LSB

our build is single story, but we are also planning to put mortar on top of the DPC We were just surprised that it was didn't take at all. Well, now we can carry onwards and upwards.

Our DPM has been laid on a bed of mortar on blocks. This was done Mon / Tue and was left with loose blocks on top to weigh it down. But, the DPM hasn't adhered at all to the mortar, should it or will the weight of the walls just hold it in place and keep the walls stable. See below how it looks when we took the block weighing it off. It's the same all along Standard 5:1 mortar

no, block / block

depends on what ?

I thought I might find this on the interweb easily. But, now up to DPM Where do we put the first row of wall ties, I know the width requirements and the height requirements, but where do I start. TIA

Hi Selfbuild, welcome, there is a forum specifically for newcomers which might be a better place to post this. For my 2p worth, I wouldn't plan ICF without the architect on board as they need to be involved with your actual building control plans which will be different depending on the build method. You may be able to get an SE (structural engineer) to take the architects drawings and do the SE drawings for ICF, but I don't really know. The arch drawings are what you need for planning as planners are only interested in the final size /shape / look etc, not what it is constructed of. This is where you would be best placed to post, on the front page of the forum.

I do 🙂

I'm just ordering my lintels, catnic, but which is better These or these Our cavity is full filled 150 block / block. What I'm wondering with the 2nd one is about the strength and the 'water' I can see on the first one that any moisture will hit the lintel shell and exit stage right But, with the 2nd one where will it go and does it then require DPM above. I can see how the 2nd one will be more thermally efficient. TIA

of course, thanks, head exploding with all the questions I have to answer.

how does the angle of the roof affect this, what is the optimum slope for PV compared with the roof. If your roof is too shallow then can you get away with having a tray and 'anglers' ? (not men fishing) to get this right

what is one of those - help

we are planning on 4 sets of French doors rather than bifold or sliding, as a barn conversion planning says that it needs to look like opening for internal areas. We looked at some alu and upvc ones yesterday, but the salesman could show us one, but didn't really understand how they were installed.

it's only at the doors that I want lower, I want 4 x level threshold French doors along a long wall

thanks, I've got a few of these drawings, but none of them cover what you do with the DPM which runs along the top of the foundation blocks. This is as per my 2nd terrible drawing.

I really don't want one of those horrid ramp things, I would rather slope the whole patio, but then I have the worry about my disabled visitors disappearing into the garden unable to return 🙂 I also hope the drain will work, but at the moment I'm struggling to get a definitive answer. I've just had the builder, who's not had to do this before, asking what he should do. At the moment I've just said to leave the gap where the doors will go.

Hello The land survey, yes, only stuff that can be claimed VAT is materials and stuff done by builders, which shouldn't be charged. But, that said, do you already have planning and is the setting out being done by a contractor. If this is part of the preliminaries to get planning then you have to pay VAT on all that stuff.

I've had a bad night stressing about DPM, level threshold and BC. In our family room to the garden I want 2 level threshold doors, that's the easy bit. When I say level, I don't want to go to a slope or ramp, I want it to be level to the whole outside patio / garden for a wheelchair user to be able to go from inside to out without rolling away and then struggling to get back in. Terrible drawing below. The bit going down is the drain, the bit going up is the door. But, the DPM must be 150 above GGL ???? So, do we just do this which doesn't have the DPM 150 up, or is that covered by the drain. I've looked at our SE drawings, books, interweb and nothing explains how it meets the latest building regs. All our drawings were pre the BC change. I have a drawing which shows it from side on, but that doesn't cover the above question. I don't have any level thresh-hold in our current house and all the doors are steps to get in, too old for ramps or anything. We spoke to a guy last week who sells level thresh-hold drains and bizarrely he said, you can't do this in the UK, so why did he have a stand at an exhibition !!! We haven't finalised on our window / door supplier yet, we know the sizes, positions etc just not the finer details. By the way, this is French doors, not sliding or bifold, just 2 pairs of opening doors.

What's worse is I also lost the stables, they will be the snug and bedrooms. I was promised replacements, but the horses have been living with field shelters only for some years now. Not that they care really to be fair, they prefer keeping cool and shaded to being dry.

HID has 1 huge workshop and 3 sheds, so I said I wanted my own for my gardening things. So he bought a kit (for speed), we built it and now it stores all his expensive tools because it's more secure than the others, which he hasn't moved out of. So, I have sympathy with SWMBO as I don't have anywhere either. Eventually I have a corner of the woodshed and all the pots outside, about 60 of them.

That would be interesting and is our current house which will definitely needs some changes before it's sold in the future. Particularly in that area of insulation.

this is the first time ever that I've seen drawings this way round, normally outside is left 🙂

as we are cladding / render then at least we don't have to worry about this. After all there are plenty of things that we do need to worry about.

It was dry this week, shouldn't have believed it, but HID laid first layer of blocks and now they have got wet. He has covered the top, but is worried about the mortar being affected by the damp. Is this an issue or will it just take longer to set hard as it still seems quite soft today, or is it because it's covered and it needs air. We have been told not to let the blocks get soaked hence covering them loosely with a tarp. The usual 1 step forward 2 steps back 😞 FYI blocks are 3.6n H&H and these are the ones that will be below the DPM.

Are you saying that insulation below DPM in the block / block cavity WONT transfer moisture and cause damp. Is this the case with all types of insulation. My arch drawings show insulation (rigid) right to the founds, but I was concerned that this would allow damp and when I asked her, she said it's up to the SE, who said it's up to the arch / BC.

pity I've just had my first batch delivered 🙂 although, this is only a 1/4 of what we finally need. I looked at our local BnQ and they don't even sell this stuff so maybe Ireland is different, being in the EU (wish we still were)