idontknowwhatiamdoing

Contacted them, said they can't do windows for a coastal property

Looking to replace 5 uPVC windows myself with more modern tilt and turn ones. Any recommendations for suppliers in Scotland (Glasgow central belt) or North England. Ideally I will collect them myself rather than risk damage by haulage.

It was built in the 70s so it was fiberglass wool, which was damp and shrunk.

I basically want to achieve a warmer home than what it was before, which was just cavity walls and 50mm insulation (built in the 70s)

Started framing one room and thinking about insulation inside. I want to go with PIR but the cost and wait times are putting me off. The frame construction is 100mm deep and is surrounded by a aircrete / breeze block cavity wall outer shell. There is a 50mm airgap between the inner and outer wall for ventilation Interested to know what people have tried as an alternative to PIR, or is it a case of just bite the bullet and accept PIR is the only versatile solution currently in the UK?

Thanks, just discovered this Ames taping. Looks promising As @CotswoldDoItUpper said, its like hens teeth trying to find tradesmen at the moment...

I am planning to do a lot of studwork this year with fresh Gyproc sheets. Since I am in a remote location, its been hard to get a Plasterer to commit to a few weeks to skim the rooms. Is there any alternatives I can employ to get some nice paintable walls? Any suggestions, or tricks welcome.

Out of interest where did you find this diagram? I would like to use it as a reference

I am considering getting remotely controlled light switches for rooms. So I can have flexibility in figuring out where to put the switches and also save the hassle of wiring a physical switch. I can't seem to find anything about building regulations for RF/Wifi switches. Has anyone used these in their properties? Example below.

I have a stone cottage with an average of 800mm thick loose granite stones. I am re-doing the timber frame inside the cottage. I have a Tyvek breather vapor control layer for the warm side of the timber frame. Do I need a membrane for the cold side of the timber frame that faces the stone walls, if so, how do I add it when putting up studwork? Do you staple/tape it by section? I see them putting house wrap (building paper) on timber frame new builds, before the brickwork. So not sure how it works in a retro fitting for a renovation.

Been on the hunt for acrow props, cement mixer, STS drills from builders merchants, screw fix etc. Lots of places are out of stock or hiking their prices. When enquiring I have had the following responses: * Brexit delays * Suez Canal * Covid19 * An upturn in building projects (DIY and commercial) Anyone else experiencing issues getting tools?

If you can find out the name of the product, that would be much appreciated!

I am looking into replacing the roughcast on an extension (constructed in the 1970s) with Red Cedar cladding? I have seen videos online with timber construction buildings that have a building wrap layer applied before the cladding. Is this un-necessary for a breeze block construction (my gut says yes) However I wanted to check

I am a young guy who is not a tradesman, but I can graft and pickup things fast. I am fixing up a cottage in a remote part of the UK. It takes time to travel there as its not easy to get to. I have spoken with builders and other people to do work, but they are put off by the remoteness of the job. Which leaves me in a predicament. Work on it by myself with local help (unskilled), or get builders who are expensive to come and work on the site. I have been thinking though, surely there are some old builders out there or retired people who would like to consult over a long period? The location is beautiful, if that is a selling point. Do you think anyone would be interested in this, any ideas where I could find someone up for the task?

Yea, I looked at EPDM rubber (Classicbond) but its a tonne weight for my needs (62sqm) to do by myself. I am a young guy by myself, renovating a cottage on a remote Scottish island with no tradesmen, so need a system that I can install by myself or with some labour help Its water tight and can handle a coastal climate Can be self healing or easy to repair

Looking to replace and refurbish an old flat roof. I have considered EPDM rubber rolls (Classicbond), however a roofer suggested for climates with unpredictable weather that I should consider Liquid PU or EPDM. Has anyone used this system for replacing a felt roof? I've had a look at a few vids by Steve Roofer The system looks promising, or is it too good to believe? I have come across the following products - Kemper Liquid Waterproofing - Hydrostop EU AH25 - Ecothane Liquid Rubber

Its weird, the three wood lintels only support 2/3 of the wall On the outside there is a concrete lintel which supports the other 1/3 Its as if they made it look nice on the outside, then used wood for the internals that were hidden. Pictured

I am not a structural engineer, so please bear with me I have a cottage wall with a small window that has three (3) wooden lintels supporting the top of it. The wall is approx 2400mm tall and 800mm thick with random stones and a lime mortar mix. It was constructed in the early 20th century. As you can see the wood has dry rot and needs to be replaced with concrete lintels. I have measured and found concrete lintels to replace. My question is getting the lintels in safely. I have looked at various techniques (spikes, demolishing the top part of the wall and rebuild) However they all seem to use brick walls as examples I have come across Strongboys used with Acrow Props, however they might make it hard to manoeuvre the concrete lintels in perhaps. Any advice on how I tackle this? This is a rough idea 1. Double check any loose stones on the surface 2. Put lime mortar on loose parts of wall (if there are any) 3. Insert 2mm piece of sheet steel between wooden lintel and stone wall to prevent any loose bits moving or falling out 4. Try and push two strongboys between wood and steel sheet 5. With a cordless circular saw, cut out the wooden lintels 6. Clean out old mortar 7. Re-mortar 8. Insert concrete lintels 9. Finish with more mortar

Bump I investigated the Klober underlay and it is the best one with a breathable layer. So I guess I can just put insulation straight on under the sarking?

Thanks, I made a start but with COVID lockdown, it has been on hold for over a year. I wish I could get an old experienced builder to join me and tell me what to do.

Hello, I am renovating a cottage and trying to bring it up to modern standards. My main concerns about my project are - Make it belt and braces - Dealing with heat loss (the building has stone walls in most places) and high ceilings - Working with the constraints in place (can't really put new pipes in through concrete floors or thick walls) - Stopping the elements getting in (we have horizontal rain sometimes!) I am not a tradesmen but I do have lots of time to learn, hopefully I will get some long lasting knowledge in this forum!

A apex roof has been constructed with Klober breathable underlay that has been fixed to the outside of the roof. Do I need another layer inside the rafters between the insulation and the sarking, or vapor control layer? The roof will be fitted with 150mm thick insulation (Ecotherm PIR, or Actis Hybris) Note the roof is built on a 800mm thick cottage rock wall (granite)

My mono-roof needs new underlay, replacement of rotten sarking and one rotten truss. I am planning to strip off the whole roof carefully and replace the rotten wood and put a new underlay, batons and the original tiles. I will augment what the previous builders did with DPC and other protective measures on the roof so it is belt and braces. My question is, the roof is your typical 70s monoroof, what am I liable for here? Does it count as a new roof if I strip everything back to the structural parts, or am I still being judged by 1970s standards even if I add modern materials?