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I've spoken to the builders and they think the stove has been lit before the plaster had fully dried which caused the crack. It may be the case, I'm not sure. I did what the installer told me with regards to how long to leave it before lighting. Anyway - they are coming to have a look and I...

Thanks Deluks. I think the wall heats up from the flue inside rather then from the front but I'm not 100% sure. It was a stove company that did the work so I didn't have any input into what materials they used - just let them do their thing. I was going to install a mantel but haven't done...

I have recently had a log burner installed into a chimney breast. The block chimney was opened up and lined with a flu liner. The chimney breast was then made good and skimmed with multi finish. They used SBR on the blocks where backing plaster was needed and then used blue grit over...

Thanks Alastair, that is a great help.

Thanks alastair and stuart. I think I will replace the lintel with a slightly longer one to give 100mm overlap and at the same time raise it up a bit. Two more questions if I may : Will the blocks be ok unsupported briefly while I install a new lintel - I don't have any sort of acro prop that...

Hi ree, I don't really understand what you are getting at - why do you need the dimensions? I just want to open the fireplace to the builder's opening and want to know if the red bricks are structural or decorative. Ideally I want to remove the ugly red bricks exposing the concrete blocks...

Thanks ree, that is what I have done but anyway I want the red bricks gone. Just trying to establish if they are supporting the lintel or not.

I'm opening up a fireplace so that a stove can be fitted. The chimney is concrete blocks. I've started removing the red bricks which I though were just decorative as they sit in front of the wall and also line the opening. I have got to a concrete lintel behind (picture 2) but it only has...

Yes, that's the one. They are £34.54 in Screwfix. Thanks for the link - that is a much more reasonable price !

Thanks Gasguru, that is exactly what I need. I've fitted a temporary stop end until I can get one of those. Opps, yes I'm going through and replacing all my old gate valves with Pegler ones. Unfortunately there are 3 on 28mm pipe and the lever valves are about £35 each in screwfix :oops:

I'm trying to replace a faulty gate valve on a 22mm copper hot water pipe from a vented hot water cylinder. I've drained it down and undone the compression fittings but there isn't any play in the pipes (all welded joints except for the compression joints on the gate valve). In order to remove...

Is it classed as rubble / hardcore then? I can take that to the tip but thought tarmac would not be accepted (no mention of it on the council website).

How can I dispose of an old tarmac driveway? I don't think my local amenity centre (in Cumbria) will take it and am struggling to find out how to get rid of it. I'm sure last time I had a skip they told me no tarmac.

I have just spent the day scraping moss from a large area of block paving. There doesn't appear to be any sand left in the joints - just mud so I'm wondering what best to do with it to make it look nice and deter the weeds? My thoughts are : 1. I could try pressure washing the mud out then...

Thank you !

Does a copper hot water cylinder with an immersion need earth bonding? All pipes to and from it are plastic and there is a single immersion element. Appologies if the answer is on here somewhere, had a look but couldn’t find it. Thanks.

Thanks for your help everyone.

Thanks CW. I’m not a plumber but have no choice but to do a bit here and there as I live on an island where there aren’t any plumbers (so bodge jobs are common). I am replacing the cylinder and noticed this, thought it was wrong but wanted to check before rectifying it. I understand about the...

Thanks Dan, I thought it shouldn’t be there. CWHEATING - no, no wind up. Why do you say that?

Can any plumbers please help me? What is this component (see pic) on the vent pipe of my vented hot water system? It is a very simple system, just an immersion with hot water cylinder on the ground floor and cold tank in the loft. This piece is just before the hot water pipe (from the top of...