saveasteading

I sympathise. the app is pretty good though in doing this for you as an attachment from a smart phone. Otherwise there are clever bods on here. The garage is indeed awful. Built by idiots who get away with it because it's 'only' a garage. What is the plan? It is much easier than it would be with the house. a couple of acrow props to support the roof. take out the bricks and the door, insert lintel and rebuild. Maybe the door can even stay? Re the house, 98% there is a good and working lintel. In the 60s it wouldn't be a sophisticated catnic type. I can't right now think of the likeliest method, but it wouldn't be to sit the wall on the window.

There is a bigger option, but the rectangular ones are bigger yet, and will be easier to fix / look better?

That's not big. Not what i would use. It will need a fair slope, a good outlet and a means of avoiding splashing st the entry.

No it is very unlikely a lintel has failed. Why does the garage need a new liintel? It's easy during construction. It simply lifts into position on the brick wall. It's difficult to change one as all the wall and roof load needs supporting. Who is telling you there is no lintel or it has failed? Not experts i presume.

There are screws with expanding rubber tubes that will grip when tightened. Might still stress the sheeting but less likely to break it.

f there was no lintel it would have fallen down a long time ago. 3mm is usually not a concern. Buildings move. I'd not be worrying. You have recorded it. Now wait for the winter and see if it gets better or worse. Do NOT fill the gaps or they may stress if there is movement back again. Moral: mortar should always be weaker than the bricks.

At the very worst, it will all be consumed by bugs over the centuries to come. No worse than many an old campsite where toilet contents were buried. Does it even need to be destroyed? Cover off, drag in the top few courses of brick, infill. Then the fact of its existence is there if anyone tries to build there in the distant future. Of course the pipes in and out and the soakaway will remain, or are there intentions for these?

I'm not going into the link because it wants cookies. But a 'red' flashing is correct for a hot flue. Normally this is screwed and sealed to metal. How to fix it to polycarbonate? That's what bothers me. otoh if it fails by letting in rain or cracking, does it matter much?

This is so common. They don't know how little they know. @Gus Potter fan you recall what safety factor we add for workmanship? But it still assumes some competence and good intentions.

I wouldn't want it through polycarbonate. I appreciate it's an outbuilding but it's still odd. Can you contrive a local area of some more solid material?

I wouldn't. There used to be a drainage tank, now there isn't. I can't see why that needs to be formal, esp on someone else's land. Pump out, dig out, fill in using layers and compact.

How wide are the cracks? They look very small. It's a shame some have gone through bricks rather than mortar, but it looks fairly benign.

I once had to organise a site weld on a new building at Gatwick Airport. A fussy client. It looked immaculate and was by a coded welder, but the client insisted on a test. This involved setting up a magnetising rig, and throwing iron filings at the weld. The even spread of filings on original steel and new weld proved that it was now all one lump of steel. Pass. Expensive.

Erosion under the foundations is very unlikely. Shrinkage would be likeliest this summer. [ Although my house (Kent) is on clay it is still moist at 400 deep.] Unless there are trees near.

It is, if you do most of it yourself, a multitude of design, management and practical skills, and not a single subject. It could not be taught as a subject in itself.

Good point. Esp for an extension. If you use standard details and the rooms aren't huge then the superstructure isn't at much risk. Foundations to match existing. Drains join existing.

That's the look I had in mind, but colour coated. That's nicely big too.

Building notice: (Not Scotland.). An alternative to submitting a "fulll plans" application for approval prior to commencement. " here is my fee. Please be aware I am starting this construction immediately ...I will send drawings and calculations from time to time but meanwhile invite you to inspect progress." I did this many times but it needs a massive level of confidence. It is risky as you are building entirely at risk of the bco disagreeing or doubting the construction. You may be digging foundations and pouring concrete, the bco looking in the holes, but the bco's SE hasn't agreed, even looked, at the numbers yet. Ditto the superstructure and everything else. It might have to all come down again. Given a few cases where the bco did disagree on major matters of interpretation, I'd always do a "full plans" application if there was time. But building notice was needed for quick turnaround. Eg client says here is my rough plan, can you design it and build it in a year? NB this was as a 'design and buld' contractor. It would be even more risky if not all in-house. Please do "full plans" everyone. In Scotland it remains the only way.

Fast, cheap or good. Choose two.

Will work but I'd prefer face fixed brackets for invisibility. Save money and amuse the neighbours by accepting the ends of ranges and offcuts, in multiple bright colours. Or be dull with grey or green. For the sizing can you assess how much roof area currently goes to that dp?

Anything big enough will not overflow. A truism I know. These are designed to be horizontal. A slight slope would help a lot and keep it cleaner.

Good point. I'd assumed this showed the current condition. Cladding with dpm must cover the sole plate.

Stanley knife or scissors and cut flush outside. Inside OK left alone to overlap with the internal dpm.

Radon maps are published so don't guess. "Soil gases"... what are these? If you went that ventilation way then it doesn't need to be high tech. Either leave the chimneys as they are or put liners in. It all feels as if you think you need "special systems" whereas simple is often better. What free space do you have under the floor?

As aesthetics appear to be foremost, I suggest a Lindab gutter instead, colour to merge or to feature, and oversized to ensure capacity. The downpipe can match or contrast. Not chains... they splash. Big barrel or link another. The barrel should be considered to be full and all rain runs past. So drainage as if there was no barrel. It's best for the overflow to go to ground. Do you think a small soakaway would cope?