saveasteading

Yes, but the main thing is probably to shed rain. Can't say much more without a site visit which i am not doing.

It is not a bad sign. Neighbours objections tend to be spurious, or raising what the planner would anyway. So it is one little hurdle, and at least means the neighbours dont hate you. The planner won't have looked at it yet but should speak to your architect if any issues...silence is usually promising.

Sorry, I was not clear. A thick layer of concrete under the paving slabs will keep the paving solid and impermeable.

Last thought? List why you should keep them on, against why you 'let them go'. My feeling is that the numbers may be similar but the 'keep' ones won't be as significant as the 'go' ones. Eg. Will this happen again, do they know what they are doing and what if it falls down when they pour the concrete? No more pay until sure you have not overpaid already.

Sump pump works but better to keep the water out. A thick layer under the paving is good but might be taking the surface too high up the wall...does the paving slope away? If not a photo, a sketch would help.

If money is no object then carry on and sort the details later. Otherwise i agree that some details could be looked at for buildability. Your designer may have considered this, but more likely assumes someone else will make it work. For example, diagonal wall oversailing rectangular shape below. Flat roof....downpipes inside your rooms.At least ask your designer about rainwater.

Have you contacted Nudura? The market is v competitive and reputation is crucial. Perhaps they can help to: Review your contractor's progress and advise them to get on with it or you to sack them. Review them with consideration to taking off the list Suggest another contractor and be intermediary...nobody likes picking up half a job but nudura could explain. I have never used any of these systems, but have taken a close interest. I dont think it is difficult, but your contractor does. Monthly. One way to chase a little contractor off. And how much work have they yet to do? I was assuming you were nearly there...sounds not.

Whether justified or not, they can probably claim 'covid' as a reason for delay, and that standard applications take priority. Non determination plea will get expensive.

Estimating the cost of construction is very difficult, and a special (and underrated) skill, and it is easy to miss out an item or underestimate the difficulty. But add contingencies and you are not cheapest and lose the job. This may be genuine, in which case lucky they didn't disapppear at last payment. On the other hand there are chancers. We here cannot judge.

There is a danger of making what is really complex sound simple. As every project is a one-off there are infinite variations. There have been correspondents on here who think it is easy, and will cherry pick the bits that suit, while not seeing the consequences...and the building may fall down. It is for none of us to take work away from experts. So i agree, simple blogs on terminolgy , function, principles. Not "you dont need an expert, just read our blogs and diy"

Worth having a grown up chat with the builder, away from other workers. Ask what is the problem really, and see if a slight increase will suffice. He may come clean that eg his workers want more or will walk. But if he goes into take it or leave it mode, best let him go, as it will happen again.and again.

I don't think the loss of end cover woild matter. The slab should all be within dpm so won't ever get wet. The 50mm mostly makes it convenient to place.

Never heard of this 10% thing and cannot see any logic to it unless it includes offloading and handling and they do not charge their time. For supplying themselves 10% is low unless wastage is your cost.

Welcome James 1000. We are rural near Inverness, so a long south of you. Inverness has more merchants than any town I know of its size. We are just getting to know a few. Much as we want to use the local merchant, the prices are not good and we use wickes a lot. We are not rushing due to the silly costs which will take, my guess, 3 months to get sensible. Might not though with driver shortage. Contractors seem very comfortable, and not into fixed price unless it is a very safe fixed price.

......is keep water in place in water retaining structures, to close off a joint which might be a weakness. If you are building above ground, have a well-detailed damp-proof construction, and it is not a water tank then you should not need one. Or it is a simple bar across a flat door threshold to keep the rain out.

But still be cheaper than the branded stuff, so just pointing out to others.

In late response to a comment a few days ago, perhaps in another discussion: I once found that permanent metal shuttering (eg Holorib) was 30% cheaper in France than UK. Exactly the same product. Arranged for it to be obtained in France and delivered with another order by an intermediary continental supplier. Suddenly it was cancelled by the French company without comment other than it was not possible. I don't know how they found it was being exported, a loose comment probably, but they were certainly not allowing us to cut their massive on-cost. It was about £30,000 of material, so we didn't make the £10k saving, and they lost a sale as we changed the design to concrete planks. This was 10 years ago, so nothing to do with politics, but perhaps to do with 'agreements'. Tiles appear to double in price en route from Spain and Italy. I think it works the other way too. timber is silly expensive in Spain.

Unbranded framing from CCF etc is perfectly good. It comes from a known UK manufacturer but doesn't attract the premium for the inked name on it. Consultants like to say ;all by BG or Knauff' because it keeps them in the clear, and is your money. All are good.

As long as your dirty video shows things are ok, then leave alone.

I have access to a supplier's online costing guide, and so entered a 254 x 146 x 35 I beam for a price, for a full length of 8m £430 each. So coming out at £1,700/ton from that stockholder. That is for full lengths, and excludes delivery, so add for waste, cutting, priming ( but you can diy), and delivery. Of course there is no fabrication in there either. So your 3.6t is costing £6k at the gate. Add £15,000 for transport, some welding and a small new car!!! The supplier is nowhere near you , but someone else is.

Stop digging. It is either not there or so deep that it is better left alone. more likely is off at some other angle and you have missed it. Ask the bco to dig for it next time, to show you what pipe he means. If there is an old pipe across your new trench then there should be visible signs where the soil changes. That was a trench in clay, dug and backfilled, and it will not look the same as the virgin clay.

I am finding it tricky to read the logic of this design. I would expect to see the sloping truss sitting on the wall you are discussing, but it seems to be hanging, or there need to be cut-outs in the wall for the truss and beam right through the width. Your idea seems better, but perhaps I am misreading.

Who thinks that? Only people who don't understand engineering. The Latin is probably handy at aiding the best use of language, which is important and valued in Engineering too, but that is marginal. People who can't do maths assume it is all a trick. People who don't understand Engineering think it is stuff learnt, not the underlying understanding of physics and the world that is behind it. You upgraded Sir.

Living in the SE of England I am constantly reminded that most people here think Scotland is a tenth the size of England and everywhere is cold and wet all the time Tunbridge Wells has the same rainfall as Inverness. The worst winters I ever endured were here too. Coldest snowiest, windiest...in 3 successive years. There is a different sort of cold too. Not to be compared with the weather on top of Cairngorm etc, but that is not where people live.

Only in Spain at Leroy Merlin stores I think, but might be worth asking them is there any other way. Find this solar wall sconce for sale exclusively at LEROY MERLIN https://arteconfort.com/en/producto/solar-en/iluminacion-solar-de-pared-en/nizar-l-smart/