saveasteading

I've never used SCC so perhaps others can advise of any special measures. I.m guessing here, but perhaps a length of 2x2 would be handy to persuade it all the way to the far corner. Any shuttering will be prone to leakage as will gaps in plastic. Have you a plan for the surplus and the washout location? Wherever you tell them to put it, it will keep flowing! If it is like pumped screed, it is like water until suddenly it isn't. ripples won't matter at all but getting it level +/- 3mm is well worth while.

a modest aircon unit in the living room, and obligatory solar on the roof?

Interesting When the Right start agreeing such things, it's too late. Telegraph is becoming more liberal these days isn't it? "Its Scotlands Oil" was the slogan but perhaps now could extend to water and wind. Pipelines will surely follow the cables south? I know that in Spain they have huge pipelines and pump stations that are turned on when rivers are in spate, taking it many kms to agricultural areas in the few hours it lasts... filth included. I wonder if tanker ships could be used now? Loch Ness has more water than all other water in E & W. Taxed 1p/m3 at Inverness into the local exchequer?

OK thanks. This is what I assumed. It is a slab not a screed. Flattish will do but it is a shovel, raje and float (or tamp) job, not tripods and dapple bar. I suggest you bang some steel or batten in to finished level. Not best practise but pragmatic. You'll be too busy shovelling to check with a laser. How many of you? Quantity is easy as you have a simple shape and presumably a consistent level.

Well done. Others readig this.,. Dong assume it's this easy.

Permission to scare you? There's an article in the Independent today. It says that there is a leaked report from the UK armed forces to govt, that there's no point in defending the country if there's nothing worth defending. Ie food production/ water must be sorted urgently. Meanwhile the rest of the world is worse and will want to come here regardless. It's an opinion piece so it doesn't have to be verified. And.. relax.

We don't know much about it at all! The questions are not answered and I fear that the author doesn't know how much he doesn't know. It is out of concern that I keep trying to help. @flanagaj please explain what the construction of the floor is and what stage you are planning.

I wouldn't want a rocket scientist pouring my concrete. You can do this but be prepared. You say screed, and your equipment list is for a thin liquid screed. But earlier you say slabs. So j assume this is concrete on plastic on stone. Presumably this is being delivered ready mixed. You have half an hour unless you arrange for longer. Is it chuting staight to position or are you barrowing. So you and 2 strong mates have the half hour to get it in place then another half hour to compact and level it. I'm happy to say more if I know whether this is concrete or runny screed.

The more you make mortar a feature, rather than functional, the better the bricklayer has to be. And the batching. If site mixed, you need precise control of the materials and the quantities. Not flinging in half a bag of cement and x shovels of sand.

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I didn't make my shower comment clear at all. It is an electrically powered shower using hot water from a boiler, mixing with cold. 2 pipes lead to the position as normal, but terminate at t he powered unit from where 1 pipe leads to the shower. There is no argument for economy, it is convenience and control. I had forgotten how bad some showers can be until in an old hotel recently.

brings us back to my subject.... assuming UFH (another one!) can you fit in your floor of stone, slab, insulation and screed?

very interesting chimney . the rustic construction would be great to retain for interest but will need a lot of attention. Doable though. are these stone flag floors? on second looks... perhaps old timber planks and some infill modern stuff? Yes SE as you say... pardon me in advance because this will happen al the time. SE EPS PIR x 100. Foundations. Can you ask why the modern building had deep founds? on perfect ground you would be 900mm deep. deeper means that the ground is soft or there are trees nearby. BUT 200 years ago they would scrape out as little as possible, topsoil really, and build stone straight onto that. That construction rises and falls annually, while the new bit stays put. Hence I suggest checking how much asap (sorry abbreviations again). My prejudice perhaps but importantly... however good an SE , not all have expertise in old stone. Ask. They will very likely be straight forward and decline if they think someone else will know better.. Unlike Architects who mostly take on anything and the problems arise later. Ditto builder. ("subject to Engineer's inspection" becomes your risk later. whereas the issues should be addressed early and influence the whole design.

So the original has been rxtended, not enclosed? Is the stonework dressed or rubble? Mortared in place, pointed? It might help dampness to leave some exposed. You need to find how deep the footings are. The steading was only about 300 below ground in total. You can't excavate much below that. The inglenook may be supporting the building. This is SE work. Esp at a party wall as there may be a shared chimney AND you don't know what the neighbours have done. It is scarily common for people to remove a chimney at GF leaving the chimney hanging. Understood re photos but some closeups perhaps? Another important issue is door heights. If you raise the floor can you get through without ducking?

Timber needs lots of heat and lots of oxygen, which doesn't happen at even a faulty socket.

Welcome. Neither are we until we know more. Eventually we will get there. What size? Number of rooms? In approx terms does it feel ample in size? The stone centre: is that an original building that has been encased in new? There may be construction and damp challenges.

A good one is an expensive luxury, but divide by number of showers and £800 becomes pennies per use. We have an aqualisa. Press a button outside and it starts. When the light stops flashing you walk straight into it. I realise how good it is whenever I have to use a lesser one.

I have forgotten an awful lot. But I kind of remember that there is an absolute limit to the height of a pump, regardless of size. Because of the sheer head of water mostly. In a mine there is tunnelling and it could be done in stages.

2km is a deep hole. That will be quite a pump that shifts water through it. I expect the microfissues , even the borehole will close up under pressure. So it interesting but a while away.

Quite so. I've just reread the original post. Concrete cracks, steels corrode. Newish walls can be removed again. The managing agents were not technical people, so their comments are probably irrelevant. So the residents' trust perhaps need to get a fund together and start from scratch. A good local SE will be a starting point. A free first visit for a quote. Then a solicitor (there are construction specialists) to formalise the process, get insurance etc. Then sort it. The value of all properties will then increase by more than the cost, esp for those who can't sell. OR. Is there a local big developer/ landlord who might buy the lot and sort it out... takes the risk and makes money?

To put it into real life context, in the Steading we left a significant proportion of 600mm original wall exposed internally. This was for aesthetics and a historical nod. That would never pass Passivhaus which is an extreme target. I have no intention of sacrificing lots of money and aesthetics for the certificate that comes with a few % energy benefit. But many do and it's their choice and money (never regained in £ payback). We did get respect from the bco who agreed it was a good design feature, and we balanced the insulation by extra elsewhere. You are building all new, so can more easily tweak the insulation. Should be easy enough esp with a proper analysis with expertise. You say lots of insulation. What products?

Premature use will damage the surface and make it too wet. Leave it too long and the surface dries before it sets. There are rules about not pouring in cold weather. But for hot it will depend on the mix, the thickness, time of day. I've never used sprinklers but I see the advantage as compared to single use polythene. Curing spray may be optimum.

Its not complex. A screwdriver which shouldnt go through, and a wire brush to remove the surface. More technically, a drill to look for inernal shiny bits.

Building control were fine with me using grano dust as the top layer. So they should be. Sand is often used far too thick to overcome poor levelling of the sub-base. Then it picks up footprints and other shapes which the concrete has to drag along if it shrinks while curing. This is textbook stuff apart from a couple of things which reduce your mark to 99%. Well done. 🏆

I think some presenters have something to sell, but they can't fill 10 minutes with the facts so exaggerate. The less they understand it the more they exagerate. It's as if those prescious but flighty heat particles were rushing through a piece of timber as if it was a big hole in the wall.