mike2016

I need to run a fence front to back and want to fix gates to either side of a concrete fence post (new boundary). I tried 100mm x 8 concrete screw but it cracked the center of the concrete post. Then I tried 60mm x 7 concrete screws and they aren't grabbing the concrete securely to hang a gate off. I'm drilling with a bit -1 mm below the screw thread. What's the securest way to attach a 2 x 4 to this concrete post in the position shown below? Thanks!!

I'd be careful about digging next to your foundations, depending on the soil/type of foundations you may end up creating a fault/subsidence? Rainwater is fine for loo flushing if you want to take it into your house but needs double check valves and the rainwater tank in the attic has two balls, the second kicks in when you run out and fills up with mains water. This is handy also to flush the system with Chlorine from the mains before you go on holidays. But yep, retrofitting would be a pain. It can smell if left unattended for a long time. Simplest might be a pair of water butts to start with - overground so does take up space but gives you 400Litres to play with. Next is a plastic tank, long but not deep, can be buried just under the surface as long as it doesn't flood and you don't drive on it!! Third is the 3500L+concrete tank. Big Hole, can be just below the surface, that's a lot of mucking out though. You should look into a padlock / securing system if kids are around. They contain all the filters/pumps but do cost a lot. A DIY system and doing tanking yourself is a lot cheaper if you can crane this into position (over the house?!). The plastic tank would be the easiest after water butts I think. Shallow hole, can carry the butt through the side passage with two people and mini digger also. Connect it to a pump that has power with a garden hose outlet and should be under a grand I would have thought? No JCBs above it so plan location carefully and see what the suppliers say vs traffic over it and how to backfill. I've 2 x 200L water butts for years working great, gravity tap out of each with watering cans. Hope to do concrete 3500L tank with pump and greywater plumbing into house on my new build if I can afford it.

I'm laying a new paving block driveway this week. I need to install a new Shore that can take the weight of a car. The shore will act as a junction to branch off the existing broadband pipe to direct cables to the new house I hope to build later. I've purchased a galvanised recessed manhole cover that meets the load and a quantity of engineered bricks. I plan to lay two courses side by side in a square to create the new shore on top of a bed of MoT and Concrete. Then more concrete to lay the manhole on and meet the required driveway angle which is on a slight slope. How deep should I go beneath the existing broadband pipe to create a suitable gravel/concrete foundation/base for the new shore? Not built one before so would appreciate any tips to ensure this won't sink when someone drives on it! I don't mind paying more to overengineer just to be sure!! Thanks.

All the noise from that box bedroom I did this with comes around the two doors, not through the wall. Was very effective from a typical stud partition with just a sheet of plasterboard on each side!

Amazon did it back in the day but it's listed as unavailable now. Was £3.65 for 4 x double sockets worth!! Try this: https://www.noisestopsystems.co.uk/shop/wall-soundproofing/acoustic-putty-pads/ Or google "fire putty 2G"?

I put in full rockwool inside the stud between 2 bedrooms, acoustic putty behind the wall power socket and after fitting 12.5mm Fermacell on the side I tore open, acoustic sealant at the bottom. You could double up the plasterboard or use a resilient channel to further deflect/attenuate sound instead of Fermacell. Rockwool is cheap, do it once!

If you have a dog - see through, if not, opaque but put trellis above the top of the gate to make it harder to jump over. I've a good guard dog sign on my gate also for good measure. They'll be hard pressed to be sure it's not roaming around back there and may decide to go elsewhere. I've no pets just to clarify! I put trellis above all my side fencing with a rolling pipe at the top to deter cats - didn't work!! Haven't had anyone jump the fence since I installed this though....

My planning permission states I will use a black tiled roof. Not having much luck getting any quotes so thought I'd switch to a metal standing seam roof. But what are the planning implications if any? The front is mostly solar PV but the rear will be very visible from the road if someone checks. Retention issue or should I steer clear of it? Adjacent houses are red tiled. Thanks!

Hopefully but I think a garden drains very different to a permeable man made driveway. I can see a lot of water pooling very quickly against the foundation especially as I've a slope down to the house. I trust nature, not artificial pathways (at least not when I build them!).

Thanks All! Will consider all - there's only 9 meters from road to front of new house and I've read don't do permeable within 3 meters of house - will decide which subbase I'll use / where to avoid issues later. I'll have a bit of garden to one side so good idea about leaving that alone - will stick the portaloo on top of that!! Cheers.

I have an option of prepping my side garden site for a new house while moving the driveway out front to align with the old house. While doing the driveway I could scrape back the topsoil from the side garden just up to where the foundations will be and cover with MOT. I'm probably going to pave the new house driveway once all is finished but I'm unsure to what depth I should scrape back to save on work later on? Should I scape to the same depth I'm doing for the new driveway on the old house next door or keep it higher than that? Trying to save work while I've a digger onsite and have grab hire coming anyway but don't want to shoot myself in the foot either! Thanks.

While I was uncertain about ever getting to build my new house I decided to hire some plant and build a patio out in the back garden of my existing house. It will allow me to sit out in the morning, absorb the sunshine and ponder things! I found some nice 40x40 concrete flagstones and edged them in and finally grouted them yesterday. They need a cleanup and a wash and I've to fix the drainage in one spot but otherwise it's done! The experience will also come in handy as I'll explain shortly. The Engineer I thought I lined up last year, and signed a contract with a month ago hasn't been in touch. Tried phone calls and left messages with the secretary but ended up writing to them on Friday and telling them after no communication it was off and I was looking elsewhere. He was the only Engineer I could find willing to do the work and sign off the house for the bank though, a crucial step. Architects were charging twice as much and we four times as careful, no opt out (a planning option we have in ROI) and they wanted to revisit the design stage with more potential cost. I somehow managed to find another Engineer via a referral and although nothing is signed, his answers by text were prompt and accurate. He seemed a bit cautious at first as this is a self build using direct labour, no Architect/Builder overseeing things but he knew his stuff, and my answers seemed to keep him happy. I'll definitely sign something with him before agreeing to the sale of my house but it sets me up for the next stage: The Driveway. The site is to the right of the overhead picture below - it's a side garden. The driveway is bisected by the proposed new site boundary. I need to create a new driveway to the left, for the old house, and have decided on using paving blocks. I've contacted a supplier and got a quantity and quotation. Once I get this done I can put the house on the market, sell up and book the Groundworks/Timberframe guys to build my new house. Less writing, more action!! Steps for the Driveway: Order paving blocks, Stone & Sand Book in plant hire - concrete breaker, digger, tipper, flat plate compactor Book in Grab Hire truck and sequence delivery of MOT / Sand vs muckaway of soil/concrete - see if he can delivery stone/sand and take away spoil if there's room on my new site for this Consider hiring a driver for 2-3 days to assist (this is a solo job) Build new shore for broadband pipe junction to new house and lay 2" electrical conduit to new site to carry broadband (neighbours chopped down tree roots have blocked the broadband pipe on his side but I can't do anything about this despite trying, just hoping its fixed someday - existing cables are ok, new ones are impossible to feed through) Install new earthing rod (electrician) & inspection box as required So, that's the plan for July with September for Sale of House. I've to lodge a commencement notice to dish the kerb I believe and will be listing myself as the builder/owner etc using Opt Out regulations available in the Republic of Ireland. Hopefully in a months time I'll be able to post a blog with some photos of the new driveway and some clearing out of shrubbery to prepare the new site. I've to put up some new site boundary fencing too. That's all for this post. Maybe I'm getting somewhere, I don't know but time will tell!

See if you can sign up for an PHPP Designer course - online or in person. Good foundation. Visit a Passive House if any open days still exist? Housebuilders Bible 14th edition or greater (book) This Forum 1/2 day or 1 day airtightness course, taping and sealing hands on should be part of that Visit NSBRC - Swindon & any of the big housebuilding / home exhibitions to talk to exhibitors about MVHR/ASHP etc Don't leave chocolate on top of your laptop lid - it melts....! Best of luck!

Yikes! I won't complain about mind so much now!!!

I hired some machinery to dig out a new patio but didn't realize how much of a mess it makes afterwards around the boundary! Does anyone have tips for repairing the thread marks, unevenness and places where the grass is missing to make this area good again? I have other areas of the back garden I can move a layer of topsoil & grass from, I just need to level things a bit first I'd guess / dig it out if it's really bad? Thanks.

That's an interesting one. I'd so it for myself but to sell the house with that it might not go down well with some buyers. Good suggestion though.

Would love to but it's a semi detached and the noise depending on who buys the house and when they work might wake everyone up next door! Would be a good combination in a rural setting for sure. I have to live beside any fallout this might cause here though!

What build up system is recommended for permeable pavers? One system I've seen has 250-350mm Type 3 MOT (or 4/20mm coarse Graded Aggregate) sitting in between a bottom and top layer of Geotextile with sand above and then the pavers. Does it need that much aggregate? Thanks.

I was tee'ing up to pour a standard concrete driveway next month but the plans state it has to be permeable. Also regs seem to indicate if you want to cover up the whole front garden more than 50% it has to be permeable. I could just do it in standard concrete but that might get me into trouble though, and I plan to sell to build next door shortly. I will need an ACO drain as the driveway slopes towards the house. I did get quotes in January for 50 square meters prices ranged from 5K to 14K with only the top one being permeable. They all seems fine to do imprinted / tarmac etc that isn't permeable! To save money I wanted to do this myself DIY so I'll study www.pavingexpert.com as suggested here in another thread. I took a look at permeable concrete videos on youtube, it needs a steel roller and is harder to work with than standard concrete. Has anyone poured a driveway with this stuff themselves? I could just go for block pavers, seems to be the most common. I'm laying a patio currently so I'll be fresh off that. What do people think is the best DIY option for permeable driveways? Thanks!

There were two obstacles blocking me from proceeding with my build. After finding a professional who could sign off the compliance paperwork (I couldn't afford the Architect) I had a boundary issue which I agreed with a neighbour to resolve and then I had to add a window to the plans and submit them for approval before I could lodge a commencement notice and get going. Issue 1: When the house was built years ago a hedge was planted at 90 degrees to the house fronts but the land registry boundary was different, meaning when I go to put in a new driveway, some of this land is owned by the neighbour. This could be a major headache when selling the old house to fund the self build. The neighbour was very agreeable and it only took a few goes with the solicitor to get all the forms signed, get some mapping errors resolved and the land registry map THEN matched the Architects plans / assumptions they were drawn up with at the time. Simple fix but it took a call to the Land Registry office to get hold of the person who was dealing with the query. As they were on holidays for a week, the system automatically demotes unresolved issues from "waiting for attention" to "request for more information". They dealt with the issue the same day they were back and thankfully the revised map coordinates all matched and the file / folio was updated. Case Closed!! Issue 2: There were a number of planning conditions attached to the grant of planning permission. Some were protect trees, etc but one was to add a window on the gable end for passive surveillance of a public road. I've written about this before but the grant of planning was very clear that updated drawings would be required to be accepted as compliant before I could commence building or else!! I wrote to them in September 2018 looking to have this removed and told them why. Never got a reply to this date. I had other issues finding a path through the building regulations without access to an Architect. It was September 2021 when I got my finger out and had another go! I expected it would be a few weeks, it was an easy decision for someone to make, I'd get the ok in early November and I could start selling up / planning my build from January 2022. Christmas came and went, no word. I did reach a very lovely administrator who did reply to my enquiries but had no idea when a decision would be reached. There was a change in the law in December 2021 (Ireland - Republic Of) requiring responses to compliance issues to be made within 8 weeks. I assumed I would be fast tracked to clear the backlog but as January went and February was reaching the end I wondered if everyone like me was at the bottom of the pile as the newer applications would be given priority. I made that exact enquiry and it was politely suggested that if I resubmitted the same drawings they would THEN be covered under that new legislation. This was going to mean a winter build though, not what I wanted at all. But I needed that decision. So on February 28th 2022 I resubmitted the plans and waited 8 weeks. In the ninth week I had received no word from anyone but thankfully as it was a bank holiday they were running a day or two behind and on the first day of a two away holiday break, my first in three years, I got the word, the compliance submission was approved. Now, I had a fallback plan in mind where I could extend my planning by another 5 years - this was a hangover from the last crash, making it easy for people to extend planning due to that disruption - unknown to me however it was rescinded last year. I only found out recently. My planning expires next June 2023! I can only extend it if the building work is expected to be substantially completed by that time. Bit open to interpretation but I really need now to make a call to proceed or not. If I can get started by January 2023 I should be well ok. Later and it might get fun!! I'm on variable rate % on my current house so I need to get all my ducks lined up and sell to proceed. Anyway, long story short (amazing if you're still reading this!) but I can now lodge a commencement notice. That clears the way for my to realign the driveway, put in a new boundary fence to split the property and sell the house, and build on the side garden site I've been hoping to do for the last 7 years! My mortgage application has expired and a lot of the quotes have too. Can I still afford to build and find reputable trades to do the work? Remains to be seen but the plan is to finish all DIY on the current house, get it cleaned up ready for sale and go from there. 7 months of legal/planning issues finally over. I've read and heard of far worse but a window in my case has been partly to blame for a delay of 3 and a half years!! Certainly the last 7 months for sure but that's how it goes. But with a few really good people onside (land registry, planning office and solicitor) a result was reached and delivered. And I just started a laying a new Patio last week in frustration....!!

Watched the first episode on catch up. Enjoyed the first season. Thanks for the heads up. Lovely design, just would find all those stairs and vertical ascents difficult in my 80's/90's!!

Don't know how you managed to get a BER cert / Completion Cert with resistive heating and no renewables!? If you had an A2W heat pump and a cop of 2.2 it would have closed the gap on your heating/hot water calcs? If you're air tight you won't really have a draught if one outside door is open, doubt you'd lose that much heat? How many Air tightness tests did you get? Was one done at the end of the build? Might be very different from before 1st fix? Not sure you have enough insulation - smaller houses are much harder to do in PHPP I've been told. I've 280mm pholenic insulation in the floor design and over 300mm in the walls (kooltherm) in a 100m2 house - PHPP was done in 2018. Did you do the PHPP designers course or have you done a few houses before doing yours? It seems complex to me but I'm sure you're still exceeding building regs in lots of areas so that's good. At least you're living in it! I'm still trying to get past planning!! Get yourself something like a sensorpush and bluetooth it to your phone to monitor temp/humidity in various rooms and temperature swings and monitor the internal temps for starters?

Tried - 4 times Monday, once Tuesday, call drops after being transferred to planning Dept after 60 seconds. Not taking calls I'd guess and no direct number. I have another email into them which they do respond to to see if resubmitting would bring me under the 8 week statutory decision timeline but I'm not sure if they are even able to fulfill that. Emailed councillor to ask about resourcing and what the wait times are for everyone, no reply. Bureaucracy at it's finest in Ireland!

Thanks - great idea - there is just one line in the final grant letter as follows: "No development shall take place under this permission until the applicant, owner or develop has lodged with the Planning Authority: (i) - revised plans with widows etc etc (abridged) (ii) a commitment to complete the development in accordance with the required revised plans (iii) The receipt for all these requirements from the applicant, owner or developer has been acknowledged in writing as an acceptable lodgement by the Planning Authority". I tried writing in two years ago to have the window condition lifted and got a receipt letter but that it would be forwarded to the local planner. Never heard anything back. I think they can't withdraw a condition after it's written up. They did publish my updated drawing and cover letter 2 weeks ago, but I've not yet seen a receipt letter against this. And given the wording above, I don't think I can proceed or I'll be in violation. Now, I could send in another letter along the lines you've suggested, assuming compliance and proceed? What's interesting is that all compliance submissions after 17th December 2021 have a statutory 8 week turn around. I'm not if they are prioritizing these over mine from Sep 2021 or if all are delayed? They have offered no timeline and I know they are under resourced. Frustrating but forgiveness vs permission is not a defence when it comes to starting building - last thing I need it a legal battle with the council.....

After giving up for a year or two, my stubborn side has gotten hold of me. I've been looking at direct labour and surmounting the crazy compliance regime in Ireland when building a new house and involving a bank. As I can't afford an Architect or a builder I needed someone else to sign off the build stages & compliance paperwork. Well, I finally found someone for 5K so that hurdle was crossed. I then went about examining the planning permission I had previous obtained. There was a compliance condition than I add a window to the side facing the road. Despite appealing, I got nowhere so I chased the Architect for an update to the drawing. After 3 months of emails and phone calls I tried writing a letter the the owner and that got me a response and 24 hours later I had an updated drawing which I then posted into to the planning department for my region of Dublin, Ireland. I didn't see it appear on the website though, and despite using registered post it had gone missing. I was able to email in the file in October 2021 and they back dated it to September 2021. And that's where I am today. Still waiting 5 months later. After chasing up last week the files appeared on the website with no receipt and no idea if and when their compliance team will take a look at it. I'm caught between rocking the boat and annoying them again, writing to councillors, or just waiting patiently. In the meantime I've been chasing key contractors for fresh quotes, some get back, most don't. The Timber Frame price went up 20% in the last year alone. I'm looking at a strip foundation instead of a Raft to save money and deciding if I can install the Velux rooflights or cover the holes over and do them in a few years to keep the budget down. It's getting interesting to see how this may play out and the delay by planning is not helping. I'll own them 10K as soon as I lodge a commencement notice, despite not feeling they've earned it in this case!! It's just a single window! But they review them in order received, no exceptions. Any if you annoy a civil servant you could end up at the bottom of the pile again!! There's no statutory response time for compliance issues that I'm aware of. The plan B approach is to sell the site and pass, get my mortgage down and the funny thing is some of the people I've been getting to quote for the new driveway and foundations are interested in buying the site. No shortage of potential offers there. I've decided to do the driveway relocation myself and any exterior concrete work also after practicing pouring some new steps around my existing house. I plan to hire a digger/driver, bull float and compactor and then invite a relative over to help me with the pour. So, Just sitting at the start line and I'm determined to pull this off and get it under budget despite all the risks/market pressures. Just hope it's not a years time before I get the green light!! Best of luck to everyone else out there trying to start a build this year! Don't give up!