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I have a small pitched roof and will be putting lateral restrain straps at the gable. The diagonal bracing gets in the way though. Can I do 22mm boards each side of the diagonal bracing and then go across all of it with the strap or should the strap be on a single piece of timber? If that's not...

I'm doing diagonal bracing on my small (3.5m span, but 6.0m wide) attic trusses, and I've found that I can't get the last one in as my existing house is in the way. I was wondering whether they need to alternate between up-down, and down-up, or whether two can go in the same direction? I'm...

I ordered some roof battens ('tile batten' on the invoice) from a timber merchant and they don't appear to be BS 5534. Is BS 5534 required for my pitched roof (it's a new extension)? Should I expect a refund? They are stamped with BS 8417, but not coloured blue/red.

I've done some lintels and have seen some things that say you should have wall ties within 225mm above a lintel. This would make perfect sense for concrete lintels etc., but I'm wondering whether the cavity lintels act as wall ties too. The docs aren't clear but say it creates stability between...

I have a 200x100mm (h x w) RHS steel and need to lay bricks on it. The radius is bigger than I expected (about 1"), so this would make the bed joint look like 35mm. It will be inside a garage, so I'm not worried by the appearance too much. Would this be acceptable? It has a shelf plate on...

I'm putting a large steel (6m span) in my garage extension to support the roof. I found this (https://www.nhbc.co.uk/binaries/content/assets/nhbc/tech-zone/nhbc-standards/tech-guidance/6.1/lintels-over-wide-garage-openings-.pdf) online and I'm trying to understand it. From what I understand, I...

I need to install a steal beam for a large garage opening (approx. 5.2m span). The brickwork is single skin (215mm wide) and the beam will have a shelfplate. In the general notes from the SE docs it says that the beams should be "bedded onto a dry/level mortar bed". I've never seen a beam on a...

I've been intending to put flat roof joists (metal web joists) on my aerated blocks (5.2N IIRC). Some blocks say you should sit them on 4mm neoprene or roofing felt, but the manufacturer of my blocks doesn't seem to know how I should put the joists on the blocks. Is the 4mm felt etc. a standard...

I need to put a 6m steel (203 UC) on a corner that is at a strange angle (approx. 20 degree angle IIRC). As I'm using 7N blocks, the structural engineer said I won't need a padstone. However, as the steel will sit right in the middle of the corner, I'm keen to cast a padstone in situ to avoid...

I'm building an extension and I'm wondering whether the insulation will work properly for my internal wall. I have a heated room and a garage, but I want the option to convert the garage in the future, so I want it insulated. I'm using rigid "full fill" insulation, which is 90mm with a 10mm...

I'm building an extension (cavity walls) and the ground level varies. The doors and FFL will be at 150mm but the ground will be approximately 200mm higher on one wall. One suggestion I've had is to do a cavity tray instead of DPC as a tray doesn't need to be at 150+mm above the ground level...

I need to do the concrete oversite for my new garage. People usually use a length of timber to level the concrete, but I would need timber that's at least 6.5m long (without any bowing). My brickwork is up to the FFL (ground level), but would should I use? Should I screw some wood together to...

I'm building an extension (DIY) and I'm a bit unsure about the inner skin around the door opening. I've gone single skin for the door openings but I've realised that a lot of people seem to have it coming up to around 1 block (225) below FFL. I've attached a picture to show the two options...

I want to run a pipe to an outside tap but can't decide the best way to do it. I'm building an extension so I have all the options available such as running a pipe under the floor etc. Every option I've thought of has it's drawback so it feels like there should be another option. I currently...

I'm trying to add a Macar bowl inlet to my existing bowl and can't tighten it. Does anybody know whether there's a special/easy way to do it? Turning the outer ring compresses the seal and there are a couple of teeth that click as it turns. I've almost got to the first click but can't move it...

I'm building a brick inspection chamber. I've read some things online that say that they should have a double skin with engineering bricks. I know many are only single skin, like my existing inspection chamber that is built with normal (non-engineering) bricks. Should it be double skin or not...

I need to get a 110mm pipe into my existing inspection chamber. It was built in the 80's and there were apparently common around that time. I've removed a blank and chiselled concrete away but I'm just left with a hole in the plastic. The existing pipe has a nice adapter, but I have no idea...

I've been running ducting for a water pipe and electrical cable. I've noticed that water supply pipes should be 350mm away from other services. I'm wondering whether anybody knows why? My ducting are being run side by side going into the foundation. If they weren't side by side then I would...

I'm building an extension and matching the bricks to the existing house. I noticed that ibstock say that the bricks should not be used "below ground level DPC". Their durability is F1 (moderately frost resistant). The existing house was built in the 80's and has the facing bricks going below...

I am adding a 110mm non-return valve for my soakaway and want to build an inspection chamber for it as it's supposed to be inspected periodically. I looked at plastic options but couldn't see what I needed. Pipes usually stop at inspection chambers but I want this one to pass through, with the...