Big Jimbo

That's the thing Joe90. Conversation makes you think. I would prefer to hear from anybody on here about real world "these screws, are great, always use em) When you go around any of the home build etc shows. Most of the people on the stands talk total Boll208s. Just telling you that they have the best product ever. A friend on another forum, some time ago had a big prob on his build. His engineer proposed a £30k get around. He put his problem to the forum, and one of the guys gave him an alternative. He put it to his engineer, who said yeah, you can do it like that. The fix cost £8k and the forum saved him £22k

basically, what Sensus had said above, is exactly what the BRE told me. They fried my brain, but i sat there noding etc, and looking like i understood. I think i got away with it.

My new build super (posh shed) is even going to have a warm roof Joe90

A few years ago, i was site manager on a couple of new builds of about 4000sq ft each for a client. It was something i had never done before, but asked to do it for a client. Basically, i made sure that everybody followed the drawings as best they could, and when there was an issue, gave them a quick response to enable work to continue. We had a local council building control officer, a giy from NHBC, and the clients own engineer, who was way worse than the other Two put together x 10. Both houses were built to be as airtight as they could be, and because i knew i would have to have a test at the end, i was super careful to follow the engineers drawings and detailed drawing as best i could. I can remember, that the houses were as airtight as possible, but they basically had a ventilated, cold, pitched roof on the top. The guy who did my airtests, said i was lucky, because i had made the houses almost too airtight, and that if his result had been any lower, it would have been a problem, and we would have had to introduce some ventilation to the houses. Sorry, i do ramble. 12 months later complaints had been recieved by each of the property owners that staining, and water was coming through the upstairs ceilings. I went to the houses with a couple of others, NHBC, developers engineer, roofing contractor, and me. When we went into the loft none of us could believe the amount of actual water, not just condensation, that was in the loft, sitting on the ceilings below. There were no water services or any mechanical stuff in the loft, and the roof was checked out by the roofer from outside, and inside (We got both properties scaffolded) The roof was 100% sound, and the roof ventilation was all as specked and in place, and not blocked. The NHBC guy, who i kept in touch with, told me that they were seeing the problem more, and more, on new build houses ! I think it eventually got solved bt adding in a considerable additional amount of ventilation in the room, and some sort of positive pressure fan attempted to continually push the damp air out of the loft. It seemed like a right bodge to me, but defo made me think about ventilation. Not that did me any good, as i dont have the brains of some on here.

Those pics show an area that is so tidy. I love it. You could always empty the contents of the hoover over the area to make a few of us feel better. Go on, i dare you.

Which is exactly why Screw piles should be used more often. Ie; good ground but lots of trees. My point is that down south,( where we always seem to have to pay through the nose) A screw pile at £1k each ! I was told that they cost less than £300 each to buy from the supplier. A contractor told me he could do all 20 of mine in one day. £14k gross profit !!!!!! for a day

I have always used lead sealant, i think that it will have a degree of flexibility that mortar will never have. I've never had a problem.

That's why this site is great. Thanks folks. I get it now. I think screw piles are great, no muck, etc. Its just a shame that they are no cheaper. I think given time, when they become more common the price will drop. In my case, i have good ground, but large, and lots of trees. I am being quoted £1k to bring the kit to site, and £1k a pile going down 7mt. The Piles are not that expensive, and screwing them into the ground can be done with a 3 ton digger and an attachment. Anybody fancy starting a screw pile company with me ?

I have only just picked up on this thread, so apols if i am being a plank. The OP said he was having screw piles. How does a passive slab like Harris and Stark have work with screw piles, or any sort of piles in that instance. I thought that the whole idea of piles was that the load being put on top, had to be spread. Ie: The piles are joined by being linked using a number of methods, for instance, concrete ring beam, steels etc ......How does a passive slab, eps, bit of metal and 4" on concrete link to the piles ??? I thought that with piles, you had to have some form of suspended floor, such as timber, block and beam, metal I beams etc. The whole idea is that the structure, walls, roof, floor, all have to bear on the piles. Please enlighten me, I'm not being a pain, i just dont get it.......

Metal roofing sheets seems like a good idea.

I am about to knock up a shed in timber. It's going to be about 3.5 x 4.5 . The Two short walls, and One long wall will be seen. However, One of the long walls will never be seen as it will be 1mt from the boundary, and between it and the boundary is Laurel hedging. I am going to build that side on the floor, and then stand it up. It is unlikely that i will be able to get much access to it after. My question is how to finish this unseen wall. It will be sterling board + whatever i put on it. I am thinking EPDM, or decent quality roofing felt..... Any other thoughts. Thanks in advance.

I think that the smaller ones look better, but it is only my personal opinion. I don't like to see quite as much motor between them so would put them a bit tighter.

Good idea. Try the pub.

How old is the place ? You may have no cavity tray above your window. Your cracked render is letting in water, pooling on the top of whatever lintle is above your window, working it's way through the inner blockwork and entering your bingalow. Pictures from inside and outside would really help.

Morning Daniel, and welcome. This is a great site. You will be helped through the good and bad times of your project.

Be so careful. That is seriously high. Do ask yourself the question is it worth the risk. I know you want to get it sorted, but perhaps a few hundred quid to a local roofer might be a safer option. I know you are struggling to find one. There is usually a local pub, where the local builders meet for a tall tales session on a Friday afternoon. I'd find that, and start chatting to a few of them. You would'nt believe the power of a phone call from a builder to a roofer that he uses all the time. Especially if you have just bought him a pint.

Joe, was he 110. i'm with you, but i can't remember the last time i saw that done.

Good on you Patrick. The prob i have down south is that the piling comp want to do piles and ringbeam, at about £35k. When i tell them i'm happy to do the ringbeam and just want a quote for the piles, they are either not interested or start quoting me silly figures £1500 fo drag the plant to my site, and about a grand a pile. I have good ground, but loads of bloody big trees, but i'm a tight sod. I know that in the end i will just end up hiring in a big digger, (I have a mini digger) and doing 3mt deep trenches, and filling them full of concrete. If i do that i thonk i can do the founds for about 12k. £16k if i don't spread the spoil over my garden, and have it carted away.

The morter in you chimney looks soaking wet. I've had it before where the bricks, and morter were taking in so much water, that regardless of the lead, etc, the chimney was soaking up the water, it was dropping downwards through the brickwork, and the heat in the room below was drawing it out, and staining the wall. To be honest, i gave it 3 good coats of Thompsons waterseal, and it was fine up to the point when i sold the place.

Soakers are basically L shaped bits of tin or ally. You can make yhem out of lead. At the moment any water going under you lead, has reached the tiles. It will run down the tiles, and pass onto the tiles further down the roof, and eventually into the gutter. However if any of the water that has passed you lead onto your tiles goes sideways, due to a slight slope in that direction, or being pushed sideways by the wind, it will run off the side of your tiles up against the chimney and into your house. It there were soakers under the tiles, they would act as a last defence, and carry any water down to tiles below your chimney.

Patrick. Are you doing your own piling ? What about the ringbeam, are you doing that ?

No soakers ?, and i would have tucked that lead uner the ridge tile at the top. It looks poor i'm afraid.

Intended to do just that fella. Not many people want a shed that big, so before i sell i can stick a wc and shower in, and although it might not get me any more money for the house, it will be a bonus Gym etc for anybody in the future.

Yeah but i wont put any drainage, or electrics in untill i finish my bungalow. In the meantime i can power it with an extension lead. So, i build my shed now, no electrics or drainage. Then start my planning permission. Complete it and get it signed off. Then if i wanted to run some power and drainage to my shed and get it signed off. The one thing i do not want to do is screw up my CIL exemption.

My application, was a micky take, because i thought it was a joke that they had taken away my rights. It was taken by the planning officer in good spirit, and has now been binned.I actually only want a good size large shed/workshop of 30 sq mts