Recent content by mrrusty

I 100% agree. That's the whole point. For some people, like you, you can measure the risk of taking a piecemeal approach, and are able to project manage the various trades to deliver. You are happy to carry the risk. It is a fundamental truism that any fixed price given on day one includes a...

Absolutely! and unless you are totally on the ball with all aspects of the construction process, this is by far the safest way to get something built. I'm a huge fan of design and build contracts. Fixed price lump sum to an output specification and let the builder/contractor and his team look...

IMHO You are being royally shafted. The original quote was IMHO about 50% higher than what it should have been if you were supplying all the kit. (OK I haven't seen it and its a guess) As to the extra work! As others have said it should be a fraction of the numbers being quoted. Even moving the...

Yes you need a small gap between OSB sheets of about 3mm to allow for a little expansion. I think I would prefer 15mm OSB TBH.

By who? jablite is just expanded polystyrene and is found on many products used in housebuilding including some insulated plasterboard and structural insulated panels. I presume this is an attached garage? If it is, yes building regs are most likely applicable. If it's a detached garage, then...

A problem I see is that you either do one at a time, or have multiple tripods. I've never used them but you can get cardboard tubes for piles which can be easily lasered and sawn off at the correct height before filling, then you can do several at once...

In essence, the load spreads at 45 degrees from the edge of the block downwards, so doing anything to the surface is irrelevant. You could calculate the area bearing on the clay, you could also try and calculate the bearing strength of your own ground depending on type, but, for a timber framed...

This. You need to be down to something substantial - not topsoil. Wacked MOT is suggested as the approved method for installing easypads which I have very successfully used, but that was with the MOT on the clay layer (incidentally just like our edwardian which as very shallow corbelled brick...

Unless there are specific reasons not to, why don't you pay the £3-400 and get planning so you can go a bit higher? You can get planning with hand drawn drawings and downloadable location plans. It isn't difficult. A very low ceiling is IMHO oppressive and spoils much of the benefit of having...

Be official. Write to them as a letter before action and tell them they have 7 days to deliver the correct specification material and collect this, or issue a full refund, or you will open a money claim online (costs £50 which they pay if they lose - they will) and they can argue that chip is...

Use easypads.....https://easypads.co.uk/ It's not a problem that needs another solution... but then again I see you are in vietnam, so perhaps the shipping cost for easypads would be a bit too high :)

6 x 2 stud walls? have you actually costed out studs + insulation + osb against using SIPs? https://www.simplysips.co.uk/products/ you can use SIPs for the roof as well. Good thing is they are absolutely square, whereas unless you are very careful in selecting, some of your 6 x 2's may be...

This what the OP said in post #11. @Ivor Windybottom - I agree with your pragmatic approach. Provided that the work done is something like the amount paid, then, assuming that the OP's new report confirms that there are problems, then starting again with a new team must be balanced against the...

Very true, but in post #7 the OP confirms the builder didn't want to use the clients SE and insisted in using his own, hence the transfer of design liability!

The point is, if it is over 1m from the boundary OR is built from substantially non-combustible materials (brick stone tiles) it is exempt from BR, so no need to make an application. As to whether a timber frame with metal cladding is substantially non-combustible enough is a subjective decision...