Russell griffiths

I think because your build method has changed you need to stop work for a couple of days and get a few drawings done, they only need to be sketches, but it will give the builder the chance to explain what he proposes, it will give you chance to come on here and show us, and it will give you chance to understand how it will all tie together. those two pictures you put up. the second one with the green damp proof membrane is exactly what you have. he’s not put the dolly blocks in the gaps below the blocks to cap the ends off yet and the end row of blocks are not in, but that’s pretty much what you have. your trench blocks will be underground and will always be wet, that’s pretty standard.

How can we tell without a picture or a set of plans is it just 2 sq m or 200. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I didn’t think you had any trees, I thought you just removed them.

Yes you can appeal the placing of a tpo.

I haven’t read anywhere on here that planning has been approved. just applied for.

The first way to save money would be to stop buying very expensive rubbish logs from the local garage. find a good supply and buy a 2m load tipped loose.

Expect some more expensive foundations on the tree side. if you take an imaginary point 10 metres from the trunk and say to yourself that inside that area is a complete no go zone then you will know what your dealing with. no excavation for pipes or cables no driving of plant or equipment no storage of materials no fuel storage just treat it as the wild natural bit of garden then base your plans around that, then you shouldn’t get any nasty surprises. if when you do your application you note that the tree has a TPO and you have designed your build to be sympathetic to this it could win you some brownie points.

What we haven’t seen is a plan, show us a layout of what you want to build. I will stand by my thoughts that a smaller door would work. or go even smaller and a large picture window. has the SE said anything about supporting this beam.

Oops, that’s going to be inconvenient. or could de-rail the whole application.

Can you tell us why you want a floating timber floor. is this a new build house or just a garden room or something.

Absolutely pointless, use the proper braces. you are not holding 2.7m high walls plumb with some 2x1 battens and then pouring wet concrete in them. there is absolutely no need to put the screws into the centre concrete on icf, that’s why the blocks are designed to be screwed into, either woodcrete or eps / xps versions.

Can you use a led strip with a controller to adjust the colour. we have these, has a little keypad you keep in the drawer to change the settings.

Build the opening smaller then, stick to around 5m. having built two new houses and multiple renovations with this type of extension on the back I can’t think of a reason for such a big door. we where going to have two sets of 5m wide doors in the back, but went for one and a picture window, and our view out the back is probably better than 95% of peoples, we just couldn’t see it being used fully, and the impracticalities were many. A 6.5m wide opening looks good on the fancy architects plans. but that is all. pros and cons of such a big opening. CONS. future deflection effects door working properly Expensive steel more calculations very expensive door problems with such a door in the future how many days in England will you actually want it fully open smaller reveals on the inside restricts furniture and kitchen layout. PROS. You can show your friends what a big door you have.

I’m going to throw something out there. have you built the opening yet. if not make it smaller. if you haven’t built it yet let us know.

If it’s oak. YOU need to tape them up thoroughly don’t leave the plasterer to do it, pink plaster in the grain is impossible to remove, or get a coat of whatever you are putting on the oak, then tape them.

No silly idea, the cost of the plywood would be dearer than getting a plasterer for a day. get all the paper off and make it easy for him. Get a reasonable finish then hang lining paper and paint.

If your in the west mids, go and see mark at archital or something like that, I’ve had a couple of grands worth from him, spot on service.

By the time it’s tiled and a flashing installed you won’t be able to see any brickwork, that will all be lead. tiles need to come off original roof and new flashing dressed under the cloaking and cement fillet. then re lay original verge tiles on original roof.

Look up, GUTTERCREST, they fabricate this sort of stuff. if you go for aluminium it will look the best, but cost the most. zinc coated steel is available, but will have a bit of a wave effect as it’s relatively thin. there’s a company in the midlands who also fabricate these in aluminium, I’ve had all my window cills from them, very nice stuff, but I cannot remember the name, something like ARCHITAL.

Nope, don’t go there unless you are the type that just likes to do stuff just to prove it can be done. there are many proven ways to build a house, looking for something new is just silly, you will struggle to get trades to do it, you will struggle to get a mortgage, and also to insure it, as well as structural engineer to design other bits around it. im aware of the product as it’s used extensively to build commercial buildings, and I did a bit of that previously.

I did this.

I suppose this depends on what you contract states, are you responsible for getting the duct to the pole. the lads that came to mine where really helpful, and I had an excavator there already. they may well have called out an excavator if needed. the pole definitely went in to an augured hole though.

They use an auger, not an excavator dig your trench and lay the duct, leave the last 2m open they can cut the duct back and fit a swept bend on the end up the pole.

By the time you are near to finishing your build you probably wish you had a crack pipe.

No norrsken