saveasteading

Thanks everyone. I have no problem stretching the report, as have all the info, and it is in my comfort zone.. Good to know the importance of this element. So whereas I was minimising the form filling and working calcs, I will give them it all. Best get busy. As to registering the sewage digester, I am thinking that is before use, not before permissions? But I can include a reference to it, ie I know have to do it. I am favouring Marsh Industries as have used their kit before. So I will include their technical drawings and spec too, so no loose ends.

Scottish Building Warrant, drainage, and SEPA No need to read further if this is of no interest as it is specific. (SEPA is Scottish eq of Environment Agency in England) I wish I could find the reference, but I think I saw that Highland Region say that they have delegated powers for soakaway approval, except that in some instances they send the proposal to SEPA. These circumstances were where there was too slow or too fast percolation, or any variation from the normal rules. Elsewhere though I have heard that we should be applying direct to SEPA asap. We have done the trial holes and percolation tests, and it is ideal, with probably 10m of sand and cobbles (Glacier deposits) before anything harder, and porosity of 17sec/mm. Rainwater will be sent 4 ways to spread the benefit, and waste water will go through a digester before a separate soakaway. There is a burn, but no need to outfall there, and in fact that would be bad for increasing flood risk. Can you advise please if we should apply to SEPA now, or let it go through the LA with the main application?

Thanks, didn't think of that! Perfect then.

Very smart, but for a perfect job should not the cut blocks be away from the opening jamb, , and only full or half blocks used there? ie small cuts are within the main area, as you do have on the alternate courses.

Yes it will 'be fading' but not much. Depends on the colour chosen as some fade worse than others (remember the old B and Q red that became pink?). Aluclad will be powder coated so fades less anyway, but still, lighter colours fade less. But, the fading will be most facing the sun, and consistent on each face so it would hardly be noticeabl for 20 + years. It is easy to repaint. Sometimes these exhibitors have to drag in anybody from the office who can smile and face the public. Better phone them and get the tech person if you have any concerns. There may be some other reason for pushing you to timber...some production issue perhaps.

Agreed. a layer of plywood on each side, with lots of ribbed nails or screws will make this into a diaphragm which will not distort. The main wall between the doors would benefit from the same construction. If you can fix the 2 together very stiffly (so that they don't have any chance of deflecting from each other) , that would be good too. Just screws near edges rather than the middle?

I agree, and especially like them for drainage lagoons. Witnessing the arrival of nature is fascinating. In our project though, a 10,000 litre pond, 1.5m deep would drain away in, I calculate, 2 hours. There is 10m of sand. And then we don't want to be breeding more midges.

Metal stairs clang unless very thick, even with carpet. Concrete stairs are very unforgiving to fix, so everything has to be exactly right. Plus, unless this was only one manufacturer, precast stairs are made to standard sizes, and they get tilted to fit. Then fixing rails is hard work. In a house, steel (if not wood) In a public building, concrete.

I genuinely thought the soldering was a factory fitting. The bends look effortless too. Anywhere near that good I have had 4 goes at. Shame to have to cover it with tiles.

I have but different building type , and the rules of process have changed. I am working on warrant application and trying to use plain language rather than too many references: I hope I am right. if i was the BCO I would prefer that. So in my case I am saying...clause 3.2 , not required , see this paper. in yours: is required, see this report, so am laying this product, and show the detail. No radon in Preston after all then.

Probably not worth researching or buying the documents. Radon barrier is not horribly expensive (it used to be, especially when provided by 'specialists'.) I think it is simply plastic that is dense enough to keep radon gas on the underside. £1/m2 from screwfix, compared to half that for normal dpm. I didn't realise it was that cheap, or I wouldn't have been so chuffed to find we were unaffected.

Do you think I should offer 'low' and wait to be told to do more. for example offer a 4000 litre tank and access to the stream, Or go straight in with 10,000 litre tank .....or will they still ask for more... I would always rather put in the perfect application and get straight approval, but am wary of officials always wanting to show their authority by asking for more. btw The fire stations are 10 and 13km away, which isn't too bad.

Really helpful thanks. Also agreed that having a supply for firefighting is sensible, but what volume is reasonable? I have now found that the 45,000 litres applies to Scottish non-domestic and flats in England. The English regs seem to be totally silent on any water for domestic use. The not-so-bad news is that an ugly big plastic tank will cost between £900 and £3,000 and I have to see why there is this difference. an underground one will likely cost much more. But I am thinking perhaps to build a block one underground. our ground is pure sand so is easy, 4m x 2m x 1.5m total size, and concrete slab with manhole cover over. Hollow blocks with bar and concrete fill, bitumen paint liner and even a fish pond liner. Going to cost £2,000 all-up perhaps, but low tech apart from the water retaining part. Our water is free and piped from a well, so filling is easy. And then we will have the only house around that has plenty of water, in case the fields go on fire. Just one more thing? we have a stream (saying 'burn' in this context might confuse). 80m away horizontally, 18m vertically. I am assuming the fire brigade cannot pump that far/high. Could build a sump so that all the water poured in in emergency. I reckon the flow is 50 litres/sec in the driest summer, and that is perhaps not enough.

Thankyou proper expert. I think watching a tutorial on youtube was where I realised this actually works (ends up in exactly the right position, and doesn't leak., with the fittings done from the right side (don't need the other wall off). There will be a good video in among the rubbish.

Usually people are worried about holding down their tanks (against flotation) , and heavy fill would be an advantage. Can you explain the logic of using expensive lightweight fill? lytag is probably the biggest name and almost a generic name now. Looks like smarties when redder than this pic., made from power station ash, and used in concrete to keep the weight down....at a cost.

A proper expert will follow this up with the right terminology. However, as you, I found this confusing when I did it (all myself) The plumbing in the wall should be fixed now, with a connector that protrudes from the wall to accept your fittings. That connector should be fixed very hard to something solid, and it is normal to have board backing or a stud to do this, in case anyone hangs off the shower. I also came across a very handy adjustable fitting for the valves, as getting the protrusion length right is important, and there areboards and tiles to come. btw I discovered 'Hardybacker' and will always use it in future. All that was 2 years ago and I have forgotten details as you can tell. these may be the things, but experts with better memories are needed, and I am happy to be corrected.

Any idea where to find that?" it makes sense. searched and found this German assessment It is possibly a delegated decision by the BCO or it goes to fire and comes back again without much formality. Someone told us today that the rules changed about 3 years ago: previously no requirement. He also said the figure is 45,000 litres which is rather hard to believe, but I have now found that stated in the English regs. Horror. None or 45,000 is not very logical.

That is why I don't want to propose 6,000 or 10,000 in case they aren't bothered. I am not much bothered either as it is a stone building and will have plasterboard everywhere, so any fire will be in a compartment. We have a couple of contacts very locally who might be able to tell us what they had to do. Keep the advice coming folks, but I will also feed back anything we get locally.

I have dealt with it on several occasions, once formally and others informally. Always successful. I would expect a bit of red on the leaf but perhaps this is especially healthy. As it is far from clear, it would be prudent to kill it. This is what I would do, and you must make your own minds up, together with the neighbour, Do not cut it back but spray it thoroughly with the nastiest systemic you can find.. Repeat whenever it dares show a leaf, and at least 4 sprayings per annum. Expect to do this for 3 years and never relax until a year passes without any sight. It is an offence to dispose of any cuttings incorrectly. Therefore only when it is all dead, cut back the growth and BURN. Every node on every branch and root can grow a new shoot. The official way of getting rid of it, which we proposed to the planners and then did, is to dig it all up (incl all roots and soil) , and bury it very deep (2m???) with polythene over. It dies. Then also check the area regularly for any new growth. OR get a specialist in and tell the LA. Allow several #k oh my pound sign has become a # several thousand pounds.

As above. At this size it is of no significance so just cut it down. The roots will die too. Very sensible from the BCO. Then keep an eye on the hedge and keep it all down. Tree killer in the trunk works , and there are other similar products, or weed kill the leaves if it dares try again. I get lots of sycamores coming through the hedge, and just cut them down regularly.

Thanks all. No sprinklers are required. It seems that fire engines carry 1500 to 1800 litres, which I would hope and expect would extinguish a fire in any modern house. 'Our' burn at 80m distance and 20m lower doesn't sound suitable to me. The 6000 litre tank isn't as expensive as I feared, but is a big lump of a thing, and I don't recall seeing one on a recent similar project we visited. The valve being their hose connection point? As the building warrant application has to go to the fire authority, I wonder if the options are a) to know what they want and show it precisely, or b) not deal with that point and await any instruction.....it may well depend on the local attitude, and being remote the local fire people will be used to it and perhaps more relaxed. Reading the clause again, it is for every building type and situation, so an isolated single house may be low risk and no special measure.....please.

No answers!. posting again in case anybody with info missed this last time.

There are special adapters available for this. A butt joint between the internal and external lengths of steel, bolted together in some clever, non-continuous way. I have prodded them at exhibitions but could not get a cost indication. ahhh. found one using the interweb. over to you.https://www.farrat.com/structural-thermal-break-connections?utm_term=thermal break pads&utm_campaign=Thermal+Breaks-Leads-Search&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=5261485987&hsa_cam=13260167897&hsa_grp=122980897859&hsa_ad=523953648699&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-382966641357&hsa_kw=thermal break pads&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwNWKBhDAARIsAJ8HkhcB8DpTz-Xk9vOiET718z4T9BDTbmE1D1TFVqfLh4KgC1rURMVP-EIaAqGlEALw_wcB

Pallets are worth nothing if you want to sell them. Suppliers charge you a deposit for them ten wont take them back. Therefore there are lots of them unwanted, especially by merchants and on sites. any builder would rather give them away than skip them. just beware of the very clever minimalist ones that are made of very skinny timber and mdf, cardboard/chipboard.

If you have not done this sort of thing before, then this is not the one to start with. At least get an experienced builder to do the propping and column work, and you can assist. There is the window, too, and so there isn't much wall there anyway. Perfectly doable but you don't know how much you don't know....yet. Think of the worst that could happen. Now ask your house insurer if you would be covered.