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LABC is committed to helping our building control members and construction professionals following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU):
Information and updates from the Government
Agreements reached between the UK and EU (trade and cooperation…
Before you start work, taking a few moments to run through this list could make your build a lot easier, saving time, money and frustrating delays!
CIL: Once planning permission is granted you should have been sent a liability notice setting out any Community Infrastructure Levy and when it…
The challenge
The seven-storey, 215-bedroom, 29-apartment Wave Hotel at Butlins, Bognor Regis, cost £22.5 million to build and used a unique lightweight modular system to save on costs and materials. It opened in July 2012 and is a crucial part of the ongoing redevelopment of the West Sussex…
The Stone Federation of Great Britain recommends using mechanical fixings to restrain stone fireplace surrounds, rather than adhesives, which are not considered sufficient to provide a safe and secure bond throughout the lifetime of the fireplace surround.
Modular stone or artificial stone…
A new Alert guidance document published by Structural-Safety* incorporating CROSS (Confidential Reporting on Structural Safety) and SCOSS (Standing Committee on Structural Safety) and the HSE (Health & Safety Executive) provides guidance on precautions that can be taken to identify the…
The combination of timber separating floors and masonry walls needs very careful detailing.
Sometimes, the designer has forgotten to take a look at what’s there already. You may even build exactly to a drawing but still fail your test!
In this article we look at the ‘why and how’ to avoid…
One of our surveyors was alarmed when called out on site recently for an excavation inspection. Above is what he saw.
The Building Regulations application was actually for a new foundation to connect the back of the house to the detached garage, but the builder had taken the opportunity to…
One of our surveyors had a bit of a shock recently when visiting a site for a domestic extension.
They were called out to inspect reinforcement prior to concreting foundations but hadn’t been to site previously for an excavation or commencement inspection. The ‘builder’ proudly stood back and…
Most pre-1930s houses will have traditional lath and plaster ceilings. Picture courtesy of Malone Associates Ltd
What is lath and plaster?
Laths are thin strips of wood (around 25-38mm wide and 3-8mm thick) spaced around 5mm apart and nailed to the ceiling joists above. Plaster was then…
Front Door – because every home has one.
One year ago, LABC launched Front Door and this month Front Door celebrates its first birthday! Front Door is a home improvements website providing impartial advice for homeowners embarking on a home improvement project.
Front Door is a great…