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Do not rely on building control. They are typically not qualified engineers, and have no liability at all for their opinion anyway. They are there just to check work, not diagnose or design it. They can be presented with calculations to show that something works, but that's not to say that the...

Yes, there is nothing inherently wrong with being friends or friendly. But in this case, these are potentially fundamental quality issues which I would not expect a competent builder to make, and the repair not something that should be left for two months. So that rings alarm bells for me - a...

Fist image, padstones should be flat, and maybe a single padstone the size of those two individuals. Also looks like there's been some movement - knocked or pushed out by the joists/installation work? Last image, maybe some shrinkage movement. Bearing looks a bit short though creating local...

Cracks are defined as structural when they affect the performance of the structure - walls wobble, doors and windows jamb or suchlike. Cracks which are "just there" may be just cosmetic or may lead to other damage (water getting in, plaster falling off. The relevance of any cracks will depend...

Floor voids are expected to get damp, and then dry off, but concentrated and localised water penetration would tend to be a separate repair issue that needs sorting out. Investigate on the outside where that damp is and check what may be causing it

Even if you do all you propose to do, if the right conditions re-occur at some future date, the fungus (or a related one) can just as easily return. Mould spores are in the air all the time, just waiting for the right conditions to germinate. You must have had some extreme and persistent damp...

Get a move on. The things won't break themselves.

Evaporating moisture will bring any odour contamination with it, so will still smell. Further, the molecules of any "fumes", will be smaller than that of any moisture, so will be given off from the wall if a breathable coating is applied. Storm dry and suchlike is not a sealant like paint or...

If the conditions that allowed the fungus in the first place are dealt with and removed, then the fungus cannot reappear. The application of wall irrigation/injection is purely a requirement of over-cautious contractor insurance terms, not a requirement of the actual treatment. The main...

You need to take out that 3/4 brick in the middle too, else it will look a mess. Wedge something in the cavity to prevent debris falling within.

My ornithology is rusty, but I suspected it's an instinct thing - crap on cars, pinch chips and ice-cream, always accept the lowest quote.

The condensation trap is for internal condensation, but sometimes ducts can get condensation on the external surface. Also check for water coming in via the roof terminal connection and running down. However you should get none or minimal condensation on a vinyl flexi-tube. You may want to get...

Only by suicidal pigeons though

Looks like the lintel is higher than the opening and the packing below the lintel has dropped from getting wet Either water has travelled across below the lintel (sealant issue) or no, or poorly fitted cavity tray. above the lintel

If the concrete has patterns of the reinforcement, then the reinforcement may be too near to the surfaces Reinforced strip foundations are not normal, so if it's unnecessary design, then there may be nothing to worry about

They are at risk of birds nesting inside

Randomly came across this today! Seems a bit OTT, but I think someone commented that it stops the building from sliding. Note: no DPC projection. :sneaky:

www.nfrc.co.uk is the trade body. It's not essential that firms are members, but there should be (in theory) that members are reputable. However, there may be a price premium for using these firms. With this type of work there is greater risk. It's not just a few tile replacements, it's more...

I'm yet to see any issue from rising moisture from capillary action due to DPC being set back slightly from the external face. In fact that's not even an issue in terms of rising damp, but gravity is an issue as much, much more water actually soaks down the external face and settles on the DPC...

That's a valley, one of the most difficult roofing jobs to sort out. It looks like the valley has previously been coated with something - something that looks non-standard. So it may not be just the valley mortar that's the issue, but the whole valley may need replacing - not recoating. The...