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Insulating a cavity wall should not affect the damp proofing of the wall. All insulation approved for use in cavity walls has been tested to ensure that it does not allow damp to pass through the wall. Some walls which receive a lot of wind driven rain are unsuitable for cavity wall insulation.

In general, you won’t need planning permission to install soundproofing. If you are installing soundproofing against a shared wall, you will usually need to follow the rules and restrictions set out in the Party Wall Act. In listed buildings and conservation areas, there may be extra restrictions on soundproofing.

External wall insulation works to keep your home cosy and comfy while also helping to cut the energy bills. However with the great benefits also comes great costs, so it’s actually a logical decision to know whether there are grants out there which you’re eligible for to help you handle the cost of the external wall insulation.

There are grants available for external wall insulation, but rarely will you find one that covers the full installation cost. With the help of the government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, a couple of energy companies assist in making your home more energy efficient by offering grants or free insulation. In certain cases whereby you receive particular state benefits, you may as well qualify for a higher grant that’ll cover more of the insulation cost.

However, if your energy supplier doesn’t offer any grant, you need not worry as you can save as much on energy bill after installation. Here’s what insulation can help you save per year on energy bills:

• Floor insulation can help you save within a range of £30 to £75 each year.

• Cavity wall insulation can help you save about £85 to £280 a year.

• Loft Insulation (270mm) can help you save about £135 to £250 a year.

Generally, the amount you’ll be able to save on your energy bills depends mainly on the type and size of your property, as well as how energy efficient it already is without the insulation. In the long run, your external wall insulation will more than give you back your investment on the valuable project through your savings on energy bills. In other words, whether or not you’re eligible for a grant should never stop you from installing an external wall insulation.

Are you about to start a new construction job when it’s a heavily rainy period? Or perhaps you’re just interested in knowing how bricklayers work. Well regardless of your purpose, one thing you should know is laying of bricks has a few rules and one of them is not to lay a brick wall when its raining. This is mainly because your structure’s quality and integrity would be heavily compromised if water comes in contact with the mortar before it gets the time to dry. However, with the help of a concrete protective tent, you can prevent water from coming in contact and damaging the mortar. So let’s look at the procedures to follow to work in the rain!

lDetermine The Concrete Protective Tents Required

• Concrete protective tents come in various sizes so you have to know what’s required to get the job done.

• Firstly, calculate the amount of space required to lay the brick wall

• Then, incorporate the appropriate size and number of tents.

lSet Up The Tents

• Follow the manufacturer’s instruction to set up the tents

• Once installed, the tent should extend past the location for the bricklaying and slope downwards.

l Access The Area

• Inspect the location during rainfall to ensure water is not sneaking through.

lBuild a Lumber Frame

• Use 2 to 4 pieces of lumber to build a frame.

• Set it into the ground depending on the size of your wall

lApply Concrete or Mortar

• Fill up the frame with either concrete or mortar.

• Follow the manufacturer’s instruction to allow the mixture to cure.

lPrepare the Brick Wall’s Mortar

• Mix the mortar for the brick wall construction

• Follow the manufacturer’s instruction for the process.

When you’re done laying the bricks, you can remove the protective tents once you’re certain the rain has stopped. Exposure to sun and air will speed up the curing process, which is quite important to protect the integrity of your structure.

Rendering of a house is one of those projects that can greatly improve the visual appeal of your home, enhance it’s energy efficiency, protect the brickwork from the elements and ultimately, add value to your home. Generally, the cost of rendering a house normally costs within the range of £25 to £70 per metre square, while the average cost house rendering costs stands at about £40 per square metre. Therefore, a 3 bedroom semi detached house will cost within the range of £4000 to about £5000.

The total cost of rendering a house is determined by a wide range of factors. These factors includes the following:

✓ Type of the rendering. There are three main types of rendering which includes sand and cement rendering, monocouche rendering as well as acrylic or silicone rendering. However, re-rendering applies to sand and cement sooner and it’ll also have to be painted every 3 to 6 years. Consequently, longer term cost can be higher when compared to the other types.

✓ Ease of access. Where your contractor will have to work around obstacles like shrubs or conservatory, this can make the cost a bit higher as it’ll take longer time to complete.

✓ Prep work. If the contractor needs to fill some cracks or perhaps an old mortar requires tuck pointing before rendering can be started, this will also affect the cost.

✓ Scaffolding. In the event whereby the job requires the use of scaffolding and you’ll have to hire one as a different cost, then the price will be higher.

✓ Your location. Due to the high standards of living and higher demands in areas like London or the Southeast, prices in these regions are usually higher than that of the other regions like Midlands and North.

When it comes to laying of bricks, it is essential to get the right mortar mix. It is vital, be it for construction or maintenance projects, so far mortar is required. There are several materials incorporated in getting mortar which includes both cement and sharp sand, soft sand or plasterer’s sand and lots more. Here, we are going to look at the right ratio for cement and sand mix in bricklaying.

Cement include ingredients such as iron, aluminium, as well as silicon and it is mainly used for mortars like aerated cement mortar, Portland cement mortar and gauged mortar. Sand, on the other hand, comes in different forms such as sharp sand, soft sand and plasterer’s sand. The sharp sand consists of a larger grain size than the others and is usually incorporated in the construction areas that requires more strength as well as flexibility. Soft sand is the most common one used in mortar and it’s also referred to as bricklayers’ sand. These are used to make all types of mortar. Finally the plasterer’s sand which neither has the sharp sand’s coarseness nor the fineness of the soft sand, but can also be used for any form of mortar.

Cement and sand mortar is used for a plethora of bricklaying jobs serving as a glue for bricks, walls and pillars, while also repairing or maintaining old listed buildings. The preferred ratio here is 1:3 to 1:5 of cement and building sand. Meanwhile, to get a sand cement mix, essential materials that are required includes water, soft building sand as well as cement. However, you must also note that a sand and cement mortar is not used for structural projects, rather a concrete ratio is used.

What Is Plasterboard?

The plasterboard is unarguably one of the most common building materials across the globe. Sometimes referred to as gypsum board, gyprock, drywall or wall board, the plasterboard is mostly incorporated for ceiling cladding and interior walls in several homes and offices in recent times. However, despite its global acceptability, it’s a very misunderstood building material.

The plasterboard is manufactured using a gypsum core with a heavy paper covering both sides of the sheet. The measurement of a standard plasterboard sheet is a length of 2.4 metres in and a width of 1.2 metres, with a thickness of about 13mm. The board usually have either a bevelled or a bit flat edge. The bevelled edge makes it easy for the installers to use a plaster to smooth out the surface after nailing the sheets to walls and ceilings as well as taping the edges.

The plasterboard comes in different types. Although various manufacturers provide a unique name for their products, but they’re all included in one of the following categories:

• Water Resistant Plasterboard - This type of plasterboard are best suited to be used in water areas like bathroom, laundry rooms and kitchens.

• Acoustic Plasterboard - Due to its sounding proofing qualities, this type of plasterboard is preferred to be used in home theatres or noisy areas.

• Flexible Plasterboard - This is to be incorporated on curvy surfaces.

• Fire Resistant Plasterboard - Just like the name implies, this type of plasterboard is best suited for use in high fire hazard areas.

If you’re about to kick start some small renovations around your house or office, using a plasterboard to clad your walls is a very simple and worthwhile task. However, if you want to do major renovations or need to apply plasterboard to your ceiling, the best option would be to leave it to a seasoned professional.

Generally, a paved driveway is always subjected to regular usage and yours isn’t likely to be an exception, otherwise you won’t be here. Regular usage automatically necessitates regular maintenance of the driveway in order to extend its lifespan, make your property safer and add more value to it. This maintenance will involve a frequent inspection of the paved driveway so as to identify and repair divots, cracks as well as rutting. Paved driveways usually have a lifespan ranging between 15 to 20 years, but this can only be guaranteed when backed by regular maintenance activities. Failure to provide your paved driveway with a regular maintenance will lead to a rapid deterioration within just a couple of years after installation.

The issues commonly faced by paved driveways is usually different based on several factors such as the weather, your location, your property’s sub base as well as some other elements. The ability to identify the problems and solve or repair them on time is key to success while it’s also save you some time and money. In this article we’re going to look at how to go about do-it-yourself tasks that involves minor cracks. More intense damages are advised to be handled only by professionals.

✓ Prepare the area. Clear the debris, weed the plants or vegetation (if any).

✓ Use a strong spray from a garden hose to wash clean the cracks

✓ In the event whereby the crack is deep, simply fill it until it reach about a quarter inch of the surface with sand.

✓ Tamp down the sand to make it more compact.

✓ Apply a patching compound to the surface of the cracked paved driveway.

✓ Leave it for some time to cure.

✓ Once cured, you can then apply your sealant.