scottishjohn

I could go off grid as the origininal water supply will need major upgrades ,as it was water from a sort of stream it starts as a spring which was stone culverted and comes to my ground through a hole in a dyke the spetic tank was built like a drystone dyke ,so would just leak out of the sides -obviously that will need to be replaced with modern system -, mains electric is possible at a price as is mains water - that would need pump station to lift it 300ft up to the house --but none of these have caused planning any problem so far and all of them are really BC department not planning change of use will be your biggest hurdle if you are trying to turn a derilict barn or piggery ,farm building into a house-that is planning who decide and that needs to be sorted before you do anything at all to the site

in scotland you must have full walls to where the roof would fix and then it is possible to ask to rebuild it with out full walls it is unlikely you will get a simple PP -to rebuild If it still has a roof as well then maybe only building warrant is needed ther are lots of other things they will throw at you . and of course all must be to latest build codes has the ruin returned to nature -eg trees growing up inside it --that will be a big problem if it has --so trying to rebuild something that was last in use 200years ago --will not happen usually ,unless it is of historic interest --don,t go there when was it last habitated? mine was last lived in in 1966 and had a roof till 1975 -there is a cut off point inscotland -not sure of date --about 1960 I think --but check If it is listed, as my other one i have for sale is then you can make it wind and watertight without any permission ,as that is deemed as protecting the fabric -then you would start with PP +BC about what you wish to do One thing I did find out is that if it was built before 1947 ,then you can apply to double the footprint of the building . I certainlty don,t want to make mine bigger --pprobably will be smaller --but remember once you give up foot print you cannot get the unused bit back without more planning and maybe not then and once you have permission to rebuild it --you can then apply for a different build in a different spot within the curtiledge of the the exsisting plot - thats when planning really get involved and the arguments start with them none of above has anything to do with services being avaialbale or in working order . If it could at a strecth it could be classed as habitable --then its only building control -building warrant you need to rebuild whats there to current building spec there wil be lots more things ,so i would always suggest you take professional advice right at the begiining of buying an old ruin -money spent then will be well spent this is all info I have gleened from my chase of this property over the years starting point when was it last lived in ,does it have full sound walls ,got a good access to a road. I know of a nice ruin ,but its old track comes down to the main road A75 ,but there is no actual opening toa75 from the track there cos it was so long ago it was used --and its on a bend no chance of getting a new entrance onto this main road -so you would need to make your own road through farmers field s and then get permission to join a "u" road --so not viable in my view

you can do your next pour as soon as the first one has set --better to do it sooner ,so it bonds to the first one -If you want to leave it long periods then make sure you use rebar and have them stcikingo ut into new pour and use a bonding ocat between layers -your ICF supplier will give you all this info . look at this video -full house and roof poured in one go there are plenty of other types but basic rule is up to ne storey in one pour if you want

I was under the impression --wrongly maybe that most of the cracking was caused by expansion joints not in correct place or not enough of them and founds not solid enough -builders cutting corners or rough handling for the type of block they are by both delivery and builders using them you could level same ciritisms at ICF blocks if they are rough handled before errection and filling with any old mix of concrete or skimping on rebar around openings etc .either that or you are saying you don,t beleive in physics and the industry strength testing systems etc my money is on poor usage of the product and corner cutting by users

Do you have enough space to get a rough terrain access platform /cherry picker in at them the way you now decribe it its not a quick nip up a ladder cut off a branch -job done its sounds like a full days job even with right kit or days climbing up ladders either way start by cutting ivy at bottom --then remove it later after die back

most likley out come i think ,due to my age is I will sell of parts for other people to run a life style biz like this

this is certainly my idea ,if I have enough money left to build things on my site fully disabled access with wet room ,full disabled toilet full heating system +cooking facilities and car parking right next to them --so they can be all year round occupation I see that is where the growth market is . providing you have views like i do

correct and if door opens outwards it must be big enough for wheelchair to back away from it and still be on the flat . I had all this nonsense when I split my garage into 3 units ,cos i fitted a new entrance for one of the units ,so then it had to comply to latest BC regs telling them someone in a wheel chair they could go round the back and in through the workshop door -was not good enough for them even when i said i am happy loose trade from any wheel chair bound person thats wants a race car or a super charged saxo etc. NOPE -compliance required how many wheelchair bound customers have i had in 8 years ZERO height difference from outside road to my new door threshold 5"-- TOO MUCH --BUILD a ramp and I had to make a disabled toilet as well that could be used by someone still sat on the wheelchair -min size 2m X1.5m and all the grab rails emergency assist buzzer , etc etc so yes i,ve been there done that

ok inferred in your last post after my reply

once you say diasabled access in your adverts --the expect claims if someone hurts themselves and thier solicitor uses normal build regs to define "disabled access" and if the regs are changed in the future to include caravan sites ,which must be quite likely --then you going to have to do it later anyway If you have seen these removable ones that councils use -to get round the regs ,cos its an old building --they are not small or light to move about and need storage when not in use and at 175mm drop from sliding door to deck you would need a flat standing area at half the height as well,even if it was just foot traffic design the need for it out of the project now same as you will need edges and handrails on the decking ,so wheel chairs can,t roll off I take it the shower room is a wet room with wheel chair access as well I,m sorry you don,t think I,m being hlepful -- i consider I am being very helpful and saving you making expensive mistakes now which can be designed out --

well you will succeed at that -.but i ithink you meant compliant LOL

why are you asking? -you already have said caravans don,t have to comply to regs I think its very short sighted to to do it your way and If i were a disabled person i would not be back a second time to yout chalet and would give it a bad right up access is everything for the disabled don,t be a peasant build it right first time lift the deck up and have wee strip of s/sgrid between chalet and deck so water don,t go to chalet wall you stuill got to have a ramp for wheelchair to get to the deck

you must have a flat area at the door -not a continuos ramp the spec is inthe building regs

EPDM would not be my choice i would use GRP and then you know it will never leak EPDM ,looks like a tricky layup with lots of joints grp there will be NO joints at all as you would lay it up around all these complicated sky lights in one go

having just cleared lots of ftrees and ivy from lots of other trees iam keeping and some of htis ivy near the bottom is 4-5" thick Ican tell you that if you cut sections out of it at the bottom while not cutting the tree ,then it will wither prety quickly and alot of it will loosen its grip on its own + pull off bits that are wound round might need a little help so it does not have a full wrap --then when it dies back it will come off easily no way would i consider climbing up 60 ft trees to get the ivy off your next and most important job is to watch the roots carefuly --most realy big ones will die but if not you may nedd to dig them out and next year jsut keep knocking off any new growth at the base of the tree no need ot climb up trees to kill the ivy some picccies of after and before last picture look how big the ivy incomarison to tree it is on andI,ve had it twice as large as that with large ivy like that you can inject the roots with round -up -that will make sure its dead if you want

I,m not a sparky , but to me more earthing is good so why would you not run 3 core SWA to van and then fit and earthing rod and connect it to the earth wire in the SWA please explain why

If you live near any old mine workings like old lead or tin etc the waste they produced will not grow anything --so ideal under layer and probably and if she convinces me to have grass --thats what i will be using under it as we have old lead+silvers mine around 100years + later and the spoil piles grow nothing worth talking about look like they were made last year . dughter in law has artifical lawn and she uses henry and power washer

I cannot see a problem in using real stone at any thickness if you build it up and totally fill with mortar to the ICF. don,t see any need for cavity providing you don,t leave holes in it for water to gather in-then freeze and expand . just thick brick slips if you like I am seriously considering cropping my lovely grey creetown granite into 100mm thick bits(approx 300mm to start with) and doing just that so it looks like it is made rom granite If it will crop thinner .all the better I would have been tempted to use the thick bits as they are --but i couldn,t work with them at that weight

just a thought as they are there as you say maybe good for making shed components probably could not the right wood at a good price anyway if not buying in truck loads

is there any cost advantage in building your own I say cos I went to an auction and part of the room contents were loads of packs of the metal work for making joists - 300mm +450mm any interest to any one/

connected with a timer to light switch so it runs even after you have vacated -proper toilet exact fans have them built in, so you just hook up to light switch

agreed ,but if elec supply cost are painfully high --then in reality by using it you would be getting a vlaue of 15p ?a unit but thst still only £1000 ish I looked at an off grid 20kw system with self start gen +batteries etc £30-40k so cost for connection needs to be very high to be a winner

put your own meters in the holiday lets -you ,ll make more money that way I think

draw some plans up and the forum will give you help no doubt

35 x300w ? 10.5kw not really commercial and will your DNO allow you to pump that much back in , not even enough to really run a house off grid even with batteries -- no money to made there why do you say commercial not really big enough for any commercial solar comapny to be interested in when I looked at the jetty the 30 acres was going to be 3 mw when i first looked they would do a PPA scheme where they paid me 25K a year for 20 years -then rate dropped and now only interested if i had big users very close ,so they could do a 10year deal to sell to them