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  1. M

    Best mortar/concrete base for pedestal supported patio - thin slab

    Hi I'm looking for advice on the recipe to use for concrete. I'm about to lay the concrete slab on which I'll fix my 30mm thick, large, rectified stone slabs using pedestals. The pedestals are needed to overcome multiple problems of levels and drainage. It will be laid on top of block and...
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    Pyronix 'engineer restore required' after removing sensor cover?

    Hi Pyronix alarm system one year old. I removed the cover of a sensor to paint round it. Switched the tamper alarm off. Finished painting, replaced cover, tried to reset the system -- now the system is saying 'engineer restore required'. Control flashes continuous orange. Has been like that...
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    Patio above dpc -- landscaper wants to use lead flashing...

    Hi, Is it ok to protect a DPC by chasing in lead one course above it and laying patio up to it? Any hints on how to do it? Landscaper has built a 120mm reinforced concrete raft for a patio to replace part of an existing patio (it's 3 ft above garden level but same level as kitchen). The raft...
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    Tiling on new concrete floor that vibrates - glue/grout advice?

    Hi I'm about to lay porcelain floor tiles on a concrete screed in a new extension. No underfloor heating. The tiles are fairly small (50cm square / 50 x 25). Area is 7m x 3.5m. Should / can I do anything to counter the noticeable vibration when I walk across the screed? When I walk normally...
  5. M

    Help! Please! Builder built block and beam too high

    Please, please help, clever and knowledgeable people. Sorry for the long story..in brief: Can you lower block and beam around an extension built on the block and beam? Can you remove the block and beam on the outside of a building built over the block and beam? In Oct 2018, builder built a...
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    How to lay patio slabs on top of block and beam?

    Hi, what sort of screed do I need to be safe from bounce wrecking my limestone flags, laid on block and beam 3 feet above garden level I have a block and beam patio about 2m x 6m with a 4m radius quarter-circle on the end. Most of the beams are 2.3m or shorter. I plan to lay limestone flags...
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    Does it matter if extension building control certificate is based on a technicality?

    The private Building Control company hired by my builder plans to issue a certificate for my new extension based on the fact it is exempt if the builder installs external doors between the extension and the existing house. This means no U value calcs are needed. Doors are not yet installed and I...
  8. M

    Is 600mm too high for a bath? Builder has just raised mine on bricks...

    In a complete bathroom rebuild, my bath has just been replaced in its old spot (well, the new shower enclosure is 30cm wider so it is 30cm to one side of its old spot). They have put the bath's feet on bricks so they could attach the waste - so the whole is now at least 7cm higher than it used...
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    Extension - builder economic with truth - regs breached imo - what do I do?

    After glass was installed in our new sun room I saw it had paper labels saying U value was 2.8 (The doors are labeled 1.8 and the one opening window is 1.4 - don't know about the velux). I would choose much better and had originally asked about reflective glass which all my neighbours have...
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    Do I need to tank a dry concrete floor and wall?

    This sounds silly but --- why would my builder / insurer insist on doing this? Are they just being conventional? A burst pipe a year ago flooded my house. Repairs have barely begun thanks to incompetent RSA and builders. All plaster is off walls. As part of the repairs the surveyor appointed...
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    Lime plaster vs Renderlite on solid brick walls? Is Renderlite breathable enough?

    Hi - does anyone with an old property (solid brick walls, lime mortar, concrete floors) have experience of renderlite? Our major renovation is (finally) underway after burst pipe last March. Had agreed lime plaster for walls, as there were previous damp probs. Exterior wall has impermeable...
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    Aluminium window fitting - is this acceptable? what meets regs?

    Hi, we've just had 4 large, expensive (3K each) sliding aluminium windows fitted. There are snags and the MD of the company is going to visit to look at them. Can anyone advise on what I should expect him to do to make it good? Here are some of the issues: (The "windows" are all, in fact...
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    Dormer damaged during new window installation - what is the fix?

    Hello - I'm looking for advice as to what trade can help me this may be a forlorn hope and forgive the detail. I have just had three large replacement (6ft x 4 ft) uPVC windows installed in an existing dormer (three rooms, two of them bathrooms- it is a long flat-roof dormer built in the...
  14. M

    how to dry a very damp brick wall (after failed steam cleaning of exterior)

    Hello - please, please can anyone advise how to dry out an exceptionally wet brick wall? The source of water was fixed 2 years ago. You could call this a tragi-comedy.... We wanted to remove the paint from one exterior wall to leave the original bricks. Our "builder" recommended a "specialist"...
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    Does level of water in cold tank affect shower pressure

    Hello I have a shower fed from the cold tank and hot cylinder, no pump (water-saving!). please excuse any terminology errors here.. Plumber replaced part of the feed to the cold tank last week and his new pipe rises a little higher - about an inch - before entering the tank. The RHS of the...
  16. M

    Victorian dormer window leaks - sympathetic repairs?

    Hello - can someone please advise? I have a leak at one upper corner of small dormer window (very easy access). Window is about 3 feet by 2 feet, if that big Repairs proposed suggest (in as few words as I can) remove tiles and existing covering, check condition of decking (what's...
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