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I have some blocks for a garage and noticed that the blocks are approx 435x215x95. The spec is 440x215x100, so the height is spot on but other dimensions are a bit short. Should I do 15mm perps or is that bad practice? To complicate things a bit further I also have some aerated blocks...

Do you know how I would terminate it at the other end? It'll come out of the ground. Twinwall ducting would then be a bit big/unsightly to run up the outside wall. I also don't want to be digging up the floor in my existing garage.

I'm doing an extension and need to get an armoured cable through the foundation and want to know the best way to do it. The main question is around how I should build the foundation. Would I need a lintel for the cable or can I just drill a whole in the trench blocks? I am also considering...

Water butts do sound a bit silly. I have just installed a huge underground rainwater tank, but the problem is that they only help if they aren't full.

It would take a lot of water to do that as the hole is almost 4m2. I also think this would settle either way. The lower part is made of sand which should drain easily. The water in the hole returned to almost (but not quite) its original height over night. Not sure whether that just means the...

:D My hole looks a lot better than that. Was that filled when it rained or did the water flow into it when it was being dug?

I've had a few dry days here but the hole still had a lot of water in it. It took about an hour to pump out the water but then it gradually filled up again. Does anybody know whether the water is coming from the surrounding soil or whether it's the water table? The level ended up to approx...

I can't really do a perc test after digging the hole as the perc test is done with a smaller hole and at a higher level. I'd also need to wait for some dry weather to get accurate results. If the water table meets the bottom of the soakaway then I believe the water wouldn't soakaway, it would...

I've dug a hole for a soakaway (1400mm deep). When I got to the bottom I found that it started puddling. The low spots had puddles but the high spots didn't. I'm wondering whether this is the water table or whether it's just because we've had loads of rain recently (everything is soggy on the...

That's a good point. I had thought about using insulated plasterboard in the future, which would be more than enough to compensate for the less efficient blocks. It does feel like insulating from the inside isn't the best way to do things but I guess it's fine. I'm sure that insulation must...

As I mentioned in my first message, I want the option to convert to a room in the future, so the U value would then make a significant difference. The garage door and roof will be insulated, so it will be well insulated on the whole. It should make a big difference in the summer when the garage...

I'm building a garage and a living room attached to my main property. The walls will be cavity walls with brick and block. My plans are all done for lightweight blocks ie. 3.6N and I was going to use the 0.15W/mK ones which should give a better U value. I'd like to leave the option of converting...

Wow, I'm not convinced. The problem with skimming is that you have limited time to get it right, and you (ideally) need to do it all in one go. Also, the finish is more critical with skimming, a dip of just 1mm will stand out on plaster. One of the nice things with brickwork is if you get it...

I want to build an extension and I'd like to do the brickwork myself. Some people have told me that it takes professionals years to get good at it. While I understand that it can take years to become fast (particularly with the more complicated things), is it really needed for something fairly...

I'm now considering other locations so that I don't need an unusual shape. Space will be tight, but if I'm careful then I may be able to get something that I'm happy with although it will still depend on planning permission.

I would like to build a garage extension which is tapered (one end bigger than the other). There are some buildings like this with flat roofs, but I don't think I've ever seen one with a pitched roof. I'm wondering whether it's possible and even what it would look like (it would need to look...