saveasteading

But first try without heat. There are 2 effects on your side. 1. Stack effect is that air flow at a higher level is usually faster and may suck air up and out if you have high and low vents. A chimney will do the same. 2. Then simply the air pressure at opp ends of the building. Any wind will tend to suck air out. So having holes at all faces, high and low will maximise the effect. The higher vents will also be good in removing warmer, moister air that has risen. Windows and doors do the job as long as you remember to close them again against rain.

Air flow works much better than dehumidifiers.

As always, read and absorb all Gus says. Can I add? Why build on hard-core? If the ground is virgin, far better to concrete in the ground. 1.4m is quite high. It looks less when shown as if 3 blocks, but it will be 6. Just sticking a bar into the base will help but what diameter, and will it be L shaped? Base would be better all the way back in the excavation. Does the existing wall have a footing? Don't disturb it. Absolutely, insert drain holes, 25mm pipes, at or near the bottom. Line the excavated face with membrane to stop roots entering and blocking your gravel. And assume the worst...what will you do if the existing wall seems precarious, or the excavation falls away? Be ready for a plan B. Consider the kit walls as Kelvin suggests. You will save on excavation, concrete and risk. Then, with some, they are attractive and can be planted.

Not fair. An SE can optimise the design if confident it will be properly installed, and not have holes cut in it. I have seen electricians cut lumps out of the bottom flange of a steel rafter. Default may be to design a size up when the contractor is as yet unknown. If you want a lean design, tell the SE you are personally supervising and then supervise. An SE working for a main contractor can more safely do this...but then the end user comes along. So on second thoughts you are not wrong . SE generally assumes some overdesign is prudent....

And the structure! Commercial sheds are made with minimal material and the osb roof is critical to stability. It is efficient design reflected in the cost. ...don't cut holes.

Good info, although a third is more a maximum than 'nothing' if the beam is economically designed. To which I add that multiple holes are an issue too. Big holes need to be a long way apart, small ones not so much. Say 1m. As with all holes in beams and joists..keep them at mid height, and towards the ends rather than central. Otherwise the web may fail.

A contractor is nervous about where the next job is coming from, has often to juggle several potential clients....and then is too busy....or has no work. Often there is minimal notice from getting the order to starting. So i suggest politely keeping in touch, as it won't be personal, but he might be at the on/off stage with someone else, and avoiding burning of bridges. And look elsewhere at the same time.

Option B without a doubt. As well as the point re silting up, the wet gravel is very attractive to tree and other roots, which would soon fill all the gaps. It is a pain to do and needs to be quite organised, but worth it.

If it works for you, install a temporary wc for site use when the plumbing and some walls are in. Costs about £60 for a basic one. Then replace at the end.

Not really. You need toilet, wash basin, and somewhere warm and dry to rest. First aid, and fire extinguishers. They don't have to be in an expensive self contained unit. In my opinion a site diary is adequate on most projects, doubling as accident book. The diary, kept daily without fail, is the best value of all your project expenditure.

Sounds ok, just always think of how it will flow and that a rod will get aling it. 2 x 45 together can disrupt flow / catch a drain rod. A short straight between might help. Why 45 though? 22 or less might work.

All the above. Just make sure of the robustness of the roof ties. If still nervous, a vertical timber bolted down the wall will provide extra stiffness. All tgat assumes that you are not hoing to be hoisting great loads off the roof.

I think i might build the 2 tracks as suggested, but fill the gap with stone. The tracks made of insitu concrete with diagonal scores on them for traction and to cast off water. And exposed sharp aggregate.

If you get it wrong, do you end up in Low Wycombe?

Er....most expensive cars perhaps. A bucket of salt/grit, of the modern chemical, plus a snow shovel. It isnt a long drive, and winters are getting milder.

No because the liquid will be almost clean even before the filter bed and you will have installed a sampling chamber.

Clean is clean. Just anticipate some testing once it is running and perhaps do some yourself fif the record.

They can even analyse it (petrol) and find who spilled it. A careless client of ours was tracked a few miles upstream from the sample.

Lay the stone wider than you need and then let it slope away. That is how a road is built. Or do your ground raising first. And stone against it.

You don't seem to have any obligation to change your septic to a better system. Therefore any work to the drainage field could be seen as maintenance. I'd be surprised if your percolation test was 'promising' unless the water is going through cracks which will close up in the winter. Not domerhing to cut corners on as any stink will be all yours. Silting up can sometimes clear, if it gets time to recover. Because we don't eat much silt usually.

What comes out of a digester is not domestic waste any longer. In my opinion you would not get in any trouble.

I'm convinced the rules are misguided. There is a formula for semi-treated outflow, which needs a big gravel area for bacteria to finish thd job, and they knock off 20% for fully treated. Hence a handy ditch can save lots of money and hassle.

Built one 200m long once*. There was a complete movement joint half way, on the basis that the expansion of the roof would cause too much stress or deflection of the structure. Each half had its own stability. The roof was doubke skin with fibregalss, so no concerns re pir. * going back for a tape or pencil left at the other end was good exercise.

The cleanest of the grey water (bath, shower) could feasibly go to smaller soakaways. That might be a 'good thing to do', but won't reduce the digester and drainage bed size which is based on number of bedrooms. You will see discussions on here of tanks being held down to avoid floating in high water tables. The drainage must struggle but it seems to be permitted. I suggest you now do a percolation test or 2 or 3, in the likely location for your soakaway (which i should warn will be about 60m2! This is easy and is in the building regs. It is well explained in jdp (a drainage supplier) website . Search " percolation test jdp". This won't be definitive but will show tbe feasibilty.

Tiles do however keep heat out. They absorb the first hit by the sun. There is another reason not to retile until necessary. When stripped back, you may find some deterioration of the underlying structure. Of course you would sensibly repair that at the same time. Costly. Unless there are big problems i would leave it alone, and get another 10 years out of it. Our roof 'needed' replacement 25 years ago according to a rival buyer. We have had a few repairs. Some tiles are slumping due to batten failure but are hanging in there. It is keeping the weather out which is its sole function.