Russell griffiths

I’ve never Seen an expansion joint in a slab, not unless it is a funny shape with a skinny bit that will definitely crack where it joins the fat bit. Or if it was many hundreds of metres square. My last place had a ground floor slab of 340m without any expansion joints.

No bed, it wouldn’t be strong enough to take the point load of the beams. Just roll out dpc and put beams on top.

You will still need scaffolding, a roofer and other bits, so the only element it does away with is a bricklayer and bricks, plus a pot, so what’s the cost of the fibreglass ones ?

You are concentrating too much on one element. If you carry on like this you will miss something far more important. Better to get a house that works, the flow around the rooms, socket locations for the wall mounted tv, stuff like that, you need your eye on the whole project.

You want a liquid. There are two on the market I know of. BLOWER PROOF MEMBRANE and PASSIVE PURPLE. I have used both either spray or paint brush. The blower proof is thicker and has some fibres , it’s easy to paint on , but a bit expensive.

That shows that you need to clarify with the plant that you will be carrying out a slump test and will return anything that doesn’t come up to spec.

Nudura do their own one, do you have a supplier over there.

@PaddyP buy the correct product. Triton will be order in you won’t find many stockists. £175 for a big bucket. Buy the peel and stick from your icf supplier. Or buy peel n stick from a waterproofing company, must be compatible with eps. Dont use any bituminous based product.

You cannot use any bitumen based product on eps or xps, it will just dissolve it. Must be waterbased.

That’s ok saying that, but they do their research over the internet with a few pictures. Nothing like being on a site and watching the troubles unfolding in front of you. And it wasn’t my place, so no financial loss to me, just horrified at the grief it caused to the builder and the financial loss to the home owner.

I would re think that a bit then, woodcrete is bloody heavy, hard to cut, the dust is horrendous. I could go on and on, but I would start sounding like a salesman for poly type icf.

Oh god, just don’t.

Triton TT waterproofing membrane. Two coats painted on, from below ground to about a metre up. Just batten over it. Or use one of the peel and stick membranes, below ground to 300-400mm up. Stick the cement board directly on to either solution, and just batten down over the cement board.

Why do you say isotex is more diy friendly.

I think you need to re evaluate, you have a plot of land attached to the house you already own, so doesn’t that make it a free plot?? obviously you could sell it and gain £150. If you want to build a house to live in for a good few years then why does it need to add up to the cost you believe it to be worth now. And why the £200,000 budget, if you own the house on the front then won’t you sell that to finance the build. From where im standing you are in a position that many people would give there right arm for. If you build something nice to a good standard I bet it’s worth way more than you are estimating, but it will also cost more than £200,000. Go for it, I’ve never lost a penny on any house I’ve brought.

If it’s a upvc frame, they do frame extenders. Will look a bit shite, but hey ho.

I’m doing mine with a liquid dpm as the natural stone is not flat. so 3-4 courses of stone then painted on dpm then carry on up in stone.

Why take them apart, cut both sides with a saw and throw the small bit and metal work on a bonfire, retrieve the metal later.

I cannot say enough good things about my local bco, he comes within 48hours, listens and adds his thoughts, he then follows up with an e mail, just for the record. Very pragmatic dealing with my place which is a bit unconventional.

bit bigger span span than yours, but something like this. I would use a couple of 225x45 glued and screwed, sitting on top of 90x90 no brackets needed get a tab welded on top of post and hidden fixing into timber.

That is a common solution, although it’s a bit poorly cut. A piece of of 18mm ply either side covered in glue and screwed will be more than adequate.

@gravelrash are you mistaking day rate of a tradesman to the price a company would charge. If you get 2-3 guys at£200 a day who is supplying the warranty. As a company I supplied labour and made 60% for the company and 40% went out in labour, so for instance a £100 job would entail £40 labour and£60 for the company to cover everything, pensions, insurance, trucks, tools, fuel. Everything. So looking at your job 6 guys for a week at £1000 each wages plus £9000 for the company comes in at £15000 labour. Not saying anything about your job, but that’s how I priced things.

same as MBC do their roof, just use metal web joists, run your large service mvhr pipes through the Webb’s, then install a vapour barrier underneath, then add a 25-35mm batten for small services, light cables and such. Insulation will be blown in cellulose stuff. Or warm roof on top. Not hard just needs planning.

What cracks. Nothing there that isn’t present in most houses of a certain age. When you can shake hands with the neighbour through the crack is when to start worrying.

I think I would have the chat. I have a future potential plot, and I mentioned it to someone the other day, within 24 hours I had had two different people approach me showing interest.