Self build,

[snowcat]

Can you please explain how you came to need the gas mat membrane...was this based on a ground drilling type survey, past building use or building regs....im about to embark on a barn.....and need to know now im past the bat surveys, and the blood pressure has settled

There was a condition put on PP to survey the surrounding site because of ground usage from 60+ years ago!!, the upshot was they wanted to know if there was presence of methane gas. As the survey and bore holes would have come in at about £8K and the mat and the membrane at half I just told Building control I would pretend there was and not bother to investigate the fact.

Bitter pill is that all the local building control personal have been ermm "moved position" and the Replacement head said he wouldn't have bothered.

Conditions and surveys along with planning are some of the most stressful and expensive parts of the build.

 

[Blake's 7]

At least a 2/3 cheaper, Spanish slates take quite a bit of sorting as both thickness and size tend to be non uniform... A very clean uniform slate IMHO would have looked completely wrong on the building so even for Spanish slates there especially rustic.

Thanks, snowcat. The reason I asked is because I am due to have a new roof put on next summer and the contractor has said he will use Spanish slates instead of Welsh. There are blue bangors on the roof at the moment, but they are in poor condition.

 

[addjunkie]

So what was the ground usage 60 years ago adding the risk, im about to fill in the form that goes down this route if I get it wrong?

As for slates, im lucky enough to have about 60 % of what I need reclaimed so will just but more reclaimed, they work out roughly the same as spanish!

 

[snowcat]

So what was the ground usage 60 years ago adding the risk, im about to fill in the form that goes down this route if I get it wrong?

As for slates, im lucky enough to have about 60 % of what I need reclaimed so will just but more reclaimed, they work out roughly the same as spanish!

If the phase 1 desk study shows anything other than virgin ground from historic maps they may want more investigation even a phase 2 study, In my case it was only ever backfilled ponds and gravel works, all of it inert but that didn't wash for the bureaucratic rubbish that is local planning.

The problem is there are no hard and fast rules, even through different planners never mind different local authority's. Sometimes its worth getting a local planning agent involved, because often they tend to know what each authority's are looking for a steer you around some of the expensive pit falls.

If I was to do all the surveys and complete a phase too study as the LA wanted I could have easily sunk £20k into worthless paper, Planning agent argued the case and did it for about £1500.

 

[addjunkie]

If the phase 1 desk study shows anything other than virgin ground from historic maps they may want more investigation even a phase 2 study, In my case it was only ever backfilled ponds and gravel works, all of it inert but that didn't wash for the bureaucratic rubbish that is local planning.

The problem is there are no hard and fast rules, even through different planners never mind different local authority's. Sometimes its worth getting a local planning agent involved, because often they tend to know what each authority's are looking for a steer you around some of the expensive pit falls.

If I was to do all the surveys and complete a phase too study as the LA wanted I could have easily sunk £20k into worthless paper, Planning agent argued the case and did it for about £1500.

Thanks for that, sounds very like the bat thing then

 

[Olderisbetter]

Great build and a nice site, Hope you enjoy using it and get some good times there

 

[snowcat]

Just a quick update, We have tenants moving into our house on March the 10th so I must be done and out by then, we have a fair bit to do mostly painting but also floor finishes, some final fix carpentry etc.

Since the last update I have put all the UFH in boiler commissioned etc, screeded all floors, tiled and fixed the bathrooms, built the two staircases installed 80% of the kitchen and utility and have been plodding on with the painting, carpets for some rooms are booken in Mon week, so again they have to be finished.

Unfortunately February is a short month the extra 2 days would have come in handy

 

[snowcat]

couple more,

 

[addjunkie]

Very nice, stair case is a credit to you.

 

[Robotstar5]

Nice job on the staircases

 

[arther dailey]

cracking job,loving the stair case

 

[Olderisbetter]

Your attention to detail is great, I have seen car body work with less quality...Mainly mine lol

 

[More Amps]

Is that a sundial mounted on the outside of the window in the green wall? Fantastic work - a house that you have done yourself is the best medicine for anyone - will make all those hours of graft seem worthwhile, and the detail on the finish never comes quick and easy!

 

[gaz1]

i do hope that you have zoned some of that pex piping and not done it all as one massive radiator system

just in case there is a mistake zoning them would allow 2 to be kept running out of 3 floors if one of them fails for any reason

looks a really loverly job as well

 

[snowcat]

Thanks all,

i do hope that you have zoned some of that pex piping and not done it all as one massive radiator system

just in case there is a mistake zoning them would allow 2 to be kept running out of 3 floors if one of them fails for any reason

looks a really loverly job as well

UFH is zoned into 8 loops with at least 2 per room, as I was also doing the job myself, the upstairs rads are run on 2 separate circuits with ball valves to isolate sections for future maintenance, the idea of all the access panels upstairs is allow access to nearly all the drain and plumbing runs which once mounted will simply be coloured into the rooms..... Its funny how you manage to think of what a basted it may be to do XY and Z in 20 years when its likely to be you needing to do so.

cracking job,loving the stair case

Thanks staircases were a massive job mostly to keep within part k, to fit them I had to work just about with allowances for degree, going, rise and head clearances, even the doorway distances are within about 5mm.

Is that a sundial mounted on the outside of the window in the green wall? Fantastic work - a house that you have done yourself is the best medicine for anyone - will make all those hours of graft seem worthwhile, and the detail on the finish never comes quick and easy!

Its a clock, but only a cheep eBay job at the moment, eventually I want to make one, there's an LED backlight to mount in the reveal to illuminate at night.

 

[Parm]

All looking top notch

 

[snowcat]

Thought Id just post a quick update "finished" the inside "Mostly and moved in March 2018.

Then set too on turning the yard into some sort of garden,

First job was to tidy dig out and pull a new track in bury cables Phone, Sat etc Putting terram down then back filling with crush in March 2018.

The yard before commencement of any works.

We then started prepping some of the ground, main thing we wanted to give some time for the crushed to settle before putting the machine back in to rip the yard and put the top on. Also ran a few land drains in as well.

Went back into it smashed all the concreate with 4T hammer on the machine which meant we didn't rip into large lumps.

Once we ripped we used the hogging (clay and ballast mix) to top the road, In the left corner you can just see the Stafford stable blue cobbles which we carefully palletised

.

The Top soil we had dug out the track and other earthworks came back on site, Also made an area up of more hogging to take the Patio whole lot was grassed.

We put the wavey chestnut fence up (made by a friend of mine) strained rabbit fencing up and buried to keep bugs out, got the grass underway by finding the old well and dropped a submersible down it to irrigate, I starting making and putting iron work up and Mrs filled with flowers!

Finished fencing sprayed the BLWs out the lawn.

Put the hedge in Jan (copper beach) and rigged all the outside taps onto the well via a borehole pump, Also put in some fruit trees, laid some raised beds with proper hardwood sleepers (new being a waste of time) put a free glass house up to grow said plants in.


More

 

[snowcat]

U

Used the old Stafford blues to make the path up then got given some Indian sandstone which I laid built a wee firepit long term idea is to make a future with an old galv water trough.

Track ballest isn't staying just a tidy for this summer, till I decide on what and how I'm going to do this area.

Back of house has just had a tidy Intentions are to do something Mediterranean rather than traditional dun no yet, All is done on a shoestring costs have been practically zero luckily I have a good contacts book of friends!

 

[gaz1]

looking really nice there now

 

[addjunkie]

Very nice, time to plan the next project now!