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Thanks @noseall It's about 140mm to damp for insulation and liquid screed. Not ideal as I wanted thicker insulation but having to retro fit the floor into the existing house has meant we've just had to make things work. I feel like I'm over thinking it but if the PIR was 100mm would having...

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We have had to install a beam and block floor throughout the whole house on the ground floor. Despite having spread sand and cement slurry across it, in some areas the blocks sit about 1-2mm lower than the beams. Bearing in mind we have to lay PIR and screed - should I be worried about the...

I've read enough to decide against the idea of building off the top off the retaining wall. We have just enough room to extend the concrete pad and potentially leave some gap to build the garden room. Thank you all for your replies.

Does that mean a void behind the retaining wall? The intention is to back fill it once the wall is made so there should be no soil movement. Unless I've misunderstood what you're saying?

The base is not really of concern. During extension/ garden remodelling we found out that our garden is virtually a massive concrete pad. Ours and neighbouring roads were out grounds for a famous 19th-century family of philanthropists. They housed stables, servant quarters, laundrette, etc. The...

hmmm... every builder who came to quote said a brick faced 9" solid wall with block on the back would be sufficient. What do you suggest? Re the water proofing, this is my understanding of how the vertical DPC would be placed. The image shows a gap but in reality I think these would be tied...

Thanks for the reply. So the waterproofing would be by way of this vertical DPC or are you suggesting other measures are required? If other measures, what would they be? Tanking the walls from the inside?

Hi, We are having a retaining wall rebuilt after reducing the height of our garden. The tree beds are varying heights around the edge of the garden and therefore the 9” wall steps up in one place from 0.8m to 1.5m and then back down again. See my crude artwork below. As part of reducing the...

We are converting the garage as part of our extension/ house renovation. One of the walls adjoins the neighbour’s garage is a single skin wall and the front (where the garage door was) has also be rebuild in single skin. The specification from the architect is as follows: UPGRADING EXISTING...

Yes the timber is available. I know it's advisable to get it now to be able to do actual measurements but we're getting the whole of the ground floor screeded at once so trying to keep floor space clear - which is a bigger challenge than it sounds! I'm thinking I should leave openings a little...

Hi, Self build getting to the stage of installing some internal stud walls on block and beam floors. My plan is to lay a single row of concrete blocks then build the stud walls off that so it gives a solid base and allows me to get on with building the walls before the screed is in. Taking one...

Thanks for the concern but I have no intention of doing electrics (or plumbing) myself. Not least for insurance purposes - in that, should anything go wrong, I would need to prove it's been done by a competent person to validate any claim (it will be obvious the wiring is recent). But also...

I did have that thought too, to be honest. But it's generally recommended so...

Thanks! That looks like a good way to D&D (as oppose to random spaced out dots) - when you say predictable dabs - do you mean so ideally you can screw into them? I'm now thinking cables in steel channels and pipes slightly chased in if required. BTW - why use PVC channels over steel? Surely...

Would you not chase the cables/ pipes into the thermalite blocks to reduce the wall build up? Also a little worried about drilling into pipes and cables so want to use conduit. Part of the new building is the kitchen - so I have to consider getting a solid base to fix units, etc. That said...

I have 2x4" already so thinking about using that with a 2" gap from the wall to allow services to go through the roof and behind the perimeter noggin. I'm undecide on whether I want to go for dot & dab plasterboard or for it to be bonded & plastered. The 2" allows for plenty of space for...

It's a single story extension so when you say "one for the ceiling below and one to support the floor" do you mean like this?

Given there are 8" noggin in the centre of joists, do I still need 3/4 sized at the ends? As for setting them in, the insulation is flush with the inner block, will be expansion foamed and then noggin set about 1-2" in front. Is that the right way to do it?

Hi everyone, I am current insulating the eaves of joists and need to add perimeter noggins. The joists are 8inch/ 200mm (plus furring on top) - do I need to add 8inch/ 200mm here or can it be (for example) a 4inch/ 100m noggins here? My understanding is that it's just for additional support...