Recent content by Larches

Thanks everyone for those suggestions. Never occurred to me that it could be the carpets degrading, although I did think it could be that spores had set up home in the carpets, and presumably if the damp is from beneath and the mould is in the backing, that explains why the carpet cleaning...

Definitely feels/sounds like it's suspended. There's fully-fitted carpet/laminate/vinyl throughout, so I've not been able to inspect further. It's a detached house. Good question as to how long it was vacant... I meant to ask the landlords but forgot. :rolleyes: I would guess at least half a...

We recently moved into a house that had stood empty for some time, and we're having a lot of trouble shifting an unpleasant musty smell which we're concerned may be a sign of mould. It's the kind of smell you would associate with damp and is quite strong around the entrance hall and living room...

Hi all, considering buying a 30s semi and noticed a couple of dodgy-looking areas on the walls during our viewing. Would really appreciate a second opinion from anyone with a bit of experience in these things. Firstly beneath the bay window in the lounge, there is a large area that looks...

Seems unlikely that it would be a deal breaker (too difficult as it is finding somewhere that meets our requirements!) but having said that I don't like the thought of it being unsafe and having no option but to get the darn things removed (or take the roof off to fit fire hoods! :ROFLMAO:)...

Glad it's not just me that thought that. I've also seen too many that have come loose and dropped down a bit (maybe never installed very well to begin with). Trouble is, the trend seems to have spread like... er... wildfire.

Hi all. We've been viewing houses recently and I've noticed that nearly all have recessed downlighters somewhere or other - in some cases just one room but in others they're throughout most of the house. Some are in downstairs ceilings with a room above, others in upstairs ceilings with loft...

Thanks @blup, it's a fair point that the neighbours make all the difference. Just so hard to assess that when buying, and even then we'd have no idea if/when we might get new neighbours, hence my focus on the construction side of things. We would get at least a level 2 but maybe level 3 survey...

Hoping someone can advise on sound insulation between houses as we're looking to move this year. This seems a tricky aspect of house buying for light sleepers / shift workers / anyone who just likes a bit of peace and quiet. We can't really tell just from a viewing or two whether noise could be...

Ha, funnily enough @tell80 I had that very discussion with Mrs! She was concerned it might give a bad impression, not least as unfortunately it's right in front of the door as you go into the en suite. I thought it might not be such a big deal, pointed it out to the estate agent doing a...

Thank you (again :) @RandomGrinch, you may be just a DIY-er but obviously a more experienced one than I am. :) You're correct that it is one of several downlights, so maybe best to get something like Blup has suggested above just to fix this one. I'll investigate the plasterboard & screws as...

Amazing how the prospect of moving house gives focus to lots of little jobs that I had somehow been avoiding... :rolleyes: She Who Must Be Obeyed has pointed out that it would be nice not to have a blatant crack in a floor tile when showing people round (and the grouting is crumbling too), but...

Thank you - daft as it may sound, I didn't know that was a thing! Looks like it might be some handy stuff to have (and -1/2 pint is more bearable). (y)

We have a loft ladder that unfortunately sits over the top of a recessed GU10 spotlight, so when we had our insulation topped up, the combined weight/pressure pushed down on the top of the light fitting so that it protruded slightly from the ceiling. I'm not sure the light was fitted...

Thanks for the link, but don't make me choose between that and pints! :LOL: Seems daft that it should be necessary or cheaper to buy a whole new thing than just replace a couple of rubber strips, but it seems that's the way it is (I'm guessing the silicone sealant is probably not a good idea...