markc

good morning and welcome, if you search previous posts you will probably find answers to most questions, if not feel free to ask.

In that case grouting is the easiest way forward. No problem with build afterwards as the bulk of the grout should be well below your founds and pipework. Gravelly clay is good if the site drains ok.

Primer or sanding sealer before fitting (stops greasy hand prints soaking in), check all gaps and ironmongery, remove and finish then re-hang

This is an odd situation to be in 11.5m is a shallow seam, but too deep to be worth stripping and re compacting. But also too shallow to forget about it. Piles are an option but at 15m (Ish) metres each would be expensive. Assuming old mine workings, these would be bell or tunnel pits as opposed to face working so voids should be relatively small and unlikely to affect a floating raft. Several options im affraid, non of them cheap

Although the specific heat capacity of steel is relatively low, its mass is relatively high compared to composte materials so it takes a lot of the heat from the water. Insulation does help but most of the heat is maintained within the steel as opposed to radiating it, this is why filling to the brim results in a warmer bath for longer.

Efficient appliances, washing machine, dishwasher etc are fantastic. WC`s need water to move the debris and keep the pipe clear. The low volume units often need a 2nd flush which to me negates the whole point. They are better if the tank has some head above the pan, but very low level cisterns are a pain, i now have mine adjusted so the water level is only just below the overflow.

Like many `green` ideas this sounds great in theory but the practicalities soon outweigh the benefits. All of the above points need to be considered, plus access for maintenance and inspection/cleaning/disinfection.

No minimum, you just need to make sure the drip channel is clear of the render or cladding to allow drips to fall

Found a dead mouse in my shoe the other morning .... the D$%k Head, lazy, greedy ball of fur i live with has a death wish (P.S. this is a cat im talking about ... my GF lives in her own house).

Couldnt agree more, and yes we reckon it was a neighbor with a grudge who didnt like him parking the truck in his drive

Friend of mine who does garden and building maintenance started doing his own, council came round, stopped him, and charged him to put it back, then charged again for dropping it.

Very rarely a footing dig is prepared perfectly before a pour, quite often there are patches of loose stuff that either wasnt removed during the dig or simply falls in before the pour, not a problem with a thick mass fill but at only 200mm thick and 300mm wide these loose pockets or root pressure could easily cause the strip to break in several places. think of casting it as a plank and then only supporting it in a couple of places - jumping on it or simply putting it down a bit rough would break its back. Not a problem if the structure above is free standing like a wooden shed etc but a broken strip footing will permit a brick or block wall to crack. Either increase the footing size or put at least the recommended steel in, peace of mind is a good investment.

if the landing is only needed because of a door, make the door open into the room instead of onto the stairs.

Why is the footing only 200mm thick? thats barely enough to support itself and i would be installing a full a full cage to hold a 300x200 strip together. Dont scrimp on the steel or you will likely see settlement cracks in the wall.

6x2 timbers will be fine over 4m. If you want to go even thinner then 100mm zinc purlins (very light weight) will be ideal. As long as you didnt get heavy snow then 4x2 timbers could be used dependent on roof make-up and weight

I think he is talking rubbish, unless he is looking at combustible materials above a cooker or appliance rather than the bottles

Ah, yes i see now. Temporary cover will be fine, just make sure its strong enough and restrained from shifting when knocked

@Gus Potter has nailed it from a structural and stability point of view

I must get around to getting something on paper .... screen. Ive build the subframe for the motor, coupling and Diff, bespoke drive shafts are next on the list

Guilty as charged (no punn intended), im on with converting a Lotus Esprit after too many break downs, non starting, petrol leaks, gearbox problems, clutch problems etc etc. Im looking at it being a useful toy as opposed to an unreliable, temperamental garage weight

a lot of old pit houses had communal loft spaces, some even had the electricity supply as two bar conductors running along a purlin with droppers to each house ..... needless to say that i saw a few instances of `jump leads` attached to the bar conductors and taken into the house before the electricity meter.

Far too many variables to give any meaningful answers. Post spacing depends on the materials for the walls and roof, fixing depends on the floor and post size/material and number etc etc

Thats ideal for fibreglass, if it was timber i would have gone with a flexible membrane

That sounds pretty good