Russell griffiths

Evening all. We have had a full ecology report done and all seems fine. We have been advised by our planning consultant to provide a method statement on how we are going to mitigate any risk during construction to any protected species on site. Now ive just paid £1400 for the bloody survey I really don't want to go back to him and give him more of my dosh to do this method statement. Anybody done one or got any links to where I could pick up some pointers. I used to write up loads of method statements for work related matters so I'm used to a bit of waffle I could just do with a point in the right direction. Cheers russ.

Ok so I've just read through the other thread on rainwater harvesting and I have my opinions. So the reason this has just come up is the company carrying out our flood risk assessment and rainwater mitigating measures has suggested we tell the planners we are going to flush the karzie with rain water as it will give our GREEN build a bit more clout. Now personally I think this is a load of BS and don't agree with the whole water reusing thing at all. So so the real question is did anybody use water harvesting in your planning to gain a few brownie points or do you not think it carries any weight. Cheers fed up russ.

Just wanted to say a big thanks to @IanR for pointing me in the right direction of Cullen Timber Design. Thanks buddy.

Could anyone recommend a company for this. Cheers.

Has anybody made a complete checklist of all the parts that went into your house or would you know where I could find one as I want to start breaking down the costing side of things, so I can see how much of it I can't afford. Cheers russ.

Right I think I was wrong. After reading all the good reasons for a pop up plug I can see the merits. We don't have any kids so had never considered safety an issue. Learn something new every day.

I think you are off the mark a bit here. The string is to keep them upright until the concrete starts to harden it is not to support them. It looks on your drawing that there is no reo in the trench so that means there is nothing to tie the starter bars to. I would mass fill my trench and level it, go and have a cup of tea and a biscuit, you will start to feel that the concrete is getting firm. Grab a bar that you have already pre marked with the insertion depth on it, plunge it in the concrete and wiggle up and down push down to desired depth and let go. What happens next. Answers on a postcard please. It falls over and gets covered in crud. Remedy. Go and have another tea and come back in ten minutes. It stands up on its own like a soldier outside Buckingham palace. Repeat436 times. Perfect. You cant push it in. Oh shit you shouldn't have had so many biscuits.

Js has hit the nail on the head. The reason for all the questions is I will probably end up building the frame myself or at least buying a standard frame and improving on it. Last week I was on a site where two houses are going up,I decided to be nosey and go and have a poke about, from 200m away they looked like a fairly cheap frame 150mm studs with some Kingspan stuffed in, well on closer inspection I was horrified with the build quality, I didn't say anything and chatted with the lads putting it up, I asked a few questions and told them I was about to submit my planning and was just doing some research. They both chuckled and said they wouldn't buy one of these, they're crap. When you are dealing with a company with Swedish links in its name you would think you were buying a quality product, how wrong you are, be careful out there. Just as an add on, both these houses have a build cost of over £500,000 that does not include land price. I was concerned so much I have even thought of trying to find the purchaser to warn them.

Bugger me I only want to build a wall,

I think the problem here is two different jobs are getting confused. You have put up a picture of a base plate being used to hold up a column you hav made a ply former to hold the base in position and it looks spot on??. What the lad wanted to know was a starter bar a length of reo 800 long with a 90 degree bend and a 200 return if you think you are going to pull that out once it is set then I don't know what you think you are building. If you give it a good wiggle the slurry will run around the reo to seal it off. If you are concerned about water ingress then it shouldn't be cast in two pieces like it is going to be as there will always be a cold joint. Also i like you accurate way you said you would do it but it is not needed or warranted. The last footing I did had a linear run of 123m if you were putting a starter bar in at 600mm centres that would be approx 200 bars if you think you are going to mark that out on a bit of timber and fix it in place to hold them up with holes drilled in it, I will leave you to it, I'll go fishing and come back and pick you up tomorrow, As I said I think different jobs are getting mixed up here it's a starter bar in a footing not the space shuttle.

Ok then in a former life I lived in Australia, and I also have family in the states. I built our last house in oz, and I'm seriously considering importing some of the materials for our new house. Just wondering if anybody had done it and what your thoughts were. I am finding that if you can buy it in the local merchants then it is ok, but as soon as you want anything slightly different than the red box house you are going to pay through the nose for it. Where as in the states and oz the different materials are just standard details over there. Annoyed with England again. Cheers russ.

It's fairly easy really, done it loads. If you have a set of profile boards at either end of the footing mark a line on here where the reo has to go in. Between these marks pull something taught. Either a brickies line or fencing wire, you can now push your reo in giving it a good wiggle up and down to get a good secure hold, if you put a paint mark on the Reo you will know how far to insert it. You can tie it back to the line or just sort of balance it against the line while the concrete sets. What at I think a lot of people are guilty of is overthinking things, you are not building the space shuttle this stuff is used by groundworers on a building site in the mud and rain, as long as you are accurate to about 50 mm you will be spot on. Remember when that concrete has set it is very easy to bend them all nice and straight so they line up with the next stage. CAUTION. Buy some plastic caps to go on top of the exposed reo. A poke in the eye or falling on one could be nasty.

Thanks for that Dave. But how thick was it?

Yes please js she is looking really thrilled at having to use her brain on the weekend.

Did you not use frame therm on the inside?

Thanks js I will get the wife doing some sums I am just a hammer wielding Neanderthal so need a bit of help with such things.

Hi Dave the system with the external insulation will be modelled on the type of build up you did. Except with external battens and timber cladding. How thick was your internal insulation in your 190 frame.

Ok so I'm confused as normal, trying to design my wall build up, can anybody point me in the right direction to find out how to calculate u value. I am considering two methods of wall construction both timber frame both with external timber cladding. Method one. timber studs with a soft fluffy type insulation inbetween and a firmer slab type insulation on the outside. Metod two. Double stud wall with all fluffy type insulation inside. What at I am struggling to get to grips with is the depth of insulation and what u value it will achieve please do not suggest any of the solid board type insulation as I have previous experience with poor fitting of this stuff and hate it. Cheers russ.

Ok this is my opinion. You don't want one or need one. Why are normal sockets not an option, I have seen them placed on the ends of the island, I have also seen them inside a fake drawer front, so I would suggest having a bit more of a think before you buy a pop up, my mate has a pop up and unless you are a super neat freak you will find it is always up and never gets pushed down

Thanks for that I will have a good read tonight. ?

Confused as normal, so doing some research as normal and all I keep reading about is breathable outer layers so moisture can escape outwards, makes sense to me. So why am I watching lots of install vids on products where they are taping the joints on the exterior racking sheeting boards? Most of the vids are American so I am careful to consider the climate difference between the two countries, it's no good watching them in Texas as compared with sunny Cirencester. But I also see them applying a stick on rain screen house wraps that are all produced by European companies. I like the idea of having a complete skin over the roofs and walls, but how does it all breath? I intend having a full MVHR system will it breath to the inside or have I got myself all muddled up again. Cheers russ.

So in 2006 I built our old house, timberframe and all stick built on site with the help of 1 other chippy, wanted to know who has had a frame stick built on site so questions would be who designed it and signed off on it why did you do it this way would you do it this way again. Need to do some massive amount of number crunching to work out if there is actually a financial benefit. Cheers russ.

Hi in 2006 I built our old house using timber frame with a brick outer skin, so now we are putting in an application for a new build I thought I was 100% going down this route again, that is until I passed a site a couple of miles down the road from us and they are using the clay blocks with the thin joint system, just wanted to know if anybody has any good or bad things to say about them. Cheers russ.

I would like to have a go at ours as well, can I find Jeremy's instructions somewhere. Thanks russ.

Thanks everyone, will have a good chat with the consultant in the new year.