that may be cheaper on materials and quicker/cheaper to install vs stick with current plan. I'm estimating basement (7.5m x 5m) will has about 5 tons of reinforcement. Note that the basement only has a terrace on top but is lowest part of the build going down a hill (info in blog) .

Wow - time goes fast! I guess I'll say that again....and again! We submitted the revised planning app - free as within a year - and that was approved with no comments. The revised design removed a couple of windows which has pleased the neighbours. Engineer co has been working with the architect so we have made a lot of progress in design terms while we did the planning app so had building regs design approval ahead of revised planning approval! In prep for the demolition I (with my helpful neighbour and his digger) sorted the services which included stripping out the front garden and some trees (these ones without TPOs!). We managed to have a lot of the house re-used by people building near by - internal doors, UPVC patio doors, kitchens and bathrooms - trading for some labour later. Plus my neighbour fancied the 20+m of balustrade - he's got the digger so that + some of his time and experience is a good trade! We have a pump station serving the lower 2 floors, sadly the location needs to change but the pumps and control system will all be reused so need to get the pumps out - pretty sure the tank will be wrecked coming out but that if that's all we need to replace that will be a good result. Demo firm engaged and they are fantastic (so far anyway) who have stripped out the inside while I worked frantically to get the pre-commencement conditions satisfied. My helpful (seriously) planning officer confirmed by email that we could do trenches for services, strip out internals etc without being classed as having "commenced". this week we had a meeting with the tree police to inspect our tree protection measures and check the working arrangements - I prepared a nice report for them and that went well so we can officially crack on with the demo. Time lapse camera installed on neighbour's roof (Brinno - seems a great product). Currently harassing engineer to provide reinforcement detail for floor so I can get quotes in for steel and ground works. Next week the demo then will be underway and I'll be trying to finalise the drainage design + spec for the floor slabs... Oh - CIL rules changed so our liability would have tripled! But all sorted now and next form for them will be after we finish.