saveasteading

Good luck and stay calm and smiley. with 20% you could just about throw away he ones that bother you most. I reckon it will go well.

Yes but it is not in the regulations. A reed bed is. From Google Earth I can see historic views showing that the land was once a commercial orchard. Thus I know that there will be fragmentation of the clay from the roots, which will long have rotted, and that there was drainage to the field in herringbone layout. I'd also expect the trees and apples to have depleted the phosphates from the ground (this latter is not my area of expertise though: it's a guess) . None of this will matter to the BCO.: I'm just expanding on the particulars.

Thanks for posting that. It's not easy to see, but I reckon they've done something like it but not as drawing, and also there probably shouldn't be a discontinuity. Yes, I've been the Contractor's Engineer and also the consultant's (acting for the client) on different big projects. In all of these the checking was very thorough by both. But I've no idea of the US (prob NY own rules) ways. perhaps the contractor and designer were the same ownership. Remember too that it is easy to see now, but during construction this is a birdcage of steel with no floors... No excuse but it would not be for the faint-hearted to check every detail in-situ.

I'm supposed to be an expert in this but am hoping for some genius or experience on reducing the vast area required by the regulations for soakaways after the sewage digester. Basically there will be a Marsh 10 person digester which removes about 95% of the nasties. However the regulations require the same amount of drainage field as if it was the 45% of a septic tank, less a paltry 20% because it is treated. I even gave some advice on this, on BH, recently, suggesting phasing the soakaway and perhaps leaving phase 2 until later.... perhaps much later, unless we can see that it is needed. This house will be kept in the family so we aren't a developer passing the buck Space is not an issue (if it was then the Env Agency often gives permission for infiltration tunnels.) We haven't tested the percolation yet , but my guess from observation is 80 s/mm. That gives us a crazy amount of trench approx 250m long, maybe more. We don't want a reed bed. A drainage mound is worth a thought. When I first used these digesters, as a new thing, the regs and BCO were perfectly happy with percolation through French drains as if it was rainwater.. ie 30m or so. The tanks are very much better now but the regs have gained this ultra-cautious approach. As I read in a sales blurb... "written legislation has fallen behind the technology available" Agreed. They then say that while the legislation has not caught up, "local authorities and Building Control have'. If only. Unfortunately I can see no sign of that unless the land is too small. The digester company cannot offer help. I'd have thought that saving customers money without affecting their own cost would be good business, but apparently not. eg they make a special model to reduce phosphates even more, but that doesn't make any difference to the soakaway area. The other manufacturers appear to say even less. It's not only stinginess (otherwise known as efficient and sustainable design): I simply don't think it's sensible or necessary. It is very simple how digesters work, as a flush of the toilet almost immediately pushes the same amount out of the treated end of the tank. 3 or 5 litres? More with a shower. That will not travel far along a perforated pipe so all the phosphorous will be at one location, close to the tank, especially in summer when the ground is drier. The regulations are assuming a day's worth all rushing through at once. BTW in passing I have read The real issue is of preventing phosphates from reaching the aquifer. that an orchard is an excellent way of taking phosphates out of the water. We will have fruit trees exactly there, but I doubt the BCO will be interested. This is the same principle as reed beds where the grasses absorb phosphates greedily and we would harvest it annually and... I guess compost it. Willows are good too, but at some stage need to be reduced and the timber taken elsewhere. A drainage field is regarded as secondary treatment rather than as a dispersal mechanism. Has anyone got a brilliant idea? Anyone used a drainage mound? Does it have to be a mound rather then below ground?

I like to stop a slab short of the inner leaf, then the ramp down is from there and the door bottom seal sits on a slope and water doesn't get through. This is because bottom seals dont really seal, but water gives up climbing the slope after about 50mm. To form this edge the shutter is simply placed against the inner leaf with any extra packing needed. This assume you now where the bottom of the door will be.

be a huge help to him in opening the packs up and tidying away the waste for a nice clear room. also any offcuts that are no use (or unlikely to be, and a pile of possible bits for fitting in where any small bits needed. In so doing you can choose to mix the packages up, look for any severe patterns near ends and ask him to use them where the ends will be cut off. How much waste have you allowed? it is standard to allow 10% with other people's money whereas 5% is more likely with care and attention. Can they be reversed? That can make a huge difference and its something that most fitters wont do. You can rota te them before they reach him. With your help and a few 'queries' , but not too many, he may end up respecting your concerns. The danger is ending up with nothing but the strongly marked ones. I did something similar with floor tiles that were a complex layout. By me handing the excellent tiler 'the next one', he was pleased with the help.

I have raised this repeat thing with lots of manufacturers and I think they genuinely dont 'get it'. Even if the main effects were less bold it would help. Do the planks reverse ? The main offenders will still appear but look slightly different. And if they are at ends can they be worked so the features are part of the offcuts? Or under the sofa.

Me too. I'd do it free if you were near. Because it can be an informal assessment without a formal report. 'Can't possibly commit or comment without full drawings and perhaps some tests , but I haven't seen anything obvious' sort of thing. If they do have concerns then it could escalate of course. You should be aware of course that all of us on here are in that boat... we don't know what we don't know.

The ufh can be within the screed so it's just more screed rather than adding boards. @Nickfromwales or @ a.n.other may know how to fix pipes down to screed. You can stick or screw down straps that pipes click into, or the egg-box-like stuff. Stroppy me would get it all paid by the developer OR you take money because you don't trust them.

True. The beams I have used were pretty straight because there were wires at top and bottom, but some curve or wobble is inevitable. Plus there are changes at joints in the eps. Anyway we don't want to worry @sisturix unnecessarily. Nobody is going to fall through eps let alone with thin screed over it Even if the lvt is out of warranty the floor can't be levelled without replacing it. So they can pay. Or you could agree to tiling if you fancy it, as one contractor could sort it. To pick up another worry. If a beam had moved then there would be dips and big cracks near that point. It's unlikely.

No you would leave it be. Others will advise on the material but is is standard stuff. They won't be sagging. If you jump up and down in the middle of the room do you feel movement? No? The eps would have to compress before the beams bounced. 10mm average of screed is only 10kg/m2 10 bags of sugar every m2.

I helped some locals on a different but recurring matter. The housing association were horrible throughout, but eventually gave way when they knew this was not going to be fobbed off. BUT they were desperate to get the owners/tenants to sign a confidentially agreement. ie they had no interest in sorting it for others. Others 'found out'.

Good. To test your laser set it at one wall and take readings adjacent and as far away as you can. Then move it to a central position and do it again, to the same 2 points. The level difference should be the same. This is because the laser should be projecting horizontally but they sometimes go out, and so the error cancels out with equal distances.

Whatever you do, don't touch the beams. they are reinforced by just a couple of tensioned wires, These beams don't tend to curve much, unlike planks which curve up a lot. They are strong so won't be sagging. either The existing slab that is intended to be 75mm thick may only be 75mm - 27mm thick = 48mm in places. The good news is that it is still stronger than the eps underneath it, and won't collapse. But either it is level and hiding that the beams are in wrongly, or it is on an extreme slope and your furniture will wobble, door clearances may be wrong, and simply look squint. I'd mostly be concerned that workmanship like that suggests other errors, like the mesh will be missing or on the bottom, and may have been left exposed. The most important measure of acceptability for real use is with the straight edge. Getting a properly straight 3m edge usually involves a costly spirit level although I recently used a dry-liner's C strut and that was good. For an offficial test you can lay it in any or every position , parallel to a wall or any other angle at all. The gap is measured not only by what shows under the middle or end when laid down , but also if you push down an end, if a big gap appears at the other end. I was talking to our floor tiler about some areas of our screed that are poor, but he said it was nothing compared to most floors he sees..... so poor levelling is standard. If I had personally laid that slab so badly, or managed it badly, and it was my house, and it was definitely the only problem, then I would relevel it with screed because that will suffice. 2 people 1 day and disruption of course. If it was for a client I would redo it or discuss the screeding option with them. BUT If a housebuilder has done it then it is entirely their responsibility, including consequential losses like redoing skirtings, any wrong doors, especially patio doors, and of course a new floor covering. Plus removal of furniture, and some compensation. They will resist as they have lots of practice in hiding problems. Your gentle threats are of telling the press, or of putting up a banner saying, "come and see the quality of a non show-house here".

Likely? You need to know. There's lots of good info above as if this was prestressed planks rather than beam and block. B and B seems more likely and the prognosis is less bad. They can span 5m so this sounds simply to be an incompetent slab laying, but could be something else. But 27mm is extreme. As is the straightedge. What failed, exactly, please? If there is ongoing development you have enormous clout. First get more help on here, then visit the sales office. Local publicity could kill all sales, so they will want to keep you quiet. But you must also send a formal letter to the company that you have this issue. Tell us more. Is that definitely the construction? What failed? Sorry to question this but I'd question myself too..... are you sure the laser level is accurate? They do go wrong.