Filling a very large hole

[gyn_paul]

Now that we've finally broken through from the house to the barn, the difference between the floor level of the 2 is more pronounced than I had expected, the drop is fully 40 cms*, and the room area is 40 sqm.

I'd really prefer a solid floor - apart from anything else I want to put in u/floor heating - as opposed to a suspended wood one, but the questions is: what is the cheapest material to fill up a volume of 16 cu metres ?

* elderly knees dictate that a step down is not an option, apparently !

 

p

[Théière]

Dig your pool and fill the hole with the spoil?

[Dog]

Well for a start the rubble left after making the entrance. Then some hardcore or do you have an useless outbuildings that could be knocked down and used?

[Alex H]

[quote user="gyn_paul"]

* elderly knees dictate that a step down is not an option, apparently !

 [/quote]

Why not ramp down then?

[Simon]

I assume you have to lay a new floor in the house to accommodate the underfloor heating, so can you dig down 20cm in the house and shift the spoil across?

[Chancer]

Put a sign outside asking for remblais

[woolybanana]

I have a fat old sow of an ex-MIL who is busy dying so can be buried any time. She will take any amount of space you have to fill.

Alternatively, a local builder would probably be only too glad to get rid of a few loads on you as they often have too much.

[just john]

I've just done this, working from the top down you'll need 6 -10cm of screed (according to how accurate the compacted aggregate and concrete base is), on top of 10cm celotex type insulation (not much point laying UFH on top of anything else), then you only have about half the depth, 20cm to fill. If the barn floor is soil, simplest to lay about 10cm of compacted type one aggregate, topped with 10cm of (reinforced) concrete onto which you lay your celotex, fix the UFH, then fill to depth with screed, (don't forget to buy the floor tiles beforehand so you can work to an accurate depth)[:)]

[LEO]

Are there any existing window/door openings in the barn which may subsequentlly ,be at the "wrong" height if you up the floor by 40cm