markc

I am assuming he has solvent welded them in which case they won’t leak, I would be more concerned with the smaller pipes becoming blocked and no way to get to them

If you aren’t using it, maybe you should sell it

@pocster, +1 on all the above advice. CT1 or similar is your friend. Had it been around 100 or so years ago the Titanic might still be afloat.

I reckon it’s the dimples on underside of tray, add a thick bead of silicon and put back in. yes the seal should work from above but I had a similar problem with my cast stone tray,

Railways use blue hats for newbies and white after 6 months track experience

Cheap as chips at SF and comes in handy for lighting. slope hole downhill towards outside and form a drip loop unless going downhill once outside. wouldn't bother with the cover

Looks to be above ground ?

If you sand blast the bricks will probably look lighter, the blackening is water and soot run off at the end of the cills, a good scrub with water and detergent should remove most of that. If not a wire brush which will also remove the paint … pretty straight forward DIY makeover/freshen up

In an ideal world you do not build over services but it does happen quite often, no real difference to building and then routing a cable into the building. obviously take care not to damage the cable (and even more care when looking for it because they often snake around and are nowhere near where you think they are). Protect while works are in progress and include detail to prevent foundations and walls etc from imposing any load on the cable or ducting (if it’s even in a duct)

As you only have 10mm above I would not screed over the duct, the screed will crack and break up. I would screed and allow an inch or so either side clearance, then after laying the duct, grout up to top of duct level and cap off with 10mm ply or OSB so most of the load is transferred to the grout/screed and duct verticals.

Solicitors always “want” certificates to dot the I’s and cross the T’s and cover their ars#&£. but in reality the certificate isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. yes buy from a reputable supplier who will probably be registered but I haven’t had a door or window installed by anyone else in 20 years.

Anyone can fit or replace windows and BC would not be interested. if the building is listed then it’s a matter of design and materials but not who fits them

Get a chainsaw helmet with mesh guard/screen, very low cost on eBay etc.

Really good tower, it’s clean, not been bashed about and looks complete, got to be worth £1500 easily

As an aside, I think my notion of a correctly constructed wall plate being a strain ring has some merit? I agree, that does mean taking the roof off to do it as a wall plate. you could jack up the ridge to correct height (plus a bit) and then add tension members (cables, flat bar etc) adjacent to the wall plate to hold the hips together.

Wether commercial or domestic, roof loads have to go somewhere, yes you can have hipped roofs without ties but then they need moment connections at the top. unfortunately you have a low pitch roof, simple hip to ridge connections, weak walls and very little to hold the eaves together…. they could have used trussed or tied rafters and there would have been no problem

Agree with Peter and joe on this one, sounds like it’s at failure point and a snowfall would bring it down. as a temporary measure you could prop the ridge to stabilise it while emptying.

@patp just been having a re read and now take it that your husband who is a plumber has cancer … sorry to hear that and my apologies, I read it as your plumber’s husband.

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