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Generally mixing by hand doesn't give you as good a mix. Even using a mixer a lot of the labourers get the mix workable by adding too much water, rather than letting it mix for longer to get enough air into the mix. Also helps if it's mixed for longer when using a dye.

All sorts of things get said about rising damp, but most of it is wrong. Damp will find it's way through some really small areas, so 15mm would be no problem. Back in the 70's, it was common practice to cut the DPM off flush with the slab, and not lap it into the DPC. Although only a small gap...

It's because NHBC guidance is that the horizontal DPC just above ground level projects 5mm each side of the face brickwork. As metric bricks are 102.5mm, and the DPC is 112.5mm it gives you that. I don't think anyone takes any notice of that.

The normal way is to bolt the support plate to the beam so the beam takes the front of the breast, and the support plate goes back from the front of the beam to the wall. The beam needs to be at the front of the breast as that's where more of weight is.

I've said in my post that the staining on the stack shows that the tray is working, but I've always used patination oil on the trays when building a stack, as it helps avoid some of the stains. I haven't checked in the roof space myself, I'm only looking at the photos like you. I'd still say...

I'm not sure the trays are causing all that staining under the soffits. There's a lot of staining on the stack coming out of the weep holes over the top tray. This is probably partly due to not using patination oil on the tray, but shows that the tray is stopping the moisture going down the...

I'd say possibly a gutter issue as well. Lot of water coming down the centre of the roof, hitting the back of the stack and coming round both sides into the end of the gutters. Best time to check is when it's hammering down. Deep flow gutters might fix the issue.

Getting the mix right with the correct sand is the key thing. In a mixer you need to mix it dry for 5 minutes, then add the water and plaz, but only enough to make it drier than you need. Let it mix for around 10 minutes to work enough air into the mix and you will probably find it's workable by...

It's a lot harder to take down.

It was used quite a lot in the USA for ceilings before plasterboard. The galvanizing can break down over time leaving the laths open to rust and failure. It's a lot quicker to skim plasterboard than fill EML or timber laths.

A lime specialist will have the roller pan mixers needed. No good turning up with a Belle.

My advice is to use a builder experienced with using NHL 5 for a floor. Worse than concrete if you tamp it into your eyes.

That's the normal method.

Try drinking out of date Febmix.

What's the diameter of the existing flue?

I'm a brickie, but I've never seen that method used before. The precast gathers are in one piece, or when brickwork is used, the bricks are cut and corbelled. Looks like there were gaps for smoke to enter besides the flue.

You don't normally have any brickwork under the throat lintel. The idea is that it guides any smoke up the flue. Bricks tend to let some escape. You don't need the brickwork below the lintel.

Have you picked a new fire and got the dimensions? You can move the steel up if you need to.

It's probably a concrete throat lintel.

Technically it's wrong, so luckily you aren't going through Building Control as it's an electric fire. The minimum width for a jamb is 200mm, so you will be down to less than that as it doesn't include the plaster. In reality, when you think that some people knock out a lower chimney breast and...