ultramods

Have you seen the Ali Dymock videos on YouTube? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3Ehgwo2_tY&list=PLyBa0yFBQO7Mc6sAZOMd-xujGuorZAs--

I watched the new episode last night. Really didn't like it, the new extensions looked like they had been added a few decades ago.

That's what I suspected

when I was considering ICF a few years ago I remember reading about large pre fabricated concrete floor panels/cassettes that had ducts build in (added before the concrete pour). I'm not sure how expensive or practical there are.

As @CC45 has said easier in an internal partition such as behind a cupboard or a void in bathroom/ensuite. If the first floor is going to be beam and block you will need to design in holes to allow the ducts to pass.

Here are my observations: External access to plant room/pantry? Internal access to the annex, thinking about when MIL is older. The reading room so close to the family/living area and with the void, do you need a snug somewhere, sometimes in an open plan house you do need a quiet space to get away from the noise. Bedroom 2 (difficult to know based on dimensions and bed position) would ensuite door be moved around the corner nearer the entrance door give better room layout/space. Ensuites and bathrooms on first floor, consider roof windows if property is overlooked. If this isn't going to be forever house consider putting bath in first floor shower room in addition to the shower by stealing space from the laundry room. I'm not keen on the front elevation, if it was me I would be looking to make the house look like one barn or a series of connected barns. Would a farm house in the area really have had barns built so close to it?

What sort of depth of top soil would you recommend?

Thanks. The trench is 400mm wide and I can get rid of the clay soil.

Thanks. The trench is 400mm wide and I can get rid of the clay soil.

I have flat area in the garden that becomes a pond whenever it rains heavily. I have dug a trench 15 metres long by 600mm deep. The trench is current level with no slope/gradient. The discharge/exit pipe is 400mm deep, this was put in by the builder, to get it deeper would mean adding 20 metres of additional pipework and digging up an existing lawn. The perforated pipe have 360 degree perforations. The perforated pipe and stone/gravel will be inside a non woven punched geotextile membrane. As the exit point is not very deep, I am struggling to decide on the best option: A: Fill the trench with the gravel to create a slope/gradient for the perforated pipe to sit on, then more gravel around and on top of the pipe, followed by 100mm of top soil. B: Fill the trench with the clay I excavated to create a slope/gradient for the perforated pipe to sit on, then add gravel around and on top of the pipe, followed by 100mm of top soil. ? Fill the trench with the clay I excavated to create a 400mm deep level bed, then add gravel to create a slope/gradient for the perforated pipe to sit on, then add gravel around and on top of the pipe, followed by 100mm of top soil. D: Fill the trench with the clay I excavated to create a 400mm deep level bed for the perforated pipe to sit on, then add gravel around and on top of the pipe, followed by 100mm of top soil. E: Put the perforated pipe at the bottom of the level 600mm deep trench then fill with gravel around and above pipe, followed by 100mm top soil. And advice would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry I wasn't on the forum for the last couple of weeks. I have replied to your message.

Is the entrance to the open plan area on the left hand side of the kitchen? Will you have a TV in the family area, if so where? What is the depth of the room?

We are just getting started with the garden, we have about 600 sqm of garden space (wish we had more). So far we have planted a laurel hedge at the back of the house to provide privacy as most of our family room, dining and kitchen are at the back of the house. Plan is to grass the whole area first, then start to add various flower beds. We will be planting in a modern modern style similar to some of the Charlotte Row designs https://www.charlotterowe.com/

What really annoyed me with them is that they delivered my kitchen (gold delivery) with around 4 cabinet doors missing. Within a couple of weeks the cabinet doors were delivered by a third party courier, however 2 of the doors were damaged. I was in no rush for the kitchen, if they had contacted me and asked if I wanted to delay the delivery until the complete order was ready to be delivered professionally by their own delivery van I would have opted for this. I should also note that even in the original delivery 1 door and 2 plinths were scratched and needed to be replaced. Also the top corner of the integrated dishwasher door is starting to show signs of degradation, presumably caused by steam when dishwasher door is opened.

Possibly not, I tried it last week during the day and couldn't see it against my staff

Is there a reason that the living space is on the first floor, as unless there were amazing views, not sure why you would do it. And if there are amazing views you might want to think of more glazing to make having the living space on the first floor worth while. As @bassanclan said, I wouldn't want dressing room directly accessed from the main living area. Also if a visitor needs the toilet they would need to either go through your dressing room to use the master ensuite, which wouldn't be ideal or go downstairs, which again isn't the best. The ground floor hall uses a lot of space, which could be used more effectively if the design was changed. Do you really need to use 18 sqm for 2 utility/plant/pantry rooms?Could some of the plant equipment go in loft space? The snug looks very snug, maybe that's deliberate. Some photos or the plot and views might help What is the orientation of the house, north, east, south and west? Showing room dimensions would help give better feedback, rather than just the floor areas.

I wish I had put mine on the roof, far more discreet and won't have water streaks form below the vents, compared to wall mounted ones. I thought the kit I had ordered had to roof vent's, however when the roofer asked for them I realised I didn't have them and he would wait for them, so I put vents on the gable

why do you not want to buy pre made doors?

I have done this, no family bathroom. However I designed in the flexibility of the master ensuite becoming a family bathroom if we were to sell the house.

Where possible I would try and keep inlet vents as far away as possible from headboard end of beds and sofa/chair positions, to avoid feeling "draughts".

it's 9% additional

yip

Quote. It's 103 m2 of paving

Yes' it's just an extra material cost for the hardcore, yes I have the area. But if I ask for invoices and they needed more materials, do I then need to pay. What irritates me is that he could have quoted lower and then added the "extras" when he knew that the extra quantities would be needed all along. However I suspect for the drain it's time and materials.

Would like some opinions on this please. Once our house was built we parted ways with our builder as he didn't turn up as scheduled (and wouldn't tell us when he would turn up) to complete the landscaping, paving and driveway. We found a new builder who included quantities in his quote. Now that the work has been completed he is saying that he had to use a depth of 250mm hardcore instead of 150mm underneath the paving (paving is around the perimeter of the house at door level), which is an additional cost of £750. Also an additional £750 for a surface/channel drain on the tarmac drive as it's 30% longer than he thought it would need to be. Should I pay this extra when he was able to see the ground conditions, level of completed house etc, between him quoting to do the work and him starting the work, nothing changed on the site.