saveasteading

But it easily could with a heavy, out of balance thud. The proper fixings aren't expensive at all, allow you to tighten it fully and I'd think add some hygiene advantage too. That inner washer will expand to bear evenly on the porcelain and spread load, then the cap is tidy and will clean.

Is this going to be inspected? If not then don't worry. Fire does not rage through such a hole unless there is a serious source of flame and fuel. If it is, then wait for the bco to point it out. It's unlikely they will. If anybody, including yourself, wants to seal it then intumescent mastic will do it. But so will simply filing gaps with sand and cement. For a serious solution in a dangerous situation you an get collars that will completely seal the hole, including in a collapsing duct, in case of fire. But dont worry.

There are Architects who are practical, and some purely artistic. Some do only houses and should know all the vibes about local planning expectations. Some do anything that turns up so maybe aren't so specialist. Planning Consultants are vital when pushing your luck on a marginal site. But otherwise there shouldn't be a need. Do you think there is a poor chance of approval? They certainly aren't who you go to re cost guidance. If an Architect is so unsure of cost levels, then I don't know where you would start with them on design and budget. OTOH, better that than leading you on now and the project unviability is a surprise for later. Remember that £100 saved here and there at first stages could cost you tens of thousands later.

Steamy is volunteering. 3/4 acre !! I suggest find an agricultural contractor who can mow it really hard. and repeat. for a meadow you need to remove all that scrub to stop it being nutrient to grasses.`Orchard and meadow is my plan. and I rather like the look and practicality of prairie planting:

Recommendations for the silicone sealer I should have to hand by the dozen? And the current iteration of Snibbo ? Being more specific: I need to change the failed mastic to a shower tray. Something that stays white, doesn't get mouldy and stays sealed. If it can be easy to handle for this amateur then that's a big plus.

Agreed. But it does show up some 'never agains', and 'what I'd do different another time'. There is a lot to be said for first time self builders using a kit. It removes many interfaces,that are most likely to go wrong and reduces teams required. You reduce risk. BUT try to use proven models in shape and style or you lose some of the advantage. Also if really depends on what you want. eg some systems don't suit big open spaces. Few of these kit suppliers target the construction industry. Why not? Because the experts don't need the ease of the system and the cost attached. Eg look at new housing estates.. see any eps systems? So I'm not against but do look at options. Also, the people you meet at self build exhibitions are selling. Of course they don't tell you there are options.

They are not expensive to hire. We once put in about 150m of duct across a field and I think it only took a day. I wasn't there that day so haven't seen it done, but our op, who was used to driving a digger, said it was easy.

Have you considered a plough type cable/ pipe laying machine?

No. But don't reinvent the wheel. Fire rating requirements are published, as are material performances. Eg sometimes 2 layers of grey is enough. People often use the pink board unnecessarily. Means of escape and detectors too. The bco will want a proposal and it's in your interest to get it agreed ASAP.

Soaking would dissolve the bitumen content and lose the stickiness. I couldn't vouch for a coating of solvent between the old and the new but it might work.. it's your own surface so you can try.

Properly laid Type1 is basically returned to nearly solid stone density, just not glued together. Good planings are the same but do stick together. Yes clean out the hole to see stone. It might be worth painting it with pitch or bitumen to get some bond.

Berwick Bank wind farm in the outer Firth of Forth with up to 307 turbines generating enough electricity to power up to six million homes. So that supplies all Scotlands needs when the wind is blowing. Meters on the cables to England and Scandinavia and the Holyrood budget will benefit hugely.

It's normally better to buy a finished house where you miss out the years of problems and the risks. Value wise, turnkey will be expensive too, and seldom any saving compared to buying a finished property to move into and enjoy. Self build and diy may reduce the cost but increase the risk.

We had wasps somehow getting through a 2mm local gap between overlapping weatherboards. They then chewed the stud behind to make paper for a nest. So mesh needs to be very small. Someone will have studied this I hope. Overlapping messages. That mesh looks fine.

Steel will be the answer. It covers big spaces economically. My rule of thumb is that adding an internal column under a portal frame will reduce that frame by 1/3 in tonnes and cost. What width of building do you intend? You don't want a column in the middle of your space I'm sure, so make this a fundamental requirement, and accept the cost. OK, so they should be able to look after you, and will be charging. So anything we say on here might concern them as distrust. Have you given them a budget? Would any of them know how to achieve it?

It doesn't have to be fancy special stuff. It is stopping fire from spreading through a cavity so even wood will usually be suitable.

a service void is nice to have but I'd prioritise the headroom. Anyway, that 830mm vertical bit could be widened to be a SV without affecting headroom.

I've done a few of these, design and construction, including a church, with the starting point being 'someone says you will be able to half the price we've had from tenders'.ie it's not a cathedral and so funds are tight. It is complex, based on the use, or variable uses, of the facility, and also the size. Ventilation can be a huge issue as is means of escape , if the numbers are large. Even which inclination of church and their procedures can make a difference to performance and choices. But to start with I don't know what you mean by a Composite deck screed. Does that mean your own steering group, or are there professionals advising?

it would be consistent with what is there already, but not really proper. It would be quite easy to redirect the round pipe to the grille with use of a hacksaw and a new connecting piece.

Understood. The square shoe isn't quite long enough and the round pipe misses slightly. If you can rotate the round one at any of the joints to be over the grille, that should sort it. For the square you need the tiniest length of pipe. Temporarily cut a detergent bottle to make a channel and slide it under, but leave the bottom on to make it flow the right way onto the grille.

I have a similar but worse situation where the grille is set 100mm below concrete so fills with leaves. It is an unpleasant chore to remove them. So I have made a chicken wire cage to hold the leaves back a bit more. It's not pretty. But I have also bought a small, battery powered leaf blower and am pleased with it. It makes it quick, and not unpleasant, to shift these leaves and others nearby. It is very battery hungry but OK for a 10 minute job even with wet leaves.

What width is exposed?

Per board or m2? At present my best price for 100mm white eps is just over £15/ board of 2.4 x 1.2.

Depends on the "STUFF". If it's a 1mm sheet of metal then water and air will get through so special screws have special washers that bind to the thread. A screw into timber might allow damp but not air through...so perhaps a smear of mastic is worthwhile. Yes through wood has been compressed so is tight, but could get damp. If you look at screws into cedar you can see that damp has got in.

It's BASF so not likely to be untrue. I've found a thing saying the eps nodules work identically, being bubbles of air, but the conduction route over the bubbles' convoluted path is less conductive because infra red gets mirrored back whence it came. Hmmm. Anyway its quoted insulation is 10 % better than white eps, but I think the publushed cost is double, and I wouldn't expect so much discount.