Neighbour looking for access through garden for digger

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newo

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Just got a text from next door neighbour who called while we were out, they are getting a sunroom as an extension. Terraced property and we are end house while they are mid. They want to know if they can have access for a digger to get into their garden through ours and that they will put down timber to protect our patio.

Our patio is Indian sandstone, a few years old, and cost €7,000 (including the landscaping of the rest of the garden but the sandstone was the most expensive part).

My concerns are mainly that the Indian Sandstone is quite brittle and erodes and can break etc. how do we know that the weight of this digger is not going to cause damage to the sandstone. If one slab is damaged it won't be viable to replace one slab due to the fact that it has all aged and looks the same.

We like the neigbhour and don't want to fall out, the work is going to take 4-6 weeks, apart from the fact we've bought plants and had planned on planting the garden and then power washing the sandstone in preparation for summer and that's now going to go on hold (I wouldn't begrudge this for a one off job but it's a bit of a pain), I am more concerned about the patio and them taking the fence down etc.

My husband says we need to look at the builders insurance to see if they have cover for this but I'm thinking how much would I trust them or would we even have the money to start a claim against them. The text was phrased in such a way that it's no big deal but I think it is quite a big deal. It wouldn't bother me a jot if we just had grass or if it was concrete it's purely the fact we spent all that money getting the garden landscaped (SSIA money!).

As an aside my husband has some very stressful medical issues at the moment that are private and we don't want to get into with them but we really could do without the upset and the timing of the extension couldn't be worse but obviously that's not their fault, just have bigger worries at the moment so not really in the frame of mind for all of this.

Anybody know anything about Indian sandstone or even anyone any thoughts are we worrying unneccesarily? Don't mind the inconvenience, just worried about a scenario where the patio gets wrecked and the builders dissapear and our good relationship with our neighbour is gone forever......................

Thanks in advance
 
I'm all for being helpful and friendly etc but I would not allow a digger, presume they mean a mini one, across my patio and it didn't cost what yours did, not to mind taking down a fence. I was going to put on a kitchen extension couple of years ago and I wouldn't even allow a mini digger through my own garden, insisted that foundation would have to be hand dug, would have costed a bit extra but other way would have ruined the garden so six of one half dozen of the other.

Is there any other way of getting it in, my builder at the time suggested getting a crane to lift it in over trees from the road.
 
No, can't see any other way of getting it in, would have to be lifted right over the house. The house on the other side of this neighbour got a sunroom a few years ago without the need for a digger. Whereas the text said 'I need to get a digger in'. OH is really reluctant (as am I) to fall out with this neighbour so am interested to hear your views as don't want to be mugs either, thanks for the reply.
 
peteb said:
mini-diggers can fit through the front door these days!
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Interesting.......... Our houses are tiny though and the front door opens right onto the stairs, I don't think it would actually fit around the corner.

So annoyed with this situation as know it's going to give bad feelings if we say no and there are only three houses on the road.
 
+1 on what wbbs says.

Your patio will not hold up to a mini-digger driving over it ... timber or no timber.

Better saying no now rather than having a major falling out when things go horribly wrong.
 
newo said:
No, can't see any other way of getting it in, would have to be lifted right over the house. The house on the other side of this neighbour got a sunroom a few years ago without the need for a digger. Whereas the text said 'I need to get a digger in'. OH is really reluctant (as am I) to fall out with this neighbour so am interested to hear your views as don't want to be mugs either, thanks for the reply.
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The foundation etc. can be dug manually ..... it may take more time and may cost the neighbour more but it's possible. Your neighbour could even save himself money by digging it out himself.

Rule out the builder going through your garden ... it's the simplest solution for you.
 
Thanks Paddy.

It won't go down too well, but at the end of the day it seems we would be the ones paying the price for the builder (ergo neighbour) saving time and money by using the digger. The work can be done manually, it is also the cheek of the 'I need to get a digger in through your garden', when actually no you don't NEED one, you would like one that has annoyed me!
 
I reckon your patio and its cost is your trump card. It was laid by professionals who advised you on its care etc. .... having rung them today they told you that it wouldn't withstand being driven over by a mini-digger. You're so sorry that it won't work out for them etc.

(Tell them to get out their shovels ..... )
 
Exactly as PaddyBloggit says, it will cost them more to repair your patio than they will save by not hand digging it.
 
wbbs said:
Exactly as PaddyBloggit says, it will cost them more to repair your patio than they will save by not hand digging it.
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And the odds of getting them to repair it are slim to none..... Will have to break the news tomorrow :(
 
Just thinking out loud:

It might be possible to cover your patio in c. 9" of compacted sand - and then put a timber "path" on top of that. It would spread the weight of the mini-digger.
Best if you got someone to run the calculations though...
 
Superman said:
Just thinking out loud:

It might be possible to cover your patio in c. 9" of compacted sand - and then put a timber "path" on top of that. It would spread the weight of the mini-digger.
Best if you got someone to run the calculations though...
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Sounds like getting out the shovels and digging the hole manually would be less hassle!

I personally think it very intrusive of the neighbour to even ask in the first place. Maybe a minor portion of the money they saved buying a mid terrace rather than an end of terrace can offset the extra costs (if any!) of not using a digger.
 
I agree DerKaiser, as the evening goes on I'm getting more agitated by the neighbour even asking. I know it will be the brass neck of the builders though.

Yes our house cost €30,000 more, so good point...
 
newo said:
I agree DerKaiser, as the evening goes on I'm getting more agitated by the neighbour even asking. I know it will be the brass neck of the builders though.

Yes our house cost €30,000 more, so good point...
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PaddyB's solution is the best. Say the guys who laid the patio warned you against it. If the neighbours are sound you'll remain on good terms.
 
newo said:
I agree DerKaiser, as the evening goes on I'm getting more agitated by the neighbour even asking.
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You need to be more assertive in this situation, by this I mean not let yourself fall into the usual trap of feeling guilty, getting annoyed or stressed over the request. The neighbour was too cheeky in asking and the most annoying part of the whole thing is that they did it by text. God be with the days when people actually made an effort and called in next door to ask politely if this was possible.
 
if the digger has caterpillar tracks, they exert 3-5psi, that's as much as an average adult standing up.

A good looking blond in stillettos can exert 2000 psi. do you insist she remove her shoes?

I wouldnt :)
 
sustanon said:
if the digger has caterpillar tracks, they exert 3-5psi, that's as much as an average adult standing up.

A good looking blond in stillettos can exert 2000 psi. do you insist she remove her shoes?

I wouldnt :)
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Where did you get the psi calculation for the digger from as when a digger is running on a hard surface the tracks take the weight on the thin ends/tops of the tracks that would otherwise sink into softer ground and spread the load across a greater area of the track in between the high points.

for the OP, if your neighbours are adamant they need a digger then tell them to get it craned over. Dead easy with a mobile crane, might cost a few hundred to do but cheaper than your patio, aggravation, worry etc.

If they won't do it that's their problem not yours so don't worry :)
 
Depending on size of digger, they weigh less than 2 tonnes which should not be a problem for any surface in/around a house if you use planks (or one of those "temporary road surfaces").
Having said that, I'd make sure that the insurance is in place and will pay out in case of damages (get the details from builder, maybe a surveyor before to ensure no hassle in case of damage).
I wouldn't rule it out generally speaking despite hassle - but understand the OP's resentment.
 
I would advise you not to allow access for this digger for a number of reasons some of which were previously outlined. Firstly, the construction of a sun room will require excavating foundation trenches, the removal of topsoil and sub-soil spoil and the use of a range of materials, concrete, walling, glazing, roofing etc. All of this material will require access to the work site. The safest and simplest mode is for your neighbour to use an access route through his own house and make any necessary alterations to accommodate plant, materials and the removal of spoil. Micro diggers weighing less than 1,000kg (1 tonne) are readily available from plant hire companies ie. the Kubota K008 weighs 860 Kg and will pass through most door openings, smaller diggers are also available. Worst case scenario is that your neighbour can crane in the digger together with heavy materials over the roof, this is an easy task for a mobile crane, even a small city crane will complete this task. When complete the crane can remove the digger and the excavated spoil in one operation.

Secondly, Your indian sandstone may or may not get damaged even where protective boarding is used, it is an unnecessary risk on your part. Your fence would also need to be removed and the temptation will be for your neighbour to ask for permission to use this route for the removal of the excavated materials and the importation of the building materials.

Wish your neighbour well with his project but suggest he gets his builder to solve the problem of construction, that is his job not yours.

Mr June
 
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