markc

Depends what you will use the area for? If it’s for BBQ etc. Then at times you will wash the floor and that will cause bleach or similar to go through the sand and into the soil anyway. trees are very good at looking after themselves, take a look at any old railway line, very toxic environment from grease, oil, ash, creosote (from sleepers) weed killers etc. Yet trees (especially silver birch) thrive in the “toxic” soil

Many new builds are so poorly built that this is now a common problem. It may not be the case that the neighbours or their cars are actually noisy but the house is amplifying the sound. I recently visited a new build detached house where you could hear next doors TV but not when outside, then people talking outside sounded much louder when heard from inside the house

While wet there is a chance of some chemical leaching but concrete is predominantly natural. damp proof membrane under the slab will prevent and escape of liquids while drying. if you lay slabs you will need something under them which is much more likely to cause a problem.

+1

All of the above a fixable. insulation around boiler cupboard or room. glued and screwed floors should not squeak. pipes clipped/ secured (but still allowing expansion). Not touching each other etc. you will always get a bit of noise as rads turn on and off etc but much of the noise can be reduced.

Really depends on length of run to get the correct fall for gutters or you end up with an obvious taper line. Not as apparent with a deep facia. if you are wanting overhang you can extent the rafter or hang gutters on drop hangers

A 1/5 m2 increase in glazed area is unlikely to make any difference and come down to a site “jiggle” detail. had you wanted to double the width or similar then it would be different. unless it affects the position of columns or beams then just get on with it.

Structural calcs are there to show what is needed to keep the structure up, how it is done and the nitty gritty details are something else. balcony support calcs will show what you need, then you need to look at how these can be aesthetically pleasing (or acceptable) and broken thermally broken etc. same with posts and founds. don’t think of it as one pig picture, break the structure down into components and taking a look at each of these is much easier and less daunting.

I’ve heard a few people say their hobs cause thin quartz to vibrate so this sounds like an ideal fix. mine isn’t clipped either but didn’t silicon as tops are oak

2x 2kw heaters is over 16amp without any voltage drop over the long extension so 13amp is a definite no. Running just one on a 40m lead is not good. 2x 2000w = 4000/240 is 16.66 amps but on a 40m lead you may be down to 220v so current will be over 18amp

Agree with both LA3222 and Peter, it’s a cop out and trying to pass the book. if multiple trades on site then someone is the coordinator (you), but it’s much easier to keep the heavy risk big items and trades separate and make them responsible for themselves. H&S is (should be) common sense and easily managed on a small site. If it looks risky, how could it be made safer? … risk assessment.

You can walk carefully on it next day but moving heavy roof lights etc. Is likely to damage the surface. Lay some sheets of OSB or ply down to prevent heel marks etc.

We are seeing the large (top heavy) organisations are struggling while the smaller family run ones are thriving. COVID working from home doesn’t really work as a management structure for large organisations and projects. We supply spider access platforms and railway machines so our customer base is railway infrastructure, building maintenance and tree surgeons so can’t comment on house building etc.

Good practice to put firings on joists to reduce movement. Most buildings and materials get wet during construction, just don’t seal the moisture in. if the structure was wet when roof goes on, delay fitting soffits etc to allow drying.

And all of a sudden …there’s is progress to be seen … and the workmanship looks pretty good.

Good afternoon and welcome, to you both. no idea on Welsh planning but I’m sure others on here can offer some advice.

Getting started/out of the ground always seems to take too long. As mentioned above, the first course is the worst and the most important to get right. some trades, timber frame etc. Show big leaps forward quickly but then slow down. slabs seem to take ages to do the prep and then all of a sudden you have a slab.

Sink wastes are mostly water with very few solids so shallow or steep slopes rarely cause a problem. It’s long run foul drains where falls are critical to keep the “logs” moving along

If water is getting to the timber then any sealer on the inside will just make it worse. you need to stop water getting to the timber from the outside

That’s nothing to worry about (unless it’s a hipped roof and the wall plate acts as a tie).

Good evening and welcome

Wedge boards as tightly together as possible, foam any gap that won’t close up. small differences in level at joints is normal and these will squash down and everything settles with some load on. tape every joint if you can, costs very little and is worth it for piece of mind.

+1 to both of the above. had the concrete been a single crack free slab then grinding would have been an option, but the cracks will come straight through a resin surface so it’s tarmac or dig up and replace.

I usually end up with blood on mine

I would definitely go solar, no moving parts! And fairly low installation cost.