saveasteading

I had not heard of this either but easily found it here http://radar.gsa.ac.uk/6856/1/Home Starter Guide report.pdf I know it as 'soft landings', but quickstart is a better term. it appears to be a template of what you need to know about your new house. an operators' manual. in commercial terms this is the maintenance manual. that would include all the drawings, manuals and some descriptions for future maintenance. it is sensible to keep all the manuals of course, for the ultimate 'soft landing' in business projects we would assume that the client's managers had all left and some poor new member of staff had to adjust clocks/ reset boiler or whatever. we even got the sparky or plumber to talk to camera while doing these things, and they were proud to do so, then the film went on file. I will leave it to you to read the article. for your own house it is still a good idea.

Always write to the planner to correct any errors in objections. Do it asap to give them time to consider, and it even saves them the time of reporting on any discounted arguments. so planner will be happy to get it...esp if your message states the point, and the proof of why it is wrong. keep it polite and professional, esp factual. eg here is our proposal plan and we have shown the boundary on it, and here is copy of deeds showing same boundary.

Glad it worked out for you. Surprisingly you do not have to own land to get planning permission on it. Neither do you need planning permission to build something. However you could expect to be in court later, then removing it all and compensating.

Non-woven geotextile through preference. This allows water to drain away, prevents mud from coming up into the stone, and prevents stones getting pressed down into the earth. Costs anywhere from £1 to £2 /m2 normally but there is very heavy duty stuff at high prices. Easily confused with woven, which works but not usually so well, and is more suitable for weed control. You could use this to protect the drop-off point too, then recover for original use, whereas polythene will get thrown away.

Often with metal roofs you have to plant a new section of metal from the penetration all the way to, and under, the ridge. otherwise the laps dont work. OR if the zinc is old-fashioned craftsmanship, there may be a plumber left in the country who can fashion some lovely waterproof trim. imo sunpipes are for corridors, or to provide a glimpse of daylight for someone otherwise in the dark. For more light you can sometimes use a skylight and build your own box down to the room, eg if there is an attic, you can box down, and have a translucent ceiling panel, and a reflective boxout above. Here is my favourite example .

Similar costs until you start knocking out large areas of walls. Taking off the corner of a building is not likely to be easy or economical, as is where all the elements come together and stiffen the building. Something has to go in its place, like columns and beams and struts. Better find a way of working the existing wall, or some of it, into the design. But Architecture is adventure. Engineers can make it work. Just remember I mentioned the cost. That picture is something special..keep it, frame it and hang it with pride when the work is done, perhaps where the corner used to be.

Here is a start in answer. Random order. Stone is very much cheaper by the lorryload than in bags. The bags are single use and you pay for them, and to get rid of them, plus there is more handling. Yes you should remove the moss and topsoil, and put down a geomembrane that will prevent the stone and earth mixing. You do not need MOT I or II for your purposes, and you should find something much cheaper. Tell the supplier you are not in the industry and ask what alternatives can they suggest. (Never pretend or bluff knowledge. They will not fleece you for that reason: generally the prices are straight, and no discounts) It varies by location and availability. They will send you a full list of materials and prices if you ask. Beware tonnage to m3 conversions. You buy it by the ton, then compact it, and get quite a lot less by volume than you hoped. You can save money by putting weaker stone down first, and better on top of it. You can buy from merchants, direct from quarries, or via haulage companies.

Best check what they mean by scalpings. To me there are MOT I, MOT II, Road planings, Road planings Type I and Type II. and scalpings. As I understood it scalpings were slightly inferior, quite good for under a road, but not to MOT grades. I think basically the nearest the quarry could get to Type II with their own materials. From a quick google I see a lot of the above being interchanged,. Ask. But for a pedestrian path, any should be fine. The bitumen content of road planings is surprisingly little, (5% or less, and coating the stone) and imo it will stick back together without dissolving.

Thanks re Basalt. I will keep looking for info. If your original road design was for 2 layers of A393, that seems very heavy structural construction. Presumably the SE had nothing to do with your choice of a crack-control amount of Basalt mesh instead. As you say, there appears to be an assumption that 'of course steel rusts'. This makes a good story for non-technical journalists and public. There is seldom an interview with a Structural Engineer, because the answer would not aid the panic.... I should have some articles in the pile of technical press I haven't got around to opening. He would say 'It is not that simple, and proper dense concrete does not normally fill with salt water and rust to failure. There are dams and sea walls that have stood for decades.' so they don't ask. We saw the exposed steel in Miami, but I expect that could have been sorted in good time. I have seen a seaside (ie 10m) concrete building completely disintegrated in the Caribbean. I suspect there was salt in the concrete mix, and a series of other issues like insufficient cover to the bars. Would other reinforcement perform any better? I am working on design of 400m2 of floor, in a conversion, so would be interested in using basalt mesh. It will go through the door, and be easy to place. There is insulation and screed to go on top, so no real risks. Hence my interest is real as well as academic.

I had not heard of basalt reinforcement before joining this forum. Fibreglass basically I think. If anybody can pass on success or problem stories then that would be great. Where do we buy it even? If only from ebay and alibaba then it is not for me, yet. why are people buying it? Price? Availablity? Or known properties? I can find remarkably little about its uses and properties, so am sceptical. Shame because buying it in rolls is so much more convenient than great 4.8 x 2.4m sheets. I can see that it might be very appropriate for internal concrete floors. The tendency to stretch would not be a problem (might even help distribute micro-cracks) , as long as the bond is good....it doesn't look great by sight. Steel mesh has more texture, is less shiny, and even the rust helps grip quite a lot.

Good luck with the discussion.

Is this for thick resins? In what sort of use? In concrete there is significant heat generation too, but it isn't much relevance in everyday building. Dams and bridges under construction may have chilled water and aggregate in the mix, and cooling pipes running through. Concrete slabs curl in curing too, but not in everyday, controlled circumstances.

I only ever used them for small pours or multiple small pours of bases in boxes, so the volume was known. always seemed fair. What I didn't like was that there were no accounts and they wanted a deposit, which was difficult to get back. Now I see that some of the big companies do it, as an option. have you ever tried them?

Good advice. I never thought to look. I sometimes wonder how precise the mix is anyway, although I like the principle for small pours.

You need to know the angle. So you need the width of the building, the eaves height and the ridge height, and of course subtract them. and watch out for the change in shape at the brick parapet. Then either Pythagoras, or a scale drawing and you will have your angle. It looks as if you may have to ask at the end of terrace, but presumably all the roofs are the same.

Done that essay. I have a friend who posted the most awful domestic slab up on facebook, asking about cracking. It was very much worse than this discussion. The answers and suggestions coming back from public and supposedly 'experts' (my husband is a screeder and says....) were concerning. Re the current post. I once had trouble getting concreters for a big industrial floor. A gang I knew from before said they could do it, without their ganger man who 'wasn't necessary'. Oh yes he was. I couldn't believe how these people who had indeed poured lots of slabs, could not do it properly without their ganger. I had to do a lot of pointing and instructing myself, which isn't the idea, then I can't remember if I sacked them or found a ganger. This happens in all trades....the second and third in command do not tend to think much of the whys and wherefores of what they do every day. So yes, your ganger may well agree that this is not acceptable and has to be sorted... Please, ....not by concealing the cracks with some cement paste, as it will only be a few mm thick, and the cracks will still be there. Trying to be optimistic, it is possible that only the surface paste has a severe problem. They have allowed too much paste to come to the top, and that may just come off and leave a hard surface, but a few mm step down. Keep all these slabs wet.

A word about concrete slabs, especially in hot weather. Concrete is a highly sophisticated product, and with proper handling it produces effectively rock to the shape you want. Many things can go wrong, but they can all be controlled. The principle is that we are gluing together bits of rock, back into the form we want, using cement. There should always be a proven formula for the mix. For a bridge or multi-storey it is very much more precise and controlled than for a garden path, but it is always worth attention. The main thing that most public don't realise is the difference between cement and concrete. Cement is ONLY the dust that goes in the mix to make mortar or concrete. The biggest important thing that many in construction do not know is that concrete is strong through curing, not drying. Do not assume that your groundworker knows all, or much, of this. For a strong concrete mix there are large stones, with all the gaps between filled with small stones, and the further gaps filled with sand. Every surface is coated with the slurry of cement and water that has been carefully mixed in. There are no pockets of cement, it is all aggregate to aggregate contact. A chemical reaction then happens that makes the cement stick everything together, and water is used in this reaction, and taken out of the mix as a permanent part of the matrix chemistry.. Any additional water will simply sit in the mix, until it evaporates, leaving lighter concrete and miniscule gaps. It is essential that there is the right amount of water. a) enough to allow the chemistry to occur. b) not too much that it spoils the mix and eventually leaves voids in it. The chemistry takes many days, and concrete gets harder for at least a month, if properly looked after. For this to happen, the laid concrete must not be allowed to dry out, so it must be covered with plastic or wet hessian. Once the surface is hard, water can be sprayed over it. Don't use too much water, and don't allow the concrete to dry out through sun or wind. If it is very hot or windy, postpone it. (Frost is another matter). Why do supposedly expert groundworkers have problems with cracking? Mostly because they add extra water, by hand or by asking the delivery driver*. This makes it much easier for them to handle. Secondly because they don't know the difference between drying and curing, and want it to go hard so they can go home. Thirdly incorrect use of steel mesh (which is for cracking control not strength), dpm, and joint preparation. (* A readymix company will allow water to be added, but will record this on the delivery chit, and thus it is not their problem. They may also takes samples and make cubes for testing, and store them in a tank of water for ultimate strength, for 7 and 28 days.) All concrete cracks. How and how much it cracks is the skill. Enough for now, do ask for clarification or more information.

You may be able to scabble the top off and lay a thin layer, but that is expensive too, and not a proper job. A rebuild is the proper solution if it is a problem to you. Otherwise, plan to tarmac over it in a few years.

Concrete too wet when laid, then dried too quickly. And esp too much wet paste at the top. Probably inappropriate reinforcement, and lack of debonding at joints. Hot day and fast evaporation. (The difference between curing and drying is for another essay). This is a very common problem and I am constantly amazed that groundworkers do not know this. I can only assume that they have not been docked for it before. Adding extra water makes it much easier to move around and level. But then that water evaporates and leaves voids, where there should be concrete. In any ready-mix delivery there is a space on the chit to record added water, and the driver will fill it in and want it signed, because the supplier knows this can cause problems, and they don't want the blame. A concrete mix is an exact science. When 'just right' for strength it is awkward to shovel, so they will add water, without asking anyone in authority.. They may well have sprayed some sealer on top, supposedly to keep it from evaporating, but it hasn't worked, probably because it has just sat on the free water. polythene/wet hessian are more fool-proof. It may not fall apart, or maybe it will. As stated above it will let water through the cracks, and that will freeze, and that will break the concrete. I think the top surface of paste (no stone) will abrade quite quickly. Also, all concrete cracks, and it is a matter of controlling it to a minimum and to multiple invisible microcracks. The reinforcement , and debonding at earlier edges, helps with that, and I can't comment on what you have in that regard. whether it was appropriate, and whetehr it reached the edges/ overlapped etc. The choice of appropriate steel mesh is well proven, but I have no idea with 'thickish basalt' mesh. Certainly plastic fibres don't work as well as was originally trumpeted, or as steel mesh. More info would be interesting. I would worry that a small mesh would reduce bonding at the layer. But it is new to me and I don't know. Depends what you have paid really. If you have employed a bunch of labourers who don't know the science of it ( and simply have not been paying attention) then perhaps it is your problem, and is decent value, as you have saved 25% oh and p, and management. If there is a specification or a known performance requirement then you have an argument. If this was for a formal contract it would have to come out and be redone. as a private job for yourself it is up to you. Whatever, keep the whole roadway damp throughout the warm weather and for a month in total, as the cement needs that time being damp to do its job.

As stated above, 2 samples from different batches can look very different together. If you watch paint being mixed, there are sometimes miniscule amounts of a certain colour added, and if it drips in completely or some sticks to the nozzle, there will be a different colour. I know that when you buy metal cladding in a standard colour, factory dipped, it has to be single batch or the difference can be unacceptable. so replacement of a damaged one is a problem. If buying coloured paint try to get it all at once in a single mix. So colour matching is not a problem, the colour is not patented, only the name. The same paint on different surface materials will also look different. I have recently seen a kitchen system being repainted a different colour, diy with 'proper' paint for the job. Looks good, but does look painted, not factory coated. that was deemed to be ' a good thing'....rustic/artisan.

This is within that useful document:: Mortar bedding should never be laid directly onto the lead, as the expansion and contraction of the lead with temperature will quickly crack the mortar. Instead, the mortar should be laid onto an undercloak of slate, tile or fibre-cement board to allow movement between the lead and the undercloak. Presumably there is a formal version of this somewhere. either from the tile manufacturers or a BRE doc or similar. Seems pretty fundamental. Do not lay mortar on lead.

Apologies azrim91 (presumably very old or very young) for slight hijacking of this, but it may be useful, if there was a better way as a standard technique. Makie, do most tile ranges include half tiles, if not 1 and 1/2 ? Would it be possible to add a half tile as the penultimate in the row, then cut a full tile to a bigger size? If there is no other option but to use a small triangle, what do you do? drill a new fixing hole? Bed mortar onto the roof deck? Glue?

I don't fancy doing that from underneath. Revert to plan B or C. Secondary floor if headroom allows, or extra large and efficient radiators to compensate for the lower temperature water. Think of low temp rads as a good thing....in schools it is necessary to build guards over hot radiators to protect against burning of little people.

I know more about English building than Scottish, and still not a lot. This looks southern Spanish.....mortar everywhere, nice and thick: it doesn't matter that it soaks up the rain because it will soon dry again. For my own benefit, though, when approaching a cut, do you not avoid a tiny piece by using a bigger tile , ie exchange the previous tile for a one and a half, and cut a small piece off that? Same principle as for concrete slabs, block paving, bricks? Excuse my wobbly line sketch: just discovered this tool.

https://redland.co.uk/settings/resources/files/documents/redlandcasestudy_heathrow-amended0.pdf That is a similar tile, and the valley does not look like yours. I couldn't immediately see a 'how to' document. Perhaps email Redland (or whoever) and ask.