Pissing about with only half a clue on the shed site.

[V8Druid]

Today I picked up 300 baby trees to replace my deceased bare root ones that didn’t survive the dry spring. More on them when I plant them. I’ve exams hopefully.
While there I noticed his drainage channels in the yard , and on his steep track. Quote impressed with the idea.
He says he saw it used in New Zealand. A quick google shows other rural frugal folks have also tried it.

Armco -- bloody brilliant idea
be even more efficient set at an angle to the track

 

[Vinpetrol]

Armco -- bloody brilliant idea
be even more efficient set at an angle to the track

I’ve been using that for a while . Usually as a cut off drain across a steep driveway to stop surface water running down hill . Or a log half buried .

 

[Furniss]

Yeah I've used it a bit in the past as seen it done elsewhere - but at an angle to track.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

Yeah I've used it a bit in the past as seen it done elsewhere - but at an angle to track.

Like that

 

[DaveDCB]

I think it would have to be a 2-part job in reality - bulk out the slab and then stick the ufh in a self-levelling liquid screed afterwards.

To get the best finish and not damage the pipework i agree!
I’d just want insulation under the Structual slab with pipework ontop… but then you’d have no insulation to fix the pipework into. Clip rails work well, just have to mechanical fix the ends down I guess. Must be a drawing somewhere online !

 

[Stroppymonkey]

To get the best finish and not damage the pipework i agree!
I’d just want insulation under the Structual slab with pipework ontop… but then you’d have no insulation to fix the pipework into. Clip rails work well, just have to mechanical fix the ends down I guess. Must be a drawing somewhere online !

What kind of a self levelling screed would I need to take forklifts ? A 2.5T CB FLT will put 6.5T onto front wheels when loaded. Needs 8” concrete pad when I last checked, but I’ve never cracked our 3” shed floor with ours yet.

Fixing UFH direct onto concrete doesn’t scare me , done it plenty of times. Concrete nail gun helps.

Still won’t be able to use laser grader on the initial slab due to the insulation layer.

I know a guy that has a laser machine so I will chat with him. I suspect that pipes clipped to insulation with 150-180mm of power floated / fibre reinforced mix laid with a pump and levelling beams might be solution.
K-Form to maybe get it all set level and give joints….
At least then you would have good 100mm fixings and still be 30mm away from any pipes.

Just Concrete + insulation now and then UFH + screed later does have the attraction of pushing a large part of the cost and the work much further down the road

 

[Smiffy]

What kind of a self levelling screed would I need to take forklifts ? A 2.5T CB FLT will put 6.5T onto front wheels when loaded. Needs 8” concrete pad when I last checked, but I’ve never cracked our 3” shed floor with ours yet.

Fixing UFH direct onto concrete doesn’t scare me , done it plenty of times. Concrete nail gun helps.

Still won’t be able to use laser grader on the initial slab due to the insulation layer.

I know a guy that has a laser machine so I will chat with him. I suspect that pipes clipped to insulation with 150-180mm of power floated / fibre reinforced mix laid with a pump and levelling beams might be solution.
K-Form to maybe get it all set level and give joints….
At least then you would have good 100mm fixings and still be 30mm away from any pipes.

Just Concrete + insulation now and then UFH + screed later does have the attraction of pushing a large part of the cost and the work much further down the road

You could get a cost for them cut grooves in the concrete for the ufh pipes.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

You could get a cost for them cut grooves in the concrete for the ufh pipes.

I bet I wouldn’t LIKE the cost though .

 

[Smiffy]

I bet I wouldn’t LIKE the cost though .

It might be a close run thing as if you recess them In the concrete you can screed it in 5mm latex self leveling compound which would be far cheaper than a 75mm concrete screed over surface mounted pipework.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

It might be a close run thing as if you recess them In the concrete you can screed it in 5mm latex self leveling compound which would be far cheaper than a 75mm concrete screed over surface mounted pipework.

That’s not ideal for heating purposes.. you want the heat source in the centre or bottom half of the thermal mass really. It would be ok for a retrofit in a dwelling where the floor covering would give extra depth and diffuse the heat.

 

[DaveDCB]

Just priced up xps £20/m and the last screed I had was around £21/m2… my next unit is 500m2…. 20k for abit of warmth.. 2k buys a monster kero burner!!

 

[Storrsy]

Like that

It's ok and have used them a few times but not easiest to clean out and they block easy. If your concreting them in it's not much more effort to simply form a wider dished gully out of concrete

 

[Vinpetrol]

Just priced up xps £20/m and the last screed I had was around £21/m2… my next unit is 500m2…. 20k for abit of warmth.. 2k buys a monster kero burner!!

That’s my dilemma as well , a big heater blasting for 20mins in winter would fairly heat up a 100m2 shed but the UFH in slab is lovely when your lying on the floor underneath something .

 

[Stroppymonkey]

That’s my dilemma as well , a big heater blasting for 20mins in winter would fairly heat up a 100m2 shed but the UFH in slab is lovely when your lying on the floor underneath something .

Insulation usually pays for itself in the end . Radiant slab is FAR superior than blown air.

 

[DaveDCB]

That’s my dilemma as well , a big heater blasting for 20mins in winter would fairly heat up a 100m2 shed but the UFH in slab is lovely when your lying on the floor underneath something .

How about do 1 bay with ufh? Fair enough it will have to work hard to heat the whole unit up, but if the point is only to keep your feet and back warm when under something then might be a bad idea? Esp if only running at 12deg anyway.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

How about do 1 bay with ufh? Fair enough it will have to work hard to heat the whole unit up, but if the point is only to keep your feet and back warm when under something then might be a bad idea? Esp if only running at 12deg anyway.

You will need the floor a fair bit higher than 12c to maintain an air temp of 12c.

 

[Vinpetrol]

How about do 1 bay with ufh? Fair enough it will have to work hard to heat the whole unit up, but if the point is only to keep your feet and back warm when under something then might be a bad idea? Esp if only running at 12deg anyway.

I’ve been thinking about that as well ! And a shiftable partition . I’m having a big door in both gables so I thought about half way

 

[Vinpetrol]

Cost will likely dictate I end up with a big diesel/ kero heater though !

 

[DaveDCB]

I’ve been thinking about that as well ! And a shiftable partition . I’m having a big door in both gables so I thought about half way

You could do say 50m2 in the workshop area, still able laser beam around it and just do some hand lay in the sensitive area.. want to go full hog you could cast a smaller slab underneath that area to take the insulation prior and then mass pour the rest ontop..

 

[Stroppymonkey]

Got a couple hours this afternoon with pecker/post cup to try and temporarily sort some temp retaining affair in a corner that we overdug back in the summer. Slightly embarrassed by my lack of planning and measuring .

Got the KX back undercover to wash off and then found O/S track slipping off idler. Promptly made it worse nor better and dropped it off the drive sprocket as well . First time I’ve had to deal with this solo in the dark.

Some cursing later and all sorted. That side seems to slacken off over time. Leaking seal on piston?