saveasteading

You don't. So a chamber just before it is a good thing. In fact it's likely a standard detail for the STP.. I haven't checked.

It's what we did. The windows are in the stone which is 600mm thick. The timber internal work is for internal finishes, dpm, insulation: not primary structure. Look back and I may have put some discussions up. You should either use an utterly expert (in these) builder, or get reading. So you've done the right thing starting here. We had to do masses of research... some of it is published, some you learn. What stage are you at? What part of the country?

I suspect the collapsed area is loose fill from previous works. The virgin ground underneath will be strong and support the foundations. Just ensure that all the loose stuff is removed. If you phone the bco and ask for permission to pour , I reckon they will be sympathetic. An option is to only pour the bit you are worried about And/or pour part depth. As to the loose ground supporting your floor slab, we can look into that later. Either replace the loose area or support the slab on the footings. 3m span is easy. The absence of roots should not annoy you. The design is for the tree when mature, and it may have a way to grow yet. It isn't an optional requirement anyway.

The bco prob hasn't had to deal with blocked drains. Multiple bends coupled with shallow or steep falls, and stuff gets left behind.

But in reality, we know a plumber will generally notch a hole in a joist rather than ask. So it's good to hear that some know the principles.

Do you have a drawing showing depths and gradients? I'm not following the problem atm.

Thanks for the info. It's all a bit odd, reinventing the wheel, and I don't want to get involved. My principle still applies. Keep it simple with bends outside the building. You seem to have a sympathetic bco so keep asking them

And were you expected to resolve this and make the holes? For my knowledge bank... do sparkies get taught rules of thumb about where holes should go? I know most plumbers don't, or don't care, but it's obv trickier with pipes.

Take out sone insulation so that the screed doesn't break up again. The heat loss difference will be minimal. You could add some reinforcement. Either wire, or fibres.

Would you annoyed purchasers advise never, or be very careful. My hunch, being in the industry, is that this would only be a good idea with a proven design, and a fixed price. Ie they have ironed out any snags and are confident enough to quote a fixed price. Also it's for 'standard' houses using timber in its comfort zone. Ie no big rooms and no steel. I'd still build it on site as a non- kit, but I can see the attraction to a one-off self builder. Price? Add 40%??? BTW. You will NEVER see these companies at construction industry events. Timber frame yes, but sips kits no. They are only for one-off clients. Feel free to say I'm wrong. It has been known. I would use timber frame kits again. I wonder where the difficulty lies between effective timber frame supply, and these issues as described. Over-ambition perhaps.

Excuse that I haven't read all the above. But I don't like most of what I see. Get drains outside of the building by a short route. Avoid bends and junctions under the floor. Why can't you take them out of the right side? Is the bco OK with footings 420mm deep? Is there to be stone under the slab? 2 layers of dpm should be unnecessary.

That can go down as a light use sub- base or concrete fill.

That is a different level of pump power I expect so will be louder. It's a newish development and one I've never needed, but will make lots of sites viable.... and reduce trench depths a lot. The air bubbles one though, surely isn't loud?

Yes looks porous.

Don't rip out a historic hedge without permission. These are the way to mark blatantly, and let anyone with an issue see them. Then take pictures. Then replace with chestnut posts for posterity.

That had not occurred to me. On a posh lawn anyway. I think I would hide it under a nymph statue or some such. Our one isn't loud at all. Silent at a few metres. I guess it could be muffled if necessary. My guess is that one was designed with a pump chamber in it, and it wouldn't fit in the other.

By its nature, crushed rock is more random in shape and will have more air gaps. Gravel has been rounded by nature and may consolidate more. I cannot remember if that is allowed for in the grading specification. But, I also know from experience that the same crushed stone will abrade under repeated loading and so become denser and less permeable. So a slight slope is still worth considering.

Do you have any exposed stone? Try to scratch it, then try harder . Granite will remain ummarked. Limestone and sandstone are variable. People near you may know what the local stone is. Yours will not have travelled far.

And we have learnt to watch out for this risk. Thanks for the contribution. Next time would you stress to the BM that you must have a proper mix?

@SteveG40 Interesting and thanks for reporting. Who specified it? Do you still have any leaflets from back the I'm cautious about any of their products. Very skilfully written blurbs with few real life test results. I went to a tech presentation at the local bco, of this honeycomb stuff and was immediately surprised and impressed with the concept. Interestingly though they wouldn't take questions and comments about the other products. In my opinion they did not target the industry with the multifoil stuff, only homeowners. The same later became the case with honeycomb. And it's expensive. I have never seen them at construction exhibitions but have at self builder ones. 20mm gap seems still to be specified. Complain to them by email. Upset not angry, and asking for a solution. Tell them you want their comments before taking advice from the industry. BTW . IMHO multifoils or bubblewrap may have their place to line sheds or attics. The honeycomb idea is good but it shouldn't fall apart. If anyone has positive comments I'd love to hear.

Is there a good reason why the Graf pump isn't within the tank? It's just an air pump like in an aquarium. We used a Marsh and it just needed an electric feed. Seems less hassle at end of pump life too.

Are you sure it isn't type 3? I've seldom used it, but know it isnt 'single size' and does have small aggregate in it. The supplier can adjust the mix within gradings to suit what they have. I've recently been surprised by the look of a ballast delivery... it seemed not to half much middle-sized stone.

Apart from this specific case. It's a good idea to record the boundaries with any clear feature, pegs or posts, and take photos. File the pictures away and after a period of time they become definitive in law.

By coincidence or this discussion is being watched: Next day, I got a Facebook ad from a local plant hire chain, selling machines off at 3 to 7 years. Full maintenance schedule, and hours were lower than I had expected. About half the new price and will be good for diy (ie careful) use. A lot of money still.

The only "dodge" would be if one of your contractors included it. But they'd probably charge you some other way, and liability for any design errors would be complex. Digging a hole is probably doable, but you've got more important matters to concentrate on.