Tony K

Would you use an orbital sander on the surface?

Evening all. I've taken a break from the SB to get our original house ready for sale. I admit to letting it get in a suboptimal condition whilst focusing on the SB, and am paying for that now! As per the photos, I've removed a load of ivy from the walls, though some of the attachments remain proud of the surface. Also, there are parts of the paint that have blown and are flaking off. Also also, some cosmetic, old cracks in the render are apparent. These are unlikely to assist in a quick sale. I am thinking of taking a sander to any problematic areas, sanding them back to a solid enough surface and then painting over the top. That's the sum total of my knowledge, planning, and ambition. This does strike me as the sort of thing others on here may have tackled and learned from, so does anyone have any helpful ideas or tips on how to repair kerb appeal in a cost effective (financial and time) manner? Cheers

I did think about that. Or round off the edges of the battens. Either way it's all extra work!

Interesting stuff. Regarding my vague plan to use a mix of deck boards and roofing battens, that would of course lead to inconsistent finish on the edges of the boards, in that the deck board has a slightly rounded edge, whereas the battens do not. I'll investigate sarking boards. Do they go by any other names? Initial web searches are returning mixed results!

I was thinking of a mix of deck board (smooth side showing) and roof batten maybe. Both are 25mm. I would have to paint or burn them as the battens are blue, of course, but seems pretty cheap per M2.

Hi all. I am planning to clad a reasonably modest surface area (external) in timber. It will be horizontal, stained, painted, or maybe burnt black or dark grey, and have shadow gaps. Inconsistent board widths are fine. This sort of thing... Most websites seem to advise cedar, larch, oak, or Douglas fir, but I wondered if anyone had experimented with other options? Someone on here once suggested buying sheet material and ripping it down, which is an interesting idea, but I'm not sure what material I would use? Any ideas or experience? Ta

Hi, for figs 11&16 I did a screen grab from an interactive map on the council website, pasted it on PowerPoint, then added the markings. For figs 12&13 I used the same council map, again, screen grabbed it and stuck it on PowerPoint, then expanded it up until it printed to scale. After that it was just a matter of using a scale ruler to measure all the houses on the map and creating a spreadsheet, the result being as you see it.

And am I doing the right thing by applying the slurry to the cleaned path surface, and also to the underside of the slabs?

Evening. I am going to update this old concrete path by laying slabs on top. The path is stable and the levels work. My plan is to give the path a good clean, then, on a slab by slab basis, paint a layer of slurry primer straight into the path, then add my bed mix (I'm thinking 5:1) then back butter the slabs with further primer, then lay it. Is that effective? I can't think of a reason why it shouldn't be, but am not experienced in this area. Also, any tips on the best slurry? I've seen various recipes involving cement, PVA, various mix additives etc, but never used any. Cheers

I think perhaps my main concern is that I plan to have bookshelves in there and actually put books on them. Knowing me, that will be where most of them stay for years at a time, and I don't want them to get damaged while I'm ignoring them!

Do they make a noise at all?

Thanks. Are you thinking of this kind of thing? Timloc AeroCore Through-Wall Vent Set with Baffle Terracotta - 127 x 350 (dia x length) Also, is there any benefit to fitting one at each end of the room to get a through-pull?

Evening all. As part of my SB I have built a (very) small garden office, around 2.5m x 2m. As per the attached detail, it is single skin blockwork with 100mm PIR insulation inside. Though it is omitted from the detail, the outside will be wrapped in breathable membrane and then clad in timber, and I will use batons between the PIR and the plasterboard internally to create a service void. The building has power but no plumbing. It has a glazed door but no other openings. There are no trickle vents in the door and no space to add them. I need both to heat this room and ventilate it. I am thinking of a small electric heater for the former (I know they are not cheap to run, but I don't think I will need to use it much given the size of the space), but I am a bit stumped when it comes to ventilating it. I have considered a simple air-brick or open vent in the wall (maybe one at each end to get a through-draft), but will that not cost me a lot of heat? I am not sure if there is any logic to an electric extractor fan. Would that not also require an open vent to draw fresh air in? Any suggestions gratefully received! Thanks. Garden Office Details (1).pdf

Perfect, thank you.

An update (and request for help) on this. My warranty provider are happy for my plumber to supply confirmation of a drainage pressure test, as he has PL insurance and is gas-safe (what the latter qualification has to do with anything I really don't know). The plumber is happy to do it, and provide me with a letter from his company. Does anyone have an example of a drainage pressure test letter we could base ours on? Thanks