Q&As

I have a plot in my garden of around 25ft² on which I would like to build an office with a dormer bedroom/playroom above. I have the relevant engineering background and some building experience but am looking for a design plan without having to commission an architect

Is it true that you can only get planning permission once you have a design or is there also a general permission that can be given, leaving the details of what the house will look like to be decided later?

I recently submitted plans for Building Regulations approval for a two-storey extension to a house that has a lower basement – in other words, a floor below the ground floor. Building Control told me that the foundations for the return walls to the extension that are at right angles to the basement wall should go […]

I’m in desperate need of some advice about my radiators. They are perfectly warm at the top, but at the bottom they’re freezing cold, even after hours of having my central heating on. I first thought that they needed bleeding, but this didn’t help whatsoever. Can you please tell me what could be wrong with […]

I am a skilled joiner but have never tackled a full roof on my own. My new project will need roofing next month when the bricky will be up to wall plate, and I am trying to find some advice. I don’t want to put in a trussed system as I would like to put […]

I am building an extension to accommodate a small gym/dance studio so that my partner can teach students at home, and I need to make foundations for the bar and beam apparatus. Is there an alternative to concrete (apart from ramming ballast or sand) that is safe and long-lasting?

Which underfloor heating system, dry or wet, is the most economical to run? I am looking at fitting one for a 40m² kitchen/dining room with floorboards. The boiler has just been fitted and it is a Baxi HE type.

What are SIPs and where can I find out more on them as a construction alternative to timberframe building?