saveasteading

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.

Depending on your location, it is possible to be locally outside the radon risk area, while people are in the habit of specifying it as standard. There are other risk reducers too, such as being on a hill....in my opinion. Would radon gas force its way through a lapped joint? Probably not, but can't demonstrate it. I don't understand your comment about flooding. Your careless builder should be lucky to be allowed to supply another membrane rather than break it out and start again.

In case it helps, you might be amazed how out if level most slabs are, and how much us considered acceptable. If there was a roof on, you wouldn't notice. Agreed as above. Level off with sand. Fill sand or builders sand is fine unless you traipse over it in boots and mess it up. If you have a mixer you might add 10% cement to crisp it up, as it is only 1/2 m3. For interest, and continuous professional development, do you mind telling us what level 'control' was used. Is the middle low, or are thd ens high...and how thick is the concrete?

Our project is Scotland. I have done far more work in Kent. The rules are much the same. So you have the land, have dug a hole, know that there is chalk below. All looking good. There is an unusual concern on the chalk, that water will disperse down a crack and cause a sink-hole. Spreading it wide resolves that. Unless you can do it yourself I would get some professional help on this. Seeing the site is crucial. Doing test holes and permeability tests are easy and you can do them before engaging help. But for free.... how many bedrooms? Do you think it is clay? Is there a stream or ditch adjacent?

That labourer at £145 is probably getting £80. £250/ day x 5 x 46 = approx £60k pa. Not bad eh? I'm out of touch with current south east rates but not everyone makes that. It does perhaps reflect cost after a contractor's oncosts though, and some down-time. It isn't so much the daily cost that matters but what they do in the day...production and quality. Rates are likely to drop, but trades traditionally don't drop their rates in harder times until chased out of the house for whatever is available.