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Hi all, a crane delivered the steels and other materials for our loft conversion today. The crane driver spread the legs of the crane out and put plates under the feet. One of the legs was on the pavement and the foot and plate have gone through the pavement causing a hole in front of our...

Yes, I meant recessed down lights, thank you John. I think the roof joists on the dormer will be 170 mm deep so there is space for thick celotex and still have room for downlights. The sloping ceiling might be slightly slimmer joists I think. Good point though that too many holes in the ceiling...

Thanks John, good point. I presume it's supply and fit but I will check. If it includes good quality fittings then maybe that's a good price. I noticed screwfix have them for anywhere between £3 and £13 each, then there is cost of cabling as well

Hello, our loft conversion company is about to start work and the quote includes supply and fit a pendant light in loft bedroom. To have spotlights instead is £65 per light + VAT. I think it would need 8 spots so £624 extra for spotlights instead of pendant. Is this the going rate for outer...

thanks for reply chappers. the loft company we are using say its not possible to remove chimney at roof level, so we will just go for a beam at loft floor level. I guess they would rather go for the simpler option, which is probably cheaper so we are fine with that. Thanks for the advice...

Hi all, we are about to have a loft conversion and have asked the loft company to remove the chimney breast in the existing back bedroom as well. they will put an additional steel in the loft to support the chimney breast at loft floor level, then remove the chimney breast in the room below. I...

I agree, getting a trusted local builder and independent plans would be better. the builder I wanted to us is not well and taking time off. The others I spoke to are booked up for most of the year. We've been putting it off for a year and can't wait any longer. Apparently the surveyors can only...

hi I've no idea how much the drawings cost, as they were done as part of the deposit to the loft company. They told me they pay their architect £1200 but I don't believe it as he didn't seem very experienced. I asked him if one of our walls was load bearing and he said "I've no idea, its not my...

Hi all, we are about to get a dormer loft conversion done and have a Party Wall Award and drawings. We are mid terrace and the loft company have designed it so the 100mm x 50mm soft wood frame of the dormer cheek will be flush to the inside of the party wall. To the exterior of this will be 9mm...

forgot to update. we hired a structural engineer who said the bay had settled over the years and had tilted away from the floor joists upstairs. It was made worse by double glazing that didn't offer as much structural support as original wood windows. As it was historic and no current movement...

Hi Indus, did you ever post an image of your finished out building? I would love to see it. Love to speak to your engineer and builder too as we would like to get something similar built. we are in North London on clay soil next to trees cheers s

Hi Indus, I appreciate your post and pictures regarding your garden building with steal beams on pad stones. I would really like to do something similar as I am in London with very clay soil and adjacent to several trees. Every engineer I have spoke to has recommended piled foundations which is...

Hello, I'm having a 4.8m x 6m garden room built and I wondered what a ball park figure for the insulated concrete base should be and best construction method? I spoke to local building control and they've confirmed its within permitted development and they also offered advice. The...

Hello all, I would like to have a breeze block room built at the bottom of my garden to be used as a gym and also office. It will be flat roof, 2.5m high and either 1) 5m wide x 6m long, with a partition so we can use 1/3 as storage or 2) 3.5m wide x 6m long office, and a storage Lean-To...

Hi I'm going to ask somebody to build me an office/gym at the bottom of our garden. It will be approx 6m x 3.5m. I would prefer breeze block to a log cabin as its more fire proof I think but I'm wondering would it need to be double skin to be warm enough to sit in all day in winter? I'm...

many thanks for sound advice static. fixing leaky gutter is first job. Thing is we were tarting up the house ready for selling and that's how i found extent of cracking when i peeled back wallpaper. Moral dilemma is should we patch up and sell? What would most people do in our situation...

Hi, Like many people I have cracks around my bay window on the upper floor. It is a 1930's mid terrace. The left side of the bay appears more or less the same as when we moved in 4.5 years ago. The right side has got worse so I guess it is moving. The cracks on each side run from window sill...