Recent content by David Costelloe

here you go. The white cable pointing lower right is one I've just run for the new lights, not connected to anything. Blue and brown go to the light. I'll get a professional to finish off now I have done the donkey work of doing a difficult cable run over a stairwell. But very curious on...

Hi, I'm planning to feed some new ceiling lights from power to an existing ceiling rose. The ceiling rose is dual switched -switch at the foot of the stairs, one at the top. Having had a look at the wires in the rose, all I can see is live, and two other wires, which I assume are switched live...

Hi, I would like to install as a single lighting solution, four LED panels with four drivers. So the load is quite low. Can I intercept a lighting circuit feed to an existing light to power them. Is there any issue with having four feeds to the drivers. If so, how can I address that and stay...

Hi I have a 100m2 of driveway and footpaths to the front of my house. I had the original asphalt/tarmac surface replaced in 1995 when it would have been c. 32 years old, with a red tarmac/asphalt surface. It was laid on the existing concrete base, with proven falls. I'd guess the depth of...

These tap tops are fastened by a screw, but they won't come off. All the taps need a service, but we need to get the tops off. Any tips to try? Tap the tap top with a small handle? WD40? Is it possible to get similar valves if I have to replace them? Anyone recognize the brand? Probably...

Makes sense. I think the 1960s practice was to use cementized wood wool as formwork for concrete cast in situ, with the woodwool then left in place to act as insulation. My roof, given the regular position of lines, looks as if it was either cast in 1m/1yard strips or, as one roofer believed...

Thank Harry - which bit though - the joists supporting the concrete, or the wall taking most of the load directly?

Thanks Harry. I believe the build up of the roof is wooden joists, battens, then woodwool, then the original concrete deck (which would have had asphalt on it in 1990), then we have the modern stuff - OSB with integrated PIR and GRP, which replaced the material that blew off. I've always...

Bernard, you're a genius!! We just capped it off and I'm pretty sure we would not even have to trim a joist, just remove some non structural walling.

Good grief, god know what I did there!!

Very practical to have a ladder like that. Aesthetically a bit ugly though. Wonder if you can get one that "hinges" away onto the roof.

Hopefully I've fixed the image. For an access hatch, I'd need have a hole 800mm x 400mm I think, cutting and trimming one joint - and yes, using disc cutter to form the hole in the roof in manageable sections makes sense, whether it is reinforced or not. And simple. In the picture, you can...

House is three storeys, 100 sqm flat roof, no access to the roof without tower, cherry picker or long ladder and good ladder skills. The picture below is when the 30 year old felt covering blew off. Roof get a lot of leaves on it. There are four drainage outlets, draining to four downpipes...

It is the start of desmopol being added. It's not me - getting on the roof via ladders is not my forte. Seeing the photos, do nothing was not an option. BTW, if you do these jobs off a ladder, get smaller 6kg tins, not 25kg which are tricky to get up safely (rope, pulley, man on ladder...

Brand name was something like "Crystic", with a ten year guarantee. Laid on new OSBs, staggered pattern, taped etc. Looked OK to an inexpert eye when completed