Recent content by FergusMacdonald

Gotcha. The opening is approx 1.8m wide and 2.7m high and I'm custom making the door. Currently thinking to skip the L brackets and instead screw a 50mm x 75mm wooden strip along the wall (orange piece) - as many screws as required and then also just for added security, add some adhesive before...

Sorry, should've mentioned, it's been plastered over and ready for decorating.

Too high how? It's at the top of the wall opening and the sliding door will sit on this side of the wall so the track needs secured along the wall above the opening. Yes, there's timber beneath but not sure how securely that timber is attached to the beam. Do you think it's safe to just screw...

We had an internal wall taken down and an RSJ added. I'm now fitting a sliding door over this opening and wondering how best to attach the sliding door hardware to the wall in front of the steel beam. Unfortunately I didn't see how they created the timber boxing before attaching plasterboard...

Great thank you. Any idea if I should use cement or lime mortar or does it not matter?

Unfortunately I had to remove some rotten joists so had to disturb part of it and the centre of it just crumbles if you touch it. No hadn't seen any damp proof membrane anywhere on the house. It's circa 1890. I've got about 500-600mm to come up so would I need something to contain the MOT? Was...

The foundation under the hearth seems to be (in this order from bottom up): 1. Earth 2. Large sandstone blocks 3. Loose rubble 4. Concrete/rubble mixed 5. Cement 6. Granite hearth We want to tile the hearth so I'm leaning towards removing it all and rebuilding. I had thought about supporting it...

I'm repairing some rotten floor joists and want to sense check what I'm doing. Do you see anything here that looks obviously problematic? Mostly the joists are rotten at the ends where they touch/sit in the walls, or where debris under the solum was touching them. - I've cleared out the solum...

Thanks again I've not started any repair work yet, only digging out the solum. Was wanting to feel confident in the plan before I tackle anything. Appreciate all your advice - thanks. 2. Gotcha. Thanks. 5. What should it be? Brick/stone into a foundation? 6. Could you highlight on a photo as...

1. Ah apologies, have done that now and pics below. 2. Why demolish the humped wall vs leave it and put damp proof course under joists? 3. The room centred plate is a carrier beam - see pics below. 4. Yes definitely - spent the last 2 weeks doing that and nearly complete. By a/b's - is that air...

I think what I'd still love help with is 1. What do I need to do about the rotten wall plates 2. Should I build a sleeper wall inside the exterior/interior walls or just wrap joist ends in damp proof membrane

Ha ha it's a great tool right! I didn't know the brand, I got it from my dad and love it.

Thanks for the reply. I've had a more detailed look now and it seems that all the joists are resting on a top of a wooden floor plate which is embedded in the wall. On the exterior and interior walls it's within the wall and the joist rests on top of it. I can't see any DPC of any sort on the...

The ground level outside is approx level with the top of the vent. Inside that's approx equal with the floorboards. There seems to be 1 vent per room and the rooms are not open to each other under the floor other than random bricks here and there for pipe work. Definitely need to sort that...

Just realised since I need to replace 1m at one side and 150mm at the other, I could just cut off the 150mm that's rotten and sister 1.15m at the other end . I don't need to sister both ends