concrete

A local charity has asked my advice about new footings for a heavy iron swing gate on their depot that needs repaired. Due to a very sandy terrain (no rock or clay bed in the Netherlands) I am undecided whether a spread footing (reinforced slab and small upstand ) or two reinforced footing's...

Hi everyone, I am having a bit of a nightmare removing all dust from my concrete floor surface because the floor is bumpy I can't hoover. Below is pictures, I need to patch up the holes first before applying the self levelling compound. Please could anyone help me regarding the following...

Hi Guys, looking to tile my new kitchen floor, however, have come across a hickup, There is a very large hole in the concrete floor from wall to wall which has collapsed slightly. I don't know why this has happened though my suspicion is that the builder who did my extension years ago knew...

I'm going to insulate one wall of the mother-in-law's home (the outside wall of the living room). Plan is to strip the plaster, batten out and fill with 25mm insulation, then overlay that with 25mm insulation and cover with plasterboard/skim. Are there any special considerations to take into...

I have a bit of a situation at the moment whereby I was due to have some Amtico laid for me a few weeks ago. Having spent months trying to locate a fitter, the agreed date finally came around. However, for one reason or another, the fitter wasn't able to lay the flooring during the agreed time...

What's the best method to repair an area of concrete which has broken up? The area is where a drainage downpipe comes out. I think the idea by previous people was that the whole of the small backyard area would drain into the one rainwater drain and so they concreted everything they could see...

I want very sturdy slotted concrete posts. About 8 or 9 foot high. Can anyone recommend any particular make or type of post? For instance, are pebble ones the best ones? Thanks. Rich

Hi there, I'm trying to fit an old cast iron fireplace in my Victorian house. So far, I have replaced the builder's arch with a concrete lintel (the floor level is apparently a few inches higher now than when the house was built, so I needed a few extra inches for the insert. I've also removed...

I'm prepping the fireplace in our front room for a new log burning stove. All of the brickwork/mortar is sound but I want to cover in 12mm concrete board (HardieBacker), as this is what I've been advised to do by the local authorities. First of all, is this gap necessary? No problem at all if...

Hi Folks, My bathroom floor has had problems with damp and thinking that it was just condensation I pulled the Lino back to reveal pipes in the floor had been leaking. What is worse is whoever installed these pipes had also cut a hole in the DPC for the waste for the bath and never sealed...

I fear this may cause a bit of eye rolling, but my questions is...if using tanking slurry on a damp concrete floor, does it have to meet the edge of the wall? I ask because the I'm loathed to remove the fitted kitchen, and the area under the cupboards is dry. I know the key word is 'tanking', as...

Greetings all Currently removing part of our house to sell off the land to a developer. Demolished part of the house but am retaining part of the piled foundations and reinforced ring beam. Structural Engineer has recommended that we cut the foundations using a diamond saw instead of a kango...

We had an extension built a few years ago - this resulted in the concrete floor of the extension abutting the existing wooden suspended floor in two rooms. The kitchen floor works perfectly - but the back room was/is a problem. I recall the activity at the time when they built the back room...

There are gaps in the concrete floor just inside the front door of my house - and a pale blue sheet of plastic (which is, I suppose, a damp-proof course) is by no means intact. Here is an overview: The size of the gaps is shown by the two pound coin that can (just) be seen in the next three...

Hi , i want to self level over wall tiles .Im always thinking outside the box .Is it possible .Or what else can i use i want a more modern look they are white 6x6 tiles only 3 rows up .only 2.5 square meters .Ideas please ?

I have a large concrete block 17ft × 9ft and 2-3ft thick in my garden that needs to be removed. Whats the best way to break it up without paying the earth?

There was a big crack and hole in the plaster of our chimney breast so my wife started hacking at it and things escalated haha - My main concern is the archway section. It seems to be concreted up, is this usually to support the archway itself or maybe its just an aesthetic patch to square off...

Hi Guys I am trying to think of the best (easiest) way to do this. Basically I have a raised patio that I want to build a set of steps up/in to. the steps themselves will be almost a semi-circle. I want to use brick for the risers and then slabs on top. Question is, do I make forms and pour...

Hello, Is there a maximum depth below floor level a ground beam can be cast? The reason for asking is there need to be waste pipes which would pass right through the ground beam, obviously weakening the beam and probably causing the waste pipe problems in the future. If i install the beam...

My parents have a path around their house made of semi decorative concrete 18inch slabs. Due to the nature of the otherwise gravel driveway these get drive on repeated and are not standing the pace. They need re-laying on a firmer footing but they are not sure what to spec. Most of the path...