Recent content by empty_vessel

Sounds like the worst case scenario, I'm going to contact a structural engineer and find out how best to approach this, looks like the garden might not be that much fun this summer! Not a big garden and it's holding up the neighbours land which is about 6 ft up so pretty rubbish for removing...

I've got a retaining wall in my back garden about 5 ft tall and 20 ft long constructed of pre-formed concrete gravel boards slotted into concrete fence posts, I don't know how far the fence posts have been buried. Over the course of the winter the mortar joints between the panels have started...

As promised, some piccies: A wider view showing the cement pointing only down to a certain level, the remnants of the concrete that breached the DPC and the slate DPC at the bottom. There is only one course of bricks below the ground level and no foundations that I can find. A...

Sorry about the delay replying - my notifications didn't work properly. It is definitely cavity construction and there is definitely a layer of slate 2 courses up in the the wall. The date is taken from a stone set into the front of the house, so I'm assuming that's correct too. The inner...

I've got a bit of a problem with my pointing (I think). House is 1889 3 bed semi of cavity wall construction. I've had some damp problems in the front bay window in the past, mainly caused by dodgy guttering and a concrete pad outside that breached the old slate DPC. I've removed the...

Hi, Bought the house just under 2 years ago and had to replace the original flooring in the front room due to damp, joists were touching the soil (chalk) beneath and had got dry rot. Problem was compounded by the wall construction (cavity wall on a house built in 1889), as the cavity was...

Well, I got over the spacers issue, managed to cut the horizontal bits with a stanley knife and pop out the vertical sections before I regrouted. Got the grout in no trouble and spent forever getting the silicone out as it was breaking down in places. Just got to do the new silicone seal...

As usual the job is trickier than I thought - some kind soul had left in all those plastic spacers so when they come out they bring a bit of the glazed part of the tiles off. I don't want to wreck all the tiles but if I don't get all the grout out then the new stuff won't bond properly. Not...

When you say metal puller I take it you mean the spring loaded sliding device on the blind rail that keeps the blind under tension as it moves up and down the window? I had a similar problem when I moved into my house - if you speak to Velux technical assistance they are very helpful and sent...

I've gone and got some BAL Microflex - hopefully should get the grout out and re-done tomorrow. Not really sure how I'll tell if the plasterboard joint is under the grout joint and what to do about it if it is? On a completely separate note - Topps Tiles in Yeovil charge the earth for a...