Recent content by theprinceofdarkness

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    Celotex et al - loses performance?

    What about the " guaranteed" less then 1% linear shrinkage in its dimensions. Thats a gap of 20 X 12 X 1% or 2.4" down the the front of a 20' wall cavity. Frank
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    Digging a massive hole with a micro digger?

    If you built the bunker as a circle, then you could use the same method Isambard Kingdom Brunel did for his tunnels. All dug by hand with hardly any machinery. build your circular side wall on the surface in the correct position. When the mortar has cured, remove soil under wall. Wall sinks...
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    Repointing Door Lintel

    Brick mortar is just stabilzed sand, it was never mean't to glue bricks upwards. The brick arch is just jammed in between the wall ends. Frank
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    Eroding brickwork

    As above, could be frost damage. Frank
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    Repointing Door Lintel

    Looking at the pics, your " lintel" (brick arch) has dropped. I would make a hooky thing, bit of coat hanger wire straight with a 20 mm right angle bend at one end and try and pull the loose sections of tiles and mortar out. Give the tiles a good cleaning before re-use, they won't soak up water...
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    foundation depth

    Very interesting question. I was thinking if I was a little bit of concrete some where in the foundation block, what would cause me to try to move sideways away from the house? Needs a sideways force and I can't see where its coming from. If the foundation was laid as a wedge, then there is...
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    Does this look like dry rot?

    I would hope its home made caulking to seal the gaps between the boards. From memory, dry rot has cracks across the grain in the affected area, not like this at all. I was going to mention caulking the boards. I have not seen any ready made stuff, Its got to be flexible, not too white and needs...
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    Another Hive

    Terminal 3 is only used in their examples 4 &5 - 2/3 port zone valve. Does your system have one? Frank
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    Patio Laying!

    Difference in cost/time would be more then £500, perhaps he thinks you can't afford it. Frank
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    floor preparation for open cavity after breaking through

    I tripped over a 12mm step in a badly laid floor last Wednesday. Are you going to sell the house shortly? Cjards way is correct, foam will collapse. Frank
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    Pointing ! What went wrong?

    The plasticiser I use is a 3 % mix, so thats 150mL in a 5 L plastic container (two egg cupfuls or my gauge?). Frank
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    Cracked wall/pointing advice please!!

    Looks exactly like my friends house in Chandlers Ford (S. Hampshire). It needed underpinning some 20 years ago, which was covered by their house insurance. Frank
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    Repointing

    How old is the house?, decent cement pointing lasts for 50+ years. Lime pointing even longer, if its falling out , I reckon that the brickwork is moving about. If for what ever reason the pointing is falling out then an old 6mmm wood chisel is all you need to hook the stuff out. Disc cutter...
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    Half Hipped Roof

    I am toying with the idea of a loft extension. The easiest way is to just use windows inserted in place of some tiles. The way to gain more headroom (and living) room is to insert a "box" in place of a section of the original roof slope (dormer). In general dormers tend to look massive and ugly...
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    Fire break in garage ceiling

    " No they wont work for this, they are for other situations. You just need to board the hole. In a fire the plastic pipe melts in any case (especially that big SVP at the back there), leaving a big hole in the ceiling. The thing is, by that time you are out and the firemen are spraying water...
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