DaveS's Obsy Build. First thoughts.

[Davey-T]

When we moved in here my wife plugged the hoover in one of the few sockets which promptly went bang and blew the plug off the wall, I took it apart and it looked like it had been wired by a spider, also it only had 2 porcelain fuses for the whole house but when they were both removed one socket was still live as it had been wired out from the bottom of the fuse holder 

Dave

Edited January 20, 2019 by Davey-T

[DaveS]

Not quite that bad, I hope, though I'm in some dread as to what else is lying in wait for me. Oh yes, I had to get plumbers in quickly a while back, as the booster pump for the two showers refused to shut down when the water was turned off.

[Davey-T]

Having spent the best part of 40 years getting this place in shape the next lucky owner wont have to lift a finger which pleases my son as he can offload it quickly when I'm gone 

Dave

[DaveS]

Things are underway (Well, sort of)

I have an electrician and roofer booked in for this coming Thursday (21st) to attend to the garage roof, and put in safe electrical power to the garage, with feeds out to the small platform, which is also on the way (May take 4-5 weeks lead time), and obsy

The big platform and obsy will have to wait until I've sold my bungalow (Just had a sale fall through. Blummin' chains), so the electrician will just cap off the end of the cable and coil it up.

Oh, and I'm glad I got the roof done before Storm Eric came along.

The Obsy isn't quite as urgent as it was, since I'm getting an ODK12 instead of a GSO RC12, which can be carried by the DDM60 until I can budget for a DDM85. The ODK12 can sit under a big Telegizmos cover, designed for 12-14" SCTs

[Jkulin]

Dave, I had my telegizmo 365 leak and flooded my mount, so as a precaution I bought one of Steve @ENS's breathable covers and I fitted that over my setup and then fitted the telegizmo over that, as an extra precaution. I was amazed that the Telegizmo doesn't have taped/welded seams and is just stitched...unbelievable, I used to design waterproof covers and we would never have put anything out without taped seams.

[DaveS]

Thanks for the warning John. This is rather concerning, given the cost and advertised robustness of 365 covers. TBH I've only had condensation under the two I have, remedied by an electric pet bed and a light dusting of silicone water repellent.

Do you have a link for the taped breathable membrane cover?

[Jkulin]

Here you go Dave, really very impressed https://ensoptical.co.uk/index.php?_route_=telescope-covers

[DaveS]

Many thanks for that John, I'll have to investigate further, mainly with respect to size.

[DaveS]

Oh [Many very bad removed words].

I've just come back from the planning clinic where the young lady (Emma by name) confirmed my worst fears, that the only way to get the 4m height I need without planning is to go with the double pitched roof I had thought of originally. If I have a dome it either has to be under 3m or else I have to go through the planning rigmarole, 8 weeks for approval plus a likely 2 weeks more for "validation" at a cost of £209.

[JamesF]

How come you're allowed 4m height with a pitched roof but only 3m with a dome?

James

[alanjgreen]

On 01/03/2019 at 12:54, DaveS said:

Oh [Many very bad removed words].

I've just come back from the planning clinic where the young lady (Emma by name) confirmed my worst fears, that the only way to get the 4m height I need without planning is to go with the double pitched roof I had thought of originally. If I have a dome it either has to be under 3m or else I have to go through the planning rigmarole, 8 weeks for approval plus a likely 2 weeks more for "validation" at a cost of £209.

Have you considered lowering your ground level. For my obsy we dug down two feet and so the height was reduced. I cleared an area big enough for the obsy plus a table and chairs at the side so we can also sit down there in privacy out of the wind and the obsy gives some shade from summer sun. We have a couple of steps down. I will see if I can find a pic or two...

We used railway sleepers to hold the earth back on three sides then a retaining wall on the forth side.

We put a french drain in all around to take the rain water away.

Then covered the exposed ground with some anti-weed matting and finally covered with an inch depth of Lakeland slate pieces.

Obviously it adds to the cost but helped the wife accept me having a shed in the garden

Alan

Edited March 3, 2019 by alanjgreen

[DaveS]

32 minutes ago, JamesF said:

How come you're allowed 4m height with a pitched roof but only 3m with a dome?

James

*silly song-song voice* "it's the rules innit"

https://interactive.planningportal.co.uk/mini-guide/outbuildings/7

2.5 metres to the eaves maximum, 4 metres total height if a double-pitched roof, 3 metres in all other cases. Which catches a domed obsy . Provided it's more than 2 metres from a boundary.

[DaveS]

32 minutes ago, alanjgreen said:

Have you considered lowering your ground level. For my obsy we dug down two feet and so the height was reduced. I cleared an area big enough for the obsy plus a table and chairs at the side so we can also sit down there in privacy out of the wind and the obsy gives some shade from summer sun. We have a couple of steps down. I will see if I can find a pic.

Alan

The point is to *increase* the height of the 'scope above ground level so as to be able to see over the rather high boundaries.

[DaveS]

It doesn't help that I'm in a conservation area within the Dorset AONB, but at least the house isn't listed.

[JamesF]

Is the garden on a slope?  You do at least get to measure the height from the highest point of the adjacent ground as far as I recall.

James

[Gina]

The ground under my observatory is below general ground level and floods - I have a sump pump to remove water in heavy rain - passive drainage doesn't work.

[Gina]

My observatory is a touch under 2.5m to the apex of the roof, above the ground level on the highest side of it.  It's close to the boundary so the 2.5m height limit applies.  The foundations are below ground level.

[DaveS]

10 minutes ago, JamesF said:

Is the garden on a slope?  You do at least get to measure the height from the highest point of the adjacent ground as far as I recall.

James

The garden is terraced down to the lawn area where the obsy will go, then roughly slopes to the end.

Overall view from my bedroom

And from the patio

I think the 4m limit would be from the lawn.

[Davey-T]

I made a telescopic pier for my obs'y powered by an electric ram to see over the sides, only raises it a foot but no reason it couldn't be made with more lift, they are available commercially but cost an arm and several legs.

Do these reg's also apply to temporary buildings ie prefab that can be dismantled with a socket set if necessary ? in some places these have less stringent rules.

Dave

[Gina]

I thought these regs applied to temporary buildings and that you needed planning permission for any permanent building.

[DaveS]

I think the regs are for temporary outbuildings such as sheds, greenhouses, garages etc, incidental to the "enjoyment" of the dwelling.

[JamesF]

1 hour ago, Gina said:

I thought these regs applied to temporary buildings and that you needed planning permission for any permanent building.

Depends what you mean by "temporary", but outbuildings are allowed to have proper foundations and be block- or brick-built and can still be done under permitted development rights these days as long as you meet all the other requirements about height, position and so on.

James

[JamesF]

Have your dome built so that the apex is about 3.85m high.  If anyone complains, erect a 4m high shed with 2.5m eaves and a rolling roof over the top.  Leave the rolling roof permanently open   If the shed were to "fall down" at some point, it might take you quite a while to get around to rebuilding it, I imagine.

Sorted.

James

[Astrokev]

9 hours ago, JamesF said:

Is the garden on a slope?  You do at least get to measure the height from the highest point of the adjacent ground as far as I recall.

James

I thought it was average ground level of the surrounding area - but I'd need to check to be sure.  I seem to recall we had this conversation a few months back over somebody's dome build!

[JamesF]

6 minutes ago, Astrokev said:

I thought it was average ground level of the surrounding area - but I'd need to check to be sure.  I seem to recall we had this conversation a few months back over somebody's dome build!

Lee's, as far as I recall.  I'm pretty sure I'm right though, unless things have changed in the last two or three years.

James