Search results

Hi, My neighbour and I (we both share a septic tank on my property) have been offered a free package treatment plant to replace our old septic tank through a scheme that enables property developers to offset phosphate pollution...

Thamks Trojanhawrs, that puts my mind at rest.

Hi, I have wrapped 5 metres of trace heating cable around 15mm pipes which has a thermostat to turn the heating on at temperatures below 2C. The instructions say the trace cable can be plugged into a socket but I need to extend the cable to reach the socket. However, the instructions give no...

Thanks for your information. Yes, the circuit is a radial protected by RCD. Once I have installed the cables and sockets a qualified electrician will be inspecting and testing the work so things like insulation and loop impedence should be checked. Cheers.

Hi, can I spur to a cooker extractor hood from the live side of a fused isolation switch used for a 3kw undersink heater? An additional isolation switch would be added to isolate the cooker hood. The cable used is 4mm and only these two items would be on this circuit from the consumer unit. The...

Hi Catlad, the solution has to be breathable to allow moisture to travel through the old stone walls. I don't think OSB qualifies as breathable.

Thanks Ken, I'm considering concrete impregnated wood wool now which has a classification of B, so considerably safer.

Thanks Rageboy91 I'll take a look. I got an email back from a supplier saying that if the boards are going over battens then I should use SteicoProtect, but the minimum thickness of the boards is 40mm which is more than I would like given it is a tight alcove where they will be used.

Thanks for that Ken, you have confirmed Woody's concern that wood fibre boards would not be suitable for my needs. The only other permeable board I know of are the cement impregnated wood wool boards like Savolit. Any idea what thickness I would need to use for a suitable strength if fixed...

Hi Woody, the vapour proof thing is not a problem as I need a breathable solution for my stone walls. The spec says it is fire resistant, class E. It would also be skimmed with lime plaster. I have seen examples of fibreboard being used for wall insulation so assume this class is safe to use?

Hi, I am insulating my internal walls using a quilt nailed to battens and would like to cover this with insulating wood fibre board such as SteicoTherm. However I am wondering if 20mm thick board will be as strong as plasterboard when it comes to resisting day to day wear and tear, or holding...

I don't know if this is relevant but in my Victorian terrace the hearth sat on a pile of earth. Imagine the chimney breast stretching down below the floorboards to the ground and then being filled up with soil to floor level and concreted over. The result is effectively a sponge sucking up...

Thanks BoBasd, I had it in mind to do a similar revealing of the Bressumer beams and the base of the bay window and surrounding brickwork as until that is done a reliable diagnosis cannot be made.

Hi KenGMac, to answer your questions: "Any idea of what the ground is below the property? is it a clay? or Loam, or ???" Geology report found online says the soil in this area is loamy-clay. "Are there any large trees within 20.m of the property? if so what species?" Nearest trees are on other...

"That concrete surface on your front yard- is it a thin skin above the original (probably) glazed blocks or earth or is it a proper 4" slab?" I haven't looked closely but it looks like there is only soil below and probably only a few inches thick. "How much traffic is there on that road, have...

Yes, a bought as seen repossession property. I have had subsidence in other houses which looked far worse then this so I an surprised we are talking rebuild and underpinning.

Thanks Bobasd, I didn't know about Bressummer beams, learnt something new! I am away for a few weeks but have some pics on my phone. Unfortunately none show the gap outside at the top which is about half an inch on the drain pipe side and it has pulled the lead flashing out of the brickwork...

Hi, The single story bay window on my Victorian terraced house is beginning to tilt away from the front wall. Neighbours have said that the soakaway for the downpipe that is within a few feet of the bay window is the likely cause and that others have added an extension to the down pipe so the...

Hi FMT, Insurance surveyor looked at subsidence before drain surveyors and said all that was needed was probably drain repairs and decoration. I think it will be a protracted process to get them to pay for underpinning, they have said collapse of drains was due to old age and therefore not...

Hi, We are trying to sell my late fathers bungalow. Unfortunately it has a large crack between the kitchen and dining room walls, and also some other small cracks in other walls which we have been told are caused by subsidence as a result of water leaking from drains. We have had the drains...