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    Having some building work - lime mortar or not?

    The use of lime in a mortar mix for repointing isn't totally about it's workability. The mortar is more flexible, and has self healing properties for minor cracks. It's also more breathable. The cost is greater for using lime mortar however, so for general building nowadays the slight benefits...
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    Having some building work - lime mortar or not?

    The 30's was a time when a lot of builders were still using lime mortar, but gauging small amounts of cement into the mix to speed up the setting. Mortar using only sand and cement is difficult to work with, unless plasticizer or lime is added. You could ask him to use something like a 6/1/1...
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    Very deep chase into a load bearing wall

    Some 9 inch walls are built in Stretcher bond.
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    Removing a 1950s fireplace & clay fireback.

    They usually come in one piece with a scoreline, so you need to cut them if needed.
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    Very deep chase into a load bearing wall

    That used to happen a lot in the good old days, when the foreman used give one of the labourers a club hammer and chisel and get them to chase out the walls. On some of the older brick walls built in lime, they used to virtually demolish the wall. I've had to rebuild a few when some of the...
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    Very deep chase into a load bearing wall

    There are Building regs for the depth of a wall chase. For horizontal runs it's 1/6th of the walls thickness.
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    What rot / fungus is this?

    I've seen those photos on another forum said to be Mine rot. I wouldn't know the difference myself.
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    Unusual lintel/frame in ~1950s council house

    I'm still on Book one, so can't really help yet. I've heard that @^woody^ has finished Book three, so he's the man to ask.
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    Unusual lintel/frame in ~1950s council house

    Must be an old book using double headed nails. Looks like an old one from W.G.Nash.
  10. S

    Non existent pointing

    Try and push some against the sides of the brick in the perps with the pointing trowel first to build it up at bit at the back. Then leave it to harden up while you do the rest and fill in later.
  11. S

    Pointing - how often needed?

    There is no set time. Houses on the seafront often have the joints taken out in 30 years or less. Sheltered walls with really tight joints might still be full 100 years later.
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    Exposed truss roof: can I remove diagonal braces and replace them with full OSB boards? (PICS INSIDE)

    That's the way it's done in the USA. When trussed rafters started being used here they didn't realise the problem with racking without the boards. Early roofs didn't have the diagonal bracing.
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    Garage conversion colder than rest of house.

    Rooms that heat up quicker often cool down quicker. For example a room with insulated plasterboard will heat up quicker than one with thick stone walls and external insulation. However, once heated, the stone wall becomes a heat store.
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    Garage conversion colder than rest of house.

    I live in an old stone cottage that had a single storey flat roof extension built in the 70's. About 14 years ago I put another extension on the end of the extension, and went over the lot with a pitched roof. I stuck 120mm of Celotex on top of the rafters. The new part that I built is much...
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    Garage conversion colder than rest of house.

    A thermal camera will help you see where the heat is going to.
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    Is this subsidence please help

    I guess you didn't see the photos woody.
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    Insulating cathedral\vaulted roof

    I put 120mm insulation boards on top of the rafters on my extension. Made fixing the counter battens a bit more of a challenge.
  18. S

    How do I repair exterior

    Look for backer rod foam. You can get different thicknesses. It needs to be a reasonably tight fit to hold the sealant.
  19. S

    What this soft and damp material below my utility room tiles?

    Looks to me like what's left of the DPC that was under the wall.
  20. S

    How difficult is very basic bricklaying?

    It makes you weep building the wall when you keep cutting off the snots.
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