structural

Hi, I'm planning to utilise my basement space (previously a garage) however I'm in need of creating some additional ceiling height - especially where currently positioned there is an RSJ. In summary, I want to remove it, and replace with wood in a similar arrangement to the rest of the house...

Hello, I was wondering if you could offer any advice. I recently had a damp issue and was advised by a contractor to cut of 1m of plaster, damp proof membrane and plasterboard and skim. After removing the plaster, this is what I found; see pics. The brick wall is in a terrible state, with...

We're in the process of buying a mid-terrace Victorian/Edwardian (estimated at 1900) house and have just received our Home Buyer's Survey. Unsurprisingly, given the age of the property, it gives the impression the place is about to fall down! Most of the issues are things you'd expect of a...

Hi All. I know what you are going to say, go and get the opinion of a professional struct eng. But this is a DIY forum so let's forget about the professionals for a moment. Trying to determine is the wall shaded yellow is structural? Some background. Bungalow, no second floor, so the...

We have a disused space in our kitchen where the original oil boiler used to be situated. Its essentially a cupboard space made up of 4 brickwork walls, 2 of those a shared with the 2 internal load bearing walls of the property. Above is a concrete pad, below ceiling level with the remaining...

Hey, we've been in our house a couple of years now, its not a new build, think it was built in 70,so maybe... anyways in the front room we've noticed where the window meets the wall in the bottom corner its cracked quite a bit and lets through a draught. There's also a hairline crack that runs...

Hi all, I'm planning on surrounding my landing with a stud wall (replacing what was a banister). If I were to build straight off the existing outer joist (below where the previous banister sat), I would not meet the 900mm minimum width required for building regs. The width of that section of...

Hi, I am in the process of planning the fitting of a ceiling mounted disabled lifting hoist and the room it is going in has a ceiling constructed of only 3 x 2 timbers on the rear addition of a Victorian house with a pitched red concrete tiled roof above. I need to create some additional support...

I am new here - so apologies in advance if in the wrong place. Im currently buying a property and despite all the red flags and warning from others i still want to buy it.... its not in a good condition, and i know that. I just dont know EXACTLY whats wrong with it.... I've had a structural...

I need to put a hole through the external wall for a kitchen extractor and there's already a couple of other holes in the vicinity. I can't find any regs or official guidance for how large a hole you can make and how far they should be from other holes, openings etc. Is anyone here aware of...

Hi! I wanted to get some more views (from builders if possible but anyone who knows about property construction), on cracks to internal walls of a house we are hoping to buy. Due to lockdown we've been stalled since having a full building survey done back in Feb. And due to the discovery of...

Hi all, I want to replace the banister around my landing upstairs with a couple of stud walls so I can essentially create a separate enclosed space upstairs. Part of the stud wall that needs building cannot be built directly on top of the existing subfloor, as there would not be enough space on...

Hi, I understand the need for calculations but also understand the difficulties when the lintel is cast in place? I would like to remove the single brick partition to the left. This is the old pantry. The lintle is holding the side of the house (3 bed semi detached) the pantry is part of a flat...

Hi. We sold our house last year and are living with my parents with our young daughter (4 months now!). We've viewed 50 houses now as didn't really know where we wanted to live and nothing very good has been on the market long, due to our budget and limited family homes in my daughter's...

Hi, I've had an offer accepted on an old (1900) terraced property in probate. Spotted a few large cracks over windows at the rear of the house and similar ones in the bay of the front rooms (first and second floor). There is a tree in the neighbors garden fairly close to the back of the house...

Hi Everyone I would like to remove a wall on the first floor. The house is a typical 1930s terraced house. Attached is the wall in question. The wall is a brick wall, but I have checked the loft and the joists are parallel to the wall except one joist that sits on it. However on top of the...

Hi Everyone I would like to remove a wall on the first floor. The house is a typical 1930s terraced house. The wall is a brick wall, but I have checked the loft and the joists are parallel to the wall except one joist that sits on it. However on top of the ceiling joist there is a beam...

I'm converting a car port which has a concrete base; the base isn't exactly flat, am thinking of putting engineered click over 3/4" structural ply, on batten/decking pedestals. I thought that pedestals would take the faff out of getting it level. There will be a damp course. I thought that...

Hi everyone, this is my first time posting for advise online so fingers crossed I get a good response!? I am currently going through the process in buying a new house. The house was built in the 1930s and extended on the pack in the 70s, extending the sitting room, kitchen and master bedroom...

Hi, Has anyone ever come across this? I have what I originally thought was an old boiler flu. But it doesn’t go up to the ceiling above. Instead it appears to be support for the joist of the house. I’ve included two photos. The one with the brickwork is the top of the support / pillar where...