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When your driveway is suffering from depression, it becomes unsafe for driving (a danger zone) and ugly - no homeowner wants that! Unfortunately, most driveways won’t hold flat for long as they tend to develop cracks and potholes pretty quickly. Here, we are going to take you through how to fill asphalt driveways’ depression so as to ensure the sinkholes in your driveway poses no threat to you or your loved ones, while also beautifying your property. The approach to be used depends on the intensity of the depression. If its only a few cracks and holes, this can easily be repaired with some equipment. But if otherwise is the case, then calling a reliable professional will be your best bet. In this article, we’ll show you how to repair dips in your asphalt driveway relatively quickly.

✓ Pick a date with warm and sunny weather. This is because if you work in a cold weather, chances are the materials will freeze and hence, unusable. So find a day when the temperature will over 50 degrees Fahrenheit and below 80 degrees Celsius and when there would be no rain. We’ll advise a day between May to October.

✓ Prepare the area. Remove all loose stones, soil, dirt as well as vegetation from the holes. Once done, you can then proceed to washing the area with a pressure washer or sweep with a broom.

✓ Apply a thin mixture of asphalt to the area. Use a flat stirring stick to coat the low driveway area with a thin mixture of asphalt.

✓ Tamp the asphalt repair mix. Purchase the right kind of asphalt to repair the driveway. Fine aggregate asphalt mixture is more suited to filling small holes, whereas the coarse aggregate is more suited to filling larger holes. Apply layers ( about 2 inches each time) of the asphalt repair mix to the sunken area and use a shovel to give it a smooth finish. Once done, simply make the area smooth and protect it with a piece of plywood. Do not walk or drive on the area for a couple of days.

Generally, it’s possible to extend a barn conversion, but there are certain conditions that you’ll probably need to meet. Ultimately, it’s up to your local planning office to decide whether to approve your planned barn conversion extension or not.

Typically, small extensions on the side of a barn conversion are often approved, particularly if they serve to preserve the original character of the barn. This could be because the extension will mimic the appearance of the original structure, or house facilities that would look odd in the original building.

However, you probably won’t be allowed to build a larger extension, or one that isn’t in keeping with the appearance of the original barn.

Yes, bricklayers can work during the cold months, but it all depends on the type of work involved. For instance, residential housing maintenance works such as tuck pointing deficient mortar joints on exterior walls and columns as well as rebuilding of chimneys are best tackled during summer or simply put, the warmer months of the year. This is is mainly because the best results for these activities are achieved in the warmer months and several bricklayers will agree to this fact.

Mixing of mortar using anti-freeze technique to counter-act the effects of a cold weather can lead to white marks trailing down the brick when warmer temperatures comes knocking. As a result, even mortar mixing should be done at temperatures exceeding zero degree farenheit which will hold no serious consequences if the temperature should change to a little bit below the norms. During the winter, a good technique that can be incorporated to when mixing mortar would be to mix them in smaller quantities in a warmer environment. These small quantities will immediately be fed by the labourers to the bricklayers and in such circumstances, the mixed mortars will not be subjected to a freezing temperature for too long.

Generally, it would be very unwise to consider any bricklaying work to be done whenever the temperature jumps to a certain level which would be considered to be very inconvenient to work in. Interior works like remodelling of fireplaces can be tackled so long there is a warm space to mix the mortars while also keeping the materials at an indoor temperature. Bricklaying works that have, however, been completed during the colder months should be subjected to a very close inspection as well as looking for potential damage that can be caused to existing works as a result of the harsh weather.

Asides the questions relating to planning permission of a loft conversion as well as the total cost of completing a loft conversion project, this is perhaps the most common question on the loft conversion subject matter. Before making an investment decision, many homeowners will want to know just how disruptive a loft conversion is. Well, we’ve all heard the several horror stories when loft conversion builder with dirty boots tramples all over the fresh and just-acquired shag pile or the noise of the construction loud enough to annoy neighbours from four blocks away or an obvious shortage of teabags, sugar and lots more. Good news is, the disruption of loft conversion is not as bad as people make out. Let’s have a look at how it works!

Just like all other major building projects, a loft conversion is disruptive to your property. However, no two loft conversions are the same, therefore some are certain to be more drastic and invasive than others. In the long run, the project is worth the stress and inconveniences caused and in most cases, it’s usually a very good investment.

Normally, an average loft conversion is expected to last for about 9 to 12 weeks (depending on the complexity of the loft conversion project some might take longer). Some of the factors that affects the duration of a project includes the type of the loft, the design of the loft as well as the style of the property.

Generally, a loft conversion is a lot less disruptive than say completely moving a home. It all has to do with how you’re able to deal with it as a person. And besides, the effect it’s going to have to a large extent depends on the company you hire. A good company will always look to ensure to keep disruptions to a minimal when carrying out the loft conversion project.

This is a very great opportunity to not only get free external wall insulation, but also cut down your energy bills depending on the type of property you live in. Generally, to enjoy free external wall insulation you must at least be part of the group receiving one of the benefits listed below and also depends on the amount of money you earn. The benefits include:

• Income based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)

• Income support

• Income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)

• Tax credits

• Pension credit guarantee credit.

• Universal credit.

There are also other important factors that determines if you can have a free insulation fitted on your property. These includes the place you reside, the carbon level of your home and according to some suppliers, the level of beneficial impact the insulation will have on your home. In order to have a free external wall insulation installed, you must either be the owner of your home or at least obtain the go ahead from your landlord before any external wall insulation activity can be made.

Good news is, if you fit the aforementioned criteria and you’ve already installed an external wall insulation, you just may be entitled to receive a refund for the good job done. However, to really find out if you’re eligible, we’d recommend you get in touch with your supplier directly. Also, the Energy Saving Trust (EST) can direct you to some organizations who can assist you in the determination of your eligibility.

As a home and property owner living in England, you can also check out the Each Home Counts Advice Website which is committed to giving impartial energy efficiency advice.

At the end of the day, if it turns out you happen to be ineligible for a free external wall insulation, you can still go ahead to contact a professional installer for a help at a competitive price to enjoy the several benefits that comes with home insulation.

How Much Does A Loft Room Cost

In the event whereby you happen to run out of space in your home and extending sideways or moving out isn’t even a considerable option, the next best solution is to look upwards - the loft. The loft can be converted into a room that can used to satisfy varying purposes, be it a storage room, bedroom, home office, spare bathroom and more. There are a number of loft conversion styles you can go for including a room in loft conversion, dormer style conversion, mansard conversion, or a hip-to-gable conversion. Regardless of your choice, each of the types will not only give you new rooms to enjoy but also add value to your home. However, before getting started, it’s crucial to have an idea of the loft conversion cost to help you prepare a budget and begin planning. Here, you’ll discover the most likely loft room cost for each conversion style you opt for.

• Room In Loft Conversion

This is only suitable for some specific home, but it’s however the most affordable option of the lots. This loft conversion style will cost within the range of £15,000 to £20,000 (prices can be higher in regions where tradesmen are higher in demand such as London and the south east).

• Dormer Loft Conversion

These are relatively simple and straightforward to include in your home. The cost ranges between £31,000 to £58,000 depending on the conversion’s size and other factors.

• Hip To Gable Loft Conversion

This style of loft conversion is more complex than the aforementioned ones, hence they’re usually more costly to complete. The price ranges between £42,000 to £65,000.

• Mansard Loft Conversion

This style of loft conversion is the most complex of the lot and includes a complete overhaul of your loft. The price ranges between £45,000 to £70,000.

• Bungalow Loft Conversion

Any of the main styles above can be done to a bungalow if the planning requirements are fully complied with and if the property is suitable. The price ranges between £30,000 to £70,000.

Are you considering converting your garage into a more usable space in your home? If yes, then you’d probably want to know if you’ll require building regs before converting the garage. The answer to this question is yes. Although you may not require planning approval to convert your garage into a more usable space, but you’d usually need approval under the Building Regulations.

When re-structuring your garage into a habitable space, the following should be taken into consideration: structural alterations, ventilation, moisture proofing, insulation, fireproofing, escape routes as well as the submission of a building building notice or full plan application to the local council in order to inform them about the planned project.

• Walls

You’ll require an approval if you plan to infill the garage door with a window and a new wall. This is because the garage may have been built of a shallow slab which implies that a new foundation would be needed for the new wall construction.

• Floor

Even though there’s a high possibility that the garage floor is strong enough for domestic use since its designed to withstand the weight of vehicles, you may however need to upgrade to make sure it suitable for both thermal insulation and damp proofing. In addition, there may also be the need to to alter the floor level in such a way that it matches that of the remaining parts of the house.

• Ventilation

According to the Building Regulations requirements, there’s a need for adequate ventilation for each individual rooms which includes garage conversions for general health purposes. What’s going to determine the ventilation level that’ll be required is the frequency at which the room is used. Ventilation can be provided through purge or simply opening the window or via trickle ventilation.

Aside from the cold weather not being the most pleasant condition to work in, the winter weather can also cause a lot of problems for construction workers and even more so when you’re working with render. Poor weather conditions can generally cause a lot of harms on the final finish of a render. Below are some of the reasons why you should not consider rendering in a bad weather.

✓ Lime bloom. Render can be impacted by lime bloom as they are subjected to damp conditions and low temperatures while curing. This is due to the fact that cement are intolerant to slower drying conditions especially immediately affect its application.

✓ Top coats can be compromised. Coating are likely to get washed off before they’re even afforded the chance to set if drying conditions are low.

However, because its cold out there doesn’t necessarily imply that work must stop. It’s very possible to render during the winter months but to avoid potential pitfalls, we’ve got some tip that can be of great help. Let’s have a look!

✓ Check the weather forecast. Determine the drying and curing time and watch the forecast for the temperature dropping at night.

✓ Select the most suitable render. There are renders that are suitable for application in low temperatures to about 5℃ or even as low as 1℃. These types of render are fast setting which makes them perfect for the cold condition.

✓ Watch out for frost. Frost and render are enemies. Therefore, it won’t be wise to work with frosted materials, on frosted subtrates or apply below the recommended temperature that’s written on the product’s datasheet.

✓ Protect the finish. Make use of artificial enclosures around the scaffolding to battle adverse weather conditions.