saveasteading

Stick built is a lot cheaper, if you have the joiner that can do it. Esp for a non standard design. But of course you need design, buying, more time, management, risk.

Yes I have one. It is low powered and slow, compared to what comes with a specialist's van, but that can be a good thing as old drains can be fragile. I think it requires one of the better karcher machined. I always try rods first though as that usually does the job. But for perhaps a big build up, the jet can nibble away at it. Also I have encountered very devious specialists ( big name) who made up all sorts of rubbish of what needed to be done....I said just rod here or go away...and it worked. £300+ is a lot to pay for a good Karcher set, in hope that it does the trick but it is likely to get more use later. Rods £29 at wickes, less 10% if trade.

The gravel also kills splashing onto the wall, esp if left a little lower. You are right to worry about blocks moving. If there is an area that I'd always wetter, there can be differential movement. Drains are no use without an outlet. You are not permitted to connect to a main drain. Many driveway contractors, no let's say layers, either don't know this or pretend they don't. It is to reduce flooding, and very sensible, and also is policed I have heard. This poss doesn't apply if your drive was already impermeable.

Doing this will give you a unique undertstanding of your ground. I suggest that as you progress, you do more percolation tests, just in case it is much better at lower levels. Machines are a good invention though. Also ground strength tests while you are at it. I can explain the easy low-tech way if you are interested. I wonder if you are overworrying about the quality. Have you discussed with a digester manufacturer? I have had lots of good advice from Marsh Industries over the years. Email first with the background, then poss phone. Others may be good too.

Sheathing to stud: 3.1mm x 50mm nails at 150 centres acc to the guide for small buildings

You seem to have a good idea of values from studying sales. Try local auction catalogues too, for info , not for buying. Agricultural land in SE can be as low as £10,000/ acre. Rising a bit if any good. Suddenly becomes £1M or much more for housing. More for location, more for single plots, more if serviced.

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.