Building Regs - adjoining surfaces

[barneybodge]

Hi all,

Just had a timber garage erected in the garden, its quite large and building regs apply. So far so good but I have just discovered a potential problem. I am soon to lay paving slabs on three sides of the garage and to my horror I have just been informed that the slabs should be at least 150mm below dpc level ? A timber framed building has the dpc at lower than brick and this would mean that my slabs are going to be much lower than the rest of the property with about 5 inches of concrete base on view to everyone !

My intentions were to run the slabs tight under the bottom piece of cladding (cement fibre stuff) and slope them gently away from the building. Can someone confirm if this 150mm below dpc rule applies to timber framed buildings too ?

If it does apply, then im quite simply stuffed

Cheers

 

[masona]

The reason for it because of the splashback from the rain, in your case the bottom section will always be wet.

but you could do it this way, if you're not happy with it this way then speak to the building control who will give you some idea, they do sometime bend rule on this !

 

[barneybodge]

Thats a great reply masona, drawings are very informative.

My setup is more like pic 2 except my dpc is barely 2 inches above ground level . The concrete base was a serious affair with steel cages, type 1 pyramid shapes etc etc and it has already been approved by the council official, even though its barely above ground level.

The dpc sits on a 4 x 2 sole plate and the timber frames are then bolted on top, so the dpc is technically about 2 inches above ground level. I intended digging out some topsoil and then laying the slabs so that they are only just below dpc level. This is more to do with keeping it all aesthetically pleasing to the eye rather than 'laying down the law'.

I dont really have a choice and just have to pray that mr inspector doesn't order me to rip them all up and lay them lower.

Hope that makes sense,

Cheers

 

[masona]

You could use small decorative stone or pea shingle in the channel section which will break the rain into fine mist.
I have made a timber summerhouse with a 300mm roof overhang above and the bottom timber section never get wet which I'm surprised !