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I have no idea about Scotland, but I can clear up the "competency" issue and Part P. Once upon a time the only people who could issue a valid certificate of completion for Building Regs was an LA Building Control Officer. The the government decided to introduce some competition, albeit...

Richard Burbridge do a bracket specifically for DIY use. See here I assume you did get building regulations consent for this work? Is so the BCO will probably give you a bit of advice for nothing. If not there is every chance that you will have to put the wall back or face problems if...

Views on London prices???? High! What else can I say. Actually I have just moved into a 3 bed terrace and am having lots of work done. I do have the advantage of knowing lots of contractors/tradesmen and knowing how to get the best rates. Still it is a painfully expensive business. Not...

Anyone can apply for planning permission for anything anywhere they want. I could apply for permision to build my new office in your back garden if I wanted. However, when you apply you have to complete a certificate of ownership and if you don't own the land you must serve notice on whoever...

That is the beauty of epoxy. Not to be used without careful consideration of when you might want to remove it. Hard graft, a lot of mess, and damaged tiles are the order of the day. A suitable abrasive disk will help.

Ah....now I see. The problem with our industry is we have so many acronyms that I automatically see one and assume it must mean something "Construction" related.

oilman, you are a strange bloke indeed if you hang about in disco's wearing ear defenders. :shock:

Geoff, Anytning is possible. It just isn't a very good idea if you want a decent and durable job.

I have to say that in many ways the current situation benefits me. Joe Public gives the job to the cheapest guy and if they are lucky everyone is happy. Quite often though the job starts and the price escalalates, or the quality is poor. Joe then talks to his solicitor and then I get employed...

With Advice, as with everything else in life, you get what you pay for. On the surface it seems likely that a new concrete floor with a polythene (visqueen is a brand name) DPM laid, and possibly a DPC inserted. However, there are no "stock" answers to this sort of problem and it really does...

I would suggest you speak to plaster manufacturers British Gypsum on 08705 456123. Adding anything to plasters could be a problem, so don't do it unless the maker has said it is ok to.

I am just having 7 windows and a door replaced and am paying £3000 + VAT. However, bear in mind what I do for a living and you'll realise that the installer is probably doing this at not much more than cost (no doubt hopeful that more work will come his way, and it probably will if he does a...

The life expectancy of modern roofing felts could be claimed to be "up to 50 years" and many come with insurance backed guarantees of 25years. Many of them also have agrement certificates, so have been through an independent verification process. I am not convinced by these "rubber" systems...

Nothing new about the law, it is just that people generally understand just the very basics of planning law, and assume they know it all. In very simple terms the Town and Country Planning Act (which is actually the longest and most complex piece of legislation on the statute books) requires...

There is every possibility that planning permission was not required, but that does not automatically mean than planning permission is not required to reinstate what was there before. You should check with the local authority, but my suspicion is that you won't require planning permission...

"but i really want it done, cheap by people i can trust not to bodge it!" Was a comment I read elsewhere on the forum an I was wondering what others really thought of it. As a surveyor I spend much of my time engaged as an expert witness when disputes arise between builders/tradesmen and...

I cannot tell you what it means in detail without a drawing or visiting site, although on the surface it appears to describe a Universal Beam acting as a binder with a wall plate fixed to it and the wall plate strapped to the joists below. However, you haven't even given the context. I can...

Nigel. So when the building regs man comes round and the planning dept man does same are they gonna ask me for a certificate from a competent person or qualified electrician ? Depends on this. You say you have applied for building regulations consents. You will have done this either by...

Acoustics is one of the most complex and difficult matters affecting buildings. So much so that there are engineers who specialise in dealing with nothing else. I tell you this merely to highlight that even I (a Chartered Building Surveyor) can only offer you vague advice and a simplistic...

It is possible, in theory, to insulate a suspended timber gound floor without increasing the risk of rot. The insulation would need to be supspended between the floor joists and not project lower than them. Easily done if you can get underneath, but less so if you can't. However, whatever...