SteveMack

We've had a UPVC sliding door installed, deceuninck slider24 to be exact so not really a no frills/cheap one; meant to be decent brand. One side is fixed the other is sliding. After installation we immediately noticed there was wind blowing through the top and bottom of the fixed window (but not the sides where it has a brush thing), you could feel it and hear it from the top and bottom. The sliding pane is sealed spot on, not the slightest breeze; first visit they decide to silicon around the outside of the fixed pane (didn't work) and on the second visit they siliconed the inside of the fixed pane which reduced it a little but leaves an ugly view now of a silicon bead that doesn't look like it's meant to be there. See photos. I think it's a load of rubbish what they have done to be fair and I've now asked for the manufacturer to come out as it's poor and feels like something has been missed during the install for it not to be weather tight for wind. The slider also catches on the locking mechanism when it goes across, so much so that the frame is now becoming lose and cracking the plaster/moving. Granted I haven't put a bead of flexible silicon there yet but I bet even that would crack with how much the frame is moving. Assume I'm not being fussy here like the engineer is trying to say I am? He even started saying you need to close the door slowly and don't use the handle as it can make the door flex where you push/pull it. My response was that the product is sh*te then.

Had an issue with blockwork between the garage and the house, the old door has been removed but the bricks are cracked from top to bottom, I sense the builder wacked the door frame to try and remove it. Sorry for unrotated photos, they are right way up on pc but still show sideways on here! Is there a product I can insert in a needle or something into the blocks to hold them together? Not really supporting much, just the inner leaf near a wall with the roof trusses on, but there's no truss directly above these. Alternatively can I put the door on the inner cavity wall which is undamaged? We have a low threshold coming with the door if that helps?

Well spotted, I read as 1998 Will hunt for the graphite ones instead We only have 50mm cavities (1990 house) and apparently even the eps beads can get wet and transmit the water across that thinner cavity. 75-100-150 would work with eps but apparently not 50mm. We're zone 2 it looks. I might get another contractor out to look at it, I've just gone off what we were told when we bought the house.

Correct on the trussed roof for the garage. We can't have injected cavity wall sadly, we're very open aspect and get driving/sideways rain a lot which we've been told is a big no no as it can cross the injected cavity stuff to the internal walls. Foundations are dry though for whatever material I choose, we've just had some work done and it's all block and beam and dry as a bone/soil/hardcore under there (un insulated block and beam sadly however it doesn't affect the other rooms as bad as the office) I've seen the bags of eps beads on ebay www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325197138043

Hi, So I've been trying to work out why our home office is so cold and losing heat so fast when it is warm and the last thing I've got to is the cavity wall between the garage and the office. It's a block/50mm emtpy cavity/block then plasterboard however the cavity is completely open and uncovered in the garage so it mays well not be a cavity as all the cold air is getting in the cavity. I'm thinking of stuffing rockwool down there and topping it with cavity closers, would anyone have a better plan, or maybe eps beads instead? With it being a none external wall, will water still be an issue if I fully fill the cavity?

There are some discussions out there about triple glazing actually increasing noise if you get it wrong. Something about making sure the 3 panes of glass are different thicknesses to ensure each one captures different wavelengths without passing them on. You should probably opt for acoustic triple on anything facing the road, it uses a thicker piece of PVB in the laminated layer.

New engineer has just said that, he will give old engineer a call for courtesy and check for any objections to taking the project over. Sounds good anyway. I assume the architect is going to moan for having to redo drawings too? The principle layout isn't changing but the section detail probably will. I'll be glad when I get a shovel in ground on this!

We've reached the point now of appointing a new structural engineer. I've had quotes back for £500 to design the connections from fabricators due to the quantity and type and going off other discussions with 2 new engineers a redesign of the structural element will not only include this connection detail but also save thousands in steel and foundation costs. Anyone know what this will do to our building regs approval? Do I just get the drawings/calcs redone and send off again for checking or will they charge us again for this? Are there any rules I have to follow when I terminate current engineer? He's fully paid and nothing outstanding there.

Morning @Gus Potter I've just messaged the full calcs etc over to you for some light lockdown reading

I've also realised there's no dimensions to give a size to it. Beam 1 is ~6.1M, Beam 2 is ~4M. Beams 3&4 were split from 1 single beam to reduce the weight a little on that beam span hence column 3 being present. Beam 3&4 are quite deep because they need to accomodate a support for an outer brickwork soldier course (The bottom plate has been missed off, he's aware of this, he has agreed to amend further on). Extension is single story.

I mis stated that RHS section too sorry, it's 300mm deep!

Sorry for the slow reply guys, manic week in work. It seems as though I've opened some interesting discussion though so I'll add some more if it helps the debate.. I've attached 2 files, 1 is the layout of the steel and the second is the list of steelwork to be used and forces for which the connections need to have designs. I have an 80 page calcs document too in support of the design. Some factors; house is 2 storey brick and block cavity with a loft conversion which is designed to put all the roof weight onto the gable block wall via steels in loft, so there is increased loading on the gable ends and thus can't use 2 lighter bolted together beams due to uneven load on brick/block skins. Beam 1 is supporting ~80% of the gable wall length of the house. Beam 2 takes out the corner of the house. We live next to open fields and regularly get hit with 60mph+ winds with potential for a lot more if it's a bad storm, beams 1 & 2 are the walls facing the very open aspect.

That's quite a lot of info to type out, thank you very much. I'll update this in due course when I get some answers out of people. Approaching 2 more builders tomorrow hopefully they have some new/different fabricators to try.

Really weird you say this, the SE has just left a job doing commercial designs from what I can tell. The pieces of this puzzle are starting to fit together. I should add, in the SE defense a little I have all the ULS moment figures for the connections for they should be; just zero detail on how they should look :(

It’s interesting you say that, he’s a chartered engineer too!