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Having had a crawl through the attic I notice lots of gaps in the armaflex type of pipe insulation. I could feel the heat off some. Some is ancient, black, snd disintegrating. Another type is better but isn't keeping shape, so falling off. Te best looking, grey stuff spears to have shrunk in length. I intend to retain what I can, with small infills, and replace the worst. There seem to be many qualities and prices available. Advice please on brands. I'll probably then get quotes for a lot with a thought that by the box should be much cheaper.

Sorted. I replaced a section of that gnawed cable, being the least disruptive course of action. It works. Although I can't quite see it, I think the black cable is through to copper. The earth shows some corrosion, white spots not green for some reason. Thus we surmise that water got in there, and was shorting earth to neutral. The red looks to be intact. The only sign of water is the black staining, but a single well aimed drop would be enough. It might have dried out and worked for a while but it is done now. I'm going back up another day to look for a leak (it is tiles on sarking board). I will put some barrier over this area to shield the other blackened cable. Also I noticed that the last electrician up there to connect a toilet fan had not put the insulation back. Someone else's job I suppose would be his view....they are like that here. I'm putting a plumbing query on a new post.

Spellchecker disaster !!! Tay Bridge of course.

Interesting point. I was amazed to get £5k and £10k accounts ag merchants just for asking (as a private individual). I get great prices when I ask the rep for a quote. The local BM is proving better than the national one. But in the shop I get no discount at all, and won't.....I guess I'm paying for the facility and stock cost.

Well. I've got a few minutes. Once upon a time there was Engineering. Making war engines such as trebuchets and battering rams. And associated stuff like tunnels and defences. This was Military Engineering. Extending this to non military use was then known as Civil ( ie not Military) Engineering. That would be drains, roads, bridges. Perhaps castle-like buildings with big open spaces. There may be some unis where you study a degree in "Structural Engineering". (Others will tell us I expect.) Mostly, uk at least, it is called Civil Engineering and you learn the lot. Experiments with materials and hydraulics, structural theory and design, drainage, roads, geology, management of construction.etc . Mine included building science which i enjoyed most.( heat, light, noise, airflow) Later in real life you are likely to tend toward Civil or Structural specialisation. You can study and be examined after s dew years, for one or both institutions. In my case I designed structures and pipelines and buildings as if an SE. The examination for SE though was high end maths without the books and colleagues to refer to. My very clever ISE colleagues took 3 shots at it because their subjects didn't come up. So I stuck with Civils. Civils also tends to include more management. I presented a real life structural project, and the exam was essays and a heavy interview on design efficiency and the morality ethos of the profession! So I am qualified to design and to approve structures that I would struggle to understand. I maybe did once but I'm out of practice. But I don't, and that's the point really. To the extent that I employ an SE when necessary, but only one who will tolerate my interference. Hello @Gus Potter Hence. Most practices say that they are "Civil and Structural Engineers". Coffee finished. Up to the loft!

If you ask your local merchant for the price of a box of 12, it may plummet.

A short article on the anniversary. Bad engineering, bad construction and bad poetry. The latter didn't kill anyone. https://blog.engineshed.scot/2017/01/11/132/

Everbuild is a brand owned by Sika, whos products are top end, but at much more manageable prices than Sika. Everything I've had has been really good. Only an expert who has tried and compared the products can say for sure. Try it.

And any groundworker can paint 'civil engineer on their van'. Same to some extent with 'doctor'. An extended degree in anything would get a doctorate.....but I think the NHS and public know the difference. Strangely 'Architect' is protected even though the aesthetics of a building won't kill anyone. But the profession sells itself strongly. I don't always correct being called a Structural Engineer, (I kept to the Civil path,) as there is some recognition. Ask the public what is a Doctor or Architect, and all will know. Lawyer? Structural Emgineer? I think so. Mechanical/ electrical/ chemical? The same applied to trades of course. Electricians at least have standards with certification but I know this gets abused.

the width is a practical matter. How narrow a trench can you work in?.....bedding the cable in sand, backfilling and compacting , placing a yellow warning tape. In a road, the narrowness will reduce the cost of rebuilding a road surface. In a field it doesn't matter.

It's in the nature of Engineers to do the job rather than play for power. Plus as a Chartered Civil Engineer we have vowed to put society first. client next ( and by implication ourselves lower). "maintain lifelong competence, assuring society that the infrastructure they create is safe, dependable and well designed." I don't know about other Engineering professions.

Over agricultural land should be easy, and the farmers will know contractors to do it. Do you supply the cable in this scenario? That's £9/m. Duct or sand. marker tape is cheap. Kiosk too.

Start with this very accessible book and see how you get on. About £5 second hand. Maths is essential for Engineering, but not vice versa. Of course there is a big overlap where the Venn diagrams cross. 3 or 4 years at uni then min 3 in the real world to get qualified. There's a lot to learn, but knowing the principles and the right terms is a good start. If I remember, there isn't much Maths in this, but principles. The New Science of Strong Materials (or Why We Don't Fall Through the Floor) by J E Gordon

It is hard work, and very few people will do it. Dig a holeto the bottom of the footing. Get into the hole and dig under the foundations and down to the new depth, handing up earth all the while. earth to garden or skip. Pour concrete in the hole and pack it up super tight under the footings. Pay for the concrete and the small load premium. move on an repeat. Because it is difficult to pack up tight, the house may settle a mm or so. If there wasn't really a problem then this may cause differential expansion when the ground recovers. Your Engineer says it isn't necessary He knows the ground in your area.

Radiators all have thermostats plus there are room controllers in 2 distinct circuits, each with a hot water tank. Port valves? I don't know. On further investigation, I half recall that the radiator nearest to the boiler is on its own loop, for some reason of keeping a circuit open during maintenance????? may be wrong. That was the hot one. Others seem to be on and off without issues. Since my first post and turning the room heating (only) back on it has been working nicely. I haven't touched the controls. I will continue this for completeness and only turn the water heating on when necessary and then after a decent test period.

well done, that is always the best. it is liquid running water you are looking for. you have a leak. Imagine the cost of such multiple inspections, and the additional premium for being responsible for all workmanship and all consequences. That red circle does look favourite as a problem. I don't like the gutter chucking uphill and clashing with other running water downhill. But there is definitely regular extreme wetness at the left end of the bottom gutter. If not from the gutter then from the confluence as you neatly describe it. In looking for leaks I start from the end point. so that is the left gutter end and support. water generally takes predictable routes following gravity, so straight up the slope is likeliest. My kneejerk solution is a metal flashing from gutter left, to underside of the flashing above it. And another catching all the water from the red circle confluence. Plus the red circle gutter could do with being cast away from the circle onto an area of complete tiles, using an additional downpipe and shoe. This will also m ove it slightly from the lower confluence.

With a soppy sentimental story on the side. My great Aunt Gertrude rescued me from the slums. Her greatest wish was that some day I would fix a ceiling grid using self tapping screws into concrete. This is in her memory. But will I manage it?. Music "Dih dih daaaah! Fortunately a helpful group of blog members hear of this and offer advice.

In case its relevant: The header tank recently had issues which I resolved. The balcock valve was leaking so I changed the whole thing. But along with the leak, it was coming through the ceiling which is why we noticed it. So I found that the overflow was not sealed, and never had been....that was put in 30 years ago. I've sorted that too. I think I may have been overcautious in setting the balcock float so the level could be an inch higher, if that might reduce the temperature. I also removed the insulation, because that seems unnecessary in the SE. I topped up the additive but rather a guess.

Thanks. Not the immersion. It wasn't on: never is. It is an oil burner. I vaguely remember this happening before, and the little thermostat on the tank was an option...and that it's just in round number clicks. The boiler temperature is an uncalibrated knob, currently at mid point. U haven't twiddled them yet. Should I do one rather than the other? I've turned the CH back on and left the water off, for domestic harmony. No banging yet.

I think it is called kettling? Lots of banging and it will be spluttering into the header tank. It's not all the time though. Does this need a heating engineer? Can I turn something down for now?

Never let it be said that I don't take advice. Smaller mole grips fitted. Anyway it's sorted now. The lever and screw lost their lime buildup in the vinegar. The screw and washer lost their chrome too, and seem to be made of copper. The screw went back in nicely but didn't sort the handle....it seems the serrations have worn or rotted off. So I've epoxied it on , and it seems OK. The 3 days estimate was correct, but it was a half hour twice and no cost. I seriously expect the hot side to fail soon.

You are correct. Flashband and sealant is more for repairs than newbuild. You should be channeling the water away from the interface using metal flashings. These should underlap the cladding, say 100mm or more. You do need sealant. It should be a tape of silicon that is screwed tight at the joint. It should be a specific to cladding product that does not harden in time.

Are you sure it is an sds bit? They rattle about, deliberately, as a cross between drill and breaker and I'm not sure they drill precisely enough for this purpose. The screw has to cut itself into the concrete. Might be wrong.

These are specifically for concrere I hope. If so, then I'm sorry but there is something dodgy about structural fixings without instructions. These are hitech products and will have precise requirements. Too big a hole and they won't grip...expensive collapse? Too small and they won't fit and may damage the thread. Perhaps buy some new ones.

It will say on the package and needs to be exactly right. It's worth getting a new, big brand, bit.