MAB

Clear CT1 worked well for glass panel onto a walk in shower tray for me as described by Nick in the link above.

I think by the 'map of sewers' it means the main council/water company or any shared drains/sewers which may cross your property. Your own properties drain runs and manholes can usually be moved or redirected by your builder to suit any proposed extension as long as no one else is affected. The OS location map can often be 'cribed' for free if one of your near neighbours has had an extension done and their plans are on the local council website online......but don't tell anyone! Also useful to look at the councils online plans for other extensions nearby for ideas and also see what drawing details are required. Unfortunately Building Reg drawings are not usually available online on Council websites but some planning drawings do include many of the Building reg detail notes required.

The Planning drawings don't have to be done in CAD although most are these days, I still see plenty of 'professional' planning drawings that are not much neater or detailed than your sketch but seem to get the job done! If you are going to use Building reg drawings then the plans will need to be more detailed but much of it can be covered by typed standard notes. However with such a small extension you could go ahead under a Building Notice without any formal plans:- https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200137/how_to_get_approval/78/pre-site_approval/3

A friend of mine had a two story extension built on the back of his detached 1930's house back in 2006. The ground is South London/Surrey clay. The house rear garden backs onto a golf course with 2 large mature oak trees belonging to the Golf club and dense hedge/shrubs forming the border between his back garden and the golf course. The house extension was built with 2m deep foundations and approved by Building Control but has recently had subsidence cracks appearing which have got worse with this years long hot summer. Oak roots have been found in samples near the foundations and the house owners insurance company are going through a process of monitoring and investigation. My friend is in his 70's and was hoping to downsize house soon but is now worried this could be a long and protracted process making it impossible for him to sell and with much upheaval to come in order to fix the problem. The golf course have offered to reduce the canopy of the trees but want to keep them in place and some say that removing the trees could possibly create a clay heave problem instead. i would be interested to hear any opinions or possible solutions on this problem or any similar experiences and what might be the various possible solutions/outcomes and the best way for my friend to proceed or where he could best get some independent expert advice? (I will try to get some accurate height and distances of the oak trees from his house and/or photos in the next few days).

Thanks for all the helpful replies, I am now thinking of going for this L-Shape Unit which also looks to have a larger cistern access panel above the back to wall toilet:- https://www.bathrooms.com/bathroom-furniture/combination-vanity-units/mydesign-white-1100-extra-depth-l-shaped-combination-unit-with-sink-and-cistern-rh There seems to be a very wide selection of makes, types and prices for the concealed cisterns eg: 2 pages worth below.....any recommendations or things to avoid when choosing? (I would like front access for most maintenance because of the one piece worktop/basin and bottom inlet for water supply). https://www.qssupplies.co.uk/Bathrooms/Bathrooms/Cisterns/Product/576.htm

If I was to fit one of these compact L-shaped Bathroom cabinet units (see links below) which are designed to use a back to wall style pan how easy is it to service/repair/replace the cistern fill and flush valves, etc? The style I like has a one piece L-shaped basin which also fits over the top of the cistern. It would be a pain to have to remove the basin/worktop taps and waste just to access the concealed cistern in the future. So is there a concealed cistern that fits this type of unit but can be serviced by removing the cabinets front panel and push button and that is a good make or recommended by plumbers? http://www.elationbathrooms.co.uk/cat/l-shape https://www.diy.com/departments/cooke-lewis-ardesio-gloss-white-lh-vanity-toilet-pack/1056515_BQ.prd If not I think I will go with a conventional stand-alone WC and a separate basin/cabinet unit alongside.

I did not fill them with grout yet as I have read and heard conflicting advice on searches as to whether the corner tile to tile interface should be grout or a flexible sealant (and if sealant you should grout tiles first leave corners ungrouted for the sealant). eg. Tilers Forum:- https://www.tilersforums.co.uk/threads/silicone-internal-corners.33500/ The back wall of the shower is the external solid brick wall of the original 1930's house, coming off this, one of the shower corners is the new extension external celcon blockwork side wall, the other shower corner is formed by an internal stud wall so I suppose there could be some relative movement over time between the different wall constructions. (As an example a kitchen tiler grouted my worktop splash back tiles some time back but included the worktop to tile interface to save time as he could not get a suitable cream colour sealant on the day........within a year the grout line between tiles and worktop was breaking away and had to be dug out and replaced with the correct colour flexible sealant.)

Some pics, the corner gaps where the tiles meet at 90 degrees vary from approx 2-4 mm The tile trims are around the tiled recess/pocket which used to be a small window. I will use clear CT1 under the glass side panel as you have often advised but what about the tiles to shower tray joint, the gap from tray to tiles is very small so I could probably get away with a bead of clear CT1?

No not used those plastic strips anywhere.......the joints I mentioned are where the tiles meet at 90 degrees leaving a small gap in the vertical corners for grout or sealant.

I have grouted the wall tiles in my new walk in ensuite shower at last and now need to seal the two internal corners where the tiles meet. I believe these corner wall joints should not be grouted or they will crack. The tiles are fixed on Hardi-backer cement board which was sealed in the corners (before tiling) with white Sikaflex EBT and the shower tray was also sealed to the tile backer board (before tiling) with Sikaflex creating an upstand as recommended in other helpful Build Hub posts. My question is what sealant (or sealants) should i use in the finished tiled shower internal corners, the bottom tiles to shower tray corner, the ceiling to tiles corners and the tiles where edges meet metal tile trims? (the grout i have used is white) Sikaflex EBT (white)? CT1? (I have read on here white CT1 changes colour over time?) or Dow Corning 785 Sanitary Silicone sealant? (white) I am no expert at applying sealant....so should I apply it between masking tape, if so how do I prevent a raised edge forming by tape edges and should the tape be removed immediately or after sealant has cured? Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

The 15 Year Shed felt works well for me.......the standard felt which comes with most sheds tears easily and only lasts around 5 years.

I fitted two sets of aluminium folding doors a couple of years ago, supplied by 'The Folding Sliding Door Company' using their installation instructions and video below:- Installation Instructions The first set took me most of a day to fit but the second set took about half a day.......

I have a 15 year old Whirlpool USA Fridge /Freezer.......water/ice dispenser is hardly ever used, some large very expensive parts, digital display and various pcb's have been replaced over recent years but have been covered by an annual repair plan for parts and labour since the warranty ran out!

I have used a thin smear of Fernox LS-X clear silicone based sealant on those seals for my McAlpine shower waste but I removed any excess from the visible side before it cured:- https://www.screwfix.com/p/fernox-ls-x-leak-sealer-50ml/23614?tc=CT2&ds_kid=92700020969989289&ds_rl=1249799&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1249484&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu_mSwJr52QIV6L_tCh1XXAcjEAQYASABEgL_p_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CJ6Er8Ka-dkCFRES0wod0sIOCQ

Using Nicks great advice in my thread above, I successfully bedded my shower tray on flexible tile adhesive rather than mortar and sealed the edges of the tray to the surrounding cement backerboard walls with white Sikaflex EBT while creating an upstand from the sealant all round, as also advised by Nick. Then I tiled down onto tray and sealed tiles to tray with clear CT1 and finally finished off with a small bead of white silicone as the replaceable cosmetic finish. The bottom edge of glass shower screen was bonded to tray with clear CT1 following instructions from another of Nicks posts......I can confirm baby wipes are perfect for cleaning off any excess Sikaflex and Multisolve works well for excess CT1.

Just fitted that McAlpine 40mm bath trap from Screwfix and once again pleased with the fit and quality of the McAlpine brand. https://www.screwfix.com/p/mcalpine-bottle-bath-trap-white-40mm/21158?tc=CA2&ds_kid=92700020953274342&ds_rl=1249799&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1249481&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjo-qsemP2QIVDT4bCh0L4gPbEAQYFCABEgKsbfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CJzK2ofqj9kCFZTiGwodso4Glw

I shall soon be needing to source a suitable shower pump for my new Ensuite walk-in shower. Our current main bathroom shower is supplied by a 1.5 bar Watermill pump, see link:- https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18289?r=googleshopping&rr=marin&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&mkwid=snSKT7PIU_dc&pcrid=142504633356&pkw=&pmt=&product=18289&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_dnWy_GP2QIV77ftCh1ILwZ8EAQYASABEgJW8_D_BwE This is fitted in the ideal place near the base of the hot water cylinder but is nearing the end of its life, it replaced a smaller pump a few years ago and no longer really fits in the small space available......eg. airing cupboard door won't shut properly! When the new shower is complete I propose to fit a better quality more powerful pump in the loft above to supply both showers. The cold water tank is already raised up to a suitable height so meets requirements for most pump manufacturers, all pipework is 22mm and the dedicated supply from hot water cylinder will include an anti-gravity loop. Any suggestions/recommendations welcome of what make of pump to go for? Also 2 or 3 Bar pump for use with 2 showers? Stuart Turner seems favourite? Salamander? but some poor feedback from Screwfix customers? My local plumbing shop recommend Supergen pumps below as having the best customer service and backup but I had never heard of them before? https://supergenselector.co.uk/

The outer ends of the roof joists on my flat roof are skew nailed (or more often screwed these days) to the timber wall plate which usually sits on the inner leaf of a cavity wall. The timber wall plate must be tied to the walls with L shaped galvanised metal restraint straps screwed to the inner leaf to prevent the roof lifting in high winds - see building regs. The fascia boards are nailed/screwed to the joist ends and the depth of fascia board often increases when you have a 'warm' roof construction with insulation above the joists. A 'cold' roof has insulation between the joists so usually less increase in roof height. If you are designing your own roof or doing the Building Reg drawings yourself then this website in the link below can be useful for the details, some can be accessed for free but you would have to register for full information:- https://www.buildingregs4plans.co.uk/index.php

Many thanks for the replies. Nick those 25mm pocket lights look like exactly what I am looking for, I would appreciate if you could post a link to them. Martin

I am about to start tiling my new ensuite walk in shower and would like to add 2 or 3 small LED lights to the top face of a small tiled pocket/wall recess (somewhere to put shampoo bottles, etc). The lights are to be a feature rather than a main light source so I was thinking something similar to the small kitchen plinth/kick board led lights or those used for patio deck lights. However most I have found don't seem to be recommended for wet areas like showers......any suggestions or recommendations of suitable lights or suppliers welcomed.

I agree great stuff......Fernox LS-X works well for me:- https://www.fernox.com/plumbing-consumables/ls-x-external-leak-sealer-50ml Also recommend Loctite 55 pipe sealing cord especially on any threaded fittings which need to end up facing a certain way....as you can tighten up fully and then back off up 45 degrees with no leaks:- http://www.loctite.co.uk/pipe-sealing-9886.htm

This may also be of interest:- The Dos and Don’ts of Plasterboard Disposal https://www.countrystylerecycling.co.uk/the-dos-and-donts-of-plasterboard-disposal/

Thanks Nick for clarifying where to use the Sikaflex and create an upstand seal. I will use the CT1 for the tile to tray joint, in corners and for bedding the glass side panel onto as explained in some of your other threads. I will also check the underside of tray for any release agent and clean off as you suggest, many thanks for the tip.

I have read on the BuildHub forum both CT1 and Sikaflex is often recommended instead of using conventional Silicone sealants when installing a shower tray. I am about to install a Zamori 1700 x 800 walk-in tray (Acrylic steel framed) with a fixed glass panel but am unsure whether I should use both CT1 & Silkaflex and if so where is each best suited to do the job best? http://www.zamori.co.uk/Features I was recommended the Zamori Acrylic tray below by a local plumber as it has a steel frame, a 10 year guarantee and is not as heavy to install as some other large trays. The tray will be sitting on 18mm ply screwed to the floor joists and bedded on flexible tile adhesive, walls are to be lined with HardieBacker cement board (on batterns) down to the floor (1st sealant between wall and tray) and will be tiled onto the tray (2nd line of sealant between tiles and tray). Walk in rectangular 1700 x 800 x 35mm tray:- http://www.zamori.co.uk/Products/ProductDetail?prodId=81021&name=Walk-In 1700 x 800 shower tray anti-bacterial

The solid block walls were quicker to errect and also easier to lay, (I'm not a bricklayer but when I was younger I built my own study/garage extension walls with them!), only seen thin joint used on commercial buildings, domestic builders don't like them I think, as more difficult to compensate for variations in levels and plumb by varying joint thickness, etc. With internal insulation on batterns you get a small cavity (dot & dab is alternative maybe?) and need to allow for where you might fix heavy items later like radiators with extra timber batterns and then record with photos before the batterns are covered over by the themal plasterboard! All external walls and no issues with passage of sound in my case. U-value tables for solid walls (Celcon /Thermalite, etc) and req'd insulation are given by many local councils, see here and scroll down:- http://www.haringey.gov.uk/sites/haringeygovuk/files/u-value_guidance_nov_06a.pdf