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Hi, I have a patio which is approx 9 metres by 5 metres, but which had two brick planters built into it (either side of the centre). I have now removed the planters which has left me with two spaces that are exactly 2 slabs by 2 slabs, and I have a number of those slabs available. I therefore...

Thanks. I wondered if that might be the case. I didn't mention that this is in a single storey outbuilding, which also means that there is no above ceiling access so, yes, I would have to have made a fair sized hole in the ceiling. In the past I have always put such cabling above the ceiling...

Hi, I'm in the process of replacing an old batten light with an integrated LED one. When I opened up the original, I found that all of the cable junctions were contained within the batten body, rather than in the ceiling with a single cable dropping down. I think that part of the reason that...

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I'm currently building a 6m x 4m Pergola. It is going to sit on a patio. The patio is pretty level but not perfect. My approach is going to be to install the posts (already done) and then clamp the cross beams so that they are dead level, mark the posts and then notch them to hold the beam at...

Thanks. To be honest I haven't looked into the roof covering too much at the moment, I'm just wanting to get a sufficient drop and leave space for flashing, so that I can have options for the future. Because I don't want to spend a fortune, and because I may look to extend the house in a year...

What will be the longest unsupported span? I've recently built some shelves, all 38x63 (bought a bunch cheap a few months back) and 18mm ply. For some of the shelves I laid the 38x63 flat so only 38 is vertical and they work fine for very heavy loads, but that is 18mm ply. Longest span is...

Hi. I need to run some rafters from a wall plate to a cross beam. All of the timbers are 2x6 and the run is 4000mm. This is part of construction of a lean-to/attached pergola. The bottom of the wall plate has to be at 2340mm and the bottom of the cross beam can't be any lower than 2000mm. If I...

Hi, I've just bought a few lengths of pressure treated C24 timber from a local builders merchant. They are all 2x6, but a mix of 4.8 metres and 3.6 metres. It wasn't until I got home that I noticed that there is a big colour difference between the two lengths, and this has gotten me wondering...

Thanks. Near the bottom of the page it does say in the "features and benefits" that it is "Treated to help prolong the timber's life and protect against rot or insect attack" But, if it isn't appropriate, I will switch it out with this, which I can get easily...

Hi, I am hoping to build an attached pergola which will sit on a paved patio. I've tried my best to sketch some very rough drawings of what I am looking to do. Although it is rough the scale is reasonably accurate. The pergola would be 6.5 metres long and 4 metres wide, with the wall plates at...

Hi, I am planning on creating some shelving in an area of an outbuilding. It is an enclosed area is between the house (1950s) and the main outbuilding (1970s). It is brick on 3 sides (back of the house and the two walls in the shots), with a aluminum sliding door on the fourth wall and an...

Thanks. I did suspect that it would require somebody gas safe, given the obvious potential for CO leaks. For that reason, I'll try not to ask for too many specifics here, but I just wondered if anybody thought that there would possibly be a horizontal flue that would be compliant, or whether a...

Thanks for the replies. It was installed before I bought the house, but is still under warranty (think it expires in 2023), which I'd like to keep active. I've included a view from inside below. I asked the engineer if I just basically needed to get somebody to cut the white pipe to the wall...

Hi, I recently had a boiler service (Ideal combi) and before the engineer left he said that the boiler would not be covered by the warranty, due to a problem with the flue. He didn't really give me a good explanation, except to say that "the white pipe should terminate at the wall, rather than...

Hi, I am planning to build a small stud wall, just under 2 metres wide, with a door. Although it will be internal, but I want to build it to the same strength as an external wall. Because it is so small, and because I don't want to have to buy or hire a nailer, I am hoping to use screws, even...

Hi, I have an outbuilding (built around 1975) which has a plasterboard ceiling (which looks original). Having spoken with the neighbours it seems that the roof was replaced within the last 10 years and does look reasonably new. I would like to get access to the void above the plasterboard...

Many thanks FoxHole. My concern was really with the timber flexing with either a kick in attempt, or an attempt to jemmy it. I'll be adding london/birmingham bars to either side, which should prevent the locks/hinges being kicked through the frame, so I think it is really only on issue of...

Hi, I am looking at building a stud wall, with an door, in a porch area, which sits between the house and a brick outbuilding. The porch is brick on three sides (external house wall, external outbuilding wall, and enclosed by a rear wall.) There is a single continuous flat roof that runs above...

The base is constructed as below (just 50mm longer than wider, and I had originally intended on overhanging by 100mm each side. It is constructed using 2x4 screwed together, with 2x3 legs (in red) bolted to the longer side.