saveasteading

There were 3 chamber systems before air or a wheel was added. They work, but not so well. What comes out with the liquid, if not completely clean, is a grey silt. It will then coat the surfaces in the soakaway and eventually just about disappear. As I said earlier, it will take a few years until it needs emptying. I think few people do it annually.

I hadn't heard of this. So have looked it up. Is it the "simpler" version that is a trolley then has carterpillar tracks for stairs? I dont suppose it goes up a loft ladder though?

It would take careful timing to have more than one flush at the same time, and it wouldnt usually matter anyway. But it must all be roddable, just in case. Also becsuse people sometimes flush things they shouldn't. Following building regulations is best and you'd need yo be expert to do ut an alternative way.

Wine doesn't trouble our oak, but water and aluminium does. Chemistry and worn areas of tung oil. But now I have the stuff that removes the marks, albeit many applications sometimes.

I'd venture that this depends on the bco confidence in you and your designers. In any case, there is a risk of non- optimal design if you don't have a complete design strategy at the outset.

Old felt roofs used to melt in the summer sun. The chippings reflected and absorbed energy, and physically protected it against feet. It used to be sold with a tiny grip already on it,and that would suffice for a shed. But on a flat roof tiny chippings were spread ...I think onto a bitumen sticky layer. I think modern felts don't melt.

I went into Howdens. They have it in 1 litre packs. it does 15m2 and needs to be used within 3 days of mixing. £25. They had a small sample worktop and it looked good. Rather glossy though, so doesn't feel as rustic as with the oil. I wonder if this is more for speed and convenience, especially of the fitter, than for beauty. We may try it on our chopping board, which is made from an offcut.

They say it on Radio 4 so you can too. I was listening to a bit from the Humph days and it was just as splutter-making rude.

I think things are improving, but plumbers can be a little precious in the SE, and want somebody else to do anything that isn't pipes. You have to watch out for them wanting 2 visits. I could do this all , with some clumsiness, in about 4 hours with the right kit all to hand. The wall repair is just filler and is hard in an hour, then you might paint it (or not). 1 hour to remove the rad 1 hour fix the wall and fit the brackets 1 hour fit the rad half day: £150. parts £20. £170 .. add for overheads and add vat... £250????? (x london money = £400.)

I have installed 3 Marsh units with air bubbles , like a fish tank. No feedback at all so sounds ok. I have elsewhere a 3 compartment installation with no mechanics at all. It smells a little on occasions. I have had it 20 years and have never had it cleaned....because why? And right here I have a 1920's brick chamber with no mechanics and no baffles: just a manhole with pipes positioned to allow floating and separation. There is no smell off it, but the liquor coming out of it to a soakaway is rather grey and unpleasant.... but not brown. I had it cleaned after 15 years of our use and who knows how long before. There was 100mm of brown crust floating (no smell) and 200mm of grey slurry at the bottom. Ive had another 10 years use since then and no smells occur. I'm saying: don't panic, it is going to do 90% of the work over 3 the chambers, and the stirring or bubbles will do the rest. Most are overspecified anyway (ie on house maximum population). So I'd suggest a timer that runs it for an hour a day. But I'm guessing. The most important thing is not to put bleach etc down it (or minimise toilet cleaner blue stuff). And the other most important thing is where it goes next? Into a rural soakaway and it will be ok. In a small garden perhaps not. Into a stream, definitely not: keep the power on. If it is a recent installation you should have a testing chamber. So you could try 'before and after' tests and report back.

Do you like the word though? It's a lovely word. and what is the better alternative? My other source of vocabulary is 'I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue'. this week's: Fauna: a bit more beige.

I've said this many times on here. You don't pay the bco to be your project manager. They do spot checks, more for society than for you. Imagine what they would charge you otherwise. You must have supervision and expertise, whomsoever from.

We are about to remove the Tung oil for the second time. Very tedious. Then we can get rid of the black rings from water or aluminium implements, where the oil was eroded. I didn't know about this varnish. Perhaps it is newish?. I should look into it.

I know this! A builder friend inherited a plot and built a wooden house with all the timber from whatever florida's b & q is called. The standard was simply that they had to use a local builder within their team of builder mates from the uk. 4 x 2 and 6 x 2 mostly. The building bends with the winds due to being smallish sections and just nailed together. On stilts too so the lashing surf runs underneath. No bco just someone from the Town Hall. Structurally sensible. Fire would be another matter. BTW I did some crazy-paving sea steps (there is only so much sunbathing and lobster eating I can tolerate) that have withstood many storms...should be on my cv. @Boybluewhh are you asking about beam and block, if you can get it? Going to start a factory? NB the reinforcement is tensioned wires not just bars.

You are being a sensible, pragmatic researcher. Membranes, insulation, and service voids are great but must be used properly. I'd venture that the "back to nature" methods are the ones to be cautious about. Nature has no idea of house building.

Not exactly so.

I did that recently. I 'just' leaned on it to help me up. The removal and reconnecting of the plumbing is more work than the fixing. Are you planning to do this yourself or get a handyman in?

As a potential customer for sunamp, I won't be any longer. If I was them I'd be looking for a resolution to be published here not a tale of woe. Google finds these posts. Problems with sunamp, or sunamps customer service resolved it ????

I gather that building materials come from USA and are expensive. Beam and block included?

OK it is compromise of a job, but I wouldn't use bubble wrap. It will barely help insulation and your concern about it crushing unevenly is valid.

First do as @prodave suggests. That is probably only for your comfort, and won't change much. I often lecture people about not adding too much water to the mix. Very wet concrete shrinks quite a lot and is weaker. In your case this doesn't really matter, but its still for the best. And we do want the mix to permeate in to the depths of that hole. Being pedantic I might suggest adding a plasticiser to the mix. This is a liquid that bricklayers use. it produces bubbles which make the mix more fluid, and also have some detergent for the same purpose. How much to add I don't know though... your circumstances wont be on the bottle but will still be a guide. btw sharp sand is excellent stuff and stronger than building sand, but does not flow well. Building sand is better for that. So you would first use a mix without stones I think, so that it flows into corners and gravity will do most of the work. you should agitate it with a stick though as this will encourage it to flow and it removes any air voids.. once that has stopped disappearing and is visible, then make a stronger mix with sand, cement and aggregate. and fill the rest. I can never remember mortar or concrete mix amounts but it will be on the cement bag. Never pour concrete or use mortar unless the temperature is at least 3 degrees and rising, otherwise it fails dramatically.

I came across this at the bottom of a tool bag. I vaguely remember buying it for 20p or so in maplins clearance. For stripping and cutting cable? Any special use or advantage over a conventional wire stripper?

Polythene on the outside of the stud would be normal. Then another inside. The bubbles will barely help so use polythene sheet from a builders merchant. Better to use polystyrene backed plasterboard than bubblewrap. Be aware that you may still have dampness through the floor.

No, there should be that distance , or close to, underground to where the the ground is stronger and away from the weather. Yours seems to be 100mm or so of concrete at ground level. So it is built more like a garden shed. There isn't much you can do. So dig that hole bigger so that you can prove it is very local, and get your arm into it to see how far it extends.

Good work. It would appear that there are no foundations, only that slab that we see. I would want to dig the hole a it wider and deeper to establish this, or otherwise. That will also allow you to pack concrete in better, as that is probably a good plan. If it is just a slab with no thickening, , then it is a bodge job that didn't trouble the building inspector or a decent builder. So you won't be doing any harm. I don't see any sign of a damp proof membrane. Is it damp inside? We can discuss the concreting later. ps @Alan Ambrose was writing concurrently.