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Hello all, This is a work related query - we have 4500 old railway sleepers which are to be lifted from their current location but for waste licensing reasons cant be removed from site; the whole thing is part of a big redevelopment. My job is to look after the wildlife side of things and Im...

Hello, I am trying to work out an acceptable compromise when laying the (lovely) 180 x 20mm solid oak floor in our house. The majority of the the floor is to be nailed on to 2" x 2" battens, fixed to concrete slab. However, there is a change in floor level half way across the kitchen/diner...

Im trying to get kitchen waste water out of the house, avoiding the need to dig up the concrete slab. Im hoping to be able to use the soil pipe in the downstairs loo - its old school clay soil pipe set into concrete floor. Having plumbed in a new loo, Plan A is a partial success - waste...

Possibly a stupid question - cant find answer online or on tub of black stuff - once Ive applied the bitumen/latex and it has dried, does it remain tacky or is it safe to gingerly walk on?

Quickie question - Have just discovered the mains pipe (black plastic, similar size to modern blue plastic pipe Ive seen) runs about 3" below ground level alongside the gable end of our house. We would prefer to bring it in into the house at the gable end, rather than where is does currently...

Yesterday I finished laying a new hearth, using slate flagstones reclaimed from other bits of the house. The flags are on a base of 1 part NHL 3.5 lime, 6 parts sand. Its a deep bed - between 30 and 60mm depending on the depth of stone on top. I used building sand, and have since found out...

Hello, Just placed an order for Woodwarm 12 with split saddle and roof boilers. Hot water from stove will gravity feed a 210l thermal store positioned almost directly above. There will be a pumped circuit for the radiators, heat sink rad in the bathroom. Thats the easy bit. My understanding of...

I am relocating the bathroom and as a result need to take waste water out through the 60-80cm wide stone wall. Id like to minimise the number of holes I have to dig through the wall, so was wondering: Can I link the basin waste to the pan connector somehow? And if this is possible, could I...

We have no wall space in the kitchen to install rads, so are thinking of installing electric underfloor heating instead. (Electric cos we dont imagine it will be on all the time, we dont want to dig up the concrete slab and we dont want to lose room height). Is there a system that might work...

Just a quickie - Ive tried a search and cant find the answer: New lintel gone in between two stone walls, and is supporting part of the first floor external wall. The builders have poured concrete shuttering (with padstones on top) to support both ends of the lintel, and tie it in to the...

As the title says. Reason being that Im trying to keep costs down by doing easier/sensible stuff myself. The boiler will be gas or oil and will be in the currently empty ground floor utility room beneath the bathroom (which has room for an airing cupboard). If I route all the rad pipes to...

We have just had two rooms knocked together, which needed 3 steel beams to be installed in place of the original exterior stone wall. Before installing the beams, the builder said he would take them over some brickwork, so that they were resting in the stone of the house. Due to the size of...

Our house has no central heating currently (total refurb underway), and I am head scratchin as to what might best. My main questions are - Would it be possible to install a gas combi boiler (using bottled gas), linked to a multifuel stove? Would an ordinary boiler be better? Or would a...

Hello, This was originally in the flooring forum but has been suggested as more of a "building" topic. Any help appreciated! Our (old) house has five rooms on the ground floor, each with a different floor construction. The whole lot needs bringing to one level and the damp spots sorting...

Hello, Firstly, apologies for the long post, but a bit of background will help! Our (old) house has five rooms on the ground floor, each with a different floor construction. The whole lot needs bringing to one level and the damp spots sorting out. We are seeking a sensible middle road...

Hello, In a fit of excitement we removed the plaster from the (suspiciously large) chimney breast in the living room and were pleased to discover a great big fireplace, with stone lintel. Sadly the lintel has broken, with an obvious crack in the middle. The original fireplace had been...