markc

If you have agreed a sale already then you could go back on it, yes the buyers would be pi£&ed but would sort you out. trades health problems are not good but not your pain to suffer, tell them to get someone else in to finish their work or you get someone in. mud can be managed, few hundred tons of hardcore and some geotextile willimprove things immensely. can’t advise on going to a camp site because that’s your decision to make. take a step back, write down what’s important and action it. yes you may upset some but it’s your well being you have to look after.

The Bellway boxes I have seen are far from efficient, innovative or environmentally friendly. I can’t see many of them lasting more than 50 years if that, and the amount of remedial works is unbelievable. sadly ‘joe public’ is gullible and easily persuaded to pay over the odds for sub standard housing.

600mm is fine for ceilings, or walls that won’t take any knocks.

Concrete mixers, lighting, disk cutters, etc etc. All need power or engines, get a supply put in and make the build a lot easier and more efficient p.s. concrete mixer is for screed, grout, parge ….

Now now you two, play nice

Peter would have been referring to coated copper pipe, not BBQ hose. if using bare copper then insulation will probably be needed as well as an isolating coat or wrap to prevent cement attack or abrasion damage

Haha, I seem to remember a pic with more bullet holes than a Die Hard movie

The factory we use in Italy built a very flash new office block (making too much money ?). They fitted pocket doors and quickly realised they hated them, yes they look sleek but awful to use and sometimes get stuck.

Correct, fixing into mortar is a last resort.

Carlton Brick works is just round the corner from me … they have sold their entire production for the next 18 months, they have never seen demand like this before, 3 years ago the yard was full and they were struggling

Hi, depends on what car jack you have and where you can lift/support your structure. think of putting a fence post on top of the jack to make it much taller (assuming you will lift under a rafter or door header etc. Be careful to make sure it is vertical and jack is secure or the timber will want to push out …. With force. an acro prop is the safer and easiest way of supporting/lifting joists or a doorway etc.

Looks pretty sound, I would have just skimmed over it, much better than the bodge

Is that the finished item or the ceiling with the new stuff removed

You will never see a large area of old lath ceiling fall down, one of the worst jobs in renovations is pulling these old ceilings down, all the laths are nailed and the horse hair plaster holds on tight, old plasterboard will come down in sheets.

Agreed, that’s why I said give it a knock and push/pull to see if they are stuck, and I have never heard of anyone being killed by a bit of plasterboard falling a couple of feet, I reckon at the very worst it could crack, become loose and look an ar#e but isn’t going to hurt anyone. but, knowing what it’s like to live with anxiety and worry, then get it all ripped down and start again if that’s what is needed to put your mind at rest.

@TryC for piece of mind, (assuming they are leaving the board adhesive to cure a couple of days) give the new boards a knock and push/pull, if they sound hollow, not fixed correctly or fall off then it needs sorting out. If they seem solid then you will be ok. we have all had ‘bad egg’ tradies so don’t beat yourself up, and there are worse things in life to get stressed over so try not to.

Yes, car jack with a timber on top etc, or a piece of timber, add packers to make it just over length and tap knock it in until vertical to give you a few mill of lift. or crowbar, chisel etc, lever up and put a temp wedge in.

Much easier to start at the hip and work away, but as a solution, add a piece of lathe to side of hip rafter/batten to support the slate, odd angle to cut but it will cure your problem,or add intermediate short battens as required

https://www.darttoolgroup.com/holesaws/dart-200mm-holesaw-dah200 i use them regularly, dart are on par with Starrett.

Her solicitor and someone she knows who said it’s a shared boundary …. Sounds like a line from Judge Judy. shared boundary is fine for fence repair but I don’t see how it can relate to JKW

Dot and dab ceilings … that’s a new one to me

Yes that looks like a good plan squire

If the walls are fixed down and the rafters are secure to wall then ties aren’t really needed. they are needed on masonry walls as uplift can be more than the weight of top course of brick or blocks. pain to let into ply or OSB so I would (if fitting them) plaster board over or make then a feature

+1 to this, won’t be too difficult to jack up using wedges or acros.

Hole saw (short reach so needs pilot hole or guide sleeve, or Diamond core drill, will cut through masonry , steel and wood etc, and maintain hole diameter and straight.