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My plasterer has ruined my new quarry floor tiles and the grout with SBR and waterproof render. Before plastering and rendering he covered the quarry floor in old 'protective' sheeting. However the SBR and waterproof render he used has soaked through the sheeting and dried underneath and onto...

My garden is at 2 levels. So I would like to excavate an area at the lower level to give me a patio at the same level as my living room. I don't know how deep the foundations below the existing garden wall are but the new retaining wall I want to put in is about 700mm away from the boundary...

Hi I have an old gas outlet which I want to swap it out for a slimmer fitting at the top as it sticks out from the wall by about 90mm. I've attached a photo. Can anyone recommend what other gas valve fittings I can have fitted in the pipe, that stick out no more than 50mm? Thanks

I want to move my vaillant boiler to an area of the kitchen where there is limited no space left, right or below it, to put a fused spur and plug to supply power to it. The power supply lead on my combi vaillant boiler has been cut really short. Can a plumber / electrcian put a new longer...

Hi, I've just bought a traditional low level cistern for my WC pan, and now trying to find a chrome exposed flush pipe to connect the toilet to the cistern. However, the back of the toilet pan is 350mm away from the wall meaning I can't find a standard chrome flush pipe long enough to connect...

I have a question regarding building regulations and adding new doors to a lower ground floor victorian flat (which was part of a house conversion 70 years ago). I am installing new steps down to a new door and I am considering how low the ground/landing outside the door can be. I have 3...

I'd like to extend my flat with a new single storey extension. A section of the roof is a shared party structure with the upstairs flat / neighbour (who are tenants). The neighbours will want to use part of the roof as a walk on terrace with tables and chairs, plants etc, which is fine. I...

Hi all, I plan to install a cooker hood within a raised chimney breast opening, in an open plan kitchen living room. I want to ventilate it horizontally to an external wall using a 150mm diameter with a couple of 90 degree bends next to the cooker hood itself. The distance to the external...

Does anyone have any idea how I can stop the stain seaping though? Zinsser stain paint doesn't work. So now Im thinking of removing the stained plaster then either: 1) coating the denso tape with silicone filler, then plaster skim again? Or 2) cement render the wall? Any suggestions much...

He then put a bitumen type oily tape around the pipe and when we skimmed the wall with plaster, the oil from the tape keeps on bleeding through to the paint. No paint prevents the stain coming through :( Does anyone have any idea how I can stop the stain seaping though?

Hi all, I live in a victorian lower ground floor flat. I think the house was converted from a 3 storey house to 2 flats in the 1950's. My flat had some waterproofing work done in the late 80's early 90's (I think). The current floor build up from top to bottom is vinyl > 50mm screed >...

Hi all, I have a lightwell in my basement, and I've ordered a glass access hatch over it, with trickle vents. I'm going to build a brick upstand about 150mm/2 bricks high to 3 sides of the lightwell. The 3rd side is against a wall, so I will fix a batten on here so the rooflight kerb has...

Somebody couldn't be bothered to install a new toilet so they cut the bowl off and stitched a new one on top!! :eek: I need to replace this toilet! What are my best options? The floor under the toilet is made up of solid concrete or screed on concrete on earth. These are my current...

Hi, I'm buying a semi basement flat (early victorian/georgian). One of the walls in the flat is a retaining wall, the other walls are above ground but don't have a DPC. I think the flooring is laminate laid on top of a concrete slab. I am almost positive the survey will come back with damp...

Hi, I need to find a clear light well cover that just keeps the rain out of the light well. I'm trying to find a product that has a hinged rail that attaches to the wall, like these products: https://toma24.com/productcart/meacape-glass-cover-for-mea-light-well...

We have a basement floor that we need covering. The existing floor is made up of 50mm screed on subsoil / compacted gravel mix - we don't think there's any concrete slab. The floor is well above the water table but occasionally we get water coming in around the floor perimeter when the sump...

We have a basement floor that we need covering. The existing floor is made up of 50mm screed on subsoil / MOT - we don't think there's any concrete slab. The floor is well above the water table but occasionally we get water coming in around the floor perimeter when the sump pump fails. The...

Hi, I want to tile the basement concrete floor floor. I have painted the concrete using a paint on bitumen based waterproof membrane from Wickes. Can I tile onto the membrane with a standard tile adhesive and lay porcelain tiles...

We have a lightwell in the basement with a window and an unsightly lean-to cover outside to stop rain water getting in. We want to remove the lean -to cover so the window can be used as a means of escape. The problem is we have no drainage outside the window in the lightwell. The only option...

Anyone know how to do this? I want to install a front door which opens up onto a shared hallway with 1 other flat. I think the door ought to be fire rated, to provide fire separation to upstairs flat. I bough a lovely old thick solid wood door I want to use so I think I need to fire rate it...