BadgerBodger

why there is such a strong aversion to PIR on this forum. In context. For my barn conversion I’m looking at the following. 300mm EPS below slab external walls to be panelised stud liner system installed in steel frame with breather membrane to outside 120mm PIR between studs and 50mm to face with VCL and service void to face before PB roof will be breather above rafter, 150mm insulation below with VCL and service void to face before PB Additional perspective is that the architect proposed a hygroscopic solution but in my view this was not cost effective (surface area is huge and additional load to roof would have been problematic) and did not resolve the cold bridging issues I have with the steel frame being used to brace the external walls.

Also curious. Our conservation officer was encouraging me to go down this route but we ended up just going for double. I really wanted triple glazing but it was a hard no from his standpoint.

I’m not in a conservation area but my project is grade 2 listed. I’ve just had solar and ASHP approved. In my case they were really not keen on seeing it on the main build but accepted it on the extension. Every area has a different standard and I’d go as far as saying it depends upon the approach of the conservation officer. IMHO, the most expeditions route to finding the answer will be to make contact directly or find a good architect who has an existing relationship with them. I did both, my architect put the concept out there to test the water, I spoke about the finer detail and where the boundaries lay, we ended up with a submission that was passed fist time, as were the closure of the conditions. As others say, you have to get listed building consent and planning. Although, I haven’t quite figured either the removal of permitted development is solely to push you to the consent or whether the requirement for both is absolute.

For most, if you’re clean shaven or even if you're not but your chosen style sits entirely within the skin to mask contact area without fouling the seal you’d pass a face fit test. If you were doing a face fit test you’d likely find that different disposable masks have vastly different fits and qualities which would result in a pass/fail which changes for individuals based on their face shape etc. My experience is that a rubber half mask see far fewer failures in testing and in practice is easier to use, getting a good seal. I really like the force 8 press to check system as it’s great for checking each time you put it on that you’ve got a good seal. Essentially you squeeze/close the filters and breath in to check if a vacuum is created, any air sucking in around the nose or chin means you can adjust the mask position, tightness etc. and then recheck. When I was doing fit testing I never had one fail after showing the user how to fit and put it on correctly. If you’re working in a really dusty environment another indicator is after use, if you have any specific lines of grime within the mask area, it’s not working properly. Next step up is forced air. On site we never really use them unless we’re looking at someone who can’t shave or we’re starting to look at confined spaces which is a whole different ball game. Ultimately you have to ask, is this a token gesture or do you want it to actually work. If the latter get a rubber half mask and if possible, find some way of checking the fit or a the very least, be observant.

On big industrial jobs you see the serrated knife below, think how much insulation is used for a boiler used to generate steam for power generation… for H&S reasons as managers were never so keen but they work. At home an old bread knife usually comes out…

Looks like a job for tanking… although… even with the sketch I’m a little confused. It would be helpful if you could show the brickwork. If it’s a cavity wall, do you have a cavity tray or just a DPC on both leaves? FYI look on NHBC website info is your friend for simple details and general “good” practice. In your scenario it just looks like the DPM that would normally form your internal DPC and dress down under the slab will be partially exposed. In itself I wouldn’t say this is a major issue but it IS more likely to accidentally be punctured torn or otherwise breached in its exposed position. certainly not best practice.

In fairness I’m inclined to agree with you on the 100mm stuff. It’s heavy and cumbersome but solid. It’s the larger bore stuff I have had a lot of issues with damages.

I’ve never had it done domestically. I’ve used it and seen it used commercially as part of SUDS and MUGAs so that would always be by a local tarmaccer. I’d be surprised if your resin drive people couldn’t organise it. If not reach out to some local driveway companies who offer tarmac options? See if they do it. Get some quotes.

They have significantly different properties which are prone to different defects. Tarmac is considered a flexible wearing course which is much more forgiving for movement without breaking down. Whilst concrete will likely have increased compressive strength compared to tarmac it is much more rigid and prone to cracking which is why we have rebar in concrete. Concrete cracks for all kinds of reasons even just in the process of curing (without load) in some cases. If I were doing it I’d use porous tarmac over porous concrete for the reasons above. Adding to this with porous concrete being far less common than porous concrete (in my experience) it’s more likely to be done wrong.

For vehicle traffic or pedestrian? I’d say 100mm overall thickness is the least I’d go without reinforcement. Not sure how reinforcement works with permeable concrete. I did a job with it a long time ago (16 years) on a military base and the only thing I recall was the first hi-ab that went on it left impressions in it. I think you’d be better using permeable macadam which is somewhat flexible. A lot of it depends on the quality of your substrate i.e what’s below the stone…

vitreous clay is a premium drainage product. Never seen it on Resi and not oft used in anything but public developments in my experience. I’ve always used it in schools and hospitals. It’s resistant to chemical attack etc. so suitable for labs etc. in cases like that you’d have vulcathene above ground and clay below. Some clay products are designed for resistance to thermal shock and can take 100 degrees+ water which PE/PVC struggles with. It’s a bit of a mare to work with IMHO. Requires experienced labour to install well. Easily damaged, very heavy for 225 or above. Re air testing it’s the same as any drainage, installed well no problem. Sloppy install, guaranteed issues. I’ve always had the least issues passing an air test with cast iron!!

Naylor if you want twin wall.

Wavin-Osma and polypipe. Floplast seems to be the same quality.

Igneous for the win. But unless you’re in Scotland and some very specific areas in (the southwest if I recall correctly) it’s all imported from the nordics and comes with a price tag.

Recycled aggregate comes in various qualities. The more premium products will be manufactured using WRAPS protocol. When I am siding it I’ll ususally get some samples delivered (20t) to see how it places and what’s in it. Usually it comes with quite a few contaminants like wood or plastic which aren’t desirable in road build-ups. If you can get some certainty is is just concrete with no fines you could be ok. If I were doing it i’d use type 1x or type 3. again the quality of the stone is important. You want MOT (frost resistant) as it will break down more slowly and the top 300mm or so is susceptible. My drive will be woven geotextile, geogrid, 200mm type 1x or type 3, geotextile, 40mm clean single size. geotextile at the bottom helps ensure fines do not migrate upward

Blog So, where to start? I’d been talking to my wife about building our own house being a dream for the last 10 years or so. One day late last year, she woke up and said, “Why don’t we do it?” So we spent a few weeks looking at plots, barns, and the like with planning but really struggled to find something in budget in the areas we wanted. At the same time, my parents had secured planning on the very barn we had our wedding reception in, and it had been on the market for 9 months without a sale. It wasn’t where we wanted it precisely, but considering the price was right (we paid the advertised asking) and I grew up playing in and around it, I supposed I knew pretty much all there was to know about the potential pitfalls that would come with such a project. We thought, “Why not?” Fast forward 6 months: we’ve had the designs developed, completed the majority of the preconstruction/site clearance activities, closed out the original precommencement conditions, and submitted drawings for building regulations approval and material amendment for a revised design. Work starts in a week!!! We still need to sort the financing but have enough to keep us ticking along for a few months before our house sale which will keep us going until Christmas, the idea is to pass the trickiest, hard-to-price hurdles before getting the self-build mortgage. It’s already been stressful. Considering all the exposure I’ve had of the industry starting my career as a carpenter working up to project manager, I’ve never seen the “other” side. When employed by someone else, it’s much easier to look at things objectively, and decision-making is simpler. When it’s your own money, your own budget, and you have to create your own finance plans, it really puts the pressure on! Some details about the site/project. It’s low-lying, and there are requirements for the ground floor to be elevated by approximately 600mm relative to external levels. It’s fairly isolated being 20 minutes from any significant town and 15 minutes to a shop. There is currently no power and water. I’ve ducted ready for the electric, but I’ve yet to put 800m water down the drive. We’ll duct for full fibre when it arrives too. It’s a Grade 2 listed building, which comes with its own challenges. The old asbestos shed which sat beside the original structure has been dismantled and disposed of, and a full veg strip of the flora immediately surrounding the building is complete. Bats have been observed during some of the surveys, meaning works to the roof are required to be carried out under the supervision of a suitably trained ecologist. Last of all, there is a requirement for archaeological monitoring and historic building recording due to the plot being sited on a lost medieval village. The building recording is complete, and WSI has been accepted for the ongoing monitoring of the works, and we now have our bat mitigation class license. Next steps are making good of the structural openings, scaffolding, stripping the roof to allow for structural survey and repair, followed by re-roofing and windows. Anyway, here are some photos of the site… when we took it on… and now! And of course, the plans. Feel free to comment! Thoughts on a postcard are welcome!

With it being cementitious, could you use a standard curing agent/dust sealer? It’s not the most robust solution but it’s something. As @SteamyTea says resin floor covering would be the most robust. Somewhere in between you have 1 part resin floor paints like Crown Epimac or 2 part paints like Resbuild SF which get more expensive the more complex the product.

Thanks. Badger be Bodgin, as usual.

Me idiot. Thought I was replying. Turned out I was reporting. Figured the good mods would understand the mistake when the read the content

Yes, Old Clamp. It’s a blended mix of three other styles. Lindum, Laddus and Hambleton I believe. The mortar is a sand/lime/white cement mix 6:1:1

DIY. I just did mine. 150m twin wall cable duct, draw cord, cable marker tape and a digger. I’ve got 800m of water to do in a few months too!

Out of curiosity why the aversion to felt on top. The celotex is vapour impermeable anyway so what’s the difference? Or am I being ignorant?

+1 on Force8. I’ve used them for about 8 years and probably won’t stop until they stop making them. the 3m 4251 fits nicely too. I don’t/haven’t used a disposable since I did fit to fit training with a previous employer.

They’re really firm, high density ROCKWOOL. It’s a fire stopping product generally used for closing voids or sealing around services with a compartment wall, floor or ceiling. There are other product from competitors such as Hilti, FSi, etc. It can generally be friction fitted (in your case horizontally between the plasterboard and osb to close the void) by oversizing the cut pieces by 5/10% but it can also be “patressed” with mechanical fixings. The joints and abutments are then sealed with the appropriate intumescent mastic. If we’re doing this at home I’d then fit another plasterboard to the rear of the pocket. Its not a perfect solution but it should get passed by BC..

Hmmmm, it’s really hit and miss how well receiving you BC officer will be! Have you considered closing the void with an ablative batt? It’s pretty cheap and cheerful and comes with loads of persuasive test data!!!