saveasteading

As a once professional estimator, i wondered how these online servic3s could be accurste, and so cheap. Ive seen an estimate now and trawled thtough it. There are a great many exclusions. Apart from that i thnk it is simply a quick meaure from the drawings using computer methods, and applying to standard rates. I was impressed that some special and unusual features were included. Given that 4 contractors with the same drawings will vary by about 20% it is only a guide. I think the rates are deliberately on the high side, and include profit and waste. Rightly so. Would i advise using them? The less you know about construction the more it is advisable to get this done. So yes. A QS will do exactly the same but with local knowledge. On the other hand, i'd expect an analysis of many estimates would show a general £/m2 range. But the specific estimate will pick up large windows etc and allow tge client to save up, or alter the design.

Good to hear. I've always found EA officers to be fair, and genuinely interested in their work. They spend a lot of their time dealing with problems and polluters, so a person trying to do things properly will be welcome. Unfortunately their numbers have been halved, and they aren't allowed to speak out against government policy on housing and water/sewage companies.

as a wall for a house? No. Can it , Yes. but tell us more. how thick is it? Can you see from the top how it is constructed? Is it worth it? doubtful, but we don't know the context.

Up in Scotland as you describe it...our place is 160 miles further "up" from you. We went for Nordan for its tactile internal quality. They couldn't do anything that wasn't rectangular*, so that half of the order was Real brand, from Stevenswood at half the price or less. Happy with all of it., eventually. Our joiner fitted it all, some to new timber, some to old sandstone and granite. * the brochures show pediment glazing but it was beyond them to even price it. So on one big feature gable it is Nordan up to a transom and Real above. Actually that's ideal as there is no point in tactile windows above 2.5m. In our arches we subdivided it into 3 sections with angled tops. Looks curved to anyone who doesn't know.

There are often standard definitions that anything 'in front' of the house needs formal permission, while to the side and rear does not. This is to avoid umpteen sheds going up in an urban street, spoiling the feel of the street. To make it easy for the planner, which I think is usually worthwhile, I'd show the whole area of your land and down to the road, and a clear line marked 'curtilage of house' , as the immediate surrounds, excluding the 6 acres. Thus it will be immediately clear to the planner that this is a long way from the road, and obviously associated with the house, and therefore acceptable without too much fuss. A picture of the tunnel will help too. Maybe a photo of the location. Anything to make you appear helpful and thoughtful, and to avoid the planner's need to ask any more questions. They open the file, understand the issues in minutes, and reply saying no problem.

Sounds good. I am imagining a car park covered in 30m2 patches of variable quality paving. 6 x 5 isn't enough to need a contraction joint, but I seriously hope that one is included anyway. Its probably the trickiest thing. Otherwise.....they're just selling stampers.

They should be teaching mostly about concrete laying and crack control in general. The imprinting is important but not the biggest issue in the long term. I've seen cobble effect so well done that it took a real effort to see it was concrete. Also some very bad, mostly with random cracking. I'd have fibres in the mix. Let us know if that is standard please?

Before I came on BH I didn't know there were such things as raft kits. As in a previous discussion, there are different interpretations of what a raft is. Thus I don't know these systems as listed above, and any adverse thoughts may be misplaced. What you are looking for is a structural slab that can span over and between piles. From what I see in a couple of the links above, these kits won't do that, even if over-engineered through standardisation. Your slab will be thicker and have a lot more reinforcement. I can see that the package is attractive in reducing unknowns, and the number of suppliers and procedures. I will therefore not get involved any more unless none of the kit companies want to make it work. If that transpires then don't panic, there are standard , non-kit, solutions. One is that a Structural Engineer will make this work, as a slab on piles, designed to work together. , then you insulate on top and screed. Another is to use a specialist company (ask abbey pynford for one) that will span beams between their piles, then you can fit beam and block flooring, insulation and screed.

At that time, nobody from Dudley would ever have crossed to a different district, and didn't see why anybody would want to. Not impressed then ?

Pun intended I hope. As to your comment....any future developer should be made to reinstate it.

I went there several times. It wasn't just the building leaning that was interesting, but the many phase of re-levelling floors and other adjustments, that subsequently moved again. To rebuild it in the same form would need a lot of local memories recalled. 'in this bar, the floor sloped from here to there, but the dado rails went this other way'....etc. I hope they do. If I recall, there was a particular table where a marble appeared to be going uphill. Any house purchase round there needs a mine survey as part of the searches. Unfortunately they are not very accurate and can be shown at the adjacent property.

How is that possible without BH suggestions? Brilliant to see your recordings. I'll be watching again. Can we have more info on the works to the existing house? I'm in favour of preservation where possible, whereas it's often easier to build new.

Structurally I don't think it matters enough to worry much. It's a garden wall. yes, centrally balanced is better for a couple of reasons, but I would do whatever you wish. It's personal but I prefer the step for appearance and because you could grow pots of strawberries or other on there. You are right about ties. Not only longer, but much more robust or they will simply collapse under horizontal load.

My understanding is "no". It is absorbed into the system , and too much might make a chemical layer and prevent the leaf doing its photosythesis. As to trimming any shoots. It is better to trim off any new shoots than do nothing, or leave it a few days, because they will immediately start to build up the roots. Likewise, in wet weather, spraying is no use, so trim. If the killer chemical is ok to leave in solution then a small sprayer could be kept handy.

I'd have to check but I think it's like fir knotweed...the official way to get rid of it is digging it up. Then you bury it deep. I'm pretty sure there will be a government guidance document. On tarmac. Spray and cover and cut. Repeat. Disposing of the weeded bits? I looked up the RHS guidance so you don't have to. Drown them in a bucket, then use the water as fertiliser.

Yes. But knotweed has e flat leaves that hold a lot of spray. Horsetail has these little needle things. Both take many treatments which can be for years.

It should disappear. I had an old tiled wall retiled. Roof tiles on the walls. The replacement tiles were sooty. The replaced and reused were green. They were all stripped and went on randomly. In a year, one side was green, one was clean, due to exposure.

With a grille it is easier to get kindling going. Also it lets ash through to the pan with a bit of encouragement. Theoretically you can keep the fire going. But wood needs to sit on ash to retain heat and keep it burning hot. So either needs a bed of ash or have no grate. The perfect scenario would be enough kindling to cover and seal the grille with ash. For coal, the grille is essential. With a solud base, the fire needs to ve fully out, and ash is shovelled out to a container.. metal just in case. .

Yes but you don't get much coating so it will take years for it to kill the roots. You could try putting black polythene or plywood over it so shoots don't get light. And cut them back. I don't know what has to be done with cuttings: segregate in a black bag for an immediate solution.

These are very common for diy on the med. Can be very cheap for unknown or own brands, and double for known names. They are designed for cooling though, and the heating coefficient is usually about 2.5. I dont know if that is readily swappable so the heating is the more efficient.

Yes, ive had 1m or 4ft applied often. But you say building up, and that has always been the case with me, Does it apply to digging out? Or to digging out and filling around?.

The only annoying questions are 1. The best answer is "Google it". 2. When you are agreeing with 'them' and not me

Welcome. After much lurking, what is it you feel you are in most need of more info on?

Have you tried a specialist drainage merchant? Obviously they have to be good value and dependable all the time. We got ours that way and it was a long way cheaper than any others, incl screwfix, and all delivered. The pipes and connections were made by Funke, a German make I hadn't heard of. The rodding chambers were Brett Martin. The quality was good, with all connections smooth and efficient.

You can propose to only do clearance during the months that newts are in ponds. Then you don't have to look for newts, just accept they are there One council I know recommends that. others have accepted it. As a correspondent on here previously pointed out..some young newts stay on land, but it is not significant. While you are at it, tell the council what you are doing for wildlife.