saveasteading

Ideal really , as you can use your neighbour's while setting up and building, until you get your own. As well as the borehole and the pump it comes with, you need a housing, and then I think you have still to treat the water.

The first time I used it as sub-base in a big building, the building inspector said it couldn't be used as it is organic. I suppose technically he is right but the reg's mean plant material , not oil-based product.. fortunately it came with a Type 1 certificate and he went away happy. It is great in a building because it goes flat and stays put.

Then don't use standard lengths. If you schedule and have them rolled to order then there is no waste in the length, only in the site cutting of the triangles ., and that applies to coil rolled on site too. Rather different if you had bought lots of oversized or 'standard' lengths from the local merchant. Perhaps the coil people take away all the bits, and then it is not apparent. Not everyone, including cladders, is necessarily skilled at measuring for scheduling, so I can see the attraction of rolling on site I also appreciate that the specialists with a coil on the lorry will have the benefit of revising the lengths as they go along,, if some adjustment is needed, I only know about commercial details, and they always span between purlins. I can't see the benefit of sitting on boards, unless the cladding is very weak and cannot self-support, but perhaps coil cladding for housing is weak...let's find out. This could be what happens when a traditional house build takes on new materials and a new detail is not perfected. Perhaps there is a published detail by one of the big cladding manufacturers. Maybe it does for housing, I need to find out. Standing seam is used on commercial roofs spanning between purlins, and the area used successfully is probably hundreds of times that used for housing. Perhaps it is much stronger, using thicker metal, higher grade metal and deeper profile. I need to find out as am currently considering not putting the slates back on, and using metal. Not necessarily standing seam which has benefits and also challenges (including cost) It seems that throughout this discussion 'standing seam' is being applied only to the specialists who roll coil on site and then fix. I can see that might be expensive and so traditional methods can compete. It is available to buy and fix yourself. I am more likely to price the project on bought sheets, screw-fixed to rails, and so missing out a few margins along the way. In the Highlands I have seen a lot of Ondulit, and traditional corrugated , plastisol steel profiles on conversions and some new-builds. This is quite cheap, but looks rather agricultural....which may be appropriate to location. I will be considering a flatter profile, 900 or 1000 cover, with crowns at 300 or 333. I don't mind seeing a few screws....what you can see you can fix, and they can be replaced if damaged.

At some stage you would need an specialist borehole company, as it is a rather technical thing to do. Therefore I suggest speak to them now. From what I hear, they can silt up in a few years, so it is not a one-off cost. I know of a specialist (too far from you) who uses a stream/well for his own supply rather than do his own borehole (which would be feasible). why? cost of installation and maintenance. To be certain of the neighbour's supply you would need to have a written contract, for which you would pay both party's costs, and which the neighbour might not want. The cost structure and a meter could be included.

Metal cladding should not sit on a surface that could be wet. I'm not going to stress my brain today into thinking if that could be wet on the underside, but gut feeling says yes, condensation. so battens of timber or galv needed. To answer another matter above, every single steel shed you see has purlins (Z rails) on the roof, with cladding spanning somewhere between 1 and 2 m according to the sheet strength. It does not need to sit on a board.

Do you mean that a shifty supplier might have mixed nasty stuff in? Otherwise, in what way have times changed? I like road planings as it is about 95% (? have to check) well graded stone stuck together with bitumen. Have even used it under floor slabs, with BCO approval. Only from a merchant though, as the other is encouraging dodgy cash deals. What I don't like is footpath material as it is very loose and weak.

These do what you say, with a background light all night and then very bright when operated by PIR.130 lumens and 1350 lumens. There are other settings too, with the background optional or to come on full until switched off. The ones I have require climbing a ladder and pressing a button to scroll the options but there is now a remote control option. There is a very big solar panel on the top. 40 Euros. very impressive. That was the good news. But, It says it charges in 8-12 hours and runs for 15 hours , which is fine in Spain (where they come from) even in winter. Wondering how it will work in winter, in the Highlands. Maybe will buy another one and try.

But doesn't get past the plastic lining on the inside of a modern house...effectively living inside a plastic tent with a building around it. Good list Epsilon. You forgot the Outside toilet?

I am not aware of this zig-zag product. reference please? I like these for the precision but concrete contractors like these as they are much faster.

Basement construction is very serious Engineering. as comments above, it needs a lot of attention to prevent flooding, and thermal insulation is the least concern. Can you advise the current situation? Is it just a void under the building or a proper, accessible usable cellar?

Interesting, but I am wondering why was the gravel not a good place to stop, as is likely to be dense? If it was a thick layer it would have been a very good place to stop digging.

My only 2 experiences of lime are; 1. lime plaster on existing lath inside a listed building, insisted on by the planner. It cost £1,000 for 6m2, because very few people did it. 2. converting a masonry farm building. the masons use lime as standard. as well as being the right solution technically , I think it is easier to work with. For bricklaying I would fear that 1) is more relevant and you might find resistance/reluctance among the brickies....best make some enquiries as suggested. There is less need for lime mortar in brick walls in modern times. The buildings don't move so much as the foundations are deeper, so don't need to self-repair. The walls are cavity construction and moisture does not get in past the outer skin.

Agreed. as the floor is constantly warmed with UFH, it is important not to heat the earth, hence take this once only chance to insulate well, and it will repay over time. If the floor is large then the earth in the centre will provide decent insulation in itself (to the extent that a very large building does not need flor insulation at all). but for a small building, most of the floor is near the outdoors and there is heat loss. Because of this it is probably best to use the most expensive insulation (PIR) to whatever thickness you can. I see the first floor insulation as being control rather than economy. you will be keeping the heat in the relevant room, especially keeping the ground floor heat where intended.

If there is a hip, then the sheet is cut on the diagonal to fit, and the triangle is thrown away. Also is a tricky cut, (with a nibbler or shears) to avoid mistakes. So say there is a hip-end, then every sheet is cut and has wastage, unless you can flip it over and use the cut angle on the opposite hip...in my experience the cladder has to be told exactly how to cut every sheet, otherwise the old habit of a new sheet every time comes in. With slates and tiles the same angled cuts exist but the wastage is a small fraction. also metal sheets have to be quite precisely ordered, to fit just over the gutter and under the ridge. For a big roof it may be that 2 sheets are used, and then they overlap. Tiles take away that risk and precision. summary...for a big roof i think metal is much cheaper in material and labour. For a small roof tiles/slates, and you would struggle to find a metal cladder anyway.

Is there already a floor? does it ever get wet?

Intuitively, metal cladding is much cheaper than slate, or even good tiles, with standing seam somewhere between. However: Metal cladding gets tricky at diagonal cuts, and there is also a lot of cutting waste (unless you are very clever with lengths and cutting schedule) For a small job, the delivery on cladding can be disproportionately high too, as it needs palletising and gash cover sheets. Beware of agricultural quality. I am not understanding the need for 2 sheets of osb and battens. I would spec: osb, breather membrane, battens, metal sheet.

So that must be comforting, in a way, that your fears are professionally confirmed. To be sacked Monday morning, preferably confirmed in writing, explaining why. It is tempting to hope that everything turns out ok, and worry where will you get another builder. But just imagine living in here with any doubts about the strength and stability. I have sacked builders on day 1, with little idea where I will find replacements, and the risk of penalties from the client. Without fail the builders say you can't do this and you will be stuck without us. But quality and safety must come first, and it always turned out ok. Make sure you keep evidence, photos, all this forum discussion and your Engineer's comments (if it is not in writing, transcribe your recollection now before it becomes vague). Why? I don't want to worry you, but some builders will claim for money they aren't entitled to, and some can be unpleasant and vindictive. Be ready to counter with strength that you would sue for damages/ demolition/fee or get police or whatever as appropriate. I believe they see it in your eyes if you have this logic prepared, and they walk away. Just for interest, and don't answer if you don't want to, have you paid them much?

Tiles yes but not concrete slabs? Would you put these slabs on dots, or a continuous bed or direct on sharp sand?

These are heavy duty plain council slabs by the looks, so I cant say it would worry me aesthetically, as long as they are laid solidly. To see outdoor slabs done properly watch municipal work in a Spanish city. 200 good sub-base, 200 reinforced concrete slab, sand bed then slabs with a marble facing. Doesn't budge. Watch it with a cerveza and charge it to R and D.

They really do fail with a cone of concrete attached to the bolt.

Difficult to say from one picture, but I cant really see a problem other than colour change. This could be changes in the concrete mix, and will wear off. I have found slab layers to be among the most opinionated of trades, and seldom right. He may be trying to show what an expert he is, and pitch for relaying these too. If you can describe the issue more it might help.

We once employed some Polish workers (on the books) whose work ethic (and attitude) was wonderful. BUT one day I asked one of them to drive me to the builders' merchants in our van. He had no thought to speed or safety and I asked him to slow down and be more careful. He answered that we were all governed by destiny, and what happens, happens, and you can't influence it. So might as well drive quickly as slowly. Scary thought: These people are on our roads and on our sites, and also spreading Covid.

If you want help on this you have to give us some information. My initial thought though is that you have an Architect. He should have either designed this to suit the requirements, or do so now, or have told you that there was a risk of it not being approved. Make him work at what he is engaged to do. In the first instance request an extension of time for the decision while you find a solution. This is very important. the planners have strict deadlines for a decision or they get into trouble personally and as an authority. If you allow an extension then they can relax, and the alternative is usually a refusal.

Agreed. We may know a lot between us, but we are not there to poke at it, and not able to represent you.

There is no such thing as a bad idea......we say to clients. Admirable off-the-wall thinking. What is the problem with the toilet onto the ground floor, other than losing those floor-level cupboards?