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This is a photo looking down at the floor to a patio door opening and is a relatively common detail where the concrete carries over the internal blockwork to close the cavity.
Using damp proof membranes correctly
The damp proof membrane (DPM) has been cut too short to extend across the cavity…
A photo sent in recently by one of our building control surveyors highlighted a common problem found when the right drainage pipe fittings aren’t to hand on site and deadlines need the work doing right away:
In this instance, it’s surface water drainage from a house and detached garage that…
Roofing is a high-risk activity. Working at height, sometimes with fragile materials, means roofers make up nearly a quarter of all workers killed in falls from height at work. Some of these accidents occur because of sub-standard roof battens.
In a bid to improve safety, a requirement to grade…
Pebbledash render was primarily used to protect buildings from the elements.
The term is used to describe external rendering where smooth pebbles are thrown or "dashed" onto the topcoat of render before it dries so that they stick to it and provide a weathering surface.
Spar is a close…
(Updated 1 May 2020)
Timber staircases are an integral part of many homes across the UK. While the design and manufacture of a staircase is key to its integrity and effectiveness, it’s just as important to install it right.
Poor installation can cause the stability of the stair to be reduced…
If you’re working on an extension and you find something like the above, you’ll need to put it right.
What’s the problem?
Using a ‘P’ trap at the base of a soil and vent pipe will cause the drain to block due to a build-up of solid waste.
How to put it right
A rest bend should have been…
Severe driving rain is a common occurrence in the UK and these days even sheltered locations may be subject to high levels of deluge. Flashings and cavity trays offer a way around this problem, but should they be provided to canopy roofs?
Site-formed canopies
Where a site-formed canopy is…
As the first snow flurries spread across the UK at the end of November it reminds us that winter can pose some additional problems for buildings and everyone in and around them.
Aside from freezing temperatures, icy surfaces, severe storms and bad weather to test our structures to the limits,…
If you’re working on any compartment wall such as an attached garage to a dwelling, or a protected staircase in offices, then you must make sure that the integrity of the wall isn’t compromised.
A common problem is running service pipes or internet cables through parts of the building. Even…
High winds are an ever present risk, often leaving a trail of destruction on properties and construction sites. Average wind speeds are increasing and ‘storm force’ winds are more common.
Site hoarding, roofs, and unsecured or unbraced masonry walls in a temporary condition on construction sites…