TheMitchells

Have plenty of them in the garden - yucca leaves, that is. just need to find time now! 😄

well, I did not think they had anything to do with flower arranging but seems they may be. Also found a cuple of pictures which use them to shred flax. Thanks all - will keep them, just in case I need flax or similar shredded.😃

These were found recently in a tool shed and before I get rid of them, I hoped someone could tell me what they are. They are very heavy (all metal) and the prongs are exceedingly stiff and sharp. Any thoughts?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116085674437?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=x2Pf-3PUSXi&sssrc=2566055&ssuid=x2Pf-3PUSXi&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Metal lathe available for anyone interested. £150

Things to use to retain the gravel could be many things - I use tiles on edges, sleepers, block pavers at an angle, wood or even slates. But I agree that making a border with climbing plants would add to the look of the area. Plants in front of black fence panels can look really good. You'd need wires to tie/support the climbers to the fence and I'd look at something like the Star Jasmine - Trachelospermum jasminoides - as it is evergreen (as long as the garden is not too cold) and gives lovely small, highly fragrant flowers in summer. Good luck with it all.

Found on Gumtree today. Selection of UFH pipe. £15. Could collect for anyone if needed. https://www.gumtree.com/p/other-dining-living-furniture/underfloor-heating-pipe-/1458442215

me neither but I expect someone can. Maybe I could get a load of sticks and make a model? We are looking to use an architect soon to give advice on the whole renovation thing, so I can come up with a plan of action. I shall quiz him on the roof and also, I have tickets to the renovation show at NEC near end of March so may see if anyone there can give me some ideas.

There are all sorts of extensions around here so I dont see there being any problem with the planning application. But we are restricted to the current ridge height. we can stand up in the attic so its not too low. Glad to hear there are lots of truss types. I'll stop worrying and will post plans when we get them eventually. Also hope to do a blog with details as renovation is popular and I'm happy to share my experience. Thanks all for comments.

We are looking for something similar to this. Except ours could be wider, once we go to the side of the kitchen. would the width be restricted by the permitted pitch of the new extension roof. I believe they only allow a minimum of 15o.

No, the main roof is staying but we want to add a new extension, into the garden, across the majority of our side, with a pitch roof going into our half of the main roof. Does that make sense? I shall try to get a photo of something similar today as I am useless at doing drawings, via CAD or similar. It should not affect my neighbour apart from having an extension with a pitched roof, instad of a flat roof. It is the angle that I am wondering about and if it is possible to give a vaulted roof in the new end, tying it into the current roof?

Any update on this?? What did you end up doing?

We are looking to add a full width extension onto the back of our bungalow, after knocking down the flat roofed extension. We are also extending 6 ft to the side of the kitchen, to join up to the porch (behind the red gate). this will hopefully give us a good sized kitchen/dining/living area. It would need to be quite wide. The 'old' bungalow is about 6m (the two front bedrooms are 3.22 and 2.32m wide) with a 2.1m side extension for the new shower room. We had permssion to square off the kitchen in line with the shower room but our new plan will widen the lounge too, right across the back. It is a small bungalow so we hope to make the back into our main living space. The pitched roof would be over 8m wide. Is that too wide to pitch into the current roof and how easy would it be to make it a vaulted ceiling? I dont want to go to the architect with unrealstic plans. Thoughts welcome.

Looks great - I do like a tidy site too. Well done!😄

Well, after a night of rain, we checked the attic this morning and the wood to the side of the soil pipe was wet. It looked as if it was coming in from the roof, the far side side of the pipe so probably not the soil pipe/flashing at all. its going to mean removing the tiles off that corner of the roof and seeing if they or the felt is damaged, as well as re-doing the mortar along the whole roof line at the side of the house. It will give me a chance ot paint the wood too as it hasnt been done since we built the garage, 22 years ago. The pipe flashing could get re-newed too, as belt and braces. now i just need to find out how we can get scaffolding up there or if we can do it from ladders (unlikely).

Thats what we thought but nothing. we're waiting till heavy rain and we'll get up there to have a look. just clearing the insulation in that area is helping to dry it out. But there's been no rain for a few days now.

Hadnt thought of that. 😄

On reflection, I dont think the way it is done is causiing the problem. Partially as its been that way for nearly 40 years so if that was it, the house corner of the roof would be rotten. But also, due to the shape of the tiles, each side allow water under the flashing, but then it drains out as the tile curves back up, stopping it from getting to the actual hole. But i do think we should ask an expert to come and check it and maybe replace the flashing as it is either that or water going into the broken mortar.

We tried that with a hose directed onto the roof but he couldnt see anything coming in.

Yes, I can see that now. I haven't been up the ladder but will ask OH to check then look to find a roofer. Thanks.

Recently we have noticed that after rain, in the top corner of our bathroom (nearest the back corner of the house) the plaster tape has been coming loose, with some damp behind. It is around the sil pipe which runs up, into the attic and out through the roof. After clearing some space in the attic, we removed the insulation from that corner and could see the plasterboard was soggy within the surround of the soil pipe. The wood next to it is wet but the rest around is damp only, not that wet. So we next moved outside and looked at that corner of the house. I can see that some of the mortar under the roof tiles is missing and that is the side that gets the most rain. But that doesnt seem to be the reason the corner of the attic is wet - its in the wrong place. while we do need to get it repaired, hubby thinks it could be coming in from the flashing around the soil pipe. I have added some pictures. Any ideas how we can try sealing around the flashing or does it need to be re-done? We'll have to get scaffolding up to do the mortar (and paint the soffits) so are looking to do it all in one go. Luckily there is good verntilation in the attic and we hope that now the insulation is pulled away, it will dry. Unless we get lots more rain.

All those plants look very pretty in the 3rd from last photo. Or are they the neighbours? 😁 It all looks great and I have enjoyed reading about your renovation - particularly as I shall proably be doing exactly the same to ours in a couple of years when parents no longer need it. We recently had a quote from a consultancy firm to help with planning an extension and a good quality renovation. And while their costs were more than i'd hoped, they seemed to think we'd need around £200k to renovate to a high standard. I'd budgeted half that! We would never get that back on saved energy costs so we likely shall be doing it ourselves, using the information on here. No doubt I will be picking your brains for some of it. Thanks for all the information and ideas that i hope to use. 🙂

Not sure if this helps, but a few years ago a friend commissioned a company to provide a canopy for her garden but when it arrived, she could not open the patio door with the canopy in place. The company said she was responsible for checking the measurements and it was her problem. We went to court and said that she signed the documents but trusted the company to get the measurements right. She was not responsible if they measured wrongly. it was found in her favour.

Martin Lewis said last week that energy prices were being forecasted to go lower than they had thought! maybe down 16%.

I have seen here posts about blown beads being pumped into cavity walls under pressure but am unable to find it again😒. A friend has been renovating an old stone cottage and seemed to think that he could not use cavity wall insulation as the walls were uneven and beads would not fill the space. But I am sure i saw something on here about them being blown in with 100psi which may work. Does anyone have any recommendations for companies that may be able to help? We are on Oxfordshire/Northants border. or point me to the post..... thanks, in advance.

Any update to this with photo's would be nice to hear. As I am planning my own referb of 70's bungalow. 🙂