Ferdinand

This weekend Wickes have a whole selection of Laminate Floor Products at about 60% off - that is £25-40 per sqm down to about £10-15,, which can then be salami-sliced by a few more percent. There are also a couple of £15 or so versions down to nearly £5 per sqm. http://www.wickes.co.uk/Products/Flooring/Laminate-Flooring/c/1000887 eg as well as their own such as Wickes Aspiran Oak Laminate Flooring at £7.99 per sqm, they have Kronospan Valley Oak Laminate Flooring (for one example) down from £36 to £16 per sqm. Can anyone comment on any of these. They seem to review at 4 or 5 *, but with a question mark over the durability of the click system. Are there any particular ones which are good? At these prices they are only slightly more or even less than an underlay plus a cheap carpet. I may need about 50 sqm :-). Ferdinand

Laminate Floor Fit for a Tortoise From a review of Wickes Laminate Flooring here: Ferdinannd

I am not clear how Section 75 would play with a Trade supplier, even supplying a Consumer purchaser or a Business Buyer using a Consumer Card (like me). Suspect that the buyer would win after a certain amount of persistence.

Yep. The target market is either dinky couples, retirees or possibly families with 1-2 children. Lovely street close to a primary school and unusually 3 double bedrooms. Aiming for 5 year tenancies. Ferdinand

Thanks for the feedback so far @Onoff @ProDave @MikeSharp01 @Nickfromwales So, working with this, I get: 1 - No pipes under the suspended floor. 2 - My battens arranged such that there is a 63mm deep x approx 200mm void all the way round all the walls. Including battens round the edge at the base of the wall. 3 - All electric (except that in the loft for lights, fire alarms etc and a few bits in stud wall where appropriate and gas in that void. Also water pipe and signal cables where necessary. 4 - Void filled with insulation just like the rest of the floor where unused, but probably round the outside walls as far as possible. For future adaptability. 5 - Maintenance by raising a row of click-fit tiles and a panel of screw-attached osb. 6 - Battens screwed to each other rather than to the floor where possible, to avoid more punctures in the air membrane than necessary. Questions and details: Existing insulation is a filled 50mm cavity, and there will be 100 or 200mm of rockwool under the suspended floor. A - Water pipe penetrations to rad are just a 50mm notch in the floor against the skirting. B - Electric wire runs to sockets at 450mm are normal mini-chases behind skirting boards to be added as decoration. Sockets either sunk-in or surface mount depending. C - Is it worth putting 25mm insulation into the 63mm deep (CLS on edge) void and the pipes etc on top of that. Can one cable clip or similar to 25mm Celotex? D - If I am running cables around the void where it is unavoidably against the outside walls, I am thinking I want some insulation against the horizontal cold bridge - eg a 100mm strip of insulation on the outside edge of the void alongside cable runs. Necessary? E - When screwing down battens to the suspended floor is this a place for a blob of silicone on each screw as it is screwed down? Cheers Ferdinand

The property is probably a 10-30 year keeper. It already has an externally mounted gas meter box, and a Nautilus-escue creation of pipework inside the kitchen where it was taken outside. Bet the pipes take up as much space as the old meter box :-). F

That is enough to butcher and eat a pig, so good call :=). Ferdinand

So if the bloke with the bowler hat and the clipboard comes and walks your hose back to its source at pump which connects to the tank under your drive or your well, he will go away happy, even though the neighbours may have had a fit of outrage previously. Cool.

You could turn part of your turning head into semi-lawn, using something like this: http://www.grassform.co.uk/buy/heavy-medium-duty-mesh/ As for the non-used space, what about turning it into a front sitting / BBQ etc area by the front fence, which in a cul-de-sac would provide a good "intermediate" area for having a chat with the neighbours etc or for the childen or teenagers to hang out where they can be semi-private but also semi-supervised. One approach stolen from the "Pattern Language" people ("Half-Hidden Garden") would be to have a slightly raised area (also good for putting rubble to avoid paying to have it taken) so that a (say) 5ft fence / hedge / wall would be 1-1.2m from the inside but perhaps 1.5m from the roadside, so sitters are private but standers can chat. Or make it perforated in places. A good strategy for making the public / private divide less stark and your cul-de-sac more sociable without sacrficing your privacy. Ferdinand

We have had conversations about private water supplies, particularly with respect to boreholes - and the right to draw 20,000 l per day without regulation. I believe that these are not usually caught in hosepipe bans etc. Can anyone point me to the regulations around drawing water from small watercourses and springs. Is there a limit there and are they caught in bans? It is not an immediate question for me, but I am interested whether such a source could be used for watering gardens etc, or using during construction. Ferdinand

And remember to leave the end pointing down and well sealed if you need to leave it for some time :-).

When we did our conservatory we put it in ducts, and then added a spare duct run to where we *may* need something in future. Imo it is just sensible. @volcane What is one of these insulted foundations, then? Did you call it a barsteward?

The Razor. Unnecessarily difficult maintenance being designed out through stopping for a bit and asking for advice :-). F

Thank-you for the comments. At present I have heating plumbing under the suspended floor, which I was hoping to reuse while replacing rads (which would give me effectively oversized rads when I improve the thermal envelope to let the new boiler run more efficiently). Not repiping the plumbing would save several hundred. I have an IWI acoustic wall on one side against the neighbour which is now at batten and noggin stage, and the property is compact. Services could go in there. But I am now thinking about organising my battens on the 'floating' floor to give me uninterrupted service voids along appropriate sides. You have reminded me that I did this several years ago under a floating floor in a conservatory, and it worked very well. Relocating pipework to be wiThin the thermal envelope (planning under suspended floor insulation too as above) is looking a better option. Far tidier than designing all those layers to be easily cut through. Very Occam. Ferdinand

(Bump). Comments would be welcome on this one. Ferdinand

Of course, an appropriately sized garage usually counts as a space, even today. F

Just like self-build: "You are here to stay until the rattle in your dying throat relieves you!" And there's even an H&S lesson at the end.

Your Local Planning Authority may well have a policy and a Guidance document. Look on their website or phone up planning and ask for a steer as to their parking and turning requirements. For background you want a document called the Manual for Streets, which is available online, I think that is the latest, and reading through will give you much background about layout etc. Ferdinand

i am not sure that 'up to the boundary' activates the PWA, unless you also meet one of the conditions for depth of foundations etc. The Govt imnformation seems to be worded differently from the RICS information on this. THey seem to say it applies to walls 'astride' the boundary. http://www.rics.org/Global/RICS-consumer-guide-Party-Walls.pdf And voluntarily using the PWA may not be valid legally, and does sound slightly bureaucratically masochistic ! Open to correction, however. F

Hi again @marsaday I do not think that anyone here will give you specific comments on question 1, 3, 4. There are too many variables (soil conditions, neighbour foundation condition etc), and it would need a site visit by a qualified professional. I will comment on 2 that I personally cannot see a reason for such a membrane. And that I personally agree with your interpretation of the PWA, but note that appointing a Surveyor who is qualified for PWA may be a good way to keep your neighbour happy by professional confirmation that the PWA does not apply, and to get an authoritative opinion on your Qs for a relatively small sum as part of the bundle. Perhaps you may get more by chatting to your BCO, and then confirming your chat in writing as a preserved record. Ferdinand

I do not see how your neighbour would be found liable for things that *you* or *your agents* have done, without a very good reason. The Occupiers Liabilty one that I think about is if eg I had an exposed septic tank (once had some b*gger drop the square lid into the tank - which is why I like round manhole covers) or mini cliff hidden by bushes, and somebody fell off it by mistake. I guess if they trip over an unidentified rockery or fall onto a fencepost that might qualify. The OL Acts circumscribe liability based on circumstances, which may be worth a skim if you feel the need. F

(Note: this is opinion not advice. I may be anal sometimes but IANAL.) This is a tricky one, as much for the relationship as for the law. This is my longish analysis trying to be relevant to projects of all sizes for future visitors. Agree with @RichS above on yours - this is probably not a hill of beans. I was going to try and summarise the principles, but it is difficult without reading the Occupiers Liability Acts from both 1957 and 1984 and writing an essay about Common and Statute Law. To understand Duty of Care read those 2 acts or a summary thereof. Wikipedia will probably be a place to self-educate quickly, as it is established law so not very controversial. With the husk off, this is how I see it: 1 - Should you go "formal", you are in a very weak position to negotiate. At the end of the day, this is a favour by permission only, and he can have you over a barrel holding a horse-whip whenever he wants. You need your neighbour to allow your scaffolding or your workers on his land. He can tell you to take a running jump with no cost to himself except a potentially ugly wall built overhand and the loss of whatever rent you will be paying him for scaffolding if you are using it (£25-£100 a week perhaps?). 2 - Legally you can enforce access to maintain existing structures in the end with a Court Order under the Access to Neighbouring Lands Act. That does not cover new developments or structures. 3 - From his viewpoint, if a bloke wanting scaffolding or workers on my land - with or without a rent - started talking about his need to preserve the right to take legal action against me if one of his builders did something stupid and broke his neck, trust would evaporate completely and I would quite possibly simply not allow you to do it. Ever. 4 - I trust you are aware that Planning Permission does not overrule any of your neighbour's legal rights; it gives you permission to build something provided no one else has a legal right to stop it that they choose to enforce. A favourite phrase by Planners is "not a material planning consideration", which translates to "this is your problem or opportunity and we will not get involved". So how to proceed? 1 - Your need is a) to convince / satisfy your neighbour and then b) to make sure your workers are safe. Proving b is perhaps the best route to satisfying a. 2 - Throwing the document back in his face, or a blunt refusal to consider it is not a possibility imo. One option is to sign it and rely on the rareness of landowners being sued after construction accidents to third parties using their land by permission (I wouldn't be surprised if the actual occurrence is a couple of cases in 25 years), plus the professionalism of your builders. 3 - I would consider several steps: a - Identify what the neighbour is actually worried about (and probably have my answer available before any conversation as a good tactic). b - Talk to your builders. Look at the Public Liability and Employee Liability insurance of your builders. These are I think a legal requirement. And look at their policies to see how this meets the concerns of your neighbour. c - Do you need / have your own liabiliy insurance for the project? What does that say. d - Do a specific risk assessment relating to your work on his land, and specifically the risks relating to his liability concerns. Perhaps consult with your advisers / builders / local authority on that, or look for resources online. Your builders or architect may have run up against this in the past, or there could be one attached to a previous PP that you can find. Manage those risks - eg fence off the area you are working in etc. e - You may be able to get specific insurance if you need, but that could be compromised if you give him an agreement. It very much also depends on the project being done and the relevant risks. So cut your cloth to fit etc. It is easy to overanalyse these things and over elaborate your measures. 99 times from 100 this is probably not mentioned, and 999 from a 1000 there is probably no issue when it is. If you do damage their property, then unless you have dug a 5m deep hole where their house used to be and filled it with asbestos, just getting your builders to fix it to their satisfaction, or you or your insurance company paying for their builders to do the same, will be many times cheaper for both than Court Action. People just usually want their lives back rather than spend 5 years making you suffer. Ferdinand

Seriously, is it worth a look at selling those rocks? A bulk bag of rockery stone costs £100 or so, and it would save you X loads at £200 (?) each. It needs the right contact - eg local garden centre attached to a farm, but could be quite a saving. Turning waste into a product is a good strategy. Or will you (or your neighbours) need some to keep cars off the verge? Ferdinand

One other point on distances - I take it that you have ascertained the distance you can go back under Permitted Development, including that to go beyond the 4m backwards to the 8m relaxation there are certain things you need to have done. My thought is that it relates to the original wall of your dwelling, rather than to the SS extension already existing. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/17/extensions An informed and engaged neighbour is a very good way to encourage us to follow the rules :-) . When i feel slightly hit over the head with a planning requirement, perhaps by a Krummelkacker, I try to think of it as helping me (the elephant) avoid the elephant traps before I fall into one, which is usually the cheaper option. Best of luck with your extension. Ferdinand

On your first point I think this is a question for you and your bricklaying skills. Perhaps build something like a BBQ or garden seat from brick close to a fence (or put a temporary fence up 450mm behind where you are building it) to see how much space you need? The other point on yours assuming the photo is the right way round is that you will be working left-handed, which may be more difficult. Mine .. pic later .. is actually just under 400mm between the (done by a conservatory company) conservatory 1.5m wall and the boundary wall, and I wish I had a little more width. You can see that the brickwork is OK if not perfect. But if I become like Friar Tuck I can see problems later. I applaud your descision to do 100mm celotex .. that was something I had done in the walls and floor of our conservatory over the standard 50mm and It makes a huge difference. F