flanagaj

I am most likely going to use a man and an excavator. Just so things can get moving and trenches are not left open for too long. I am now wondering whether to go with a beam and block floor over a ground bearing slab. Given I am binning having a power floated floor and am going with conventional screed and then either tiles or wood, it might be quicker and might be better suited to DIY installation of the radon membrane.

Some good points there Nick. Haven't really planned any of the stuff you mention, but now is a good time.

So I am not alone in waiting. The sound of the heavy rain on the metal roof of a static caravan is akin to being waterboarded and remaining positive is hard work.

We have been in our static caravan now for nearly two months and haven't even started our self-build. The weather has just been so rotten. It's been either very cold, or throwing it down with rain. Are people literally just carrying on in the rain and pumping out filled trenches .... to enable things to progress?

I had an SE do the calcs for the steels, but I'm confused as to what they mean. He has specified 254 * 102 * 22 UB. Whilst I understand a UB works for the inner steel, I don't see how you use a UB on the face brickwork side, or why it requires a UB as the load of the external face is much less as it's not supporting the roof or floor. Does anyone have any advice on what steel design you would normally use for a ground floor 4.4m sliding door. Estimators specified a Catnic https://condell-ltd.com/catnic-cx150-100-4800mm And I understand how that works as it is shaped for a cavity tray to easily be fitted and the exterior brickwork to have the required weep vents, but two parallel UB lintels would not work like that. 25578 - White Cattery Lane, RG26 5TN.pdf

Do you have a drawing to hand as I am struggling to understand how you do this? On reflection, is it just a simple case of making sure that the top level of your sand blinding coincides with the top of the block level for your sleeper walls?

It would need some thought regarding the internal sleeper walls as you obviously cannot run the membrane across the whole ground floor area, if you have internal sleeper walls.

This is an interesting approach. Given BC have signed off level thresholds around the perimeter of the house, I am keen to understand this detailing further. It's the detailing with regards to the level threshold that's confusing me. I did find the below, diagram, but it's for a conventional 150mm lower outside floor level.

That was my thought too.

We are in a Radon zone and require 'basic' protection. I contacted Visqueen to ask if they offer a design service, so I can understand the junction details. They came back an said they do offer a design service and it's £3000. I'm going to ask if they have added an extra zero by mistake 😂 I doubt they have, so I thought I'd ask what did those of you do who also found they needed Radon protection measures. I might consider an alternative supplier, if that's how they treat potential customers.

Finally! I might have had some joy. Found a brickie who has quoted me on m2 rates and his work looks very tidy too. Rates are £23/M2 blockwork and £55/M2 face brickwork. Those numbers do align much more with the estimators quote.

I have 540m2 blocks 147m2 face brickwork So my numbers are not far off yours, but your 13k is way under the estimators 20k labour figure.

White Lane Cattery 106b Elevations.pdf

Quotes are labour only and they have allowed 20 days for the job. It's a straightforward rectangle build with gable ends, face brickwork on lower ground floor and then block upstairs. The issue I have, is that if I just say "Oh well, let's just pay 10k more and get going", if that same thing happens for all trades, then I am in real trouble and we'll have to sell the house once it's built.

They use local labour rates. A brickie is not usually on more than £300/day. So I said 2 brickies and a labourer for 20 days at £800/day. That still only equates to £16000 for 20 days work. So the quotes of 30k, 42k and 60k are just a joke. Anyone would think I was hiring a legal team.