Search
Image above courtesy of Torquay Town Hall
You may have come across flitch beams. They were most commonly used as a supporting lintel over shop windows and larger spans where timber alone couldn't work.
Typically, the flitch beam is made up of a steel plate sandwiched between two…
While a lack of internet connection on a website can be frustrating, having offline masonry on a building site is worse! The photo below shows newly constructed masonry that’s not central on the excavated trench.
It’s a common problem, most often caused by poor…
Why is it important to have a completion certificate for certain types of construction work in your house? Here's why...
A completion certificate helps ensure building work is safe
When building work has been inspected by suitably competent building control surveyors, with a…
Rebecca Thompson FCIOB, a specialist in heritage conservation and lecturer in building studies, became the 114th President of the Chartered Institute of Building on 19 June 2017. She is only the second female ever to hold that position.
Rebecca used her inaugural address in front of industry…
Demolition is something you may have to do from time to time. Although not generally considered ‘development’, planning permission may be required - so confirm with your client this is in place before starting any work.
There are two types of demolition - partial or complete removal. Partial…
Yes, it is what it looks like!
One of our Building Control teams encountered this DIY toilet installation on a recent project.
The householder had run out of money so had decided to do the internal work himself. The toilet was coupled to the soil stack with flexible ducting usually used for…
LABC Warranty have published a canopy roof checklist to provide installers with technical details and help to comply with the requirements of the building regulations.
The checklist includes details for:
Sited Formed Canopies
Prefabricated (GRP) Canopies
Site Formed and…
Dragon tie with simple decorative detail (courtesy of castleringoakframe.co.uk)
When traditional roof construction was the norm, a dragon tie was often incorporated beneath the hip rafter, particularly where they were carrying purlins. The hip therefore had a much heavier load.
The…
One of our officers recently sent in a series of photos taken on site after the householder contacted him with concerns.
During the extension work, the builder had removed sections of the wall that he believed ‘would be ok for a bit’ with only one or two acrow props under the floor built into…
Park Lodge, constructed by JD Joinery and Building Services Ltd was awarded the title of Best Extension or Alteration to an Existing Home at the Grand Final of the LABC Building Excellence Awards – one of the most recognised events on the building industry’s calendar.
A panel of industry experts…