saveasteading

For anything smaller you could use timber of any size, but it will be more wobbly. Perhaps use 38 x 63 turned sideways for extra strength and line it with ply or other board.

I am not fully understanding. However in case this helps: once you have planning permission and start the project within the usually 3 year limit, the whole permission is locked and there is no time limit to complete. Full Plans and Building Notice are Building reg's, not planning, so are of no concern to the planners other than proof of when you started the work. Please explain re the shed: are you wanting to apply for planning permission to further extend the house onto where a 'shed' used to be?

Has anyone an idea why these are not more common? A commercial version of OnOff's device. Even in Spain they are fairly uncommon, although that may change now that electricity prices are more commercial. They can at least prewarm the water and they are not expensive.

You mean they have cut it in retrospectively?

Me too, except once when under pressure (big floor too, 800m2) and I learnt not panic, as it dries vey much more quickly than people want you to think (so they can hire you machines or charge for a floor seal, or delay their work) But in this case I can see that the OP needs to try everything.

A post a few months ago said that the factories categorise their ceramics after manufacture, according to how the glazing turned out, and the top-of-range stuff had an extra/better coating. But I expect all the big names do QC on everything and chuck out the sub-standards....they really do not want them rejected by users.

So that is just the 50mm of screed, as the precast slabs will have absorbed very little water. That isn't a lot of free water. If it feels that damp in the space, then it must be evaporating. But I note your very tight time-frame, and so some expense is justified. I agree with some of the above, but not all. If not already using heaters and dehumidifiers, first open all windows and doors to get a draught through and clear the currently sopping conditions. then: 1. close all the doors and windows, so you are not drying the world. Site instruction to all: never leave the outside door open. 2. close the doors to the area with the wet screed, to contain the water for removal. 2. An electric fan heater, probably commercial quality, so that the whole space heats up and the air is moved around, 24/7 3. Powerful Dehumidifier, with big collector tank so that it doesn't need emptying in the night. A week of that and you should be sorted, and it should noticeably change from sauna to dry atmosphere. I would not want the screed to dry too quickly under and in front of the heater, so best raise it. After a few days, put some plastic down on the floor for a few hours and see if it gets sopping wet underneath. It should be possible to do some sums on how many litres you are looking to capture. If you keep this room closed then you are not drying out new air from elsewhere. I cant see why bringing in replacement air is necessary: either use natural drying or this forced method, but not mixed. And you will know this BUT just in case the plant-hire company suggests it: Don't use gas heaters as they create water.

I have taken to using the local plumbers' merchant. The prices are perfectly reasonable compared to the big retailers, the advice is good, and I feel that they can't afford to supply anything substandard (reputation). Perhaps being in the industry helps ease of discussion if it gets technical, but I really don't think that matters. I recently had a tricky shower challenge with a sloping ceiling, and they had a special screen made Roca is good too. And I don't think there is anything wrong with Armitage. Where do the unbranded ones come from is my biggest concern? Not from the big names.

How thick, and what is under it? There should not be much 'free' water anyway, as most of it should react chemically within the screed. You may find that what appears sopping immediately after the pour, improves dramatically in a few days. Most to all second fix materials will not be affected by short-term dampness.

It is a good idea to have the stop at mid height of the door. By doing this the door is not distorted, as it is when the bottom of the door crashes against the buffer. The centre of a blank door usually has a structural section at mid-height, but aim for another horizontal bar to suit your door. The height also prevents the post from being a trip hazard. In simple terms it can be any sort of post with a doorstop fixed to it horizontally. If this was a rear service door then it can be as functional as you like: a 2x2 timber will also flex when hit so is good for the door. A scaffold tune is firmer. Then work up from there to something prettier as appropriate to the location.

1. Get a Japanese style wc. a gentle spray instead of paper, followed by air-drying. I have been lucky enough to try many, and they are even normal in public toilets in Japan. From thinking they were a gimmick, then finding how to resolve initial unpleasant surprise feelings, I came to like them. If changing the toilets at home I would consider it. Cost.....anything from a conversions seat to a top of the range German one. £300 to £5,000. I think £600 gets a decent on, and some plumbing and electrics. With savings in TP (used or not soaked) , it will pay itself in 50 years. 2. Keep it in the dry area, and pick a predicted requirement before entering and commencing.

The plaster will shrink very slightly as it cures. if you are still doing skirting then the joint remains hidden, and no crack will be seen.

Have used Envirograf for decades. A small company with good customer service and very good technical advice: they wont just sell it if it is not the right product. They even made up seal coat to a special colour to avoid an additional decorative coat (but that was internal use).

Standard concrete by the looks of them. Easy to check with a chisel or drill, as concrete is very hard and thermalite etc is made from a paste, looks like grey aero underneath and turns to dust under a hammer or chisel.

Airtightness first, ventilation second. It is for the avoidance of uncontrolled draughts that we do the airtightness, and then the extracts and intakes can be opened up again.

Or used sticky tape, as you can over fans etc too. For long-term quality though I suspect most sticky tape fails. I've just brought my decorations boxes down from the attic and most of the closing tape has failed, regardless of being packing tape, gaffer tape or supposedly gorilla (or whatever). It will fail in cavities and over leaky details too, where it can never be seen to have failed, and can't be replaced. I suspect a lot of commercially built properties are taped up for the test.

Yes take their advice, as they will see the circumstances. But they are not likely to say that they designed for a joint and now it doesn't matter after all. My point I suppose, is that if you happen to know that the materials were already stabilised, then the SE might just think that could be ok. (sometimes blocks arrive on site that were made the day or week before, and they are guaranteed to shrink, or bricks are still war from the kiln and guaranteed to expand.....and then there are problems without joints) keep us informed please.

Insulating externally will be expensive and very difficult. It will affect the roof, drains, window: everything. So I think the cost kills the idea. Loft is easy and cheap so use lots of good quality mineral wool Floor: If timber you can lift the boards and insert insulation between the joists. (You have lots of headroom so you could feasibly insulate over the existing floor, but it will probably make the doors too low.) Walls internally. It would make a mess, but perhaps do this gradually if ever you have to strip a wall back for other reasons. It is probably lath and plaster, but that looks like good condition and you wouldn't want to strip it only for insulation. If covering any floor areas put down underlay with carpet, but also foam board under any tiling or vinyl: even 10mm makes a big difference. Are the windows double glazed? In order of benefit 1. do the loft 2. Draughts 3 Windows 4. Floors 5. bits of improvement when appropriate.

There are good fixings that will hold to the plasterboard, or you can use long screws to the block. I would trust the plasterboard, just use plenty of fixings in case someone sits on the radiator. There are all sorts of fancy fixings but I would just use plastic wall-plugs, and plenty of them as the brackets have several holes. BUT pay the little bit more for a known branded make.

It may be only me but I question that movement joints are always needed. You build this perfectly goo traditional masonry wall, then insert weaknesses. There are no such joints in old houses. Bricks expand for a while after manufacture, while concrete blocks shrink, and the new walls can be very stressed. If you can afford to let the materials sit on site for a few weeks in typical weather, then likelihood of a problem from that source is removed. Not expanding foam (out of a tin) please: it seals but is not flexible, and tends to spread more than is desired. There are expanding foam tapes specially made for this: you squeeze them smaller then they gradually fill the gap tight. Then seal with , again, special mastic filler which are flexible and also grip the sides...the name's I can't remember at present.

Blocks are standard sizes. What kind of fixing are you considering and for what purpose?

My guess is that the stink used to vent in the attic, but the valve now prevents that. Now when there is any pressure in the drains it forces bad air through any weakness. I would check the wc drain seals. the tiniest hole can allow smells through. I once found a tiny gap in the plumbers' mait seal, but only by getting into very uncomfortable positions. Problem solved.

I have limited experience of render but some. When my choice we never spec'd render, because I have seen so much failed or grotty stuff. But some projects came with it written in. There is some crazily expensive Swiss stuff we had to use on a Mercedes dealership. This was applied direct to plywood externally, and it stayed put. Then our choice of render on a block wall (flats). This was high up and very exposed. The difference to yours is that the mesh was tacked to the wall first, and a base course applied. Then the finish coat went on. Again it has performed well. The 'mesh first' ensures that any local loss of adhesion does not cause the render to bulge. So I am guessing about your product and circumstances. I agree that it is not coming from above or below,: it is failing where the water is getting in. That is likeliest to be due to microcracking, and driven rain will get in there, then freeze and pop off. It may be a local problem due to drying issues when applied, or may be everywhere.....we will hear. On the other hand perhaps it is simply a poor bond locally, due to the finish of the board...dirt or oil, or too smooth. I am surprised it has gone back to place..it must be very flexible. How exposed is the site? From my studies your area doesn't look too severe. Anyway, how do they define severity?

If the site arrangement and topography and all other circumstances allow, I would favour having a settlement tank at source, filling by natural flow from the burn. This can be constructed to take in the best flowing water with minimum floating bits. The tank allows the water to still and bits to settle and float, and your outlet pipe then takes water from near the bottom. this then provides free and low-maintenance first stage cleaning, and a holding tank for quantity/backup. Then gravity flow to the house. If it comes from high up it may fill to the attic without a pump. After that you may need more filtering or pumping. You can decide if you welcome the colour or want to filter it out. BTW, (and no need to read on) I had a summer job very long ago, to build exactly one such. The existing intake tank had a tiny trout living in it, and somehow getting a living in the closed dark place. The water was not chemically treated so we must have been drinking some element of the trout's excretions. You could say the fish was pre-treating the water, taking out organic matter. Nobody cared as long as they didn't know! (A controlled spillway would prevent this happening in your tank.) It looked good on my CV as I didn't mention the size and scope, and got me a job saving the Netherlands from flooding.

You are getting sensible suggestions based on the limited information provided. Airtightness/vapour barrier purposes are rather fundamental, so please explain what you don't understand. Likewise sloping roof. What is your concern?