saveasteading

More important than the cheapest price is their attitude. Eg some in my experience see their role as stopping any development and by the way recommending themselves for additional surveys.

These are specialist subjects. If you engage an Architect, just ensure these matters are not all passed on to other consultants at your expense. I've seen projects with 10 consultants when one could have been capable.

I don't think we can say. We don't know you or the project. 15k seems a lot. If you knew nothing perhaps that would ok. What does the project involve?

That's good logic. But sometimes this works. Thinking of this as 2 small and simple buildings with a link. If the 2 areas are very different this gives simple connections. Fof self build if also allows phasing and you could move into half early. Yes, insulate extra to compensate.

I wonder. When we buy type 1, we are wanting the finished product to be as much like solid stone as possible. So we whack it but, importantly, also vibrate it so that the little bits fill the gaps between the big bits. No air is left. G9eocell seems to be single size with lots of gaps. Whacking it will break sandy shards off it (I assume) and you get the assessed performance. Doing it less, there will be more air. But presumably trapped within the finished product. I'd think working with 50 or 75mm layers will compact decently with a lesser compactor. Nobody will have tested it though.

Stick build, kit, package deal?

The Scottish reg's are a reasonably easy read. Worth referring to the English ones sometimes for more detail and a more prescriptive process. The deal us you tell us more first. What construction? Site summary ( sheltered, sun bathed, dense sand, etc)

But isn't there more air? That is what the compaction is expelling from the product.

I have to say that 'drainage consultants' I have come across don't seem as expert or as interested as I would hope. They have perhaps a habit of overcomplicating things. The EA on the other hand are reasonable, just understaffed. You have made it an easy to understand situation, and hence their decision too. Well done.

I misread the dims. That central area is nearly 9m x 9m. That is a big span if you want ceilings to be higher than the wall level, so there is cost there. Easy enough to do, but there is a tradeoff between clear space and cost.

Not necessarily. As you say later, there is the space taken by the stair and landing x 2 levels. so take that out of the useful m2 and it all changes. It depends on a lot of other factors too. slate roof would be expensive, metal much cheaper, tiles in between. To me that is an economical shape and easy to build, and everywhere is near a window. Plus it is totally accessible for the future......the owner ageing, visitors, future purchasers.

The cracks are normal. The gap under the skirting is common, just through some settlement of the slab or a rough job with the skirting. If the slab was settling there would be other signs. SE would be taking on a risk for a small fee. Good business sense to decline I'd say.

There was a 'gardeners question time' item on green roofs last week. The wild flowers were being wiped out by grass. The answer was to stop watering it and leave it to its own devices....it is not a garden. A 'brown roof' is gravel and sticks and silly. I've done one green roof, which our client's original architect had shown. We were stuck with it. I learnt enough to know all the reasons not to do it.

But £800 plus labour, and a lot of space, which isn't available.

Sorry, I'm not understanding the question. Does the door come with a frame to sides and top? Or runners for sides and another closure at the top?

I hadn't seen that clause. I suppose it is generally a good idea to be above all potentially damp zones. But our steel shed has a structural concrete floor on a dpm. We aren't breaking it up. On it will go 150mm pir then a screed. On our steading we also poured a slab and built on that. Bco didn't stop us. So our sole plate is going to be 220mm below FFL on a dpc. As it happens we had thought of first laying a kerb, either pc or insitu concrete. But then we thought "why". Any good explanations? We could just call it something other than sole plate.

Probably all we will do. The discusson has been helpful. We will need to make it foolproof though. Perhaps a plug that can only go into the mains or the battery, with some warning tag on it. A worthwhile battery seems to be about £300. OR put up with the inefficiency of a generator running.

If the power was to fail, the water pump would not work. (Water comes from a distant well, by gravity, to a tank, and then is pumped, with the opening of a tap causing the pump to fire up.) Torches will provide light but water is needed. Is there an easy way to power the water pump? A generator would be over the top, and would either be running unnecessarily or cycling on and off every time a tap was opened. A battery seems like the answer. Enough power for a couple of days perhaps, so it could either be trickle charged by solar or wind, or simply on the mains. It would need some intelligence to cut in and out. I'm thinking this must be a standard thing and doesn't need reinventing.

I often hear second hand that klargester is best, and other makes have problems. I think it must be taught to installers who get a certificate and truly believe they are now experts. When I have engaged with klargester at an exhibition, I heard similar nonsense. They don't engage in further discussion. They are OK. So are others. As prodave says..if it really bothers you, choose a make where the pump can be separate, and bury it. Quiet will become ultra quiet.

Hormann are in a league above the ad- hoc assemblies. Price tends to be plus 50% accordingly. Be aware that there may be a gap above and around the spring allowing air and birds. A boxing may disguise the gap. Just check the detail.

Is that because the heras is expensive to hire? If so, change it for second hand heras bought on marketplace. Or ask the hirer Co. for a price to buy it as is. Hiring costs as much as buying new after 6 months plus you pay for damage.

It's great to be ambitious. A temporary and cheap building, without regulations, but luxurious too. Wouldn't it be good if you didn't need rafters at all. It's just reality though. Also a big empty box is very weak against dominoing. Cross walls stiffen the building.

Do what everyone says. Build it properly for 5% more than for a bodge. Why 8m span? Add a wall.

Ahhh. precast lintels usually have tensioned wire in them. cut that and it loses lots of the strength. I think (!) the wires are in the middle, so drilling at 1/4 to 1/3 points might be safest. use the smallest fixing that will work x maybe more of them. I agree threaded rod and epoxy. agreed. Is there another way?

It depends on the specification , the wheel size, and what is under it. That is not highway spec, (no big stones) and I would leave it a day at least. Was it hot? that goes hard quickly. If it was cold lay, then Macadam implies a design mix of stone, like type 1, Tarmacadam is the same mix glued together by a small amount of bitumen. Very Strong. the stuff in the picture is a thin dressing. Might be ok already , but don't turn the wheels on it while at rest for a while.