saveasteading

My fault. Do I try to connect all the pipes from one (or even 2) en-suites into a single run out of the building? Or do I avoid complex connections under the floor and get the stuff outside using more pipes and access points?

We are into action soon....well, apart from another 3 points from the BCO. That make 53, although some were linked. So I am scheduling drainage pipes and realising I don't know everything. Outdoor drainage is fine: my thing. But from appliances to the drain I am not sure what we can, and should, connect within the room (under the floor). 1. rules. 2 best practice The indoor drain pipes are indicated in orange on the attached. Elsewhere we will have the encumbrance of tunnelling under thick masonry walls, but in the area shown it is all new construction (starting very soon) of traditional footings and timber superstructure.. Therefore we can put additional pipes in if that seems more sensible. BUT the big issue is that we will have a prop for the ridge beam midway in each cross-wall. Best then to keep pipes away from the wall, but we could feasibly extend the post to keep the foundation below the pipe zone. Any suggestions welcomed. Question 2. When I have put in drains in the past, I always assume that the accuracy of a rising pipe will not be sufficient when the appliances are fitted (wc standing off the wall for example). Plus the risk of the groundworker kicking the pipes. Therefore my habit is to put a small shutter round each pipe riser before the slab is poured, then fill with sand in the short term. Once the concrete is in place we have more control and can mark exact wall positions, tweak the pipes and concrete them in. The groundworker doesn't agree and says the pipes can be positioned exactly. Am I being too fussy or is it that a groundworker doesn't see the problems later on?

I can't see any stated difference in specifications between 'radon' sheeting and other 1200guage polythene, other than certification. Perhaps some dpm has inconsistent thickness or density, or perhaps the budget suppliers simply don't apply for the expensive test. Also I have seen specifications stating ....'lay 1200 gauge polythene dpm as radon protection'....not that the designer stating this necessarily knows. We are fortunate in being just outside a radon area, and the certificate (£5 well spent) confirms this, but I did read up just in case. The big problem would have been linking this barrier to the outdoors, when there is 600mm of existing masonry without any dpc. Could be done by venting but very glad we don't have to. I have done methane protection on big buildings (one on top of a tip) which is much the same. Not complicated to vent it, and at 1/3 of the cost of a specialist....(who use pipes and polythene with 'methane' written on them). I am not making light of the radon danger. Methane on the other hand seems to be a worry about something that has never yet happened, but could, an could be dramatic.

Isn't all our power solar? Coal, gas and oil are very old solar power, and direct sunlight is the latest. Wind, water, timber are in-between.

The yellow smiley face?

If you have a prescribed ridge height in m above ordnance datum then that is serious and provable. If a height above ground then you will have some leeway. 100mm up will save 100mm down, and surely not trouble the authorities.....although they might be reading this.

Don.t ever drop red wine/jam on it. OR apply lots of sealer and top it up regularly. Also, depending on location, some concrete always has lignite in it (fossilised wood in the gravel) and it floats to the surface. Not good in an industrial slab, but awful in domestic.

There may be a lanyard attached so that you can hook it onto a beam/scaffold in case the power fails. More to protect the machine and those below than the operator. It is not uncommon for the power to be switched off by the operator, oops, or someone below.

Agreed. you need permission from the council, but you shouldn't need traffic lights, and don't need to cut and rebuild the road using an approved contractor. It is a surprisingly primitive process, and often by small business (man with a van and trailer). Dig a hole each side, push a pipe through with a jack until it pops out. Somehow leave a duct behind (I assume this is easy and standard).

A very good point. I have had this argument with planners (fortunately in principle, in a discussion group, not about my own projects). They really don't get it, and what they mean is 'to fit in with old buildings around the area'. In the case that bothered me, a developer had stuck bits of timber on new blockwork to resemble Elizabethan houses. It should mean, using whatever is the most efficient way based on currently available materials. But that is not what they want. On the other hand, many councils state that they want 'vernacular' OR exemplary modern design, so worth checking the design statements in the local plan.

No expert, but I don't think NHBC covers this. It should but doesn't. It will be a claim on workmanship, if you can show that it is faulty. It is likely that the builder will deny or play for time..they (especially some major developers) are used to fobbing off inferior works. Definitely the time to be a nuisance at sales, as who wants that discussion going on? Also if your house is faulty other are likely to be too., as the same work gangs move round trade by trade. So knock on every door. I also suggest you get witnesses now, and some with building knowledge if possible. And you must put it in writing , much as described to us, to the builder, and any other party involved in the sale.

Why not build higher? Better view/ better drainage.

No. All the above advice agreed. Weed membrane is a plastic sheet that will be in the ground forever. its purpose is for deiveways where nothing should grow, or for the lkes of rockeries where you can cut odd holes for plants. Carboard will do the same and then rot away as compost. OR I think it is normal to rotovate the ground, so some roots will be killed off, then most weeds will be kept down by mowing, and some need spot weedkiller or patient weeding.

How deep is that soft ground? A while ago you were discussing breaking granite out for trenches: is this handier than you had expected?

Hi. And we are another 40???? miles south. Good luck. Allow plenty of time. Our building warrant 'should' have been through 6 weeks ago but goes back week by week. Ask away on specifics. What has surprised me... Timber is not cheaper even though there are forests and timber mills all around. Websites of companies are poor, and response is slow. We are not greeted with any enthusiasm by potential suppliers...'tell us what you want and we will price it' Prices are not fixed for long because of all the Brexit/energy/Putin stuff. 'Free next day delivery anywhere in the UK' means sometime next week and an extra £60. Skilled labour rates are high. Positives How relaxed and friendly people are. The properly fresh air. Quarry stone is very high quality and better value. Work ethic is good, as is pride in the job......mostly. Not as wet a climate as is generally thought. My mantra for economy in the process is not just getting discounts, but avoiding over-design and any waste. And it is worth getting a good relationship with a handy builders' merchant who delivers without any questions on order size/access etc.

They keep the cats off your beans if applied appropriately. Try some beans straight in the ground and some on the windowsill, either in compost (no peat) or just on wet kitchen paper. If you can get them started quickly then you get a longer cropping period...but sometimes they rot indoors rather than germinate. Then report back please, as the nation is watching.

Keep an eye on them and if they get no worse it should be ok. If that wall was going to crack then these would be the expected locations. Most/ all walls crack but it is hardily noticeable. The white render emphasises it. How wide are they? (pound coin is the definitive indicator) However, assuming the walls are masonry, I would expect the cracks to follow the shapes of bricks/blocks/stones. What do you know about the construction, and if these are old or getting bigger?

Isn't distemper made of lime? I wouldn't fancy brushing brick acid overhead, but it might speed things up on the wall......NB I don't know and maybe this would be a bad thing. Only after scraping as a first process.

Welcome. Lots of info on here already, from a lot of knowledgeable, but still learning, enthusiasts.

All the above +1. So called permeable paving is concrete with gaps. So these gaps need to be kept clean. Then the water needs a thick bed of single sized stone to hold it until it goes away.....somewhere...or not. Much simpler to slope it off to the side into a soakaway. Re the cost, a professional could easily rise to that with nice thick subbase and kerb etc. Not that i know if it really did, or was just highly priced. If it included a dropped kerb and they are la approved then it is a decent price.

For a few mm just silicone. A named one as it needs to be stand a lot of weather and uv, and you dont want to be doing that again.

The instructions for our Geberit were in 'no words' international code, so it was quite hard work to follow. It was actually easy enough once understood, because, as Nick says, there weren't as many variables as expected. I expect numbers 2 to 5 become very straight forward. The frame has not budged. Unfortunately the same was not the case for the pan, where a very long key tightens a very flimsy looking plastic lock nut onto the hanging bolts. We perhaps got scared of overtightening and cracking it, and it slowly loosened. Next time was ultra tight and has been fine since. It is one of those undignified plumbing jobs lying on your back, holding up a heavy object while doing intricate assembly.

If there is a gap, then insects will enter and live in the eaves. Bees and wasps mine into PIR. Whether that is good or bad is another discussion.

Forgot to mention that tlc sell some with optional lenses to change the angle of light spread. Useful with low or high ceilings, to get an even spread.

They are available with a tilting feature. Have had them from TLC (which were used on a sloping soffit) and from SF simply to be adaptable in a kitchen. Whether the tilt is enough for your circumstances you would have to check. As above...some units are very shallow and others remarkably deep. Catalogues' spec's should say.