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Hi all, quick question. Would a 140x100 concrete lintel span a 2400mm clear span and take a roof loading for a warm deck flat roof. The flat roof is going to be used as a balcony (of sorts - its only 1.5m wide), so may need to have a floor loading taken into consideration. Thanks In Advance.

Hi, we are putting some flats into an old office building. There is a flat on each floor - we are putting in an MF ceiling in each to hide ducting for a heat recovery system so need to drop it by c125mm My question is, whats the best way of doing this? Our skills with MF ceilings are...

Chaps - we're doing some flats at the moment and we're gonna dryline the show flat ourselves due to licence reasons. What size screws would be best for 2no layers of 12.5mm DB board into timber studs? (party walls).

Chaps - can someone help me? Building an extension at the moment, lean to at the back of the house, standard stuff. It has a lean to roof on it naturally, its been specified as 17.5 degree pitch and the extension is 4.2m to the outside face of B/W. 9x2's What height will the roof...

I've just had a couple of new chippy's start and there was a difference of opinion.... One gang always cut the edge of the flooring so it lands on a joist, they say never have the ends of the board unsupported. The other gang always just lays the boards in the 2.4m entirety, so if the join...

We have recently had a complaint about the levels of dust from a site we are on, (interesting neighbourhood!). We tend to dry cut with the stihl saw, mainly because we don't do a lot of cutting, but alas, the neighbour is unhappy. I wondered if there was actually a guideline...

.....bit of a long story, but a surveyor on a job that we are on has made an incorrect measurement and as such our 8x2 timber span is now well over the max span according to the tables. The clear span we need to make is 4500mm. UNfortunately the 8x2 is in place at 400 c/c. I wondered if we...

......why is it customers always stall on completion payments??? We've finished a lovely job, immaculate finish internally, painted, carpets the lot, like a ****ing show home. Invoiced - nothing! No response. I even leave people with a 5% holding payment as part of the contract...

Hi Chaps, any of you been asked to use full fill PIR boards in a 100mm cavity before. Apparently Xtratherm do a product called CavityTherm - my brother has used it and said it was ridiculously hard to use. I wondered if any of you other chaps had had a go at it?

Do any of you builders on here value teh association of a trade body? NHBC or FMB or such like. I've heard a lot of horror stories but also some good ones....I just wondered if it was worth applying for one or either as my business expands. Would welcome constructive thoughts.

Hi All, whenever i've put suspended floors in i've always used treated timber. At the moment we are building a loft conversion with an extension to the rear, and the carpenter has turned up with a load of untreated timber for the floor joists in the loft. From what I can gather on the...

Evening all, Just got on to a job where the customers ground - workers have got the concrete in at the wrong level. In fairness I think they've just misread the drawings slightly, however, with the insulation i've got it looks like i've only got room for a 50-55mm S&C screed - is this enough?

Chaps - just thought i'd gauge some opinion. I have to overboard a ceiling with 80mm PIR and then 12.5mm board. What size screws would you be happy with?

Wow - there was a pretty decent accident on one of the sites we're on Yesterday - nearly lost my life. I don't subbie for many people, but there are a couple I usually do blockwork shells for......yesterday we were trying to cut the gables in, they decided it was a good idea to have 4...

I'm building a reasonably large extension for someone at the moment and wondered if someone could offer an opinion. We have a door (900) situated next to a window (1800) so the structural opening is naturally (2700) with a panel of block/brickwork coming up under the window. The Engineer...

Hi Guys, i've recently built an extension, which included a new boiler. The plumber who installed it over 3 months ago seems to have dropped off the face of the planet having supplied no paperwork for it. Building control have refused my completion ticket until they get the gas safe...

Never come across this situation before but someone has asked me build a simple bungalow - 300mm cav construction - therms inside and high strength therms on the external skin. The back wall will be then faced with a stonework face. Thermalite have told him he can't use the high strength...

Hi Guys - not got a great deal of experience with this. I can't at this stage ask the question i'd like to, as I don't know much about the soil type etc. However, i'm looking to build near a sycamore with a TPO on it. Want to come within about 4m of it. The council have asked for an...

Chaps - i've just been to see an unfinished project - builder went bankrupt on them 3 years ago. Half of a double brickwork extension, thermalites on the inside - bad cracks throughout the blockwork, timber work that is in looks shot to pieces, windows in wrong place. Would you finish the...

Hi Guys, bit of a novice to garden/landscaping - I usually build extensions etc and don't really get involved to this degree. But, a family friend has asked me to build some steps in a garden, its a pretty steep pitch to get down, and I think any form of concrete and masonry solution would...