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I'm not a bricklayer by trade, but I do lay a few thousand bricks and blocks every year. I use a gauging trowel over a normal brick/mason's trowel as I usually work with the mortar dumped into big plastic flexi tubs where the shorter length and round nose makes it easy to get all the mortar...

The rule the same for new and replacement surfaces, even replacing like for like would require PP if it does not fall under PD. If it is more than 5m2, is impermeable, and does not drain to a permeable surface, soakaway, etc, it needs PP. Once the blocks have been down for a season or two the...

With a front edge like that I'd put one narrow-edge row of grey concrete edging stones set level with the pavement (the sacrificial edge that would be disturbed if the pavement is ever resurfaced) then a linear drain, then start your block pattern/border. It will give a neat transition between...

If you speak to the council they will tell you that you should either apply for PP if it won't comply or pay for a LDC if it will (which are a waste of money). In reality most LAs will not enforce non-PD drive replacements unless you obviously take the micky by installing a carpark that drains...

The planning portal has a page on this: https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/45/paving_your_front_garden My local authority are issuing enforcement notices for this, and a neighbour had to dig up their newly paved drive to install a linear drain along the front edge...

Thanks for the comments so far. Another engineer visited this morning and managed to trace the problem to the joint between the copper cabling that serves most of the "link" and an aluminium cable that does the final quarter or so to the cabinet. I believe he was a broadband engineer rather...

My apologies for the long post, but I wanted to provide some background info on my problem and the resolutions already explored before asking for help. My questions are in the last paragraph. I've recently "upgraded" from ADSL2 to FTTC on the two BT phone lines to my house. The sync rates...

If the room was to have furniture placed under the window that would effectively act as a step, for example a chair or a dressing table, would that be sufficient for the building regs or would you need to add a step and then cover it with the furniture? If it isn't allowed (which I suspect it...

Between batches from the same plant you can get pronounced colour differences and even blocks from the same batch should be mixed when laying. It bugs me no end when you walk through a new housing estate with nice well-blended architecture and every driveway and brick wall has coloured bands...

What kind of sadistic cretin would design bricks with four through holes? :x Out of interest, why don't brick manufacturers build their bricks with a clean weak point on the top and bottom faces (and down the frog too)? It would make breaking into clean halves them as simple as tapping...

The only time you would be able to cut into a public footpath without permission (and insurance) would be to repair damage if the footpath collapsed onto your land, for example after excavating for a new driveway or wall, and you must make good immediately. Lowering a section would not be...

Personally I wouldn't use one, and I would be mightily upset if any of my neighbours did. My friend's neighbour did his fence with a spray system (closed panels, not hit-and-miss) and it ended up on my friend's car, his house walls and windows (UPVC window frames were ruined), sandstone patio...

No. It would only be discrimination if they rejected it because of your religion. As that is not a valid reason under planning law they cannot use that reason. Therefore if it is rejected it wouldn't matter if you were Hindu, Sikh, Christian, or atheist, as it would have been rejected for...

I have much the same setup in my garden wall a couple of years ago, using stone slabs as the coping. After one season there was a bit of algae staining running down the wall in a few places so I took a small stone cutting disc and scored a small grove just in those places to break the drips...

Unless the extension is obviously subordinate then it may look better finished inline with the rest of the property. When I had my bungalow externally insulated (120mm PIR, ply, barrier and shingles) it went over three different wall types thanks to various extensions over the past 50 years...

Disclaimer: I have not built a cable balustrade that was subject to building regs notification, but I have installed them in my garden. I added a side handrail as well as across the top which would make it very difficult for a small child to climb unless they could lift their own body weight or...

Place a piece of clingfilm on the floor, weigh it down around the edges and leave it overnight. It will show as a damp patch on the floor if there is still water evaporating out of it. Even though the area sounds small enough to level in one pour I would still seal it to stop the concrete...

Razmatazz, unfortunately you find yourself in a situation that would require the case officer to have some common sense and desire to help; something which she is clearly lacking. Unfortunately to her you are a customer to generate income - she does not care about the effect on your family or...

By "proof", I assume he means some sort of automatic acknowledgement fired out by the council when the email was received? If that is the case then I cannot see how they can claim they did not receive it. You have notified them and they have failed to properly handle it. The fact one hand of...

You'll never need to use your outside stopcock until the day after you cover it up. Also, if it has your meter in there as well then when the water company next come round to read your meter they will simply dig up your drive to re-expose it. As mentioned it is their property and they require...