PeterW

It only needs to blind the gaps in the stone so you don’t need a lot. You can also use a layer of 25mm EPS below the DPM which does the same job

Ouch..!! Siliphos is available from other suppliers ... Try Wiltec.de for example that fits a standard 10” housing, or Sterner on eBay Both need a housing but they are change of £15 and you can put a pair in parallel for less than half the price of a Combimate

Thats because it’s got a CE mark on it... which stands for Charge Extra...

Consider using Low Voltage ie 12v to connect the two houses. All off the shelf and gets you out of the hassle of having phase issues and so on. The zone valve micro switches will cope with it as it’s low current and you’re talking about running something like bell wire between house 1 and house 2.

Quote of the day ..!! ?

4.95m if anyone doesn’t want to do the maths .... ? Would guess it’s C24 and either 195x47 or 220x47

There are a lot of 8ft containers sold as “once only” as they are manufacturered in China and then used to ship goods to the EU and the U.K. but there is little demand to used them to ship back due to size. They make it into the market frequently and are pretty good as are usually unmarked. The one linked has been modified with a lock box which is not standard on a container - pretty much a necessity as standard container locks are made of toffee wrappers ...

Ok so it can’t come out then ..? Just wondered as if it’s less than 300mm circumference I would have it out. You could use clayboard but it depends on the soil - is it really a clay soil ..? What founds has the house got or is it further away from the tree than the garage..?? If its single storey simple garage then I would be tempted by a reinforced ring beam slab for the garage unless there is little sign of movement

If it’s only hoarding then just screw a length of 3x2 to the OSB and use it as a guide.

Sand is fine as it’s only to stop stones coming through the DPM. I’ve used 25mm EPS before too and it is just as good, if not better, as it takes out the undulations and is quick and cheap. 10m from a willow is close, how big is it though ...??

Build your first row of blocks to the level required for the floor. Bridge the opening with a piece of 6x2 braced to 2” square pegs. Lay the DPM over the blinded hardcore, add the rebar if necessary and then pour the floor and tamp it flat. Give it an hour then bull float it flat, leave it to go off. To remove the need for rebar or mesh I tend to use fibres and set the floor at 150mm depth. On your floor that would make the difference between 2.2-3 CuM or so of a C25 mix which will be £75-80. That more than offsets the cost of using RC25 and getting A142 mesh.

For collated go with a specialist such as Senco - expensive and when they work they are good, but when they don't.... they are a pain !

Hang on... something doesn't add up there..! How are you calculating your budget...? If £48k for fees is 11%, your total build cost is £435k..?? A modest 3 bed would be circa 165m2 so... that's roughly £2,650 per square metre.... That is a big budget number !! How have you got to that..? I'd start by looking at what you want, then what it may cost, and come up with a number as I think your architect is playing a very big number to scare you..!! With some effort - and a reasonable design - you should be able to deliver at £1,500-1,700 sqm, giving you a build cost of somewhere between £250-280k unless this is a very complex site in the centre of a city..???

Depending on the size of hole, I use either Armeg ones or a decent lip and spur drill bit. Make holes for 15mm pipe a 20mm minimum and you won't snag or score when pulling Hep2O through the joists.

You've never met a Festool area rep then.....?? Last demo I saw, there were no prices on anything, on the basis of if you have to ask, you can't afford... If you've got a spare £725 sat doing nothing then this kit from FFX is a stonking deal at £649 inc the free radio if you then add this multitool for £72...

I'm a Makita user and love them - went LXT and now pretty much use all the time. I have looked at the new Fein multi range - same drill body but interchangeable chucks, drivers etc and I do like it a lot. Not cheap but if its like the multimaster then will last. Heard mixed about the new Milwaukee range - only 12v and down on power against the LXT but comparable on price.

First off ... Congratulations.!!!! Now... Start making a list of what you want the house to be. Then go round 3 or 4 architects and ask for prices based on your list and a rough design ... The secret with selfbuilding is never take the first estimate ..!!!

Not if they are engineered trusses. Fit them to the inside or upper surfaces and they are then out of the way or chamfer the back of the plasterboard.

I was quoted about £450 from memory ....

Network utilisation charges.... The local DNO are allowed to set the charges for their networks - based on size and type of network infra plus a few other factors. It’s a legacy from the old electricity boards where they all had to divvy up the cost of running the national grid ...

Agree however that’s beam and block so the whole of the floor structure is being heated ..?? Hence my question as otherwise the heat is lost into the cavity etc

Depends on location but is 7 hours between 11pm and 8am. I've got 12:30 - 7:30 for example, but I've seen another that is 12:00 to 7:00 in the same region.

Its a real grey area - I know of a house built with 5 reception rooms downstairs and one with a shower room off it ... blatantly a downstairs bedroom but marked as a reception on plans. The trick is to build so you can add the walls at a later date - not expensive and easily done with some foresight.

Centres on those pipes seem about 350mm - seems very wide ..?? What insulation is under the floor ..?

Unless you are making alterations to a listed building, then planning are only interested in external appearances. They don’t care about anything structural or internal, and this is where the major changes can cause issues. For example, moving a wall to make a room bigger may exceed the span of a joist - BCO would be concerned by this but if shown that 400c rather than 600c ensures structural integrity then may pass it without a change in plan submission. Planning wouldn’t care as the external building is identical. There is also the misconception that BCOs are interested in building a structurally sound building ... it is possible to build a structure that appears to meet building regs yet is not sound - look at the number of new houses that have mortar issues or the missing wall ties in Scotland etc. All of these passed building control instpections yet are not structurally sound. The big issue being you cannot sue a BCO ......