LSB

Good afternoon I always read that to save costs you should use standard door and window sizes, but what are they. No where have I been able to find this out. Is it within a range and 10cm or something like that. I want 4 sets of french opening doors, but I don't mind if they are anything between 2m and 2.5m, preferably down the middle at 2.300 as that fits in with 5 block sizes of 450 + 10 mortar and would only mean cutting every other block. Any I just simplifying it too much TIA

Wish we could, no road side, not allowed paths or driveway (in the countryside), but we do have 24m to do in 1 hit so will use this for 2m, so only 4m in question and we are thinking about doing other walls as well. The problem is that we have to keep the walls and if we dig too much they might 'fall' down, not that I would mind, but the LPA might.

we are converting a barn which means we have to keep walls and the SE has specified underpinnining of the 6m in question, and more, but that will be tackled separately

Right, thanks all, I haven't made this clear, this is only for 6m, so 2 x 1m three times. For the normal trenches (24m) we are having ready mix with pump, we can time this for the same time for one lot of 2m, but still have the others two to do. But, can you get readymix for a slump of about 100 which is what was specified. The other nuisance is we have to reinforce each time so that it's tied into the next bit of underpinning. If we had lots to do in one go then we would definitely get volumetric. But, it sounds like we may have to bite the bullet due to the SE and BCO.

Hello We have some underpinning to do, current barn foundations are about 40-50 cm but we need 100cm SE says we have to do 1m at a time to reduce the risk of any collapse, so 1m, leave 2m, do 1m, leave 2m etc. So, as it's going to be a manual dig (we've cleared the surface junk with digger), are we okay to use the mixer and do our own for this. BC will need to inspect lots as there will be 4 runs, but getting a readymix delivery for such a small amount is rather pricy compared with the amount per cubic metre for the trench. TIA

We had a soil contamination survey where they did 4 trial holes, but that was looking for contamination as it was a conversion, there was also movement trials which were inspected monthly for 3 months, no movement found. The SE that did the original survey to check the barn was strong enough to convert also did some trial holes (3) to check the depth of the existing foundations, but he just said that it was fine although it would need some underpinning, this was an individual small company. The SE that did the contamination then did the full structural drawings, but as they had been to site already they didn't come back and just looked at studies and what they already had, despite us asking them to come out. We dug a trial trench the whole length of the 24m wall which is where the measurements of soil type come from and sent this to the SE and he just said, ask building control. The barn had 3 walls so the 4th side is simple as it's new and is what we are building now. This is the one where we have the question about depth of concrete and vibration.

What did you commission him to do, full project management or just drawings and and was this all specified on the original quotation. In other words do you think he's done more than the 35% that you have paid him for. If not then just send him a letter / email / text / carrier pigeon to say that you no longer require his services and if he responds with a bill ask him to specify exactly what the bill's for. Also, surely if you commissioned the company, which no longer exists then you would have heard from the insolvency auditors if you owed him money as they would have looked at the debts he had and the monies owed. He must have had debts otherwise he wouldn't be bankrupt. You could try asking the citizens advice bureau as well. As you have said you need to be well clear of him to progress in your build, I hope you can at least use some of his drawings and good luck

we do have a laser, need to find it and set up and find the tripod or something to put it on.

thank ProDave, but the complication here is that HID want to use concrete rather than blocks to fill the trench so he doesn't have to lay foundation blocks under the ground. Thinking about it, the lower ground isn't that much difference to the rest that it will affect deep concrete. Thanks for the advice.

Taking cost out of the equation knowing it's way more expensive. If we have a trench of 1m depth as specified by the SE, to make things quicker for slow DIY self builder is it going to cause any issues getting the concrete trench filled to 775m, i.e. 1 block below ground level. This particular length is 24m, 18m turning to 6m so L shape. I assume this will need vibrating, is this going to work with concrete of 3/4 m deep or is there a different mix that will sink without air holes, drying time isn't a particular issue as lots of other things to get on with. What is the minimum and maximum concrete depth you can lay to build a wall on. On the back wall of the build our SE has specified a depth of 2.4m for wall of 24m where a corner approx. 6m * 6m which 'may' be clay, but has said that BC have final decision about depth for different parts of the wall. The field behind that side, which is 3m higher, has large patches of clay hence this assumption and a geological ? (can't remember the proper term) survey/map showing lines of clay in the area. I'm hoping we can use step foundations for the back wall as the whole wall is 24m long so we don't want to do 2.4 for the whole lot just to make the bottom level. I've seen some pictures of those in some blogs on this site, bit dangerous due to possible collapse. How does laying the concrete work on this. The soil along that wall is thought to be 6m clay, 12m loam, 6m sand / loam all with some gravel mixed in. As a brownfield barn conversion site it's difficult to really see what's there. TIA

spoke to concrete supplier this week, they will poor at whatever the temperature is, if you ask, but you have to 'signoff' the risk if temp is lower than 2 degrees

we decided to try a water level, cheap and cheerful, first one arrived, only a plastic tube and no syringes to measure. returned and another one ordered so going to try today. We know it's not level so that will be a good start as it will be easy to get more accurate. There is one patch that is quite a bit lower, we have plenty of spare soil to top up, but that will then need to be shored up for trench as it won't be solid enough. First though is persuading the dumper / digger to start in negative temperature.

ooh, that's a nice shiny bit of kit which HID would want instantly if he saw it

What is a Dumpy, not heard of them

Hi we do have a laser level that sits on a tripod, I will try that

We have just levelled some ground in our barn conversion ready to dig a foundation trench for the 'not wall', the barn has walls on 3 sides, but the 4th side was open. We know the trench must be 1m deep and we are going to do this from the base of the old floor at one end, but that is far from level in its length, it looks about 20cm difference from one end to the other so we can't use that as our guide line. As the wall is 18m long we want to make sure that the top is flat and I thought that perhaps I could use an altimeter app on my phone, but there are 100's and the one's I've looked at have no decimal places just saying 2m which isn't accurate enough. I've tried my GPS, but that feature is not on this model, I've tried the laser level, but although I can shine a laser at a consistent level I really want something I can put on a tripod / pole / spirit level at various points in the trench. As this will be filled with concrete does it have to be super accurate as long as the top of the concrete is. Google suggested Google Earth, but I can't figure out how to get the decimal places. Can anyone suggest how we do this ourselves as I don't want to get a surveyor for one trench.

Hi Tim nothing, various circumstances stopped our build, just planning to get going again this year.

same for East Anglia, knock down counts as new building, in the country probably, big no no, so however much better a new build would be you convert or give up

You are in the same boat as me, our architect told us the same, like you many 1000's later and our LA said NO that would be a new house in the country so not allowed. To add insult to injury we then had to pay our architect 1000's more to do the building reg drawings for the plans already passed. I made the mistake when talking to the architect of saying that we liked our plans, but would like it to be in a slightly different place on site, but as a barn that can't be done. I'm not sure about your LA, but ours gave us 3 years from approval to finishing we will do it just, but no thanks to all the 'help' we've had from professionals.

a new Lidl has just been built right next door to my work factory which was built last year. Exactly the same construction as our factory, big sheets, like SIPS, but with metal. Unfortunately we are 200 miles from Swindon, but when I visit family in the SW I do go in, one of their shows this weekend, but couldn't do it.

This year would have been fantastic in the East. I do have a contact that does straw bales - small or large and despite where we are he will ship, he sends hay and potatoes to Somerset. hadn't read the whole post when I put this and now realise that this is sorted Good luck with the Design Review, look forward to hearing about it.

Hi Guys More questions I've been looking into ASHP v GSHP, the biggest advantage of the latter being it works all year in theory. We have the space, we have the digger to do the trenches so cost not as huge in comparison as it could be. But all our fields are on a slope, the barn is at the top. Can the slinky be installed on a slope, I don't seem to be able to find out anything about this. Also would the unit go at the top of the slope nearest the barn or at the bottom. Also is there any risk if we have the horses in the field once the trench is filled in and re-seeded or would it be more sensible to fence it off. Slope if about 15 - 20 degrees. TIA

Excuse my ignorance, but how do piles connect to the foundations, I've seen many installed, at work ours are 25m deep, but how does it work.

Anyone got any ideas where we could see some in the flesh, does the Swindon place have any

that gives me the heeby jeebies