saveasteading

1m3 / minute is serious pumping. But where would you pump it to?

Thermal paint. Something to do with nano-technology I was told at an exhibition some 6 years ago. When I asked for proof I was shown the vague sales leaflet again. I would love it to be true, and I could paint all my underinsulated walls. The whole world would benefit so easily. So if you have seen lab test results then please share.

300 centres sounds right for lateral stability, as it is to stop the studs domino-ing from a sideways force.

Killing a creature is not a happy thought. But if not that one you will have many more.

Screw or nail spec?

Maybe it is just me, but I think of what a drop of water will do. If it gets in how do you let it out again. Downhill is essential and is really all that matters, along with gaps and somewhere to go next.

Much more a Scottish than English thing.

Absolutely. I was very keen on tubed resin when it was fairly new, thinking that the mixer nozzle made it idiot proof. Wrong. I had personally tightened a nut onto a 30mm foundation bolt and seen the bolt lift out of the foubdation. The groundworker (not ours) had not mixed the hardener in, and i found it nearby. Column down again and report to very nasty main contractor. Moral don't use 2 parts that need manual mixing. But then I found how the first few mm, cm, foot? of stuff isnt always mixed in the nozzle and has to be thrown away. And how pushing the rod into the filled hole just expels the mixture. Etc I do worry that this process is not supervised closely enough. For general interest, the pullout failure of a bolt in concrete is a cone shape. I saw this in action when a vehicle hoist failed due to insufficient anchor depth by the specialist installer. Thus the failure plane area increases dramatically with depth. The top 25mm of concrete should be discounted because it has often been overworked.

This is structural design territory. Your drawings should therefore also specify the stud sizes, and even the fixings.

The gravel perimeter is a good detail as standard , and you will need a kerb to retain the blocks, but it won't get rid of the standing water. Does it all drain to there, or is there another low point? You will need a soakaway or drain: what options do you have? (It is not allowed to run onto the road., and legally is not allowed to go into the mains drains)

Pencil size. We had pet mice that the cage contained, but wild mice got through and.......no I don't want to remember the rest.

You will put one on at some stage I imagine, so might as well be now. Can you contrive one with an outwards flap?

Ahh. My first ever disagreement with Gus. Most studs are undersized. I suspect a 12mm stud was once a 12mm rod before threading. So they usually, just about, push into a hole of the same nominal diameter. That doesn't leave enough space for the resin, so a drill of half or a mm bigger is plenty. It maybe doesn't matter too much for one or 2 small holes, but for lots of deep holes it adds up to many a tube of resin. 2mm oversize is double the quantity of resin as for 1mm. Lesson learnt when I provided 6 tubes of resin for foundations, but the groundworker used a much bigger bit....off to the BM for a dozen more. Thicker resin is not aiding strength either. As Gus says cleaning the hole is important. Also winding the stud in rather than pushing, until resin screws up to the surface.

My favourite chuckle about this is that he is moving along to reduce the flooding evenly. I am reminded that my young grandson was 'helping' me fill a water feature with a hose, and thoughtfully and carefully spreading the water around. I decided that was clever enough, and puddles always being level is for another day.

Cypress logs also send a lot of resin up the flue. I have some in the garden and they need pruning. So I mix them with the purchased hardwood and fruit tree prunings and that seems to work better. If the cuttings were not being used for fuel, where would they go more sustainably? Not bonfire obviously. Compressed sawdust shouldn't cost a lot, as the value of sawdust is barely above nil. But it does, perhaps as the market is small...and there is a premium for having no mess or animal life.

I wouldn't think so. I was more worried that some people will run with the free info, whereas there might be more to it than they have said. Also when doing sizes there is a risk of making errors. Perhaps no risk of being successfully sued, but any hassle wouldn't be fun.

I meant retailer, but of course you can get a specialist contractor.

In an open plan office the various staff complain about it being cold while others open windows. The solutions are either a clever aircon system or dummy thermostats around the wall...especially if they make a nice click at 22.

It depends so much on the barn condition and what you intend. I have seen some professionally, and declined the work, where the remains of the building is of no value and a huge hindrance. (I didnt want to be involved in an illadvised, underfunded project). Our family project is 400m2 and the projected cost comes to about £1,000/m2. Looks like ending at about £1100 despite many setbacks. BUT, a local Engineer (obliged to use one) said his fee must be based on £2,000. I think he would be right if we did not have family design skills plus a lot of diy. So what sort of barn is it and what condition? If it is several buildings , you could , of course, phase the work, also learning and optimising as you proceed. Esp you will have ended up with a team of builders you are happy with for phase 2. Sacked some, learned of others.

Normal practice in commercial projrcts is to have a pair of identical pumps at the same level. Each is sized to cope with predicted quantities alone, and due to some clever control box they operate time about. This also provides for a backup. To prolong their lives the sump should be substantial and is allowed to fill a bit before one kicks in. A secondary float is higher and turns on the second pump if the first is not coping. There are also warning lights for operation and showing a fault. This kit is not cheap, so it depends on your perception of risk and value. I would contact a local pump specialist. It is surprising that this is a sustainable business. They tend to be small businesses with multiple suppliers, and lots of advice. A phone call first.

To me this is very sensible. I took this picture in a Spanish supermarket. It confirms that it is the law (royal decree) to use sensible heating and cooling. No heating allowed above 19C and no cooling below 27C. Everyone seems happy with it all year, although it helps when the natural temperature indoors is 23C in November, aided by chiller waste heat of course. In fact I suspect that the heating/ cooling is seldom used as I have never seen the temperature being 19 or 27. If I was in charge in UK I would apply this immediately and permanently. 19C is just fine. A good idea to make it public too.

Agreed. The damage to the appearance of the building is done. Building over it may well be acceptable to the planners, esp if you can find a way of reflecting the look in the area. The foil stuff you mention isn't magic. It has to be hung loose in a cavity.

For the timber windows into stud we used straps into timber frames and they will be concealed by plasterboard For the aluminiums into stone we are going with plug and screw through the frame into the walls. This provides a little more give than concrete self tappers and I have found the premium plugs to be very good . As we are screwing straight into a 600mm ashlar sandstone wall there is no insulation layer to concern us. Then to the top: expanding rubber(like) seals to the front (if the frame will allow) then high quality foam behind. No mechanical fixings to the arches. Unfortunately the window supplier has provided link strips that are different colour to the windows...so another delay until I can report back. It is fair to say that the bco is being very helpful. He clearly likes what we are doing and appreciates that leaving an extensive cold bridge* (some masonry exposed internally) is reasonable for aesthetics and heritage. He also spotted an issue with headroom for the stair....in good time before it was made. Impressive. *We can readily add some extra fibreglass in the attic to offset this scientifically, and burn a few more homegrown or scavenged logs in reality.

When I was an Estimator, it was clear that the build cost was mostly down to the design. 5 or 6 contractors would quote from drawings and bills of quantities and be within 10%. Moving to design and build projects, the range becomes 100%. Again this is down to the design skills of the contractor and/or their consultants. For clarity...we quote £1M and a competitor quotes £2M. 100% Why? Because one contractor knows where costs lie and can influence efficient design whereas another leaves it to a consultant. So you can surmise that main contractors will have minor cost differences on a given design, depending on overheads and efficiency. Of course there are savings for project managing/DIY but also risks. If a house is costing anything over £3k/m2 it is in your hands to accept of reduce it.

Gus, you are doing so much detail here which is wonderful. I think I would add a standard sign off saying that this information is without full knowledge of the project, and unchecked, and as suggestions only, and an SE should be engaged.