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I'm redoing the cloakroom. There is a 3" vent pipe in the corner going up through the ceiling and out through the roof. When I removed the old boxing in, the pipe was "lagged" with glassfibre. The pipe was black with mould. What is the standard detail here - to insulate or not? The waste...

My main issue with cats is how much stuff they kill. Most cat lovers claim to love wildlife. But they own a killing machine. The cats have no natural predators in todays society, so they can spend all day waiting by verges for something to kill, stalking birds, etc etc. I would guess they...

The cold water feed to the kitchen runs through the loft of my bungalow. The first half of the run is above a poorly insulated ceiling and consequently doesn't have a problem. However on very cold nights (eg minus 10c) it can freeze somewhere along the second 10m section where I have properly...

Well I've tried to work out what the problem is but your description is a little confusing. However, presumably the jump wire in the downstairs switch goes to the COM terminal. If so, the red and black in that switch from the cable that goes to the other switch should be in L1 and L2 (doesn't...

The screed wouldn't work to level out the step of around 5mm feathering down to nothing over the existing screed. Nevermind, I'll do the self leveller later.

So you have working live and neutral to the ceiling rose, a working live to the switch, and a working switch live back to the lamp? Hmm.

I'm filling in some 35 deep x 100 wide channels in the floor where I took out some internal walls and removed the sole plate. I have just filled the channels with a damp screed mix but because the levels aren't the same on each side, I need to even out the steps with some areas of self...

If you're lucky, it could just be water getting in those gaps in the sealant under the arch. Some sealant might just sort the problem. If you're very lucky. If not, I think you're stuck with it.

You might find it difficult to get the new ducting to pass into the facia/soffit zone, and you might find the gutter itself blocks the extractor grill significantly. Could the grill go in the soffit instead? As an alternative, you could lay the existing ducting in a length of guttering (in the...

That'll probably depend on who's paying them.

Well I think the pads would extend up out of the ground, so the post would be clear of the damp. The posts would be pretty massive, with big joists slung between that floor joists can fix to. You will (should) at some point realise that someone who can do calcs to show that the thing can...

Well, peeling paint just doesn't excite us. Ok I wonder what condition the plasterboard is in? Remember it's porous so moisture will go into and through it - into the loft? If it's been very damp maybe the plasterboard itself is "rotted". Your suggestions are ok, but maybe a dedicated...

Do you have to have a solid concrete floor? Could you not build it on stilts, with each stilt on it's own pad? You can use packers to ensure the building stays level if the pads sink. Perhaps you need to work out how much it might weigh in order to decide on a pad size/depth. Just a thought.

Try to establish if it's damp from condensation or from a leak above. If it's condensation, there probably won't be much sign of dampness in the loft. Condensation will form on cold surfaces and the moisture is what comes from your breath, showers, drying clothes etc. Condensation damp is also...

Sounds mysterious. The suspense!...

There's a bit in the manual about the kneader shaft becoming stiff and needing replacing. You might be able to get the manual on line if you've not got it.

Wont your doorways end up a bit low?

Have you ever actually done this with a 12.5mm 8x4 on your own? And not snapped the corner/ fallen over backward/collapsed with exhaustion (with the board on top of you)/failed to feed the light cable through It's possible, just not what I would call easy!

I would leave the tiles if they're ok, and just paper the walls with woodchip if they're a bit rough. Some vinyl silk emulsion should give you an easy to wipe down surface.

It sounds like the builder messed up with his floor - there probably should have been a step down at the edge (a photo would help). If it's just dribbling in, I should think some waterproofing slurry or sealant or bitumen paint on the inside would be sufficient.