Self Building My Dream Tiny Home - 12 Days Until I Move In… Building the Bath 

I’m a fan, but also a Structural Engineer of 25+ years experience. Everything you said about the foundations was wrong I’m afraid to say. This house needs to be founded well into the clay and ideally around 1.75m below ground level to avoid the worst affects of clay heave. Those foundations should be concrete pad foundations. I can do a calc for you: Assume 25KN/m2 bearing capacity in the made ground above the clay layer - if you building is 3m wide, the floor dead load + imposed load is 4KN/m2 (SLS) and the roof is probably 2KN/m2 + allow 2KN/m2 on elevation for the walls, therefore 6KN/m run assuming the house is 3m high - therefore the force on the foundations will be [(6x1.5)+(6)] = 15kN for every 1m spacing of the foundations. If they are at 3m, that’s 45KN per footing. Therefore you’ll need 1.8m2 pads (1.35x1.35m x 0.7m deep pads). These should be cast on well compacted earth, ideally with at least 150mm of well compacted type 1. If you can get into the clay layer, the ground will likely take 4 x as much without too much settlement. Next issue - lateral forces If the wind blows, the house takes lateral force, and therefore so do the foundations. The walls are nice and stiff due to diaphragm action if the plywood fixed to the timber studs, but the base sounds like a mechanism, that could fall over. The bath is best being hung from the adjacent (stiffened) joists, as at least then it will move with the floor, rather than initially being stiffer, then dropping as it settles into the poorly compacted made ground. As I say, I’m a fan, but please reach out to your subscribers for advice BEFORE starting something like this!!

keep up the hard work! I'm currently making my garage bigger and its under my bungalow I have moved about 20 tones of clay/mud all by hand by myself and everyday is progress and love seeing the changes and I'm at the point where I'm ready to start concrete and building the block retaining walls! I like seeing how your'e doing little bits everyday, progressing and winning best feeling ever!

Another SE here. I was taken aback when you said you've just sat the timber frame on concrete blocks. It may appear to be working well at the moment, but it's only been standing for a couple months. Over the years, the clay under the made ground will go through cycles of heave and shrinkage in different areas (especially if there are nearby trees). All the while causing differential settlements, which WILL lead to cracks in your wall finishes and tiling. If you're serious about living here long term, you will need to underpin the house to cast propper concrete footings - be that pads or full strips. The frame will need to be fixed down (bolted) into these footings too.

I'm sure you'll work it out, the bath idea sounds great, Personally I'd go for a walk-in shower just for ease and utility economy, Also remember that Concrete is porous, so it's crucial to waterproof and seal it to prevent leaks and water damage.

One trick gardeners use to plant is to put a big auger attachment on a drill. You could do this for loosening your soil to dig. Much less backbreaking.

Hey Chris, don't know if this will help with the bath/shower but B&Q sell something called Qboard which is an insulated tile board in various thickness, can also be used as structural walls etc & it can be made watertight when glued together with CT1, then you can just tile over the top to a finished job. It's not mega money tbh either. Might be a better option than tile backer board etc. Keep up the great work you're doing a fantastic job👍

chris you are an inspiration... i'm getting to the point of gratitude were i am even contemplating signing up for the newsletter 😄😏😂😩😩

Make sure that under the floor there is ventilation to prevent moisture rotting the joists

7:31 Chris, I really admire what you're doing. I speak as a 70+ year old who spent a lot of my career in building and property. I may have missed a video where you've spoken about this but how do you intend to drain your sunken bath?

quality > quantity

Full of it

You're doing great!

It was 12 days yesterday.........you only have 10 days by the time the next video comes out. Good Luck :D

Cmon Chris, you’re fooling no one here. This is potentially a cool building but you’re not addressing even the most fundamental processes for a successful build. Without sub insulation and vapour barrier that floor you’re screwing down over bare soil will be shot in a matter of years or completely F’d after the first time your garden gets flooded. Heed the comment section, your showing a slowing rate of channel subs already and I don’t think you’ll convince too many people to pay to hear about your secret side hustle.. especially when you’re camping in an unheated shed in winter. You’re a good guy, hard working, but let’s keep it credible please.

I hope Chris knows what it's like getting in and out of sunken tubs. I hope he can fit in steps n some sort of handrail on the wall that blends. He could move in today you know, although not many would. If Chris eats once a day n drinks coffee the rest, a big thermos n delivery or takeout works. A good sleeping bag n mat - a folding camp toilet with bucket n bag used in camping? Showers n such at a friends or his brothers. Camping with a roof.. Can always get a camping heater that runs on propane cylinders or if sold in UK a kerosene one. I would think (, no builder at all here) he is doing bath first to get the excavated soil out so he can see how his idea will pan out that will determine the issue of plumbing? Fun watching.

Just remember the trolls activate the algorithm to get you more views and more subscribers, so enjoy them and they’re not doing anything with their lives compared to you. Keep up the great work.

I think a sunken bath would be better made from waterproof concrete poured into the bottom of the hole, then insert a metal reinforcement mesh on the bottom and the four sides, then another layer of concrete on the bottom. Drop a plywood form into the hole then fill the four sides with concrete so you end up with a reinforced concrete box in the floor. The drain would have to be fitted when forming the bottom. If the soil was compacted beforehand hopefully it would not move. What about insulation for the bath? is the cold concrete going to immediately suck out the heat from the water?

Keep up the work Chris. Should the bath be in direct contact with the earth?

I like the idea of this sucken bath Chris, just curious why your not prioritising plumbing for toilet & secptic tank or connect to a mains. I presume if your outside of London in a rural area You'll be putting in a septic tank. Plus having electricity connected for lights & plugs & future cooker etc. Plus your insulation & walls & lay a temporary floor. Just to have it warm & somewhat liveable then focus on the bath. From your previous renovations you've done a mighty job & I know You'll do the same here. Personally Chris I'd focus on the main things You'll need. A bit more planning for the introduction of these organic ideas. I know You'll get there in the end & it'll be smashing I have no doubt. Heat & comfort would be a priority for me. As for the bath idea have ya planned out it's design, will the concrete be insulated? Will ya use a fibre glass mould built by hand? Just curious how your going to approach it.

speed it up lad

Go on my son !🎄🙌👌😘

To any that bought his newsletter - What was his sidehustle/business that made him rich enough to quit his day job?

Mate stop wasting time digging a hole for the bath and crack on with insulating the house. Need to be careful with just blocks on the ground, they will start to subside over time if they are just on the top soil

i like your content chris i think your a great guy, but i cant see you moving in there in 12 days time, theres just to much that still needs to be done.

Definitely looks like an elaborate wood covering to dig a grave….watched too much true crime lately 😂

I don't get it, do you have a day job and you're just doing this a few hours a day. Cause theres no way that's all you did in an eight hour work day. These videos are like an hours worth of work. How are you gonna get it done it 12 days. I'm a chronically ill single mother and I did more building work than that today. Don't get me wrong I'm into the build it's just can you make it make sense please. xx

Wow oh wow didn't u just put in a shower. Less space needed and easier

People are here complaining but they have no idea what else Chris is doing, what other work he has going on, I don’t remember him actually outlining how he fills his days or exactly what other work he does. I remember experiencing the same thing when renovating my last house, I was working a full time office job (10 hour days) and working overtime at weekends to get extra money to pay for materials and other expenses. I had workmates saying I would never finish my house and backstabbing me. I got the house finished in the end and sold then bought another one for cash. I was able to leave the job and work part time now. Some of the people who laughed at me are still renting houses and they are nearly in their 60s.

Hi i'm a person who's never done any building work myself. you should have done x and y and z.... you should have done this really obvious thing that i can see now in hindsight. You should have solved the current problem you're having before you had the problem. See I would have solved that problem in advanced, so you should be more like me!