brick

We're in the process of installing a stove in the dining room of our Victorian semi. Having removed the plasterboard from the opening and plaster around it, there's clearly been some infill bricks added and a new, small concrete lintel. We would like to open it to it's original dimensions, to...

We have decided to open up another chimney breast in the house (for a log burner, of course). We've thought about it for a while actually and now we are very lucky and fortunate enough to have a regular source of free hardwood, doing so means we'd be able to heat the home with two stoves. This...

House is circa 1910, London yellow stock bricks. Original pointing is quite a light colour. I seen and been quoted for repointing in lime ranging up to around £50/sqm with a 'weather struck' finish. I'm also contemplating doing this myself, with some ready mix products like Limetec or similar...

Hello, I'm having some work done on my porch. Part of the job is creating a half height cavity wall. The exterior brickwork looks ok, but the interior looks a bit messy. Am I worrying about nothing, or is it important to have a tidy finish inside as well? Please have a look at the pics below...

Hi I was wondering if i could ask opinions! I have just started the brickwork to go above the ground floor windows although i'm concerned the brick may be overbearing for the front elevation. This pictured window opening has another 12 courses of brick to the first floor window. This is...

Hello I need advice on how to do a patio window to floorboard transition. Please see photo At the top you can see the patio window and at the bottom you can see the rotted floor boards. Between them you can see a concrete (or motar) layer, laid on a DPC membrane. Below the DPC membrane is...

Hi All, We are having some windows fitted, but the opening is being reduced. The window company assure me it is ok to brick up the space then fit the new window on the same day. I have not seen this done before. Do you think this is ok? Thanks!

I'm designing a bookcase to be fit into a bungalow as the image attached. The entire thing is made from MDF and weights collectively 180KG. There is a base cabinet sat on the floor, end panels sat on the floor, 25mm thick worktop sat on the end panels and cabinet and battens all around the...

Im fitting a bookcase which require lots of holes drilling into a wall at various points. The wall is very inconsistent in density varying from easy drilling to almost impossible. I have blunted flat 3No. 7mm SDS drill bits now. Its a bungalow. Using a corded 110V SDS with good quality Dewalt...

I'm installing a Ring Pro doorbell/security camera. My upvc Front door is at the front of a small porch like entrance and so the brickwork carries on into the porch. I need to run the power wire to the Ring unit and whilst I can run it easily through the corner of the doorframe, I'd rather...

I have installed a hit and miss vent in the kitchen chimney breast as the flue is uncapped and we were getting a minor efflorescence on the plaster. Unfortunately I still can't get an airflow so presume the soot and rubble in there is blocking any movement of air and is probably just absorbing...

Hi I have a 600mm gas DPC bridging the cavity and I need to install a cavity tray with this. I started to use some polythene DPC as the cavity tray and mortared 20-30mm of this DPC cavity tray on top of the gas DPC of the external leaf. I'm worried in case any water seeps under the cavity...

Hi, We are trying to buy a 3 bed mid terraced house that was built in the late 1800’s but the rear extension is on its own as the house next door was built later. As it’s an area with lots of subsidence - south London. We only got a valuation completed as we didn’t want to pay £’S for a survey...

Hi I’ve realised an issue with my extension and hoping for a little input. The building officer has said to cut the brickwork vertically to open the cavity up and I can then tooth the brickwork. The bricks under the lintel (pictured) will then be removed and blockwork rebuilt under it and...

I have a brick wall that I intend to install a bath against with a fixed shower head: I'll use either tile backer board (insulation + cement layer) or hardibacker with a tanking kit; attaching via dot and dab (plasterboard adhesive) and screws + washers to hold it in. However, what's the...

I'm drilling into some very old brick and it's so hard I thought I'd hit a metal stud. (But I've confirmed I haven't). I don't have a lot of DIY experience. I thought I had a good drill. It's a Stanley "FatMax" and it says 850W and 3100 RPM on the box. It also has a hammer action. But all I...

I want someone to build me an all in one unit in a Spanish/Greek design in my kitchen. It will have holes for in built oven and open storage areas for fridge and pans etc. I’d also like the counter top to have a sink which looks to be part of the counter. The ones I’ve seen (photos attached so...

Looking to repaint the garage door so thought I might as well do the woodwork at the same time and looking for a product to fill any gaps between the brick and frame. My first thought was silicone but then wondered if a putty of some sorts would be better? Regards

Hi there. We've got a small retaining wall on the boundary of our garden as the neighbours garden is higher than ours. It's perfectly functional but it's not very straight so I'd like to replace it as part of some landscaping we're doing. The problem I have is that it intersects with the...

Hi I've seen posts on this before but slightly different thickness of mortar! I need four courses to my block and beams from the foundation bottom. The foundation is pretty level although it's higher in one corner by about 20mm. The foundation is 310mm down from my finished B&B level at the...