Recent content by BruceyP

Hi Guys Im planning to convert an old antique wooden floor lamp. I will just be running a length of flex with a plug up the outside of the lamp and will be connecting it to a rotary switch so the old screw valve fitting can be used to turn the lamp on and off. This will then connect to a...

Hahahah what a man does in the privacy of his own home is his business!!! Although 2.1m seems like enough when you consider adding 4 inches of insulation to the floor, half an inch of screed or boarding and then your flooring not to mention the plaster board and light fittings; at 6ft my head...

Thats great handyman! Certainly worth mentioning and thinking about. The soil covering my footings is clay and very wet and sticky. I actually posed a similar question about the drying out of the soil underneath the footings to my surveyor in relation to the sump and pump. He didnt think it...

thanks handyman, thats interesting. Are you sure you werent underpinning? Or where you just digging out the basement. I know digging 1m sections is common when underpinning but I will only be digging level with the foundations rather than undermining them.

Ahh yes, by this I mean finished floor level. So at the moment the party walls extend 2 and a half foot down below my current and floor level (which will also be my neighbours floor level) to the underside of the footings. As I will be digging down level with the footings this floor level will...

You don't actually require planning for this work in my area but building regs will obviously apply. However I will be submitting a full plans approval so that any issues in design can be resolved early on. I haven't submitted anything yet as surveyor hasn't given me any paperwork from his...

Thanks Simon, thats really usefull. My only question about this would be how much protection does a policy like this offer. For instance the work could run smoothly and and accident free until completion but then perhaps 5 years later cracks could appear due to an issue with the foundations...

Hi Guys Im looking to dig out my basement for conversion into habitable rooms. I will be doing this myself as a competant DIYer. I've been in contact with a structural surveyor who has advised me on digging 4 trial pits to inspect the current foundations which I have completed. Current...

Well I had considered this. I discussed it with the surveyor at the time I bought the house and his opinion was that lime render wasn't worth the hassle. The only damp problems in the house were from penetrating damp coming through the large cracks in the old render (the older cement render...

Thanks Guys There has been a retro fitted injected DPC at some point due to the little holes all along the wall, but no original DPC. The wall is solid wall no cavity and the mortar I presume has to be lime due to its age. Black stuff and very crumbly. Will this effect things?

Hi Guys DIYer here attempting to re render my house next week and just want to get a few things straight in my mind. I've only ever rendered internally (all be it with nice smooth results) with mortar mix from B&Q!! Apologies if this is the same old question being posted here. My house is...

Thats superb thanks very much.

Well the the thing is the stopcock is located in the basement only about 3m from the mains stop tap. This is why im questioning whether it would make much difference. I guess I would run it all the way back to the kitchen and fit a new stop tap in the kitchen. My House is fairly large...

Thanks thats great. Well that certainly answers question number 1. Can anyone help or advise on the second question? Thanks.

Hi Guys, I'm currently in the process of replacing an old lead water main. From what I understand 32mm is probably the best option to improve water pressure/even flows between running taps. The current water main runs for about 3m from the main stop tap under my front path and into my...