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The way it’s been done isn’t necessarily wrong, as said, it’s just more of a pain as the outer beam has to be protected/wall has to be re-finished around it and made to look right. Potentially better approach is to have a flat plate for the outer skin, then the outer masonry just sits on that...

You could chuck more gravel down, but if whole thing isn’t on a decent compacted sub base (suggests it’s not when you say the gravel’s being pushed down into a softer base) you’ll continue to have issues. Proper job is to remove existing gravel, see what the base is, if it’s not solid like at...

Exp foam isn’t appropriate to stop water ingress. How’s the beam on the outer skin protected from the elements? Normally you’d have a beam on the inner and a flange on outer welded to it

Hygroscopic salts are fairly common on chimney breasts, which’d need a different system to the bonding and skim. Maybe dehumidifier for a few more weeks and if no change likely needs a rethink for that bit.

Good shout, but

This one’s AI, if you look at its post in GD also. Joined the forum today. Mods, please delete…

They wouldn’t be directly fixed to the brick/block though. They’d be on whatever the substrate to be skimmed was. As they’re only skim beads. So board, or backing plaster (hardwall, bonding, render etc)

Stitch it away with a masonry (SDS) drill. 6mm ish bit, lots of holes, then a chisel to break it up

The square cover might be an untrapped rodding point, which would mean you can’t just stick a grid on as you’d get smells coming up. Can’t quite work out where the slabs come into it if you’re having gravel? Can you just build the lower corner up a bit with some mortar and cause it to drain off...

Given the era and fact that the hairs look long, sounds more like old horse hair plaster. Which figures if it’s been applied to laths (the metal stuff). So fingers crossed. But yeah, get it tested so you know. And asbestos danger is really related to prolonged repeated exposure like handling it...

They tend to need a few mechanical fixings in addition to the dabs.

While I’m not disputing that it’s a potentially grey area, and it’s your house so you want to do the best possible thing, my take on it is there are tens of thousands of 30s places which will have insulated/non insulated dabbed solid walls and are absolutely fine. There will be loads being done...

Wind up thread

S&C render altho a solid choice, can result in a cold wall to the touch, increasing condensation. Have you got room to insulate/insulated plasterboard? If wet plastering I’d probably hardwall it. Gypsum based backing plaster. I don’t personally think a typical 30s house has some crucial need...

Crikey - good luck fella

Why not timber frame it like the vast majority of these are? Easier, probably cheaper, lose less space than a cavity wall. 450mm may not be deep enough for your footings depending on ground. Assume given the size it’s subject to building regs? In which case they’d inspect at various stages like...

Cheers. I think my main issue is as soon as any of it makes its way onto the brick face (easily done, very soft stuff that likes to squeeze out and up when touched) it’s never coming off (sand faced bricks and very sticky mastic). Not such an issue if a bit goes on the lead as it wipes off. I’ll...

For flashing chases in brick. Used lead sealant a few times as seems a better choice than mortar. Never been totally happy with the finish tho, wet finger smoothing it tends to start getting it on the brick face unless you’re very careful, so game over. Anyone do this regularly and got any...

Those doors look relatively chunky, I’d draught proof the hell out of them in conjunction with decent curtains etc. I don’t think the hassle/looks/weirdness of a removable thing is justified by how much difference it’d make…