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Hi. I need to increase my loft insulation but would like to have the loft converted in a couple of years. What would be the most efficient way to do this, reducing waste if it’s converted? It’s currently boarded, which is useful, so I think I’d rather insulate at roof level. Would PIR boards...

I'm about to fit a couple of bespoke aluminium fascias to my extension, replacing the rotten plywood and timber mess left by the builder. My question is: what should I do to the new plywood I'll be installing, which will then be clad in the aluminium? Can it just be primed or sealed, or does it...

Hi. Quick question: I have rigid insulation upstands around the concrete slab in my extension, and am using self-levelling compound on it before laying engineered wood. Do I trim the insulation and level over it (creating a thin cold bridge to the masonry/bifold frame) or level first and trim...

Thanks. That thread doesn’t seem to mention floor joists though. That question was about roof timbers. I’ve bought those Timbascrews and plan to use them, but would love to know whether I should use polyurethane adhesive as well. I’d rather not... (commitment issues )

I’m about to sister joists onto existing ones to level a suspended floor. BCO mentioned I could use screws instead of carriage bolts, but I didn’t quiz him any further at the time. Does anyone have experience in doing this, and would these do the job...

Haaa! Thanks for quelling my paranoia. Since I saw my subfloor full of candy floss when I moved in, I just assume everything is rot. I’ll put the chemicals away.

Can anyone tell what these fine grey strands are in my chimney flue? There was wet and dry rot in this house when I bought it, but the ground floor timbers have all been replaced with pressure treated ones, and isolated from the masonry with a plastic DPC. The timbers have a moisture content of...

I have a fully operational 2-zone wet UFH system in the ground floor of my house. Suspended floor with PIR boards between joists, pipe laid on top in a S&C biscuit screed. Builder ran the flow and return for one of the zones under the joists of the cupboard under the stairs. The stairs go...

My wonderful builder left me with this mess after not quite finishing my extension. This is the bathroom above the kitchen where an RSJ ended up encroaching into the room at floor level. I want to tackle the puzzle of fireboarding it myself, but am not quite sure on what needs to be done to...

Does anyone have any idea what these bricks poking out could be for ? It used to be a party wall before WW2, when the house became end-of-terrace. It's really weird!

Thanks, bobasd. The DPC is just above the airbricks, which is far too high really. Airbricks are actually above the joists, but I’ve created ducts in the brickwork so the internal holes are below. I’ve had all the joists downstairs replaced with pressure-treated timber and all the timber is...

Hi. I've been combatting damp problems in my victorian end-of-terrace (built 1880). I got rid of the concrete slab in front of my front wall, and dug down to the stepped foundation, and hacked off all the cement render that was between the pebbledash and about halfway down the exposed bricks you...

Thanks for your advice, guys. Much appreesh! Thanks @John D v2.0. The 15mm is about 10m from near the boiler to the manifold. It's only a little 2-up 2-down victorian terrace. Cheers, @muggles! I already have Tado smart TRVs on my 2 radiators upstairs. There's nothing on the towel rail in...

Hi all My idiot builder who took a year to not complete my extension has run the flow and return pipes to my UFH manifold in 15mm from the feeds to an old rad instead of the usual 22mm from the boiler. He didn't get as far as buying the 2-zone manifold, so I've got all the gear ready to plumb...

Thanks, guys. This is all really helpful. Footsoldier888: I've seen Peter Ward's videos and I agree that the cement render is unsuitable. I spoke to a builder who recently lime rendered a similar house opposite mine and he said he'd do it for £10k but personally he wouldn't bother at this...

Thanks, John. I'm planning to do the same as you with the DPC under the new timbers. Even if there was a perfectly functioning DPC, wouldn't the moisture from the ground still evaporate into the floorboards and joists though?

Hi. I bought my Victorian end-of-terrace house 2 years ago and am still trying to solve a problem with dampness in the subfloor void. As you'd expect, this has caused a lot of damage to the timbers, mainly wet rot and wood beetle damage. Photos are here...

Thanks, guys. I have a modern yellow plastic gas supply, and can see all the pipework internally, so it's definitely not connected to that. I'm having an extension built in the new year, so hopefully digging around it will reveal that it's not connected to anything. It just seems strange that...

Any ideas what this pipe could be? (see pic) I'm investigating very moist soil under the ground floor of my house and am wondering whether this is an old water pipe that could be responsible. It's a victorian end-of-terrace built in 1880. Thanks in advance.

Hi My 1880s end-of-terrace house is suffering with rising damp/rising salts in the flank wall & chimney stacks and I'm stumped over how to fix it. The house was a mid-terrace until WW2 when the house next door was bombed, so the external flank wall was originally built as an internal party...