ianfish

I am letting our local recycling boys look after our redundant slab - parts in skip all ready its just too much of a poor mix...in 4.5m there has to be about four mixes...from good slab 4" thick to 1" and sandy mush

What do forum members think of recycling and reuse of materials? We are in the throws of taking down and removing a conservatory and a bit of previous extension. we have the luxury of a large-ish garden which like the house is ok but nothing that needs attention. the house appealed to us in the summer of 2019 for the very fact that is was almost a blank canvas. So we sold on the extension 200 GBP for a 4.5 x 4m double glazed extension , buyer to dismantle (that sadly did not happen as we thought!) Today is breaking up the concrete floor, How do others feels about retaining the broken concrete to use as aggregate? I guess I will need more but what do others think? do I get it off site or look to keep it to put back under the new slab? I can see pros and cons for both ideas, just interested to hear what others think!

So I began this thread in October 2019! Wide eyed and all keen to get going! First of all who would have thought 2020 would have been so out of the ordinary? I took the time to make a few changes moving the consumer unit and replacing upgrading it. Next up the boiler had a new home and then the water was part replaced in readiness for the build. Planning was finally submitted/accepted onto the system during August 2020. Aren't planning officers great so helpful, constructive and full of positives.... Sorry just had to go get a "special" tablet for the delusions. After a lot of subjective comments over objective comments. Planning finally granted January 2021.... We finally agreed our Block order, I am happy to say the extension and summer house will have walls of ISOTEX, sadly the PO and quick chats to SE's have suggested raft foundations aren't maybe as good an idea in our build... The last week I have been taking down a 4m x 4.5m UPVC conservatory , which we sold for 200 pounds om FB! at least its out the way.. We need to do a little more nibbling and demolition of the existing extension built circa 2010 and then we can look to get the Building control in to view our trenches! If only it was so simple to do and as quick typing this!

Update to this we have had a conversation this morning, which has clarified our concerns caused by former a employee of past dealings and fingers crossed we will be able to order what we wanted. Our only motive in this whole thread was wanting to see positive progress! We have as many of us here invested heavily both spiritually and financially into our design. Thankfully the Andy Norris the UK sales manager of Insulhub has took ownership of the account and is taking huge steps to help us get our blocks, simple really.

Can I ask for the current state of play with ISOTEX/DURISOL products? We have for a year attempted to show faith in ISOTEX having seen them at GD and the Swindon. Our Architect was selected from our chats with INSULHUB. The local sales rep who is now no longer employed by Insulhub attempted to lead us a merry dance and basically grandly took the *iss. very happy to expand on this brief but succinct review of his crap dealings with us... for one he quoted delivery twice for the blocks.. blocks cost circa 9k delivery 4k? This is far from my usual way of how Id chose to express how badly his dealings with us actually where. We remade contact recently and it now appears ISOTEX have a minimum order . So a sharing of communications and again a promise of I will be right back to you! Great we thought eight days later...nothing. Email yesterday saying they would be in touch today with news... we waited ...We rang to be told the office is assessing if we meet the minimum order. (we are building a sizeable extension and summer house....this has remained constant over the last eighteen months. They just don't seem to care.

they are on the list!!! I cant get my head around how some businesses actually operate in this game, glad to hear there are some gooduns!

Can anyone suggest reliable suppliers or manufacturers of i joists in the midlands?

I began looking for two sets of i joists back in January I contacted them for a quote and got a great comprehensive shopping list and price, but for only half the work I had asked for the quote. oh and as the crow flies they are under 15 miles away from me! Snotty call saying they don't make mistakes! and then a follow up email saying they would not be providing a full quote as they are too busy.

https://www.steelbeamsuppliers.co.uk/contact-us/ Todays numpty award (so far) and not sure why some people bother goes to the above. Their Postcode is 15 miles radius from us, the website clearly gives which areas they cover... Call for further details.. "Can I stop you there we don't deliver to your area" I hadn't said my area! Really cant be doing with numpties

but dam useful

See what your local BC says. A now ex employee of a company we were thinking of using suggested six for a single story 5m x12m extension. I rang BC and asked what they would advise, he was dry but asked was I doing a hosing development or car park he was unaware of. Do one and then go from there I have been told since, if you need more than two something is a miss and a raft may not be the best option.

thing is they had started doing a quote.

Back in January I set out a number of requests for quotes, having had a chat to the suppliers I was encouraged for a favorable response. Five weeks later and I get a thorough quote probably the best one for completeness and not bad for price. I called to say would they be quoting for all the work I had itemised as they had omitted the main part of the build which was clearly attached i the design brief.. Oh Ok I will have your designed call you back straight away.. Three weeks on and I get an odd email saying any further work they arent taking on work, so for this project they cant help....so about 8k they dont wont. I just find it odd that after 3 months and missing half my design brief they now say Sod COVID this just screams of cant be arsed. " Good Afternoon Ian, I hope you are well. I have been informed by our estimating and design team that unfortunately, due to temporal pressures and the large quantity of quotation requests we are receiving at this current time. If you require a quotation for any future projects, please do consider us, and we will do our best to provide you with a quotation at that time. My sincerest apologies once again; Kind Regards, Jack

is this for calculations or for a screw foundation? We have been told the need for two soil surveys for a domestic build is extremely rare

Not weak at all. the last conversation was he would source an SE, we assumed someone he had worked with. Six weeks on he aint fussed who the SE is

We believed he was sorting the SE this was six weeks ago. We had waited. Part of the fee agreed was to include BC and from what he said Construction Drawings He is involved/partners with an ICF firm so sort of materials. So we will progress a local SE and move on. The fee was toward 10% of the materials cost of the build

I wonder if others could outline their personal experience of working with an Architect. A basic set of scaled elevation drawings have been produced. We had a delay of a few months due to the BC PO just seemingly dragging his feet, but that's for another time! We engaged an architect to work up our design with the aim of using ISOTEX from day one, an ISOTEX ex rep gave us huge worries but again for another time....six soil surveys before doing anything! for one. After a few minor revisions planning was granted and we thought we would then be able to crack on. it was clear we needed a SE input as we were looking at ICF a raft and RSJ's in the build, rather than go blind we had been encouraged to use an isotex friendly one. It was suggested to us by our Architect, he would have a look for us, a month later we had no communication, to be told today any SE with an ICF background could do. Great! Fortunately I had begun looking to contact a number of localish SE's to gain their take and input. A recurring question from a few people was did we have more detailed drawings?, could we expect more drawings? we had thought that his input was to get stuff ready for BC. Then no replies for a month til, with a short basic email today has again gave us a bit of a wobble. Should we be having or expecting further drawings beyond the basic scaled elevations? From past communications we believed this would be an ongoing relationship with the Architect and SE, today suggests otherwise?

I have written up design and specification briefs. Attached drawings which while are not fully spec but are scaled. I send an email or call and follow up with the attached drawings. Seem to have a positive chat, then nothing or offers of yeah course we can do that give us a week....best so far a quote from mid January which only has half the detail. Most are referencing COVID and working from home , as I am but I don't take three weeks to reply to an email.

Part of our build, well two parts will have a "flat" warm roof. My intent is that they will have GRP Fiber Glass top An insulation over 100mm to 150mm An insulation which also gives an acoustic element A Vapor Layer OSB 18mm Joists I beam 15mm Plasterboard. So fairly routine from what I can make out. My question is which actual materials have people gone for and manufacturer and why? What have peoples experience been of using their choice of material, there seem to be so many choices!

You seem to be seeing invisible ink. I am not after free...but then a good number of merchants offer "free" delivery. Pick the right product by all means. But I expect to pay a reasonable cost. And yes I do know how much artics cost thanks.

I do not want to be ripped off for one... Hung up or being sensible

Finally we have planning! We are looking at engaging a SE but to get a grasp of what and why what they will advise. The house as it exists was built mid 30's and is on a relatively shallow raft foundation from what I have seen so far. There is also a leanto side end extension which has trench footings built circa 2000. Can the EPS raft be just butted up to the current building? My first question what have others done?

53mm frames 8.5k

https://nodigging.co.uk/ground-screw-installation/ Going to see what these have to say in regard to our project

Interesting to see the quotes. I think we all could achieve more by sharing information like this! Our Isotex quote for around 100m2 was circa 10k inc VAT and delivery which had been added at 1990 GBP to a West Mids location. I get they come from Italy but come on! Be happy to hear others rates here or via meesages!