Roger440

You have a decent overhang there too, which will definitely help, but i hope your right. Will be really interesting to see it in a couple of years time. My wall is the gable end, overhang is an inch at best, and west facing, so worst combination possible. The pic below shows just how bad it got, though that laregly as a result of it puddling against the way, but the bricks are so soft it just wicks up the wall.

Exceptional How old is it though. Looks brand spanking new?

Which is exactly my concern. I cant put anything in front of it, as that would look weird.

Sadly, that stuff is exceptional at holding moisture in as well. Having direct experience of it and seen the long term results,we definitely wont be doing that.

Ahhh, i see. There is EPS behind that trim. My issues is the bricks on my house are like a sponge. They just soak up water, hence my concern.

Thanks Lizzie. But as per my post above, does the bottom of your cladding not get soaked in heavy rain from the water splashing back onto it? Looks very nice though

Indeed i can,or gravel as Jeremy suggests. Both make good sense. My main concern was splash soaking the wall? I guess with a widestip of gravel that this is less likely than hard paving. But no one has this problem? Maybe im over thinking it?

Well, chaps and chapesses, been a while since i was here, but i have a question, The back wall of my house way clearly very wet upto the DPC. Investigation releaved that the patio had been laid with a slight fall to the wall, and being natural stone was layed on a bed of motar or similar. Nowhere for the water go, so end result unsurprising really. The patio was one brick below the DPC. Having dug all this out, its starting to dry out nicely. However, once the sewage treatment plant and rain water soakaway are installed, i need to re-instate a patio. Obviously it needs to slope away from the house, but that really raises it up a touch. Dont reallywant to lower the whole patio, its big! Traditionally, the paving was supposed to be "2 bricks below the DPC". Clearly the requirement for level thresholds means that cant be achieved Ive been looking at the various detail drawings for the thresholds, but whatever system is used, does the wall ABOVE the DPC not get wet? I thought the 2 brick idea was to counteract rain bouncing / splashing the wall? Plenty of you guys must have level thresholds, so is you wall OK? The wall inquestion is west facing, so gets all the weather. Thoughts?

Because a private BCO is more likely to be helpful and pragmatic, unlike council types whose only mission in life is often (not always) to make your life as difficult as possible. Obviously if you do get a sensible council BCO, then its all good. On my garage, council wanted 3m deep trench foundations. Private BCO was happy with a raft.

If it were me, if any of its outside the interior envelope, id prime it with this :http://www.rust.co.uk/custom-421-rust-proofing-body-primer/c32736/ When i did my steels, I painted them with automotive direct gloss 2 pack. Sprayed. But over etch primer as it was all inside. But you could do it with a roller, which will be close in terms of finish, but will require 3-4 coats as its quite runny. The end result will be tough, resist rust, and if you spray it look really good. Dont spray 2 pack without the right gear though!

Knock the weights off. Or they wont be there when you take the wheel out. Plus they will contaminate your tank.

Down here you cant use a soakaway. Discharge to water course OR drainage field. Not that most BCO's actually realise i will add!

Not wishing to make matters worse, but if this is a new build, you must apply for planing as well now (since 2015). As far as i can tell this is because they will no longer permit a new sewage treatment installation if a sewer is available within 50 meters. If you are replacing a failed septic, thats a different story. However, be aware that a lot of your area is a protected groundwater area, so, you cant as i understand it, install a new sewage treatment plant without specific EA apprval. Im not far away from you and have researched this to death. Firtunately, i just need to replace what i have and am outside the problem area, and certainly no sewage main withing 50 meters!

What Jeremy suggested. If its an Oak frame jobbie, 6 piles of some sort, then do the floor in block paving. Worst that can happen is the paving moves a bit in the long term. Which can easily be re-levelled. As Jeremy also suggested, we seem to regard trench foundations as the answer to everything, which from an engineering perspective makes no sense to me. We dont even put steel re-inforcement in most of them!

In my case there is a covenant on both properties which makes the owners of both properties responsible for the system. The plant is in my garden, and uses my power, but if i turned it off, what does that achieve. I then wont be able to live there. Im struggling to understand the issue?

Ok, i get that. But why not just foam it in? Once you trim it back flush with the top of your insulation, maybe even stick some foil over it surely that as good as it gets?

As i spent the weekend trying to sort out downlights (not fire rated in the downstairs kitchen signed off by the BCO!) im struggling to understand why you didn't just use the downlight you have (the enlite one). Why the hood, sealant etc, as the downlight meets the regs does it not. Is it just SOLELY for the reasons stated i your last sentence?

Bought enough cheap tools in my life!

Interesting!

Hmmmm............................................................... No!

So we are down to Fein, makita, bosch or Dewalt. Question now is battery or mains. I love battery tools for the lack of a lead, but my experience of battery stuff isn't that good, i suspect becuase the use of any individual tol tends to be occasional. I might not use something for a year!

Thanks chaps, i'll take a look at these tommorow.

I have reached the point i need to buy a multi tool, as this is, clearly, an ommision from my range of man tools. Question is, which one to buy. Any thoughts and experiences on what works or doesn't much appreciated.

Given your proximity to me, you will need more than 4 phones. If you find anyone who turns up and does a half decent job, let me know!!!

Ive got one similar to this. On a small area like the one we are talking about, this will be pretty quick. Like Nick said, protect the vunerable stuff.