MortarThePoint

Just bought my tiles way ahead of when I'll be ready for them (still first fixing). They were a lot cheaper than I expected, but we preferred their look to the other options and the wife is happy. I subjected the sample to some abuse slapping it onto and pressing/rubbing it on a large heap of granite Type-1 MOT. Wiped with a damp cloth and then looked fine, I was impressed. You can see slight scratches remaining in the glancing light, but the wood grain effect helps hide it. Can't think of anything else to do with them as chiselling with the screwdriver did nothing. First picture after scratching, 2nd after washing and wiping, 3rd with glancing light.

@pocster How did it turn out once you got some tiles on? I was wondering how much height this adds? Tile adhesive applied with a 10mm square tiling trowel will leave a layer of around 3-4mm depth normally wouldn't it? Do you then simply add the thickness of the decoupling mat? Is it normal to glue the decoupling mat down? I thought people used something similar to tile adhesive. What glue did you use?

Wow, that must look interesting! I presume that's one panel of many switches. I'm not expecting anything that busy.

Rewiring includes us concluding we want an additional socket etc somewhere. I know that it's not required by regulations, but wondered more about people's experiences and preferences

I plan to chase it in and the chase depth looks to only need about 12mm. Can check with BCO that he'd OK. I don't have any hollow blocks. Most will need to be vertical due to the layout. I have a chaser and will see how the dust extraction works.

Thanks, why is that? Personal preference, standard practice or regs?

We've a lot of blockwork walls which are to be wet plastered. This means we'll have lots of cables chased into the blockwork and then plastered over. As I understand it, there are two main reasons to using capping: Protection: to protect the wires from the plaster's trowel, won't protect against screws or nails Rewiring: you have a chance of pulling/pushing wires through and so don't need to disturb the plaster if rewiring. The alternative is to just chase and clip the wires to get plastered over. Chasing limits 1/3 width of blocks if vertical, 1/6 if horizontal. So for 100mm blocks that's 32mm and 16mm respectively. I'm inclined to use the oval conduit pictured below chased into the blockwork. The main benefit is the rewiring one as I see it, because chased wires should be protected enough against the plasterer. I'm doing the wiring myself so can take the time to include the conduit. I'd like it in 3m lengths (2.7m ceilings, 2m works well for 2.4m ceilings), but Screwfix don't carry that, though this page says it is made. The datasheet says it's 1 cm deep, but drawings of other brands suggest 11mm external, 9mm internal. I have read wires outside conduit dissipate heat better which makes sense. What did others do and how realistic is to to rewire through these? Falcon is another option and this supplier looks well priced: https://www.superlecdirect.com/p-oval20-falcon-20mm-pvc-oval-conduit/ TLC unbranded and expensive: Dimensions: External: 22.5mm x 11mm Internal: 20.0mm x 9.17mm : https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MTOV20.html Dimensions: External: 29mm x 11mm Internal: 25.0mm x 9.90mm : https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MTOV25.html

What level is the ground outside? It looks like your DPM is about 4 brick courses under floor level, so is the ground level with the top of your foundation?

I was just thinking about perimeter insulation and it's about 10mm thick with maybe 0.03W/mK so if 75mm high the PSI is 0.03*0.075/0.010=0.225W/mK. Doesn't normally have outside temperature on the other side but I have seen drawings with it between screed and concrete door step which are both good thermal conductors so step would be near outside temp. 7mm slate detail is 1.6*0.007/0.070=0.16W/mK. I think I'll only be able to achieve 35mm 'thickness' with slightly thinner slate so more like 0.25W/mK. These figures are indicative of the elements only rather than the build up which is far more complicated to work out.

Interesting, they look good. This whole area is a bit under detailed.

k=1.6W/mK with an average dT=13C, an area of A=0.005*2.4=0.012m2 and a 'thickness' of around t=0.070m makes for a heat flow of k*A*dT / t = 3.6W. COP of 300% makes that 1.2W of electricity so pretty small (about 1kWh/month so <£1/yr based on 6months heating).

Mortar is fantastic stuff for filling load bearing gaps but is tricky when the gap is very thin and is a nuisance to mix when you only need a small amount. One great property of it is it is relatively easy to rework if things go wrong. I've got some thin gaps (3mm) I want to fill with something with the be benefits of mortar. It would ideally be gun-able straight from a tube. There are loads of grip fill adhesives, but I don't want it to grip much or adhere much like mortar doesn't to DPM. Is tile adhesive the right choice, or is there something better? I'm laying some Hardie Backer across the cavity on top of a gas membrane so don't want to get in a situation where I cock it up and it's not reworkable. Door cill then sits on outer leaf covering end of Hardie Backer and will screed over the rest. Cold bridge kept low as 12mm Hardie Backer is L=0.19.

The lintel doesn't quite come to the face of the blockwork and then the render bead is pressed into the render basecoat. The gap is about 8mm.

Could do. I think that could be hard to get looking neat. I was hoping to use some form of caulk or something. If black, I could then paint the lintel black. If ivory could match render. Needs to be exterior grade though obviously

We have render coming down onto a bellcast bead above windows. There's a gap between the bead and the lintel. Can anyone recommend something fill this gap?

I thought this was going to be really easy but then... I have an opening for a double sided stove. The main structural lintels are two R15A (100(w) x 140(h) lintels) shown in BLUE below. Across these lintels sits some P150 lintels (GREEN) and the internal blockwork of the chimney as well as the flue liner base (YELLOW). To support the outer brickwork layer above the opening, We have used ANG steel L-shaped lintels (RED). All of the loads etc are comfortable and there would be an arching action in the brickwork meaning the ANG lintels are only supporting about 0.5m2 of brickwork (~30 bricks, 80kg vs SWL of 400kgf). Further, the brickwork is tied to the internal blockwork which is supported by the R15A lintels. The lintel scheme was checked by the Structural Engineer who was happy. I called Catnic today to ask about using the same type of lintel elsewhere and they said they shouldn't be used in fireplaces due to thermal transfer. I suspect they envisaged an open fire but I was hoping for comfort from others using these in a similar way. They are >450mm from the top of stove as it's a bit smaller than shown below and the stove manufacturer said it was OK to have combustibles >=400mm above the stove. I know the flue pipe has its own requirements too. Clearly the L-shaped lintel isn't combustible, but it gives and idea of the heat in the area.

Interesting, I don't realise that they are required in rooms the chimney passes through. Do you have link for more information about that as I'll need to change my plans slightly.

This one is dinky: https://www.cavius.com/2002-10-year-smoke-alarm/ https://www.cavius.com/cavius-build-in-base-40mm/

A couple of sources below including from Part B. Looks like hallways and kitchen (though not always) are required. "If your kitchen is not separated from the stairways or circulation routes by a suitable door, then you must also install a compatible heat detector in the kitchen, interlinked with the other smoke detectors positioned as above in the circulation routes" https://www.tameside.gov.uk/buildingcontrol/guidancenotes/note16.pdf

England

I know where I want to have smoke alarms, but I as wondering where the regulations require them. Reason being is I could fit more discrete battery ones in the rooms that aren't required by regulations. As I understand it, I need to have them "in all circulation spaces that form the escape route and in all rooms or areas that are of high fire risk to the occupants". Now that second bit is open to interpretation. Do building regulations require them in rooms with wood burning stoves. I know CO alarms are required but what about smoke alarms. I want smoke alarms in these rooms, but would prefer more discrete battery ones.

That's a good deal, well done! A mortgage on the current house would help. The rear house also has access via a 'farm track' which belongs to it, so whilst the shared drive is the preferred route it's not the only.

We're building a house behind an pre-existing house that we are currently living in. So far we haven't needed a mortgage, but will ultimately. We could get to habitable and BC signoff without a mortgage but I would rather have a 'standard' mortgage sooner than later as rates likely to rise and feeling the pinch. Options: A) Mortgage just the pre-existing house, but lender could get sniffy about the building site out back, though there is a very natural divide between the two with >0.5 acre for the pre-existing (but shared drive). B) Mortgage against just the new house. C) Mortgage against both, may still be sniffy about building site but clearly the value is higher The deed currently covers both 'sites'. I could get a solicitor to split but timing of that may be critical in terms of capital gains tax. I guess a loan is against a deed so (A) and (B) would need the deed splitting (?). If (B), when is it finished in the eyes of a lender: When I say it is by virtue of having a working kitchen and loo When the BC says it is habitable by way of a letter Completion certificate without signed off planning conditions Completion certificate with all planning conditions signed off Depends on loan to value ratio (LTV)

I used my compressor to flush the system yesterday. Sprayed the walls a few times, but think I got most of the water out. Left at 3bar air pressure. It's obvious to see how much more effective water is at leak detection through pressure loss than air is due to air compressibility

Fair play, you now have the experience to know how robust it is. Personally, I still wouldn't risk it and would pressure test and then leave the water in. It's less buoyant with water in, but shouldn't be going anywhere anyway. I think I read somewhere about the initial deformation of the pipes when pressurised, but it's not like screed isn't strong enough to resist that.