Search results

Hello. I've just finished a self build and had the final inspection from Building Control which has highlighted a problem with 3 of my upstairs windows which are designated as escape windows but are too narrow. They are side hung uPVC casements fitted with escape/easy clean friction hinges. The...

Hi. About a year ago I finished the modifications/extensions to my house and had a local plasterer apply the external render. This involved him rendering onto old brick, new lightweight celcon blocks and new dense concrete blocks. The render was formed from a sand/cement scratch coat with...

Can anyone give me some advice please. I intend to install a new heating system ths year and will be fitting a Remeha Avanta 18V boiler. By neccessity, the boiler will be fitted on the external wall of an integral garage. The Remeha Manual has details about the 'Integrated Boiler Frost...

Hi. Hope you can help me out. I'm trying to form a cavity tray immediately above the DPC in a new extension. I'm using Ruberoid Hyload DPC (the same as I used for the DPC) but I'm not sure what to do at the corners. I think trying to join corners at an angle will be pretty impossible and...

Hello everyone. I'd appreciate a bit of advice please. I'm building an extension (it's been 2 years now!) and I'm about ready to fit the steel hip support for the sun room which is mostly glass with a blockwork pillar at the corner. The support consists of 2 steel angles (125 x 75) about...

Hello. I'd appreciate a bit of advice please. I'm currently building an extension and landscaping the garden. Eventually, I'd like to put 12V lighting in the garden. I intend to have a competant electrician to carry out all the electrical work but that will be 6 months or more away and I'm...

Hello. I'm finally getting near to tiling the roof on my new extension. The spec says white PVC fascias, soffits and barge boards. I'm thinking of using a 17mm thick PVC full replacement board (from Fascias.com) nailed directly onto the ends of the rafter feet rather than a timber fascia...

Hello, I'm just about up to roof level on my extension and could do with some advice please. It's a duo pitch cut roof that will form an attic style bedroom. The rafters are 7.2M long and 175mm x 50mm at 400 centres (SE's specification). Support is provided by the outer walls, a steel ridge...

I've already installed a UB parallel to the supporting wall (garage door opening) and left about 10mm clear either end for expansion. I'm now installing another UB at right angles to the supporting walls. Should I be leaving clearance for expansion or is it normal to build the beams in tight...

The SE specified the UB that will form the ridge beam for the roof on my new extension. He also specified a standard block sized padstone for it to sit on with the 2 courses underneath the padstone to be 'beefed up' with 7N blocks/bricks (the rest of the internal wall is in 3.6N blocks). What...

I'm coming to the end of fitting the first floor joists in a new extension, they are 250x47 spanning 4.15M. I had only intended to put in a single line of struts (full depth timber) down the center but have ended up putting in 2 extra lines of noggins along the ends of the joists in order to...

I'm building my extension with Celcon standard 3.6N blocks both inside and out with a fully filled 100mm cavity. I'm using stainless steel ties at 450mm centers vertically and 600mm horizontally. I've read a number of threads about settlement causing aerated blocks to crack. This hasn't been...

Still building the extension and now approaching first floor level. One end of the floor joists will sit in hangars on the new masonary wall, the other ends will sit in hangers nailed to a 50mm x 250mm timber runner fixed to the existing house wall. Many months ago during the BCO's last visit...

Hi, I'm part way through building an extension. I've reached eaves level and now need to build the gable wall (10.5m long at the base and 3m high at the peak with a movement joint in the outer leaf). So far, I've been happy building up the corners using a level/ storey board then filling in...

I'd appreciate some advice please. I'm building a two storey extension which is going OK and I'm approaching first floor level. There's a 2.4M opening which is spanned by a concrete lintel on the outer leaf and a steel universal beam set on padstones on the inner leaf (as per the SE's...

I'm building a pitched roofed extension that will abut the gable wall of the existing house. I'll need to fit a cavity tray into the existing wall above where the new roof will meet it. I'd considered dismantling the outer leaf of the existing wall to below the new roof level and then...

I\\\'m building an extension that will be externally rendered and would like the decorative stone lintels above the windows to be flush/slightly proud of the render. Do I buy the standard 100mm thick lintel and set it 20mm forward of the outer block leaf or do I need a 120mm thick lintel? I\\\'d...