iSelfBuild

This is what we used for 100% certainty, it says glazing so naively I thought we would be ok. Bid fudge up on my part

Very gutted to see that the only piece of glass that I didn't supply myself has failed in our lodge... It's a triple glazed unit and the glass spacer bars / mastic appears to be dripping (melting) and running down the glass. No doubt it will mist over come winter. We used GP200 Glazing Silicone... I'm worried it has reacted. It says Acetic acid is evolved during curing and also EUH208 contains 2-Octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one Does anyone know if this is the sort of silicone which is safe for use or is my supplier going to worm their way out of this. It has been fitted about 4 years.

Its just for doing business admin from. Plan to stick a little sofa in there and make it look a bit like this.

Nope cross laminated bolted timber ring beam chassis (jacked up and then steel slid under and craned up) capable of being moved as proved by a rather expensive engineer but I would never want to pay the crane costs!!!

Few questions for the knowledgeable buildhubbers. Is there a minimum size for EN1647 caravans? Does a caravan have to be stationed a certain distance from your garden boundary? I am planning to build a little log cabin as an office shortly - to EN1647 caravan regulations which lets me 5% VAT rate it and class it as plant & machinery in my business. Roughly 3m x 5m Despite supplying a few BS3632 cabins I have never made one so small... and they have always exceeded both 2.55m and 7m length. A “small” caravan (that is, one not exceeding either 7 metres in length or 2.55 metres in width) is subject to VAT at the standard rate. A structure which exceeds either of these dimensions - but is not manufactured to British Standard 3632:2005 - is subject to VAT at the reduced rate of 5%. One which exceeds either of these dimensions and is manufactured to BS3632:2005, can be zero-rated. I can't class it as BS3632 0% VAT as this has a minimum m2 requirement of 23m2. Don't have the EN1647 handbook but I'm assuming this allows smaller sizes... does anyone know? As a garden building I would need planning... If I do it as a caravan maybe not??? I want to put this 1m from my boundary... to avoid building regulations as they will be 200mm square logs so I don't want to cover this up with tin etc to make it 'fire proof' I don't want to be constrained by the 2.5m height limit for garden buildings not requiring planning so I should have to put in for planning permission and will have a ridge height of 4.3m As a garden building I could keep it at 4m without needing planning but it would then have to be 2m from the boundary and the garden shape is so awkward it wont really work. Or is there some other loop hole where I don't even need planning permission as it is classified as a caravan... and planning is not required for caravan in your garden but then there is probably regulations governing how close they can be to the boundary?

Hardwall taken flush then filler stippled on once set. Near enough the same ?

I have just sandblasted our beams in the new house and manged to blast off some patches of plaster. The finish appears to be lime based with some sort of grit in? It seems to have flecks of vermiculite in it as well? Is that a done thing or am I imagining that being in the mix? I imagine that they let it go off partially and polish off the top layer to expose the grit? Any ideas on how to recreate this? I was thinking thistle bonding coat might be a good option and getting it level then adding a slurry mix on top and using a stipple roller to blend in? Any other ideas?

How bizarre! I assume they were put up when the property was first built to prevent the buildings right to light?

Caravans are 0% vat rated if BS3632. Just finalised my method statements for round log cabins which are approved by LABSS as BS3632 caravans. Size has increased in Scotland to match England last year. Become quite an expert on this over the last 12 months. Next thing I'm figuring out is how to claim capital allowances as they are classed as plant and machinery. New investment allowances will help things tax wise too as I'm renting my show home out.

Just thinking, how close can a 'caravan' be stationed to the boundary? Your allowed 3.1m internal head height. Wasn't sure if this could be closer.

How many m2 is the building? If it is under 15m2 you don't need to fire proof it and can have it right on the boundary.... only as long as it is under 2.5m in height. If it is under over 15m2 and under 30m2 you can still have it right on the boundary and the roof height can be higher - but it has to be built with none combustible materials.

I'm going to try and put a proper pipe in, found a gully in the drive - which means I can take it straight across the back of the garden - hopefully the gully goes into the main sewer as I expect it's a shared grey and waste water situation - I'll have to test with food die and take some levels but should work OK. Thanks everyone for the advice.

I'm a bit confused but the ground level of the garden room location is maybe 500mm lower than the patio area where the soil stack is, so to get this to work over 35m would mean a very deep trench in the patio (1m maybe?)

Hahah I have to keep to the 2.5m height so maybe an upstairs terrace, open plan bathroom. There is a lovely view of the bay from my garden... not sure what the neighbours will think.

All the steel anchors etc have been given to me for free. I designed them all in china and got them CE approved and handled conformance 3 years ago so my old boss has done me a very kind favour and supplied them FOC. Only reason for long term adjustability is because I like the idea of being able to fix it if a certain pile sunk and settled - so just tried to improve on the design of the one in the video... never keep things simple and my inner inventor usually runs away with itself haha.

Full time use, also with use of kitchen tap etc. So I really do need something plumbed in. I think I've been a bit naive with how Saniflos work. I thought it would work and just pump it up 400mm height with ease.

>.< are they that bad haha???

I'm building a 4.5m x 4.5m corner garden office soon and inspired by a Youtube channel - I fancy using a variation of their DIY foundation pile system. Instead of using 24mm bar, setting level in concrete, chopping down, making brackets, lots of cutting etc I have chosen some precast concrete anchors (used to supply these in my old job) They are very good value anchors, The plan is to dig 23 number - 500mm deep by 200mm wide holes with a post hole digger and set them in concrete - rebar anchor flush with the top then the thread between and flat plate giving 100mm above ground to the timber. The crimped rebar anchor and flat socket is rated at 7500kg destructive load. Both have 24mm female thread. I plan to put 150mm of 24mm thread between the two. I've worked out each 180* turn gives me 1mm of adjustment so the advantage of my system is that they are permanently adjustable forever. I will dig the holes - then fix the assembled anchors to the timber - I'm thinking two 6mm coach screws in each support - just concerned these could shear with wind loads? Base frame will be 4 x 3" timber. Plan is to fill all the holes up with concrete, wiggle all the anchors in one go fixed to the timber and set them all level using breezeblocks/packers. Let it set then fine tune the anchors by winding up or down. Crazy or good idea?

Ahh crikey, I probably wont use it but it's crucial for my member of staff who is female as don't want her using my house and I'm out on site most days now. Only reason I wanted to use MDPE is that it would be fast and can be kept to minimal joints. Apparently there is a little trench along the garden path with a MDPE water pipe that's never been connected up at the shed and a duct with 6mm cable in for electric which then runs along into our patio (can see where someone has grinded through the sandstone and there's a clear route leading to the boiler house which is directly next to the soil stack). I'll probably replace the electric with 10mm SWA as well as that seems undersized and have a few CNC machines to run in the office/workshop - that's another post to workout the electrics.

Saniflos are capable of pumping up hill aren't they?

I'm just about to build a large garden office and I need to fit a toilet in there. The garden office will be about 35m away from the soil stack and is slightly lower by about 50cm at the garden office location so I can't really get a traditional soil pipe in. I know absolutely nothing about saniflos and reading some conflicting info about what they should be discharged into. Some say 22mm some say 40mm. Ideally I wanted to lay down 35m of 32mm MDPE pipe and then boss this into the soil stack. Has anyone done similar?

Hi Ian, I can recommend this local company for quality work - https://www.quayfabs.co.uk/gallery

I know my windows aluminium cladding are held on via plastic locking brackets which you can un-lock by inserting a special spanner (which you have to grind down so it's super thin), quarter turning and they disengage. Extremely fiddly job but a nice design feature for this occurrence. From memory I don't think there is room to get a special spanner down and quarter turn them off with Rationals. I don't think they are quarter turn brackets and just lock on ones. Is it a fixed unit or an opener? Our fixed are internally beaded as once fitted you cant get a spanner in due to it being berried in the reveals. Openers you can take it out and take off the cladding easily. Had to do this recently as a joiner walked a scaffold prop into the aluminium cladding on a nice new set of bi-folds, thankfully no smashed glass. Probably have to trash the aluminium cladding to sort this one.

You could, I just don't think most people would know where to start and probably not worth the stress and hassle of achieving compliance - for someone in the trade with a VAT registered company it's not too hard. No there isn't a mechanism as far as I'm aware as a self-builder, they would have to be a legitimate VAT registered company. The reason I suggested it is because the OP is paying for builders and not self-building so it might be a good idea for him.

One solution is build as a mobile home which can be 0% rated if BS3632.