markc

It’s postcrete, it’s dry. If you want to use it like wet pour concrete then put it in a tub or on a board, as some water and mix up till it’s like thick rice pudding, stuff in hole and wait a bit. Note as it’s postcrete so sets very quick …. Mix quick and get it in, or put in dry, add water and poke and prod a bit to mix up.

That will do nicely

Nothing wrong there

Haha, I like your way of thinking

Top one, technically you don’t need a dpm under the insulation unless you are using wool or some other absorbent insulation

Too big or too small? That is the question

Pretty much any tape will do, duct tape works really well, as does wide insulating tape

If I’m understanding the question correctly then No right or wrong way, all you are doing is stopping concrete or screed from going down any gaps, 1 to prevent possible cold spots and 2 to prevent sagging or low spots as the runny stuff seeps away.

All the above is good advice, what many customers do not appreciate is how much risk the supplier is taking especially with bespoke manufacture and taking up large time slots. worst position to be in is supplying a building, putting it up and then the client says they can’t/won’t pay for it knowing you won’t take it back down. so yes, negotiate the percentages as much as you can but please see it from the suppliers point of view too, good business is a win win situation

Sorry my mistake, I was using my phone and didn’t see the the sketch with 22mm decking, got it into my head that to save space and floor build up you were using the pug mix like a screed.

Hi, if you don’t have to force the water in one direction I.e away from a wall then you can slightly raise the centre of the area, sort of a very slight hump in the centre so water runs off in any direction. if you are using whole slabs then yes you can start in a corner, most pavers and tilers have a set size so starting in the centre gives even cuts around the outside edge. it is always easiest to start at the highest point tho regardless of where the slope runs and work your way downhill

Yes wacker the soil if it has been disturbed, in an ideal world you remove the top without disturbing anything. 1:80 is really aimed at soil pipes and drains to ensure they take “solids” with them. as this is a patio and away from your house then it can effectively be level, but a small crest in the centre is a good thing to prevent pooling. sequence remove any loose soil, vegetation etc. Lay out the working area, wacker the area throw in some sub base … type 1 etc and give it a good compacting, add more type1 and wack again bring up to your level. using a spirit level and straight edge level the surface and ideally give a bit of fall to the edges. laying slabs is just like tiling, start with centre and work outwards, mortar should be 5 or 6 sharp sand to 1 cement, fairly soft mix. some good vids on YouTube regarding laying slabs as it’s easier to watch than explain.

Yes, get on with it! Main thing here is compaction to prevent settlement later on. hire a wacker plate go over it a few times, spread the type1, plenty more wacker ing and you are sorted

Cracks in render don’t look bad at all, think surveyor is just covering their ar@#. roof sag is due to tiles being fitted in place of slates which are much lighter. as the house has been stood there for over 100 years without serious cracks etc. I wouldn’t be concerned. I once had to argue with a surveyor who put a concern regarding the fast growing big conifer in garden … actually a Sycamore that had been there for around 100 or so years

Gym on top floor and above a big bedroom? The noise and vibration will be horrendous. I reckon the staircases will feel dark and cramped. The whole design comes across as trying to get everything in even if that means compromising what it will be like to live in.

Good morning and welcome, what are you good at? And what do you do already? anyone can put paint on … except me, I hate it. Laying a patio is pretty straight forward. Electrics, plumbing and structures need to be left to the pro’s. but, if you are reasonably fit then you can act as a labourer and save some money that way

Morning, yes I’ve done loads of patios, driveways. It all depends on the ground you are working with, many pavements were laid with slabs directly on the ground without any base, most new builds have patios with slabs laid directly on whatever ground they have. Are you working on clay, sand, peat, infill ? These all have a bearing on what you need to do. I wasn’t saying 50mm is ok for everything but you are not laying a road or driveway or say a base for a oil or water storage tank. Dig a small hole and post a pic to show the ground conditions

Sub base depends on ground you have and load that will be applied. Remove the vegetation layer (turf, weeds, roots etc) as that will shrink and swell, also to reduce stuff growing back. Lay a geotextile sheet and your 50mm type1 etc will be plenty for a small patio

Hello and welcome, a search of previous posts and threads will probably throw up most of the info you are looking for but if you can’t find anything then feel free to ask.

As it’s inside there is little chance of rapid drying through sun or wind so nothing required

I wouldn’t have added felt but I would have a corner tray (not really a tray but term often used to describe a flashing under the cladding) to take any rain blown behind the corner flashing away from those corner battens.

Aluminium trims can be bonded with grp and on fairly short runs will be fine, on long runs you could well find the trims distorting with heat expansion where the grp trims are pretty stable over a very wide temp range

The board is for an expansion joint and the sleeves ensure the wall does not move out of alignment (or fall over in extreme cases) so yes you need both

A couple of lintels are overkill loading wise but as they cost very little and are convenient they are the way to go