building

Hi all, Sure this is a standard-practice bit of info but I’m at a loss after searching online and YouTube for exactly what I need. We have a corner in a room that’s out by anything between 5-10cm, and we’ll soon be installing some base units against one of those walls. The dishwasher needs to...

Good afternoon all. We have recently moved in to a 1950s house in SE London and have two upcoming jobs. 1. Boiler has just packed up so replacing this which will also mean replacing the flue 2. There is already a reasonable sized hole in the same wall which I would love to make good For this...

The previous rendered plinth was swollen and has been removed. It appears the ground has been raised with concrete by previous owners to create a slope away from the house and the original victorian DPC (some sort of tar) is now only about 2 inches above the ground. There is no particular damp...

Hi, We're converting our airing cupboard space into an enclosed shower. We currently have headroom inside it (floor board to ceiling) of 1900mm. We want to bring this up to 2000 or even 2100 if possible. We cannot move the ceiling upwards since joist in the loft run right above it. So we...

I cannot get my head around how I’m going to do this! Ideally I want the wall plate sat back so it isn’t exposed too low. Structural engineer said I can do it either way, sit on top of shorter beam coming out of extension or sat on the post, I can’t see how it would work on picture one? Can...

Looking for some advice on a property. Cracks in render are where extension (circa. 1970s/1980s) meets original building (circa. 1920s). Survey came back to say there’s potential progressive movement. There are no render cracks on the ground elevation, damp cause is fine and there’s no rising or...

Single story extension is leaking in heavy rain - we have a flat ceiling inside and in heavy rain both spotlights are dripping heavily with water. One towards the back of the extension wall and one towards the front. We’ve also got 2 other wet patches. We’ve been on the roof and inspected the...

Hello, I’m currently in the process of redecorating a property I’ve had for less than 6 months and decided to tackle the lounge. One of the outside-facing walls has a partition made and after I’ve painted it white I’ve noticed that the studs behind seem to be pushing through and causing the...

Been cleaning/restoring our uPVC window frames. Noticed that the sill was loose so removed it to give it a proper clean. Underneath is a gap in the capping whcih doesn’t look right to me. Imagined that this should run right underneath. The seams of the window frames/seals were sealed with...

We've started renovating our kitchen and we're wondering whether we can safety remove an internal wall The wall itself does not appear to be supporting anything and runs in line with the joists above and there is no wall that runs directly in line above. We have blocked the side door In the...

We purchased a house with an attached garage that opens to the back garden, however its not been completely closed off. We’d like to close the garage as when it rains water comes in but also to protect any stored items. Whats the best way? I’d like to put in a uPVC door with glass to allow...

Hi all, Had loads of really useful help on here, special thanks to Woody on that front. Just wanted to list out everything i'm getting before putting quite an expensive order in (that I can't afford to get wrong). Plus it may help someone seeing this level of detail. I've spoke to building...

I need to make a step flush in my new extension as shown in the attached dodgy sketch. The recess is about 40mm deep, 700mm wide and the step about 150mm high (I need to measure). I plan to use c24 timber to make it level but my question is what to fix it with? Engineered flooring is going on...

I have recently removed loads of chimney breast from the ground and first floor in my property. On the first floor and in the loft, the breast wasn't tied into the party wall so it was very easy to remove. Downstairs the breast was tied in to the random rubble wall and removing it was a...

Hi there, I have started my first renovation and will be living in the property myself, so attention to detail is paramount to me. In the lounge, I am going to be leaving the centre of the ceiling exposed but there are some white areas around the sides and through part of the middle (I'm not...

Any advice on the below? We are renovating our house and found a very damp inside corner of an external wall, where the original wall of the house was knocked through to a single storey extension. You can see in the photo the wider footing of the house. Our builder thinks this is because the...

Hi everyone I'm finally getting around to ordering building materials. There are so many suppliers can anyone recommend ones to avoid/use etc. Any advice would be great. I'm looking for: 440 x 215 x 140mm solid blocks 440 x 215 x 140mm hollow blocks Cement MOT Type 1 aggregate Needs to...

I have a small sitting room, and would like to put in a multi fuel burner. The KW calculator says I only need a 2kw burner, but I'm not sure that they even exist. Are there regulations preventing me from putting (for example) a 5kw burner in?

Hi all. I'm new here, please go easy on me. I need you all the chippys, architect and builders advice on board and ASAP. I've removed my chimney breast walls from top to bottom. I'm now left in the bedrooms with exposed Joists, which are 7x3 timber and 5 metres long. I was hoping, is it...

First time renovators, just trying to get to bottom of pipe work options. Context: classic 1960’s semi, end of run of 5 houses, poorly constructed conservatory on back of house, and want to complete bigger wraparound extension. Sewerage pipe currently runs under conservatory (constructed...