Recent content by whoisthedaddy

Thanks for the really quick reply - are these 'Thermalites' the same thing as 'Aircrete' blocks? :D

Thanks for reply, now nearly at this stage of the project - all the roof joists needed to be replaced first. Bricking it up does seem to be pretty straightforward but leaves me a question. Would it be OK to use the lightweight concrete blocks to do this, these would go up quicker and can...

Hi, I am renovating an old Victorian terrace and there is no fire break between my house and the house next door. At the base of the roof on both sides of the chimney I can see (or even get into!) my neighbours roof void. What is the best/easiest way of creating a firebreak? I...

Richard, Many thanks for taking the time to reply. There were a number of reasons for the damp but mainly a lack of damp proof course, lack of ventilation, blocked up fireplaces with no vents (and full of soot!). I am confident that once the chemical damp proof course has been...

Tim, Thanks again for the comprehensive reply. Having looked again in detail today I think I am going to have trouble fixing the new timber joists to both the wall plate and the rafters. I may be able to fix a screw through the new joist at an angle into the rafter or at worst drill a pilot...

Hi all, I am renovating an old Victorian end terrace house which has been suffering from a little damp. I have just removed most of the existing plaster as it was damp and almost falling off the walls. A damp specialist is injecting a chemical damp proof over the next week or so but the...

Hi all, I have a similar dilema, I am renovating an old Victorian end terrace house which has been suffering from a little damp. I have just removed most of the existing plaster as it was damp and almost falling off the walls. A damp specialist is injecting a chemical damp proof over...

Thanks Tim for all advice. I will look at everything again later today from a fresh viewpoint but after you have pointed it out I think I'll leave everything as is and just add the new joists tying the originals to them. Last question, Do you think 6" x 2" C16 (or would 4" x 2" suffice?)...

Thanks for the reply Tim, in answer to some of your points... 1. I don't know what is holding down the existing wall plate, there are no straps as such. I can't see any fixings at all but guess there are some going down into the brickwork from above. 2. I have no reason to suspect the...

Yep I did think about those options but the sag is quite pronounced (around 5" to 6" in the middle). The sistering I don't think is an option as most of the joists aren't nice and square and therefore aren't easy to bolt through. The other piece of advice given to me from my Dad! (which I...

Hi All, I am hoping for some advice. I am in the middle of renovating a Victorian terraced house and decided to remove the first floor ceilings as I thought the lath and plaster ceiling was sagging badly. Once I had removed the lath and plaster (nice job - NOT!) it became clear that it...

Pictures of roof structure.