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If the answer to your question isn't in this document then you will need a building surveyor or structural engineer to. see this

Now Rigsby was your man for home maintenance!

Solid concrete walls and solid brick walls are not the same thing at all and the risks of doing what you propose to a concrete wall are serious. Condensation occurs at the point where the air temperature is reduced to the dew point of the internal air. Often that happens on the internal...

Judging by the photographs and what you have said I suspect masona has got the cause of the cracks right. Browning is used as an undercoat plaster on masonry, but some masonry surfaces have much higher rates of suction (hence they dry the plaster too fast) and in those circumstance you can...

No need to wait for it to rain. Use a hose to test if water can get behind the flashings

John, the truth is that there is a wide variety of opinion as to the health risks associated with mad made mineral fibres MMMF (including glass fibre). Shivverinn has his own opinion, which one hopes he has formed by reading the evidence. Unfortunately working with the material safely for 15...

Then you will almost certainly require some additional ventilation. However, I am not going to advise you on how much or where it should be you should pay a CORGI registered gas installer to take a look and advise you. If you don't have adequate ventilation it could kill.

I have explained how condensation occurs in some detail on another thread quite recently, so do look it up if you want to understand it. I am not going to explain in detail again here as my other post has links to a psychometric chart which shows graphically the relationship between wet buld...

The underfloor ventilation is entirely there to prevent the suspended timber floor from rotting. Whether you need additional ventilation in a room will depend on a multitude of factors. Do you have a fire (gas or solid fuel) fire in the room which requires ventilation? Are your windows double...

Syd, all metals react when in contact with each other due to the electrical potential difference. The greater the potential difference the greater the reaction. Unfortunately I don't have a table to hand, but essentially it would be wise not to let the copper and lead come into contact with...

The age of the roof doesn't make any difference. Within your house you produce gallons of moisture every day. This is held by the warm air and much of it rises through the house to end up in the roof space. Unless the roof space is ventilated then that moisture has nowhere to go. The moisture...

There is a great deal of myth and misunderstanding regarding asbestos one that seems to perpetuate (and is even perpetuated on the site masona provides a link to) is the relative risks posed by Blue, Brown and White asbestos (or more properly crocidolite, amosite and chrysotile (and not...

masona, My apologies if you thought I was simply critisising you. That wasn't my intention, I just wanted to give Chris the best advice I could and the "gap" thing was a bit misleading. There are circumstances in which a ventilated cavity is desirable, but it serves no purpose in a wall...

It is a good idea to use an alkali resisting primer on new plaster.

I would strongly advise that you get some advice from a chartered building surveyor before doing this. Applying insulation internally on a solid concrete wall may well lead to interstitial condensation and of that were to occur within the insulation it would soon become innefective and you could...

To be honest it does not sound like ventilation is the issue here. To understand why condensation occurs in any given scenario requires an understanding of the relationship between wet and dry bulb temperatures, relative humidity and dew point. This relationship can be ascertained from...

Nobody, and ceertainly not your local council, can take away any rights you have Chris. Even if a neighbour gets planning permission and building regulations consent your individual rights remain. So.....do you have a right to light? Well I don't know, but assuming that your window has been...

OnlyAsking... I would suggest that you look at things in this order. Engage a Chartered Architect or Chartered Building Surveyor (I may be available), he/she will be able to advise you on how best to proceed. But generally it ought to be something like this. Overall quick appraisal, is it...

ban-all-sheds The obvious question to ask is why you are bothered about the loft space getting cold. It is designed to do so after all. Apart from what masona said being correct in regards to the building regulations, you must realise that the entire roof space, including the rafters...

I have had people ask for cost advice in the past (I am a Chartered Building Surveyor and Corporate Building Engineer) and have suggested that they try the service offered by Travis Perkins try here The estimates I have seen tend to be pretty accurate. However, I'd also suggest you talk to a...