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I recently built an extension with the DPC about 80mm higher than floor level, this was nessacery to get the 150mm min hight of the DPC above external ground level as I wanted level access from the existing floor level. The DPM under the floor was brought up the walls and lapped into the DPC...

Is this being built to building regs? outbuildings under 30m^2 are generally exempt unless you are using it for sleeping accomodation or something like that. 7.5m x 3.5m is under 30m^2. The footings you describe sound like those required to meet building regs which are generally IMHO excessive.

I sometimes read stuff which refers to a plugtop. I've had a search around and cannot find out what exactly a plugtop is, is it just a regular plug?

If building a totally new house then I can understand it but not for just adding a utility room to an existing house. Due to the very hard clay soild I'd have to use a mini digger to get to 900mm but could dig to 450-600mm with a spade and just mix some concrete myself. If the whole house did...

Ok, thinking of building an extension on the back of my house. Dug a hole next to house to discover foundations about 330mm (13 inchs) deep. However building control want me to make the foundations for a single story extension to said house 900mm (3 feet(!!) ) deep, almost three times the...

Are you sure the manhole is foul only and not a combined sewer? I would recommend contacting the local water authority who should be able to tell you if it's a combined sewer or not and if you could drain into it. The manhole maybe part of a public sewer (does waste from any other house flow...

A few years ago I installed a ceiling in our bathroom made from T&G MDF boards bought from B&Q, looks really nice and was very easy to install, I would highly recommend it. Been in for about 4 years now and still looks fine.

If your house is 'side on' to the street then it maybe possible to build a huge front extension due to a loophole in the PD rules, apparently it's even possible in a conservation area.

You can get a good idea of the thickness of the party wall by measuring the distance between two windows, one either side of the party wall on the outside. Now measure between the edge of the window reveal on the inside and the party wall, the platser on the reveal should compensate for the...

The permitted development rules were drawn up assuming everyone had square houses with regular pictched roofs so when you have an unusual house you can easily run into gray areas. I would say that you could fit a flat roof up there as permitted development as what you would effectivly be doing...

Catnic have a search tool you can use to find suitable lintels, just enter your wall/cavity sizes and it will show which lintels will fit. http://www.catnic.com/productsearch.aspx

Most DIY shops sell small bags of sand and cement ready mixed in the correct amount for small jobs like this, just add water.

I've seen ready made plastic caps at builders merchants designed to go over the ends of joists to prevent rot. If using a smaller joist size, make sure it is still strong enough for the expected loads (may need an SE here). If your joists are a non standard size then most timber merchants...

would the apron work if your turned it upside down?

I always thought the 3m was to the face of the wall and did not include the gutter? Or they could have been built as PD at the time of construction, as the PD rules have changed several times.

From my knowledge of the PD rules, The maximum length of a rear extension for a terraced property is 3 meters, which means your extension would not be PD as it is slightly over 3m (10 feet = 3.04800m) You could build it 9 feet 10 inches long then it would be PD (providing it's not a listed...

Would fixing the extra piece with epoxy (to properly prepared surfaces) and big screws be almost as strong as a single piece? I have an attic conversion (not done by myself) and the floor flexes underfoot which I don't like. I have thought about making the floor stiffer by bolting 8x2 joists...

I don't have a decibel meter but I have to turn up the TV to be able to hear it while the washer is spinning.

It's a semi-deteched garage, I say semi as there is a car-port structure between the house and the garage though which I'd like to route the pipe. The pipe would be 'outside' for about 3m. I suppose the ideal solution would be to bury the pipe but that would mean digging up the floor of the...

Does no-one make pipe which can cope with 10% expension? Maybe somekind of flexable rubber like matirial?