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I'm changing the chimney pot for an older one. The top diameter is bigger, so I need one of these with a bigger diameter 'skirt'. As you can see, it's stainless and fits inside the 6" flue pipe. Can't find one for sale, but it might help if I knew what it's called. On top of it there's a...

The day before the readymix & concrete pump were coming, I hired a puddlesucker and pumped out most of the water. On the day, weather was dry, luckily. We bailed out the rest of the water and skimmed the gloop off the bottom. Between 1400h & 1700h, 10cum of concrete went in the ground. Next...

Down to 3ft now, and on one side where we were in made ground, down to 4ft. Bottom is drying out. Looks more hopeful. Structural engineer came to look today, said so long as we bail out any standing water it will be OK. Here's hoping for a few dry days, hurrr. Ivor

Not sure if this is Building or Woodwork.... anyway... Building a garage, softwood frame, oak feather-edge, dwarf walls 2ft high of concrete block inner/Bradstone outer and block inner/brick outer. The dwarf walls will be solid, ie no cavity, will be some ties to bond the two skins...

Two weeks into a double garage build. Under 30m2 so no Building Control. Perimeter footings 36" x 18", then an 8" reinforced raft. We're on clay. Varies across the site from very hard even when wet, to slightly squishy when wet. So far the trenches for the footings are down 2ft, another...

Garage at the bottom of the steps, 30 feet from the house. Would like to have an outside light on the garage with outdoor switch on the side of the garage, and two-way control from the house. Is there a remote control that will save me having to run an additional 4-core SWA down to the garage...

You can tell me the earth is flat as well while you're at it :} But I can tell you that working on a circuit where you've pulled the fuse, you can rattle the conductors together like castanets, and it does not trip any other circuit, nor, oddly enough, does it trip the 100A main fuse...

Exactly. A so-called safety device that plunges the whole house into darkness and crashes the computer because I touch two wires on a 'dead' circuit, it just plain daft. I've even had this happen with a blown bulb. If ever I have nothing else to do - unlikely - I might just install a system...

Perhaps it's the goon who installed the rcd/mcb board - before my ownership - who shouldn't be doing electrical work, because I certainly turn off the relevant circuit -= not that's it's always easy to identify as we have upstairs lights on the downstairs circuit, and vice versa, some even in...

The advantage of fuses is that when working on the wiring in the house, if one switches off the circuit, the fuse doesn't mind when you touch the ends together, but the blasted MCB imagines there's a problem and plunges the whole house into darkness. I realise this is supposed to be progress...

Oops, yes. And a right pain in the neck they can be, if there's fiddly wiring to do in a confined space. Bring back the fuse box, I say, lol.

Hmmm, I haven't checked the light fitting. I'll take it off tomorrow and have a look. Switch is live in/out. I'll report back. Thankyou.

Baffled. Wall lamp, single 25W incandescent bulb. Controlled through nearby wall switch, one-way, not a dimmer. Been working OK for months. Switched it on one evening, bulb gave a little flash, then nothing. New bulb. Nothing at all. Dead. Checked new and old bulb, both OK. Yesterday...

Agree with Bosswhite. Just going to be a regular maintenance thing. I expect it's worse on the south side, where the sun gets on it? Don't let the frost get in the cracks over winter or it could deteriorate even more. If there are similar houses nearby, you might speak to the owners, see...

Didn't need sealant in our previous house, as the walls were quite flat and I scribed all the tops to the wall so there was no gap. Here in our 400 year-old cottage, the walls are anything but flat, and despite making a pattern, I know there are going to be some gaps at the back, and no I can't...

Thankyou. I used to live in Shepperton (says he, hurriedly editing his Profile), and now you mention the name I think that's where I bought the laminate in 1981. The showroom didn't exist then, as I recall. Amazing to see them still in business. Thankyou. Next problem, having found some...

Thanks. Didn't know one could buy the linings. I'll check the sizes. Mine will be imperial of course. Ivor

Not sure if this is the right forum... Been mooiching around a few kitchen showrooms, rather like the soft-close drawer runners. Blum seem to be the best make (?) Our kitchen fittings were made in 1972. Solid elm. The drawers are like the drawers in a Victorian chest of drawers, they sit...

Having trailed round all our local builders merchants, Homebase, Wickes - where the staff were amazed to hear that in the olde days we used to make our own worktops - I went into a local hardware shop, Millington & Ramsted, and behind the counter they had Formica's sample chart hanging up, and...

If the house has no dpc, a concrete floor would be a bad idea as it would send the damp into the walls. Uncover the original floor, see if you can clean it up. It may be a period piece. You might also try here for advice...