The build

Is the house finished, SC? Have I missed a thread where you moved in?

No and no.
if anything happens I will be telling the world about it. Have no fear.

We have a gate   .      .
 
There’s still work to be done all the batten is going to be replaced at some point so it’s the same all the way round the entrance. And the pedestrian gate will be latching on the same post as the big gate. That silly bit of fencing between them won’t be there. 
Even though it’s not all quite right yet. It’s a lot better than stock fencing wire across the driveway. 
Not the most exciting development but it’s something.

SC every bit you do counts towards your finished home.

Baby steps SC

So this happened

          . We’ve started doing things again     . As you can see. I’ve spent quite a bit of time stood in a trench today and the weather has been changeable. 

Just so you know exactly what we’re doing      .

Obviously it’s not that straight forward . Some we have to concrete in, others areas we have to build a filter system around perforated pipes. And join them all together while it’s at the correct gradient and the correct depth. Simple!

I'm glad you know what you're doing!! Bob look like he's holding the reins of a bucking bronco at a rodeo.

Exciting times with a digger. Are these pipes to drain water off the land? If so where to? The water table looks well low.
Measurements of stones? My cartoon mind has an image of you and Bob sitting in the bottom of a very wet ditch measuring each stone and pebble with Verniers before chucking it back or away.

Exciting times with a digger. Are these pipes to drain water off the land? If so where to? The water table looks well low.
Measurements of stones? My cartoon mind has an image of you and Bob sitting in the bottom of a very wet ditch measuring each stone and pebble with Verniers before chucking it back or away.

That particular ditch is for surface water pipes (what comes off your roof & down your gutter). As ever with red tape and the rules it’s all expensive and a bit of a joke! When it’s finished going through those pipes it’s goes through 5 metres of filter. Which is basically a bigger ditch lined with plastic. Part filter with gravel (of the correct size) then a slotted pipe and topped up with more gravel and the plastic wrapped round it all. From there it goes back into normal pipe. Then it has to go through an entinuation / intuattion tank ( not idea who to spell that). Basically it’s a tank with a small hole ( of the correct diameter to allow a flow rate of ……are you board yet, I am ) in so if there’s a lot of water it won’t flood people down stream. But then if the weather is really really bad it just over flows and floods people down stream!! That incredibly pointless piece of kit, that we have to put in cost use over £500! Then the water goes through its last bit of pipe and away into the burn at the corner of our plot. 

Frankly your idea/ suggestion of using the gravel we already have in the bottom of the ditch is just outrageous. Can you please stop using common sense. It really doesn’t apply. We have to now get pea gravel for the bottom of the trenches. Because after doing more research we don’t have to concentrate all the pipes in. Another long boring story.

This is the stuff we have to use for the gravel filters.
         

I recognise that gravel, it came off our driveway..... how did it find its way to Mull!?

Seriously though, what palaver just for surface water drainage.  At least you're doing it all to code.  Nextdoor's extension never had any provision for surface/rainwater drainage mentioned in the architect's plans, there was a bit of an 'oh sh1t' moment and they had to rapidly dig a soakaway when the inspector pointed it out.  Luckily the proposed patio hadn't been laid yet.

Do you get men in suits coming to inspect that you've done it correctly?

The men in suits can turn up at any time. But since COVID they tend not to come out. We have to send photos of all the different stages. They have only actually visited us once.

I’m hoping there will be a bit of gravel left over. I want that for my paths in the garden.