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The amount of moisture getting into a chimney flue varies in different situations. External flues with tall, large stacks are more exposed to penetrating damp. Ones on the party wall with short ones much less. When chimneys first started getting blocked up on a large scale in the early 70's...

A 50's house with a lintel of that size was probably cast in situ with the rebar (hooked ends) laind in place as it was cast.

There will be a solution, but it depends how much cash he wants to throw at it.

I've had a couple of bolts to the floor joists for over 20 years holding mine up.

They often used black ash mortar in areas near the collieries. https://www.preservationexpert.co.uk/effect-of-mortar-type-on-wall-tie-corrosion/

If the beds are 5mm or less, a very fine sand would be used, as the sand particles in a coarse sand would be too large. I'd use lime mortar myself with a really fine sand. There are firms like Limebase who will match the colour for you...

You can hire mobile bathrooms.

I prefer trays with an upstand as well. Never get a leak problem, and you don't even need a silicone bead along the bottom.

When it was built it most likely had a cavity tray. On big sites the standard was a 6x6 concrete lintel on the inner skin, 18 inch hyload as a tray coming over a timber window, and either a soldier course over the top, or 3 courses of brickwork with bricktor in the bed joints. Catnic lintels...

Damp issues in chimneys are caused by a variety of things. Whether it's an external or internal breast makes a difference. the height, size, design, materials used, whether it's lined or parged, and condition of the stack will also affect it. As with any damp problem, the first step is to...

Downdraughts in chimneys can be caused by trees that are higher than the chimney close by.

Venting a chimney from the inside or outside depends on the situation, and neither is perfect for every situation. Venting from the outside can cause cold spots on the inside wall which will attract condensation. Venting from the inside can take damp air from the room into the flue. A chimney...

I've built fireplaces like that with a pre-cast lintel with integral throat and gather. There should be a dovetail brick that goes back in the opening. As noseall said in his more technical explanation, the fireback should be non structural to anything. A bit like this, but with a dovetail...

Normally better to get a reduction than get a seller to do the work, as they are more likely to bodge it. As Ivor says, it's a relatively small job for a bricklayer. You can normally leave the window in and just remove the brickwork above and fit something like a Catnic L10.

Is it for you or a customer? If it's for you, you will probably have a bit more time to try some different mixes. The sand is important to the colour. If you put a piece of the existing mortar in brick acid, it will leave you with a sample of the sand. As mortar ages, it often changes colour...

Wide strip foundations normally need reinforcement to be really effective. The weight of a wall is transferred down from it's edge at around 45° downwards, so even when made a lot wider it can still crack from that point.

I'd guess he was talking about corbelling the chimney breast. Back in the 70's and 80's it was quite a common way to do the job. However, nowadays it's more usual to support them with steels.

It depends on the type of bricks used. A really dense brick like an Accrington Nori would hardly absorb any moisture. Also, moisture evaporates from brickwork as it rises, so in many cases it won't go far. Strong cement mortars also are virtually impervious. There used to be issues with a few...

I've never really seen the point of that photo by Peter Ward, as much as a photo of a damp interior wall doesn't prove rising damp does exist. There was some work done by Ralph Burkinshaw, who is quite well respected in the trade. He managed to get the damp to rise about 8 courses, although he...

All the HETAS fitters I know will always fit a liner. Although technically they don't have to, it means being certain the flue in in good condition. Doing a sealed smoke test would mean that the regs used to allow for a certain amount of smoke to escape, but the amount was left to the skill of...