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Two things spring to mind. I thought the use of swa cable was to prevent this sort of thing. Must have been a hell of a sharp spade and strong bloke to cut through swa with one blow. Also shouldn't the armour be earthed and would trip surely?

Gets a bit tedious. The other one hasn't got back to me. Just thought might be a bricky on here who might have a pretty good idea. Can't see one four course wall and footings of known length is going to be much different to another!

Builder supplies concrete and mortar. Would that cost much for 240 bricks and a 5m by 300mm footing. More than a £100? It's not that I mind paying if it is reasonable but I don't want to pay a premium for a good job. Every job should be a good job, that's workmanship not cost.

I'm removing an existing low flower bed retaining wall and replacing it with a smaller one. It will be quadrant shaped with the existing footings used for the straight part and new footings for the curve, which is a 5m curve. Total new brickwork is 13m long and 4 courses high with 300mm block...

I think I have the definitive argument to this regarding clay soils. So long as you use permeable sub base (e.g type 3), permeable concrete or tarmac and permeable resin or other permeable finish) and there is a fall on your driveway you should be able to make a case that you are ok. No need for...

I am about to get a low retaining wall around a soil filled flower bed replaced. Probably use similar Marshall faced blocks with some rustic effect. My old wall has been there for about 40 years. It has bowed out a bit in places. Is it ok to have a single skinned wall? It will be only 3, maybe 4...

@Notch7 that is exactly what 95% do. But here in this part of Essex there is a clay subsoil so unless you put a deep shaft through the clay into the gravel below it's not going anywhere in winter high rainfall when the water table is high. Furthermore the regulations say that in difficult...

I know it is generally thought a bad idea to have a new surface over an existing driveway but some of the explanations as to why i don't quite follow. Most revolve around the condition of the existing with thickness, cracks etc, what it was layed on originally and settling problems. My concrete...

I agree with all of the above and will continue with my Potterton Netaheat 50 for as long as possible. It is nice to know what is best to do in advance though. Rushed decisions rarely lead to the right choice. I think I would be minded to go for another conventional but obviously condensing...

Thanks for the fast responses. Yes, not intending to change till existing boiler needs expensive repair although I am quite green so the greater efficiency appeals to me despite being too old to probably get my money back! I just like to plan ahead in case it goes in the middle of a January so I...

I have an ageing but fully functional CH system. I like planning ahead so am thinking I would like at some point replace my conventional boiler (gravity h/w pumped ch) with a modern conventional condensing boiler. Apparently there are new regulations that say the new system must be fully pumped...

It is, but surely that is illegal. The whole point of the SUDS regs is to reduce the water going into the storm sewers. In any case the drain is in the kerb and currently flows off the driveway into that. I spoke to another friend who'd just had his done by what he described as a very...

Done a lot of research and every trader/supplier seems to contradict each other.

You'd think professional tradesmen would be able to give you a consistent answer! No. So I have a concrete sideway 2.5m wide 30 sqm just footfall. Then a frontage 35sqm, crazy paving and concrete for car. Been there 45 years, drains naturally to road. Question is if I replace it do I need a...

Next Spring I am planning on a new front hardstanding for two small cars, replacement of the side concrete"driveway" (now no longer wide enough for a car so just decorative and foot fall) and a rear patio. There is plenty of info out there on all of the different materials and techniques but...

Indeed. Some of these were pukka though - I checked out their work locally and their website.

Well it's basically impossible as the house was designed and built with hard standing along side and most of front with any water either going to sewer from gutter or running to kerb side with natural fall. There is no lawn or soil to run it to. maybe I would be given planning permission as...

It's a combined system and as far as I can see in our street rainwater from gutters goes from a down pipe underground into the sewer as it does on mine.

I have an approximately 50 year old house (seemed quite new when I bought it 43 years ago!) which has the original concrete driveway down the side (now too narrow for a modern car) and a hardstanding of crazy paving as frontage. (Total 50sqm). I plan to upgrade this next year. The question is...

Thanks to everybody for their helpful suggestions. I will let you know what the final outcome was when we get there!