I have some building experience – was suspicious of Damp Proof Courses from a structural viewpoint, but I’d like to be sure if this is the case. I’ve has some experience with building work in the past and have heard about various issues with using DPC’s. I know they are typically just black plastic sheets between brick/stonework a few courses up from the foundation, to stop the damp rising from the ground up, but I don’t know how much of a problem this really is. I’ve been told about they can cause a wall that is in construction to be knocked over with a small bump. It worries me that the wall integrity is affected by these sheets. It worries me how easy they can cause a wall to be shifted – I don’t want to use them if they are an additional risk. Does anyone know any more about whether DPC’s compromise the integrity of the walls? Have you had any issues that they have caused? Are they worthwhile for the sake of just avoiding damp?

Hello, Due to some major renovation work we have planned for our home, we will need a waste removal service to get rid of the junk being cleared out. We would ideally like to hire a skip for the waste with removal service after the renovation is finished. Does anyone have any estimates of the costs for hiring a waste removal service? Do most waste removal companies provide skips as part of the service? Are there any other costs involved?

Hi I am looking at buying a house but it has some rising damp, it is a small 3 bedroom terraced house, what is a rough guide price for the to be fixed please thank you

How do I know if my old garage roof is asbestos? It needs to come down but im worried that it might be asbestos. Should I be wearing protective clothing or should I just get a specialist company in?

Hi, I’m considering investing in solar panels but I want to know what the benefit of Solar panels is and what do they power in the house?

Is it a structural engineer that I need to tell me whether a wall has been removed correctly?

We live in an old pair of cottages divided by a brick wall and plasterboard both sides. We can literally hear each other (neighbours) through the wall. It seems to me like there is a gap between brick and the plasterboard (hollow when knocking) and I'm just wondering if that's not making the sound louder. We are expecting a baby and we wanted to soundproof the wall. I wondered if some soundproofing wool and plaster could do the job (not 100% but at least not to wake them each time baby makes a sound). Also, would we have to remove the existing plaster and fill in the cavity with wool (between existing plasterboard and brickwall) and cover with plaster or would it be ok just to cover existing plasterwall with wool then plaster adding few centimetres? I would be grateful for your advice.

We recently moved into a house with a cooker hood extractor in place, connected to electrics but was just for show. There is no ducting in place, and the hood is on an external wall. How much approximately would this cost to get done so the extractor hood is in full working order please? TIA

Can a lift be fitted in any home? My elderly parents are keen to get one fitted instead of a stairlift, but are there any issues or limitations we should be aware of? The cost isn't a concern.

Hi, we're looking to purchase a semi-detached 3 bedroom house but the building survey pointed out there's ongoing penetrating dampness was noted in the two rear chimney breast. Some of the neighbouring properties have damp stains in the same position on the external walls, which indicates a design flaw that will need intrusive investigations of the roofs. Surveyor also suggested it may be necessary to remove all chimney breasts. How much does it cost for the damp proofing work above and turnaround time? Many thanks