Recent content by tony1851

If its at both corners on the rear elevation (and not on the front?) could it be thermal expansion if the wall is south facing? The corbels also look to be badly-detailed as they project in large steps, which would have made the brickwork slightly unstable to begin with. If there are any similar...

A pic from further back, showing the context, would help bigly. It seems to be at roof level (?) and the corbel (stepped bricks) seems to have rotated a little and pulled away slightly. How long has it been there?

Unbelievable; as above, he's no bricklayer.

That span would have been easily achieved with a 254 x 254 x 73 UC section. A post in the middle would have been a rookie design failure. 0/10. Do we know the outcome?

Testing a foundation with a hammer reminds me of those Hollywood films where a man is buying an old car, walks slowly around it, and casually kicks a tyre to see if it is OK. The critical issue in clay is the depth (1.2m seems ok assuming no trees or shrubs too close) and the spread. For a...

You worry about that, and then have that tin tube (for the woodburner?) going up the side?

As per Mr 888, an L-shaped padstone would have solved the problem, even if one arm needed to be cut down a little.

They are usually about 2 or 3 inches thick and cast around battens nailed to the sides of the joists. There's no structural objection to moving it, but be careful not to damage the ceiling below. It might continue into the fireplace recess, if so split it with a chisel to prevent damage to the...

FWIW, my money's on the joists going onto the wall from each side as that seems to be the shortest span. In which case at 1.5m span, the beam will only be carrying some floor load, plus a small component from the ensuite partition. A couple of 150 x 50 C24 timbers screwed together would be...

To any SEs here who design padstones for steel beams - you've been doing it all wrong! Forget things such as 'characteristic strength' and 'partial safety factors' - this is how its done. (Home owner and inspector not well pleased o_O).

Depends on the size of the window. At the least, in the absence of bonding the Fibolite blocks to the existing wall, a steel bracket or two screwed through to the original masonry and bedded into a mortar joint would have been better.

This is the problem with estate agents: buying or selling, you're at their mercy.

The fascia board will cover it. And garages are cold but draughty places. I very much doubt you'd get condensation affecting the end of the beam.

As above, the BSA is a bit of a mess. Contractors and designers do not have to be 'registered' under some official body, they only need to be competent to undertake work in their respective fields. 'Competence' is not just limited to passing an exam and having a piece of paper to prove it...

Yes to 1-4, subject to points made previously (exposure, returns etc) Re 5, gravity + friction keeps the beam in position. Of just a little more concern is the height of the block wall above ground level (3.3m). Wind applies not just horizontal compressive force on walls but, more significantly...