Prepare the Plot

Site Clearing & Levelling

Clearing and levelling the site is something that you can choose to do yourself, particularly if you’re working on a tight budget. If you’re doing it yourself, seek some advice from a local builder and let them guide you on what needs to be done. Alternatively, there are many specialist companies offering site clearance who will do all of this for you.

Site Access

The easier it is to access the site, the better it will be from a cost and labour point of view. The preparations you make to give access to site will pay dividends throughout the project, especially when large quantities of materials are being delivered.

Rain Water, Waste Water & Sewage Treatment Systems

If your property is not connected to the municipal sewage system you will need to consider installing your own treatment facilities. Huws Gray offer a complete range of solutions from leading companies in the field such as Titan Pollution Control.

Many improvements have been made in recent years to traditional 'septic tanks' and modern systems are now easy to install. Complete waste treatment centres for both domestic grey water and sewage are also available and these are worth considering for environmental reasons.

Rainwater recycling systems are also becoming popular in the light of recurring water shortages in parts of the country, these too are available from your local Huws Gray.

Radon Sumps and Radon Protection

Certain areas of the UK have been identified as being radon affected. Many councils now insist on the installation of anti-radon measures, even in areas where the problem is minimal. This usually involves the installation of a Radon Sump, which is a simple chamber 600mm x 600mm constructed beneath the floor slab. There are also preformed plastic chambers available for this purpose and this is usually done at the same time as the drainage and sewage works. 

In some areas special radon resistant membranes are specified for additional protection. Special membranes, which also act as the damp proofing are available for this purpose.

Your council planning department and/or building inspectors will be able to advise you on any local building requirements for Radon. The protection measures are quite simple to install and many council websites contain basic information about this.