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Driveway surfacing materials like concrete, asphalt and clay brick usually crack because they’ve been exposed to extreme temperatures or put under high pressure. It’s important to repair driveway cracks before they get worse and cause damage to vehicles and perhaps others to trip on raised cracks.

Render serves two basic functions. One is it’s protective qualities as render acts as waterproof for the wall which enables them breathe by allowing water vapour move from the inside to the outside of the structure while also working to prevent water or rain from finding its way inside the structure. While the second function is the decorative qualities as render is able to provide the structure with a fine finish and colour to make the building a lot more appealing and correcting faults in line and level in the masonry.

If you wish to apply render on your external wall, you’d probably be wondering just how thick the render should be to perfectly serve both of functions. In this article, we’re going to take a look at just that!

For a render thickness, the British Standard Wind Driven Rain Index has come up with 4 ratings which include Sheltered, Moderate, Severe as well as Very Severe. An area with Very Severe rating include South West England. This rating implies that the thickness of the render in this area should be increased to at least 20mm for a direct one coat render applications as well as 5 to 6 external wall insulation base coat applications. And if you happen to reside within one mile of the coast, it’s strongly recommended you incorporate an extra repellent protection like Paraguard AG from Parex.

In general, render that’s prepared on site with cement and sand should be have a minimum of 20mm to 25mm thickness. Although, it should be noted that the quality of the render is based on quality of the sand incorporated, the design mix as well as being largely dependent on how good the mixing technique from the applicator is. The most common reasons why traditional renders fails is due to both poor mixing ratios and low quality materials used.

The holy grail of home extensions is basically the need for additional space for living as well as leisure. However, before commencing your home extension project, you’d probably want to know just how big your new building can be. In this article, you’ll find the answer to this question which is also frequently asked by many other home or property owners in the UK.

Besides your budget, there are two other major influencing factors that can determine just how much extra room that can be added. These factors include whether you wish to carry out the extension project under Permitted Development rights which is usually for a smaller project or you’d prefer to opt for a larger project which is covered by Planning Permission.

Apart from the limitations in the size of an extension under Permitted Development, the extensions are also a lot more affordable and consumes less time when compared to the extensions under planning permission. So what exactly is the size limit for an extension under Permitted Development and the ones under Planning Permission?

For a single storey extension, the maximum size that can be constructed without having to submit an application for Planning Permission includes:

• An extension should have a maximum length of 6m, if you reside in a terraced home or a semi-detached property.

• Extensions for detached properties can have a maximum length of 8m.

• The extension built must not go beyond half your garden’s area.

• The extension should have a maximum height of 4 metres, but in the event whereby the extension is situated within 2 metres of the boundary of your property, it should not exceed a height of 3 metres.

• The extension should not be higher than the highest part of the existing house’s roof.

How Much Do Roof Rooms Cost?

The price of your roof room may vary depending on your location within the country. Other factors that can also play a key role in determining the price of a roof room includes the conversion’s type as well as the legal and technical issues it’s currently facing. Usually, the cost of roof rooms will range between £1,200 to £2,000 per square metre. The differences in the price per square metre is influenced by the size of the alterations to the roof, the type of roof room to be constructed, the access, location as well as the finishing type.

• DORMER LOFT CONVERSION.

Here, one of the slopes of a pitched roof is substituted for a box-shaped structure. The outcome is a flat roof space which enables the fitting of full sized windows as well as the incorporation of several appliances. This is quite expensive as it involves a total rebuilding of one roof pitch alongside the complete internal works that are associated. The average cost of a standard dormer loft project will range between £25,000 to £50,000.

• HIP TO GABLE LOFT CONVERSION

Here a vertical brick wall is used to substitute the roof’s slope at the ending part of the terrace on detached buildings. The average cost of this type of roof room will range between £32,000 to £60,000.

• ROOFLIGHT LOFT CONVERSION

This basically involves fitting rooflight windows in the roof. Other improvements include flooring, plasterboarding, strengthening of the existing floor, as well as installation of rooflights. The average cost of this type of roof room will range between £15,000 to £25,000.

• MANSARD LOFT EXTENSION

This roof room can create an extra storey on top of an existing building as it makes a space featuring two or four external walls that are a bit sloped. The average cost of this type of roof room will range between £40,000 to £70,000.

With the title of this blog, do not be deceived into thinking the purpose is to encourage you to install an external insulation by yourself. Even as a competent DIYer, it’s not advisable to buy a couple of materials and start slapping it into the wall hoping for the best outcome. External insulation is by no means a DIY job and without the proper training and experience, it can easily turn out disastrous resulting in loss of time, effort and money in such a valuable project. This blog, however, will give you a great insight on how the installation process works and help maximize knowledge ensuring you do not spend more than necessary.

External Insulation Installation

lRender Test

• This is done to ensure the existing render is good enough for insulation support.

• If positive, the insulation can be applied directly onto it.

• If negative, ensure removal of the old render before fitting the insulation.

lPipework Adjustment & Removal

• Remove all pipework prior to insulation fitting

• Install temporary downpipes to ensure water is not wasted and everything continue to function normally during the insulation fitting process.

lWindow Protection

• Protect the window with a protective layer or film.

lStarter Track Fitting

• Determine level you want the insulation to start (height).

• Fit the aluminium start track or carrier tray at the identified level.

lInsulation Boards Fitting

• Apply a layer of adhesive to the board and glue them to the wall in a staggered pattern.

• Cut to fit round all obstructions and windows.

• File off the edge of the board where necessary using a rasp upon successful fitting of the boards

lMechanical Fixing Inclusion

• Hammer around 10 fixings per square metre into the board.

• This is to secure the insulation boards.

lBeading Fitting

• Add corner beads and stop beads to ensure the insulation is secure and to prevent it from making contact with other materials.

lReinforcing Mesh & Render Addition

• Apply two layers of strengthening properties and between the two layers of render, include a fibre glass mesh.

lPrimer Application

• Paint on the primer

lFinal Render Application

• Choose your most preferred texture and colour as this will be the last coating of the installation process.

lPipework Re-installation

• Re-install all detached pipework at the start of the installation process.

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.

External cladding will have an impact on a damp problem. However, it’s important that cladding is the last part of a damp treatment, as installing cladding over a damp wall will make the problem worse. Do not cut corners or try to remedy a problem with the cheapest solution, a damp proof course may need to be put in place before cladding.

Garage conversion is a great way to add extra usable space to your home without having to extend your property. A fun fact is that, in the UK if you have your car parked in the garage, you’re in the minority. According to a research carried out by Admiral Loans, just about 33 percent of home owners in the UK store their cars in the garage. For most people the garage is literally a dumping ground that’s never fully utilized as such. In recent times, the garage is now being used to store a variety of other stuffs asides a car which includes garden furniture, tools and appliances, utilities such as washing machine, fridge and freezer as well as food and groceries. These facts show that more and more people are underutilizing their garage when they may actually be in need of more usable space in their property. So why not put into consideration converting the garage into a new space that would be able to serve more purpose?

If you’ve decided to convert your garage, you’d probably want to know the how long the project will take. There are a wide range of factors that can determine the duration of a garage conversion project. These factors include:

• If the foundation needs reinforcing

• If the floors, walls, or roofs are in a bad condition.

• If the ceiling height needs some raising

• If the insulation required in newer builds.

All aforementioned factors will make the garage conversion project take longer than expected. However, in normal situations garage conversions are relatively quick to complete once you start the building works. A single-car conversion will usually take about 3 to 4 weeks to complete depending on the existing garage’s structure.