Search results

Hi Chaps, I'm just working out a hardcore order for a patio. Is it fair to say that 1 bulk bag of MoT will wack down to 0.5 cubic metres of volume? Cheers!

I need to lay a bunch of 600x900 porcelain slabs. They're 20mm thick so not particularly heavy but due to the 5mm grout gap I'm not sure how to drop them in to place. I don't want to pay 300 pounds for a suction handle if I can avoid it. Do the 30 quid lifting tongs tend to work okay with...

Hi, I'm attempting to fit a brand new manifold kit to a brand new pipe run. The feed pipe seems to be leak free, but the return pipe is dripping and I can't get it to seal. The part of the brass cone that slots inside the pipe has two orings and is nice and tight. The larger oring looks okay...

Hi, The old part of our house runs a one-pipe heating system, and works reasonably well serving 3 bedroom and 2 floors. It has a grunfoss circulator that seems happy on speed 1 of 3. The new extension has 5 radiators in it, and I've plumbed that as a standard two-pipe system. I'm just...

In our new ensuite we're tiling the floor and also using matching tile skirting boards. Am I right in thinking that this is a movement joint due to the skirting tiles backing on to a stud wall, and therefore I should silicone the joint between skirting and floor, rather than grout? Thanks

Hi I'm double boarding the ceiling that separates my internal garage from the bedroom above. As per the approved plans I'm double boarding in 12.5mm with staggered joints. How should I finish the edges where the boards meet the wall? In some cases I can get the boards tight up against the...

I'm currently sizing the radiators for our new extension. They will be connected up to a two year old Grant Vortex. For the first room I looked at, a couple of online calculators say that I only need a 600w radiator (the room is a first floor bedroom, 4m by 4m, 1m2 window, insulated to current...

Hi, I've had a change of plan on the knock-through into our new extension. We'd planned to knock out the bottom of a 2.1M wide window (as shown by the red lines below) and then use this to form a corridor and a door. Having now got a better feeling for the space, this isn't going to result in...

Hi guys, I'm thinking through the layout of our new extension, which includes re-doing the airing cupboard and old hot water tank. I want to get an unvented cylinder fitted to help with the upstairs shower pressures (currently low head gravity fed), and have done some pressure tests on the...

Am I asking for trouble trying to fit a Velux with only 5mm wiggle room? The fitting guides say that I should have 40-60mm clearance. Is this to meet thermal regs or so that the fitter has some discretion with where the tiles are cut? Thanks

Hi, when running membrane into/over a verge, am I correct in running it under the cement board (over rafter top) then tucking it down behind fascia board? Thanks!

Hi, I'm just fitting a filon dry GRP valley, and am seeing conflicting advice re: the detail on the membrane. The main run of membrane that runs along the valley under the GRP is obvious. The question is how to lap in the runs that come in from the main roof. In the schematic below, which is...

I was just chatting to my roofing merchant about an order of Redland Grovesburys, and wondered if I should get some verge clips. He said that they hardly sell any because no one uses them. I agree that they look awful and prefer the clean lines without them, but was surprised. Do the BCO's...

Hi, Does anyone have a span table that includes C24 170mm rafters @400c/c. I can only seem to find ones that go up to 150mm but I'm sure I've seen one before that goes up to 170mm. Thanks

What's the purpose of loading out before laying. Does it matter if you have a structural ridge stopping everything moving around? Thanks

I have a few situations where the tops of joist hangers wrap over a joist and are then fixed with square twists. These will end up being 3mm proud and will cause issues with flooring sheets rocking on them etc. Is it normal to notch the tops of the joists to avoid this, or do I just need a...

My framing nailer works brilliantly with regular 90mm 3.2mm nails, or 70mm ringshanks, but leaves 90mm ring shanks 2mm proud. It has a 5ah battery which I've experimented with keeping topped up , but it doesn't really make a difference. Are these nails simply beyond what it's capable of, or...

During the current build I've accumulated a couple of bulk bags of mortar snots, broken bricks, and other hardcore for future use under a patio. Around 20% of it is chunks of thermalite block. If I leave the thermalite fragments in will the frost turn them to cheese over a few years? Thanks

I'm building an extension with a gable wall at each end. My double pantile roof tiles run uninterrupted from one gable end to the other, so my roof has to be a multiple of these sizes. Due to the width of the tiles and my preferred depth of soffit overhang, I'm trying to minimise how much the...

Are there any diamond blades for a recip saw capable of cutting blocks?. I Only need to trim a few for gable ladder noggin purposes but don't want to use a 9 inch cutter at height. The blocks are 3.5 fibolites. Thanks