DannyT

To answer your bricklaying question. Im ment to be back at work today but wont be going in. I won’t be laying a brick at all this week. Temps are not getting high enough and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. mortar will freeze and blow. Blue bricks can take day to dry on a good day. Cold weather they won’t set. Seen it many times. The standard was 3c and rising but with the lows we be having there’s no chance. If they think it’s acceptable to carry on, you need to have a chat with them.

Finally got a design we feel happy with. We have a en-suite now for the second bedroom. The fish equipment room is now on the utility side as I have found out I can run the pipes from the reef tank, under the floor and into fish room. kitchen has changed to a run of tall units to house oven, coffee machine etc with work surface only at the breakfast bar with sink and hob. Minimal look. I have a 2m x 2m hobby room behind a bookshelf door. I wanted somewhere to draw, build scale models etc but not be on show and at the same time not be out the way so that’s just off living/kitchen area. Centre wall will be block to take a ridge beam of 7.5m each side (15m total) to give more flexibility on roof construction. We think the design works for us. It’s not massive. Room sizes work for us going off what we have now. en-suites been just over 2.1m x 2.1m Tried to get things to line through, like entrance to living through with centre of sliding doors and window behind. Main bedroom door opens to window in front of it. Wall at end of hall way for artwork instead of a door. Rear door into utility with toilet to one side and plant room off utility. This design maximises the whole foundation that is there at present with a few additions within for supporting walls. I will deal with shading the west windows to prevent overheating if it’s needed. Prefer not to have anything other than glass coating. Any opinions welcome.

Just below the sole plate. You can’t render the 150mm strip over it and you don’t want it hanging below cladding on sight.

1. Yes, cut the dpc 15mm longer than sole plate. 2.personally I’d start the first row off slightly lower than dpc. Just make sure you have plenty of clearance between finished landscaping and first row of cladding. Also have a look at how your door sills and first row will look/work. 3. Yes I can see a problem here. Someone’s got to go around the house, laying on the floor, beading and rendering a 150mm strip with part of it been behind cladding. this should be done first.

When we do a brickwork skin, we cut it slightly longer than sole plate and staple along the sole plate with plenty of staples. With it been clad in timber I’d do the same. You may have a timber nailed all along the bottom to close off the cavity behind cladding that will clamp it in place also.

How much cash are you putting upfront before you even see a shovel in the ground? The problems I have with putting the process in someone else’s hands is that your money is going into their hands too. Rare I know, but company’s going in to administration with big chunks of money paid to them happens. Self managed, pay trades as they complete, more control of your money. That’s the only way I know.

You have clay air bricks and plastic telescopes. They just don’t go together. I mortar all around the telescope and the top gap gets covered with 4 inch damp or cavity tray before next courses are laid. telescope should have been a course lower under the floor and a concrete lintel laid over the top then floor block onto that. I’ve just looked at some of your other pictures and although it’s a bit sloppy in places, you will see none of it when it’s done. Yes it could have been rubbed up on the back better, perps could have been better but you probably only see top 2 course after you have landscaped. It’s a few mm up and down too but as long as the building is the right measurement and square. I wouldn’t be happy if I had done this for someone but I would move on from it.

Exactly and some of the figures I have seen as examples on a few websites belonging to architects are eye watering! Your figures seem about right. I’m expecting about £5k especially given that most of the work was done by the same architect with the previous owner. Everything is passed off by planning and permission is in place. I’m just looking to change the design on the same footprint, access, soak aways, landscaping, garage stays same too. I’ve even designed it for him! I’ll speak to him to see if we can agree a fixed price for submitting a change of design and getting through building warrant. If not I’ll look round for someone who can or brave it and go some of it alone.

To be fair I’m going to be one of those people 😂 The reason been at the moment is this architect did all the previous work, gained planning and he was present when foundations were poured so knows the plot well. If the price is too much i be studying the system in Scotland and having a go my self. I’m no stranger to drawings and the local planning department have been friendly so far. Traditional block and block, 200mm cavity. As a bricklayer/builder that’s where all my savings come in. Under 5k would be good. I only like working on fixed prices. Tell me it’s £1200 for X and £1500 for Y and I’m happy with that but don’t tell me 2.5% of a estimate 🙈

Does anyone know anything about RICS table and how a architects fees are calculated using it? The architect Im looking at using has emailed back saying his fees are usually 2.5%-3% of estimated cost as per RICS table. Don’t plan on having them involved after the plans drawn and passed with building regs. No design input from them. We have drawn up a house design we want and kind of want it copied and pasted. Plot has planning but changing design using same footprint. House is single story, 150m2, block and block rendered with slate roof long house style. pretty much fully self built and self managed. What kind of fees does it equate to before I send emails back. we are in Scotland, Dumfries. cheers

With regards to your last question. Some people build a plywood liner on the inside, blocking off the cavity and maybe giving the window something to fix too. something like the link below. https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/19031-200mm-cavity-some-questions/ If your windows sit against the back of outer skin then they should be slightly bigger than opening in my opinion but the inner skin should also have larger opening than the outer to allow windows to be fitted from inside. Windows fitted into the opening should have maybe 4mm a side for allowance. a 1200mm window opening, 1192mm window.

I’m not feeling a 6.5m ceiling. Like a bit of height and velux windows but not to a point right at the top. Also heat rises and I won’t be sitting up there 😉 If that’s the way it’s done in Scotland then that’s how it shall be. I’m used to the way in england so will be learning the Scottish way as go. Currently in Staffordshire but build is southern Scotland.

I was going to put this in roofing section but it seemed more for coverings than construction. Im concerned that a SE is only interested in covering their arse and go over the top with most things. If I were to have a partially vaulted ceiling in living/dinning room and normal ceilings elsewhere, won’t a ridge board be adequate like it were back in the day? collars in the roof, say 2/5 of the way down the rafters? Is there a rule of thumb for this? Im all for doing it properly etc and I know RSJs are used for full vaulted ceilings but I’d prefer the more traditional method. OSB sarking board counter battern scottish slate covering. cheers

That’s good to hear from someone who has experience. It’s not the plan to sit for so long but you never know in todays world. Cheers John.

Forgive me for my stupidity. I’m more hands on than paperwork. If for instance the new amended design was passed by planning. No building warrant etc. Does the 3 year countdown start again to start the new design or is the fact it’s currently in perpetuity and using the original foundations mean it’s again in perpetuity and no time limit imposed? I’ll fire a email this week to planning but wondered if anyone here knows 👍