saveasteading

Yes if the condition is poor and you are in the hands of designers. No, x 1 if it is in good condition and you can use the structure to your advantage. The downside to me is the constraints, not the the cost. Or anywhere between. Stoph 43 you can see that I think it can be done at economical cost, while some others say it can't. We are both right, as we don't know the project, your team, or you.

Well, it is much better than nothing. Not having that, they use the ground or disappear to cafes, garages and pubs. The rules are common sense and civility really. Think of yourself as the contractor and allow for their safety and comfort within reason. If he is the only contractor then you can offload the responsibility to him to some extent. But what if the van is away collecting materials? As to safety, what would be the plan if workers got soaked? could they dry off? And very importantly what if someone was injured? where would the first aid kit and treatment space be? And if someone is covered in concrete they must be able to wash it off thoroughly and quickly. If there isn't a comfortable space to rest, or a decent toilet, then they will disappear to somewhere more pleasant, and you will lose some time. Can we get away with inferior facilities. Usually: depends on the workers. Should you? No. Will I get in trouble? Yes if there is an incident or complaint. Even using existing facilities on site (or next door or down the road at the garage) can be dubious. A safety inspection often includes the inspector asking the workers (not a boss) where they go for toilet, hand-washing etc. If they can't take the inspector to it, and get access, then there are issues. If it involves taking boots and coats off and traversing a beige carpet to an immaculate toilet, you aren't believed. But if there is a utility wc, more likely. The chance of a visit is very low, but these are the principles, and I would follow them as good practice and civility.

I would be chipping off the mortar to find if there is a dpc to be seen. While at it take off the mortar back to the corner, and the extent of the internal damp, as it is very likely that dampness is climbing up past the dpc. I don't think you answered if this is a new problem. Which direction does this wall face?

The outer skin passes the column here and is probably more than your allowable thickness. but not much. I wonder if anyone knows how much or little constitutes complying? And is there a dimension recorded at the planners? If it is a problem then is it possible to shave off the necessary amount of eps, and inset the blocks? OR inset the whole wall to line up with your permitted building line, and then overlay the gap at the column with PIR to the available thickness.

Howdens are strict about being trade only. We went to them with 2 kitchens to order and it was clear they were not about to break policy, and asked who our joiner was. As it happens the family business does have an account so that was sorted. I think this is fair, as they are entitled to sell only to trade, and it would annoy their regular contractors to miss them out of the arrangement. Howdens used to have 2 price lists: one for public and one for trade, with about 20% added, which covers handling, margin and risk. If not using a contractor, then I suggest you knock up a letterhead for your 'business'. Doesn't have to be limited. You will be on project number 1 at present. You surely have accounts at some merchants by this stage, or at least a history of purchase. They might confirm you have been trading with them. Not that you are looking for a credit account, as they will want full payment. I can only assume that the doors are appropriately priced, otherwise they wouldn't sell many. Think my first stab would be....visit depot and look at doors.. say you need to know the cost for 28 of them, and that you will open an account if necessary, but without knowing the price you couldn't possibly consider them, all in very polite and friendly manner. Bottom line is that we are buying from them. The quality is fine, and the service has been good. Sitting with them while they alter the design and units is much better when, for example, you can just stand up and handle all the door types. The price was realistic from the start, then nudged down a bit, and a bit more. Please keep us informed on the process. We haven't started on doors yet , and will have a similar number.

Not necessarily. We understand different things. For me, electronics is magic. Maths was ok until differentiation (passed but not understood) But how a brick is hot in a box, then you let the heat out by opening the box sounds simple and logical to me. So if you don't get it, it neither means that it is illogical nor that it is something to worry about: It needs someone who does.

I would also specify 2 layers of dpm. The bottom one keeps the damp below the structure, but also sand out of the insulation. The top one is essential to prevent the slab from leaking between the insulation slabs, and maybe floating it.

So it is not worth thousands. 37m2, plus laps and cutting waste. 4.8 x 2.4m,,, so you need about 4 sheets at.£60 Change to A142 and it saves you half the cost. £120 is not to be sniffed at, and the whole principle of reducing materials should be in the SEs policy. Using handier , smaller sheets there are more laps. Presumably only for crack control, but the SE can explain. I would ask the SE if you can use lighter mesh. Also why the slab is 150 thick? it is sitting on insulation with a fraction of the strength. This could be a 60mm screed. 150mm is enough for a light warehouse settle for 100mm and you save 2m3 concrete. Why? good for your wallet, your back, and saves the planet steel and concrete. If he says no, do please ask why? Because it is normal is not a good answer. 100mm concrete with A142 mesh please Mr SE. If there is a good reason, please let us know. There you are, now save over £300 and a lot of labour.

What region? Price will depend on scope of works. Planning drawings, without construction detail, and walk away is not usually going to be that much

No, it wasn't forensic standard. And it was due to the skip in the morning. how does that work?

To avoid jumping to conclusions, More questions. Where inside the house is the worst of the damp? relative to this picture. I don't see a change jn the dampness between the pictures. Where and how far has the dampness increased today? Does the trench at the bottom ever fill with water? Any bricklaying experts there? the wider mortar course seems very wide to me, even if it includes dpc. Is it normal to have such a thick joint, and also to point over the dpc? I wonder if this bed has been removed and redone, as the trowel work is pretty shabby, as are several joints below dpc. JAG, as an intermediate remedy, can you divert the downpipe to flow onto the garden? If the paving runs down from the house then that will do it. If the paving runs towards the house then that is something else we need to know.

I took some to bits to salvage the bricks. It's such a simple, primitive thing. Heater heats the blocks which are enclosed in a box. Lift flaps to release heat from blocks to air. Hot air rises and draws room air in to be heated, and rise. Close flaps and repeat. If there was any insulation to contain the heat until wanted, I can't remember.

My immediate thought too. Never a great idea. JAG good pic. Can we have another showing up to the gutter, and another the other direction.

Could you leave the hrster on, with a simole timer in the socket?

It requires understanding the structure and how water moves, and most little builders just build. It is good that they have declined rather than meddled. We recently had some very poor proposals for a basement....a specialist who does one thing only, right or wrong. So you need the right builder, or Architect, or Building Surveyor. Keep looking, but it has to be the right person who totally understands. There is always an answer, and it is often simple to resolve, but let us help first with those photos. And also, how long have you lived there, how long has there been a problem, and do you feel that it is it closely linked to rain? in my experience, it is usually to do with a covered damp proof course, and often from ground levels being built up.

I have just noticed the batch of messages that you didn't use the electrician with the high quote, which was the original point of discussion? Not sure what the discussion is about then. Except I hope we have been of some interest to anyone wanting to know more about how contractors have to include unproductive time. And goodnight.

How would we know? BTW a company I once worked for always put in calculated oh & p except once, when it went in at nil. zero. zilch I was forbidden to tell anyone why, but can now reveal: The reason being that once on those premises there were probably 2 years of extra jobs. How did my boss know? I can only speculate.

Twice as fast, or twice the total energy storage regardless of time? Excuse me, covid does not allow consideration of equations.

So what set of tools ideally? Jigs, router, lifter?

Agreed. not the sort of decision that many people are prepared to take. Its really annoying when you find that you were never going to get the job. Sometimes it is 'mates' and you are being used to do a check price for the mate to just beat. And once I priced a whole car component factory for a Japanese manufacturer, against 3 competitors. It turned out that the Japanese manager was in the dark too (for credibility) and they were doing the same in 3 other towns and ....they built it in another country. Are you quoting a lump sum, at total risk, or rates?

Fe Iron O Oxygen lite ??? it is very heavy Can you explain simply and approximately what these terms are compared to normal brick etc?

I once doubled back to the site 10 minutes after leaving at 3.00 with a suspicion in my mind. There I met the cladding gang packed and leaving. The reason...it had been a good day and they had already hit their target m2 for the day. South East work ethic. And we had a gang of Polish workers who were a pleasure to employ. But one told me that the canteen talk was about how you don't have to work that hard, and you are spoiling it for everybody.

Ok I'm still here after all. People need to know this. On multimillion projects as you mention, the estimating team may spend weeks, even months, not 'making' anything. The estimating team is usually a fixed cost, whether they win or lose a job.. and losing at the right price is a big part of their skill. Do they have assistance from admin, buying department? Were there marketing costs? The FD might know, or predict, that you win one job in 5. So 4 quotes have cost and no contribution to overhead and no profit. The 5th one has to recover the cost of the 4 lost ones....or out of business you go. Whoever has the final say may adjust the profit or overhead on a tender however they wish, perhaps on a whim. But all that time on jobs not won has to paid by the few that are. It is probably simply built in to the overhead that you are told to apply. A proportion of their cost is included in every tender, win or lose. It also has to include the directors' days at Twickers and golf and other 'networking'. That all comes out of overhead or out of profit..which hits the staff bonuses.

I give in. Must have been wrong all these years. Anyway, your man did charge rather a lot, but that seems to be your problem, not his.

Yes. Not remotely a castle, but a very posh palace with crinkly bits. The intro will make you laugh as they appear to have taken the long route there and didn't realise there was a handy city and airport. I'm enjoying it. It is psychology/ herd mentality / people watching. And concerning that these people get to vote. Claudia gets her 2 new outfits per show as usual, but tweedy rather than sparkling. Prob not staying in the B and B either. Give it a try. It is knockout format so can start at any episode. You know where the off button is.