Russell griffiths

Sounds good to me, the problem is every time you want to use the hook you have to fit the small bucket. If you can take your bucket link and get a hook welded on it it will always be on the digger.

No. Mix it up a bit sloppy, put a rubber glove on as the cement is not good for your skin, cut a hessian sack down so it goes over your hand, grab a good hand full and slap it on swirly pattern or figure of eight is good squish it in all the nooks and crannies. Helps if you put a bit of plastic on the floor. Messy but quick a soft old fashioned broom head is good as well, not the new plastic bristled type.

We put it on with a hessian sack and a pair of rubber gloves, you can push it into any joints that weren't full and you tend not to drop as much as with the brush,but both work very well. Try it both ways. An old fashioned hairy type broom head rather than a synthetic modern broom works better.

Can you not Parge it with a slurry, this way if you want to plaster later it will already have a nice key.

Separate companies. But work so closely with the concrete companies you could ask the concrete companies for a quote for a pump. And you could ask the pumpies for a quote for the concrete. Also whoever is taking your muck away could probably supply your crushed concrete.

After you have done all that digging and dumpering, you will quickly see what a mess things can get in. If you get a pump pour it in one go easy. If you are going to do a semi preparation for the driveway how about using crushed concrete, loads cheaper than type one and it's going to get all messed up with all the trucks on it. Save a few quid to pay for the pump.

That is a really good point, if you are going icf you will be getting to know the pump guy very well,if you have a chat and work out how many times you are going to use him you may get a deal.

Ok then if you haven't started digging, you have plenty of time to have a re-evaluate, from your plan it looks like you are having large drive way. If this is right then you need to get that area prepared so the concrete truck can get to that edge and shoot straight in. You will need the ground completely solid as a stuck truck would be a disaster. I am going to have a stab in the dark as I don't know your dumper size, but bear this in mind you can't heap wet concrete up in the dumper so you will have a very conservative load in it and it's like driving with a bucket of custard. I reckon you will do 18 dumper loads to a truck full. 1) have you considered a pump. If you are spending £5000 on concrete £400 on a pump could be a wise investment. 2) any reason it has to be dug or poured in one go. Why not dig half and concrete and then dig the other half and concrete,you will obviously need your se to design where the joint goes but I have done many pours that didn't get poured in one day.

Just like that.

Can you take one of your small buckets to the local welder and get a hook or plate with a hole cut in it big enough for a shackle to go through welded onto the bucket.

So I could be wrong it does happen on a regular basis, but someone's maths here is not correct, how much concrete are you planning on putting in the skip on that dumper? Do you know what wet concrete weighs? Looking at your layout that looks like a complicated setup with all the trenches every were. In my opinion you must get a huge amount of that concrete poured straight in, or you need a pump, 1 small dumper and 65cube could get all out of control reel quick. Have you got a pic so we can see the layout easier.

Just to change the subject a little you say your having 65m delivered. Are you going to put all this in with your dumper or can you get the trucks up to the trench so you can shoot a couple of loads in straight of the truck. Unless im mistaken 65 m is a big amount to shuffle about in a small dumper. What are people's thoughts.

Have a chat with the ufh guy, I have the same problem spinning in my head. My thoughts are that if a pipe was 150 mm from the face of an internal wall on both sides you would have a gap of 300mm plus width of wall between pipes. If your setting out is ok I would think that's loads of room to get the wall in the middle

That looks like a big gap for sealant, can they not use a nice trim over it.

411 L bars. Climb on back of truck cut strapping throw on floor. Send truck on its way. Pick them up put in barrow. How big is your digger. I would be very careful picking anything up with a small digger as the lifting capacity is very low.

If you have started I don't think I would raise the issue.

Bit of an old topic @MikeSharp01 if you have that many nail to put in sheeting you really want a COIL NAILER. not a framing nailer. Couple of reasons why. That amount of nails needs putting in quickly or it will take forever. A gas powered framing nailer will run hot and start to play up. Second to achieve good racking strength the nails should not be over driven a frarming nailer is very awkward to achieve this and you will end up with over and under driven nails. Also has the SE said what type of nails. On the last frame I put up we were not allowed to use the nails that come in a strip for any racking board and all nails had to have a full head.

I think if I was paying anybody to build a house for me, for a very small percentage of the overall cost I would insist that I employ a completely separate building inspector.

Not sure if we have strayed away from my original point i dont care for rainwater harvesting and actually think it's a crock. But if I say I'm going to have it will it keep the know nothing planning fools happy ive done some rough sums and it won't cost a fortune so willing to tow the line if they think it's important.

Not my place Dave, group of houses about a mile up the road, I popped in to see who had made the frame and had a nosey around. Plot of land £300,000 plus £500,000 to build them I really feel for the poor sod who will end up with this. Not sure if I can inform someone.

Yep it's a piece of fibre board. This is a 3 storey house. Build cost £500,000. The second beam is a monster top and bottom flanges 20mm about 9m span with 2 other beams coming into it at the midway point.

What's your opinion on this? If you look closely there is one beam on top of the main one in the photo, out of the shot there are 2 more beams running into the large one that is stacked on top of the one in the photo. So in all there are 4 upstairs walls sitting on this point. Do do you like it?

Don't understand @recoveringacademic Do you mean it gained you brownie points or not to bother

A couple of things to think about if you lack a bit of concrete experience this is is not an afternoon job. Get the first truck on site at 8.30 am then the second straight after do not be ordering it for 11am you need to get it n quick smart rush about like a madman and then have a breather as you will need your 2 hour hardening window to get all your bars in. Be prepared. Get all your bars and spray a line on them for insertion depth, mark a fill line around your trench. Make yourself a tamping thingy make sure the dumper has diesel get a tarp ready for the road or driveway make sure you have batteries in your laser if you have one. Good luck.

This is the bit I don't understand. They found nothing a big fat nothing. Said the site was quite boring with nothing of any interest. I will read it again.