saveasteading

As I have recorded here before, we once hired a ticketed operator to offload 3 lorries of steel. We sent him home at 10.00 as he had no inherent skill....just a ticket. Our jcb driver took over and instinctively did well. If there had been an accident, who knows how hse would have viewed it. Probably pragmatically.

Yes . Or hire exactly that,...a vibrating poker. Or select a nice length of 2 x 2 and jiggle that about.

Support on padstone. Your SE ( or your contractor's SE) is the only one who can advise as we don't know the loading, and aren't about to calculate it. Fire protection is for another day. For a start I would fill in the void at top left , with rockwool or masonry, to take it out of the equation. Paint is unlikely to be the optimum solution. The top surfaces will be protected by the planks. Politely though....it is what they do and they are used to sorting out factory errors.

If I ran a builders merchants , I would forbid drivers lifting onto scaffolding. The consequences could be serious. You'd better ask rather than depend on it.

The float is only for the surface finish. Tamping consolidates the concrete and gets rid of excessive air and creates an approximately level surface. The float then evens out the highs and lows a bit. Then you leave the concrete alone to ' go off'. This can be an hour or 4 depending on conditions Then when you float again it has a smooothing function. You can use just a skip float for smoothing, but the bull float is a heavier beast and does more levelling than smoothing. Not that I have handled either for more than a few minutes, and handed them back.

Whenever brick slips have been specified, I have redesigned the building to include a full skin of the same brick. Might as well use the inherent strength and stability, and create a cavity A whole brick is cheaper than one of the 2 slips that can be sawn off it. It's real. Slips are fake. I can understand why McDonald's uses slips, but these are fast build, temporary buildings.

So it won't change size too much. I'd agree with 20mm. If you are lucky , you won't share my obsession with artificial timber features repeating. In real timber, every feature, whether knot, grain or shake, is unique. In reproduction, some products have multiple of the same print in the pack. I don't want to see 2 or more of the same feature in the same view. I absolutely don't want them close together and in line. Laying on 1/3 staggers reduces the 'risk'. But also check how the layout works with your room size, to avoid short bits.

One more thought to add to the good advice. Subject to the existing construction. The existing foundations should not be enough to support an additional floor. If they are, then they were overspecified originally, so the SE will assume they are insufficient. Thus you need expensive widening of the footings or some clever redistribution of loads to new, extra foundations. IF adding an extra floor, I think Sips is too limiting in precision. I suggest a stick build. It can end up being effectively sips, but it will fit whatever geometry you have. Summary. Diy ....reuse all below ground construction but allow extra footings Builder? Knock it down.

Is it wood or artificial?

@Declan52 There is a big difference between a lie and something that may be factually incorrect.....or a matter of different experience. @Dave Jones has some interesting views but I've never known them to be deliberate untruths. Respect each other please. I'm not a moderator.

Hi @Declan52 We don't say lies on here We may not agree, but and interested in other people's views and experience. Perhaps: You disagree and have personal experience to back it up.

Your scaffolding is unlikely to be strong enough for a pallet or similar weight. A collapse could be disastrous. Hence the loading platform idea but it will cost. There are brick hoists to fix to the scaffolding. A simple crane, manual or motor. There are brick conveyors that need a person each end. Messing about with telehandlers not recommended.

No. There are 2 kinds the turning blade which us the norm on big slabs. They take a lot of learning and strength and aren't much use round the perimeter. Vibrating tamp. Yes this would work but again is a skill There are other ways too, nit much used in the UK (reverse turning roller) NO, I would go old school. A hefty timber tamp to level and consolidate. That leaves a ripple surface which is better on ramps. So to smooth it hire a bull float and do the edges with a hand float.

It's not the 40m2 but the perimeter that takes time. I talked our son in law into diy of about 50m2. (delays the shout for more more money). I'm sure he would confirm....buy a big, heavy duty cutter , but a cheap diamond saw us enough for the details. Use a wedge system. Use slow set adhesive. We didn't use a decoupler. No problems even over a couple of cracks which had stopped moving.

Firstly, i think my messages over the last week have been more acerbic and grumpy than normal...sittting here bored with a very sore back: Isn't what you say, the biggest problem with Britain? The ppe scandal was based on money for mates...our money of course. Nothing to do with fitness for purpose or even basic quality. I imagine the same is the case in The City.....mates and bungs all the way. Proper, efficient businesss is based on expertise and skill, not who you saw last or who took you to golf. Or it should be anyway. I thought I saw the last of blatant corruption in construction about 30 years ago. The manager of a world famous company hinting that the project was ours if he got a car....A Car! For nothing . My boss told me this was normal but on the way out. So was that clilent...they went out of business. But I know what they made. You have used it. If their buyers were operating on who last took them out then it is very scary indeed.

And the poor old staff get dragged along to it. i ran a businesss for decades and never set up a corporate day, and most clients would rather be working and that I was working for them. It is the consultants and Middle people who mostly go, and it is a jolly, without business being discussed in any way. Thanks Mr middleman, for overlooking our mistakes and for all the extras payments,would be more the way in construction. BTW one of our competitors dud buy a yacht. Clients were not impressed. Back to the question....the costs are high in year one, and a big slice of the pie is effectively gone.

When you see the corporate activity at Twickers and Henley, and the restaurants in London City, you know where the money is coming from, and these are just to entertain and thank the little people.

It would have been daft after the event. Good luck.

As above. Nothing is certain. This is not a factory producing identical product in controlled conditions. If you know exactly what you want, where you want it snd everything about the site, then there could be some degree of certainty. Do you? Even so, 4 or 5 fair and expert contractors using all their skills to cost the job, their family's wellbeing depending on it, as it does, could easily vary 30%. Then allow for fees between zero and 30%. And then allow for the unknowns...weather, inflation etc. In summary an industry expert will have some degree of certainty. Anyone else is taking a big risk.

These are low earning but safe. With any shares, bonds isas , unit trusts, there are lots of people taking a cut, sometimes buying and selling on your behalf and your risk, and getting a cut the while.

No it wouldn't. . The concrete is not self levelling and you have to control the level by manoeuvring the hose, then using shovels and rakes. It is sloppy and will seep through gaps but not pour through and rise on the other side. And it doesn't self level.

I read that we are entitled to ask any representative, whether 'sales' or unstated, if they benefit directly from any transaction and by how much. So I did that once and it ended the discussion....nufff said. Perhaps a small investment in an independent advisor's time could be worthwhile.

We have a few exposed, weathered timber ties in a new shower room. How best to protect them from water splashes? We have discounted ' no nonsense' water repellent because I don't trust the quality ( I think kingfisher buy cheap and don't test). Any suggestions? I don't see why we can't use exterior quality.. The ties may be painted or stained brown, before or after. Could we simply use exterior shed products? Ceiling is plasterboard, and again we will use a branded silicone....I rather like Everflex.

29m run incl double counting the corners. X 0.6 x 0.25 With no calculator or paper to hand, that is about 4.5m3 round up to 5m3.

Probably. I did mine. Broke out the shower tray and new drain areas with diy standard SDS, after slicing the edges for a clean break.