saveasteading

Thanks both. May be back with the next lot of questions.

Chalk is easy too. Rock for foundations but cheese for digging. But it is horrible across the site in winter as it turns to toothpaste. Sink holes is a big issue as you say. Using swales rather than soakaways, and any soakaways spread over large areas can help.

And what about water pump? I have looked up suppliers and they don't mention anything about power. I assumed it was not critical but SSEN think differently. I suppose the pump could potentially be huge, pumping far and high.

Do you mean that if you come back in from the edge, then you can raise the ground locally, between deck and bank, and get under the suddenly dangerous height? Yes, exactly what I did at a previous house. they measured and the ground was 590mm from the deck. everyone happy.

For what you are doing then any technology should be ok. However, I have experienced expansion bolts/ sleeve bolts coming loose from solid concrete. This was due to repeated movement which gradually wore away the concrete at the friction point. It was an extreme case and unlikely in everyday life. The cause was schoolchildren swinging and shoving at a safety rail, so several times a day for every school day for a year, and once they saw it was moving they went for total victory. Replaced with resin anchors in the same holes, and all good. This concern therefore only applies with repeated movement and stress on the fixing, and probably not to your stairs.

Have been asked questions by the Electric supplier and don't know what they mean let alone how to answer. we have a single phase supply, and see from the pylons that there is 3 phase available (transformer on the post). We are designing for an ASHP which I am estimating will be 15kW (based on info on build-hub, and a near neighbour's spec) Also a water pump as the water comes from a well above, but has negligible head. So have asked SSEN for a quote and they ask us: Please provide the following information for each piece of equipment: Starting Current (in amps) Starting Method (Soft Start/Direct on Line/ Star Delta. Rating kW. I can't ask the supplier as we are nowhere near that stage, but are planning ahead. Therefore any credible answers will do for now. If someone can explain why they need to know the start method, then that would be interesting.

To the guttering normally, although that is often ignored, and it does matter if very close. If you have room, then 2m is much easier to work with than any less, using proper scaffolding, and just about getting a ladder to the eaves. The fire rules can be affected too, and you are allowed more windows as the distance increases. For the finished house, a 1m passage is purely functional, whereas 2m allows some planting, Maintenance,.... as for building.

If only we could change the geology of our sites. It is a serious point though and the geology should affect the value of the site. If the ground is fill or otherwise loose then the cost will be high. At the other extreme is solid rock, and that too has a cost due to extensive breaking out. Clay is not too bad but is affected by trees, so is sometimes a deep dig and lots of concrete. The perfect site, which is what you asked, might be dense sand and gravel...digs easily but is strong and free draining. Agreed with nod, For a normal house, the choice of construction will make little difference. Masonry is heavy but that is not the main concern.

I don't think I have ever designed a soakaway in England, because the ground has not allowed it, so haven't done a comparison. It is all about attenuation storage and slow release that still causes flooding. Our Scottish project is on pure sand so is well suited. Scotland's rules on rainwater seem much more relaxed than England's which is perhaps why the standards seem a bit half-baked. I worried about this, but a little research shows that Scottish rainfall is much more predictable, and generally less than is thought. I have compared two towns that interest me. Rainfall in Inverness is low, totalling 723 mm in a typical year. Precipitation is distributed evenly, falling over about 143 days per year. Royal Tunbridge Wells. The rainfall here is around 737 mm | over about 99 days This is only part explanation for why TW has frequent flooding problems: the storms are just more intense very locally.

It says to adjust using screw 3. seems a lot of work for one screw, but the air bags will lift the whole assembly. Then you may have your Turflugel properly in passende Position.

Have you tried the four sprung door technique?

For the benefit of all. As stated above I think sedum is overrated. In case you ever want to get rid of it from a planner's request, or architect's whim I recall the following, after a summary. it is good for hiding roofs in the countryside, and for keeping roofs cool in summer, if watered. BUT the sedum and plastic crates have to be transported from somewhere. the roof has to be reinforced, and I once calculated that the material use was more carbon than the sedum would ever save. any rain stuck in the sedum doesn't reach a rainwater harvester. it needs maintenance, to remove dead stuff and replace...h and s needs weeding.... h and s the membrane issue as above I once had it specified on a job designed by a 'planning only' architect. whether the planners asked for it or it was for fun I don't know. client hadn't understood what it was and said they would rather not have it, for maintenance and for capital cost. I mentioned to the planner that it was worse than useless and dangerous , but i would have to resubmit planning. I briefly thought of writing 'sedum' on the flat roof, as the word on the plan was the only refence. Useful for the future though was a visit be HSE. the inspector was on a spot visit, which coincided with me being ion site. I explained the sedum, and the need to access it. dreadful idea he said. 'can you instruct us to delete it then? No, i haven't the authority. BUT I can ask you to leave a gap to the perimeter so that ladder access is safer, and there is a hard surface to step onto. so that saved 20% of it, and made it easier to build. And that is when we learnt about changing the material where under sedum or exposed. In future I can quote the safety issue and refuse to include it, and instead have something else. Any questions?

That is really helpful. except I am still surprised that there is much noise from the roof flow , unless the new roof is very light weight and has little sound absorption. I can't see that you have any height for a new surface. Anything you build will need a gap between it and the existing wall and may create big build-ups and problems. One suggestion and then I give up. Have a gutter made specially that tucks under the tiles. then slopes out to the front at about 45degrees, and then to flat. or a curve. this would catch the flow quietly and guide it onto the flat roof. As I said earlier check the spec of the membrane. If it was specified for sedum then it isn't any good in daylight. Your architect and builder should have allowed for one or the other. that also creates an issue near the edge as the membrane has to change where the sedum stops.

| am currently calculating soakaway sizes for rain and foul. Scottish Standards section 3. Can anyone explain the logic of why the soakaway area for rainwater is half of the effective depth, and only to the sides (as if nothing runs out of the bottom!). Meanwhile for treated foul water outfall, the bottom area is the criterion. I don't have any problems with this, but would like to understand any logic, if there is.

So I would resist the big pebbles thing. They will slow the flow and back it up against the wall and the awkward junction you are making. Are you sure there will be a noise when you have built this? Or is it already mostly built? I am ever more confused about what you have . sketch or photo please? If the new roof is snug to the main roof tiles, it can't be falling far and shouldn't be much splashing or noise. if snug, how would you fit a thickish layer of sedum or other material. How about a nice gutter to catch the water and a couple of pipes that shoot the rain smoothly and silently in the right direction.? This is what people usually do and it works.

falls onto it direct from the roof, or via a gutter and downpipe?

Back to basics. If this is only to stop the splashing noise then tiles are not the answer. What is causing the noise? Rain falling from another roof or gutter? Is it also for appearance.

May be ok then. Let us know!

The holes will be covered by the washer and bolts so the cut edge can be painted or smeared to protect it. This stair will clang when used. Does that matter?

Well, yes and no. Actually no. But if there is any problem and if they are helpful they could ask you to take out the controversial bit. So yes.

I forgot: the fridge side has a water filter in it so that does not happen any longer. I guess any decent make will have that now. It is about £12 every 6 months for a filter (not the official one) but a lot cheaper than a new American fridge. The water from the chiller tap tastes a bit sweeter too.

I was going to say that! Has been in for about 10 years and no problems with my plumbing, but on our second freezer...I think lime killed the ice-maker and there was no way to stop it. (we have lime for g and t in our mains water.)

For certainty of fixing I would choose a combined screw and plug, like these. BUT I would use Fischer or other big brand....diall own brand are very variable I have found, but I couldn't quickly find Fischer bigger than 10mm. They exist and I'm sure you will find them if interested. https://www.diy.com/departments/diall-universal-nylon-steel-wall-plug-l-60mm-dia-12mm-pack-of-20/1584932_BQ.prd

All agreed as per MarkC. A stair is a fairly stable and static thing, so very little pull-out on the fixings. If the Engineer says M12 then M12. But you can get M12 into plastic plugs so is very easy. For shims, the easy and cheap source is fence washers, big ones. screwfix as this https://www.screwfix.com/p/easyfix-steel-square-washers-m12-x-4mm-50-pack/452ft If you go to a merchant they will try to charge £50 for a bag of a hundred but come down to £15 or so on demand, so get a price from the rep first. Steel shims are otherwise stupidly expensive, so a few hundred steel sheds are on the washers...BUT then fully grouted with dry mix afterwards. Shims (and washers) often have bends and sticky-out bits and don't pack tightly, so also give them a bash to flatten out.

Another thought. the spec for a sedum roof should have had a very special roof covering that resists the roots. However it is not UV resistant, so be careful to see the whole design through if you make changes. A tray of stone will be very heavy, and get heavier as it fills with muck and then weeds. Just spread light covered gravel.....or leave it bare and do something better with the water.