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That was building sand. Sharp sand will also make mortar but you don’t use it to lay bricks

You’re welcome! If there’s a video you’d like me to cover let me know and I’ll do my best to film it.

Thanks Ian! You don’t get many single brick properties. Yes, single skin but these are often 9 inch thick. In terms of repairs It all depends on the extent of repair needed. Chopping out a few bricks is more than fine if they’ve have blown faces. Equally repointing the wall if the mortar is crumbling is also possible. What state is your wall in?

@@BerkleyBuilds Some of the bricks facing has cracked / fallen away and I don't want to remove the single bricks as this may mean I have to replaster. How about a video on repairing bricks where the facing is shot?

@@ianw2955 sadly that type of video isn’t one I’m in a position to film currently as I don’t have a wall with blown bricks that I could film. However, if you don’t want to chop out a brick completely because of the fear of damaging plaster inside, then I would suggest an alternative solutions. Provided it’s only a few bricks you could create some brick slips to replace the face of the brick only, while keeping the back of the brick in one piece.

Of course you use an angle grinder to take out mortar joints. It’s not the Stone Age anymore, put your hammer and chisel down, let me teach you the ways of the Jedi 🤣

I’d suggest 4:1. Depending on how old the property is you might need to use a lime mortar. Check out my repointing video if you need some tips. All the best with repointing your garage.

You shouldn’t need to dismantle the hatch. I suggest getting into the loft space and shutting the hatch, this should allow you to repair the hinge in its closed position when tension is not on it.

Thank you so much for your reply, it is very much appreciated. We will have to manipulate it a little to close the hatch as it is slightly off alignment with the loose bolt but could prop it from the bottom and hopefully be ok.

Thanks I appreciate it. Great question! It depends what tree it is and the ground conditions. If it’s one of the 5 worst (eucalyptus Hawthorn, Leylandi, Poplar, Oak) then the inspector might take it into consideration but every situation is different and can only be judged on site with all the facts. I hope this helped

I’m pleased you felt confident after watching the video. Yes, the small patch I did was purely for demonstration purposes. I would normally rake out the whole area I wanted to repoint and clean down, I would then work in 1m square sections starting from the highest bit and working down. I recommend you work in a smaller area you feel comfortable with. All the best with repointing 👍🏻

@@BerkleyBuilds Thank you, I will be following your channel from now on. x

Thanks Rachel, pleased you found it helpful. To trim up the timber at 2:11 I used some 5x100 screws and an impact driver to get them in.

Sadly i don’t sorry, I haven’t needed to do any rendering yet. It’s definitely something a novice can do for sure! All the best with patching your render, any questions drop a comment 👍🏻

That sounds like a great project. You may need to use a lime mortar opposed to a cement based mortar, best to double check before you start. All the best with repointing the chimney

A great question! However, one that I can’t directly answer from the information you’ve given me. Google isn’t wrong as those ratios are used but for different things. 3:1 is often used in foundations, where as 4:1 is used for external skins and and 5:1 used for internal walls. With all that said I don’t know the age of your property and that affects the answer because you may need to use a lime mortar if it’s an older property. You shouldn’t use a cement based mortar when the original is lime because the cement stops the property breathing. I would suggest a 4:1 sand:cement (do some small trial mixes if you want to colour match) and if it’s lime 4:1 sand:lime. Hope that’s helpful

Thanks yes thats helps. Its a 60s built house, no lime. Im going to point the whole front side so think ill go with 4-1.

@@TheSirbrown Sounds like a plan! I forgot to mention about additives, there are a number on the market. I like the liquid ones as you can add it to your water to get the best result. Liquid mortar plasticisers can be found at any builders merchant, Screwfix or Toolstation. All the best with repointing

That’s a great compliment, I’ll take that! Pleased you enjoyed the video 😀

I’m glad you found it helpful 👍🏻

Hi. Mortar guns are good but I find you need the mortar at the right consistency so it flows out the gun and for beginners that’s hard to do. I don’t show a mortar gun in this video as I was demonstrating technique. I’ve made a video on how to mix mortar, you can find it in the pinned comment or follow this link th-cam.com/video/wfWfidb27xM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=u4knpeCixegEb4jM

Thanks, I’m pleased it was helpful for you. All the best as you do up your terraced cottage. Any questions I’ll be happy to help

A good question but one which an answers is specific to each job. Price can depend on geographical location, access/scaffold, area m2, joint finish to name a few variables. It certainly can be fiddly to do 15ft in the air if it’s something you haven’t done before. I suggest you get 3 or 4 quotes, disregard the cheapest and most expensive then choose between the middle two quotes

Sadly I don’t have a video on this yet as I haven’t tackled my garden but you can use either really. In the past I’ve often used a mortar mix which combines sharp sand and building sand. Ratios can be made to suit your needs. Equally if you have ballast to hand then a concrete mix is just as good.

@@BerkleyBuilds Thank you 😊

Hi Sam, thanks for sharing your experience, sounds like a lot going on and very stressful. My suggestion is chase up with enforcement and make a second complaint so they act.

Thanks! Sure, I’ll script it and schedule it for April 👍🏻

A great question! Colour of the sand and dyes are the variables for changing the colour. If you are trying to colour match to existing mortar then experiment with small mixes. Let them dry for a week to show its final colour.

Thanks! If you have a few loose bricks you can take a plugging chisel and chop out the mortar around the brick so you can take it out and either replace it or re-lay the brick. If there are a lot of bricks that are loose which are all in the same area, then get a builder in to assess It.

@@BerkleyBuilds many thanks for the swift response I will see if this is doable, if not admit failure and seek expert advice 😁

@@andymjflemming you’re welcome. Have another look at it, if you have any questions let me know, I can talk you through it.

Good video, I'll point my patio slabs and about six foot of three course brickwork following this.👍

Great to hear you’re a new subscriber! Your trench should be below the bottom of your existing foundations, minimum 650mm wide and a depth of 1m deep however, depending on impact of trees, ground conditions or drainage invert levels this could be deeper. I suggest a fill of 500mm of concrete, guys often put more in as it’s easier just to fill the trench than it is to have the bricky lay trench blocks. Fill the trench so the top of the concrete works gauge for your brickwork to run through level.

@@BerkleyBuildsbro, my villege near border of afghanistan and pakistan we build houses from clay mud but i want to build my double storyv new house with concrete solid blocks load bearing type which will be without any column and beam for that i ask your advise to how i can make trench filling foundation till ground level and after that i will use concrete blocks up to roof level. thank you so much for your quick reply.sorry for my broken and weak english

@@yousafkhan7622 without knowing local regulations in your area and additional factors it’s hard to comment on depth, width and how much concrete fill to use. My suggestion would be to speak with a local builder who will be able to give you specific advice for your region. I wish you all the best with your build. If you have any future questions I’d be happy to help

I’m glad you found the video helpful. Tip - When pointing brick floors do a mix as you normally would but add water slowly, you don’t want much. The mortar wants to be stiff with just enough water to hold it together. That way you can push the mortar around making minimal mess and any mess that is made can be wiped away or cleaned with brick cleaner later.

That’s be a nice easy dig. I’m saying each site is different as they all have varying factors and certain ground types are better in different situations. For example, sand is good if you have trees close by because sand isn’t affected by trees in the same way clay is and heave doesn’t occur in sand.

I found it on Google images

@@BerkleyBuilds amazing thanks

Sure! What’s your question?

Hi Sebastian, 4 sand : 1 cement is a standard mix, you could always go for a 5:1 if you wanted a slightly weaker mix as there’s still nothing wrong with 5:1. I suggest doing a few small test mixes and letting them dry so you can match the colour to your existing mortar. If you have bricks that have blown, it’s best to change these before you repoint the wall.

@@BerkleyBuilds Amazing info! Thank you! The colour of the mortar will depend on how much sand is added? I've been told my original mortar is limestone, it's creamy light colour, not grey.

@@sebastians_ colour is determined by the mix ratio and the colour of the sand. With your 100yr old property you won’t use cement but will replace it with lime instead. Lime is the binding agent and also helps the wall to breath

If the builder has chosen the beam then there most likely won’t be any structural calculations, these are essentially the maths and the workings out to demonstrate and justify how the beam size was figured out. The calculations take into account many factors including all loadings imposed on the beam and the potential deflection, which is how much the beam will bend under weight.

@@BerkleyBuildscould the builder ask a family member or friend (who’s a structural engineer) to calculate which beam is required? Then would that be fine?

@@sidj3018 that’s ok but that family member or family friend would still need to provide the structural calculations. Additionally, if the family member or friend is not a chartered engineer then building control may get the calcs checked by a third party and may not accept them

@@BerkleyBuilds okay thank you for explaining that. Also do building control need to see a professional structural drawing aswell from a licensed company to be able to accept the beam sizes and what not for let’s say a simple residential extension. Or would the calcs be enough?

I’m only asking this because I have a friend who’s a structural engineer and his family members always asking him to do the structural engineering for their residential extension (for free) and he struggles to say no. He’s only a graduate engineer. But yeah he was wondering if there’s a way he can convince them through factors like this where he can give an excuse to not carry it out for them. So is there any reasons you could give where building control or whatever may not accept the design by him and therefore get his family off his back?

Hi Philip. It’s not cost effective enough to use PIR than loft roll. Is the loft space a cold void or is it a habitable room?

​@@BerkleyBuilds thanks for the reply. After doing the maths I would agree with you. What's the best system for boarding out the loft with squash loft rool please? 😊

Using pir was around £700 more. 😂

@@philipsawyers719 if you want to board your loft and have loft insulation already down, your boards must not squash the insulation else it loses its thermal efficiency. Ensure your boards are raised about the insulation by either having the boards rest on stilts or fit larger joists along side the existing.

Great question! I did it with a lot of measuring. I first measured the distance I wanted it away from the doors. Using this as a reference I was able to measure and mark the rectangle. To make sure it was square I measured opposite corners, when square they should be the measurement. I used 6x2 timbers and hangers to suit.

@@BerkleyBuilds Thanks. Also I presume packers are required as the loft hatch timber frame would seldom be a perfect fit for the loft ladders? How did you go about making sure the timber frame on the loft ladders was level? Please could you send a link to the hangers you used.

@@user-jy2su1er7b yeah, to get the perfect fit you’ll need to use some packers but the timbers you use for the ‘trimmers’ can be custom fit so you may not need packers. I used these hangers - www.screwfix.com/p/simpson-strong-tie-timber-to-timber-joist-hangers-47mm-x-248mm-10-pack/37986

You must leave a minimum air gap of 25mm above the Celotex. I suggest attaching any additional Celotex that is required to the underside of the rafter, counter batten, then plasterboard.

Sorry I meant in the cavity

@@dominictinsley2565 I assume your cavity is only 100mm? The latest regs call for 150mm cavity, it’s possible to do a 100mm but you’d lose space internally due to needing additional insulated backed plasterboard. You can have a fully filled cavity, double check manufacturers spec/detail for best installation practices to prevent any moisture build up.

Thanks James! Glad you found it helpful

How much headroom do you have to play with? 175mm celotex is the minimum you need however, some of that could potentially go between the rafters. I would probably suggest doing two applications of multi foil and counter batten, this should give you the lowest profile.

Thanks for the quick response. I was intending to avoid film due to its ability to block radio waves. I am going to insulate between rafters (leaving 50mm gap) but didn’t want to go further as this is an existing build. I’ll know more in a couple of weeks when I have the keys, so I’m sure I’ll be back in touch. Thanks again

@@mickelmcc I’m intrigued, why do you care that it blocks radio waves, are you a radio amateur? Look forward to hearing from you when you have the keys. If you need more specific advice or support during your project, i run a company called ProjectWise which specialises in supporting self-builders and homeowners throughout their build. Check out how we can support you at beprojectwise.co.uk

Radon is a naturally forming gas, formed from decaying uranium. Radon gas is colourless, odourless and tasteless. A radon membrane prevents the gas seeping up out the ground and into a house. Long exposure to radon can cause cancer.

A self-build sounds like an awesome project, I wish you all the best! ProjectWise specialises in supporting self-builders throughout their build with everything from technical building regulation advice and logistics through to air testing and interior design to name a few. If you come across an issue we’re here to help you find a solution! Visit beprojectwise.co.uk to learn how we can support you.

@@BerkleyBuilds perfect! I just submitted a query on the site.

@@davidflavin I’ve replied, check your inbox.

Celotex will be too expensive, loft roll will be the cheaper option and achieve the same result. You’ll want two layers with the second layer at 90 degrees to the first as you described. 170mm per layer will be a good improvement.

​@@BerkleyBuilds thanks, what about the insulation in the wall. 2 layers of Loft insulation with netting to keep in place a good option, and I take it I need to keep this clear of the wall sockets?

@@graemestruthers4991take the loft roll all the way up to the eaves leaving a 50mm air gap to the felt and you won’t have to insulate the stud wall in the loft.

My room is like that shown in the image at 2.04in the video, so I need to insulate between the joists behind the wall, but also need it insulated the wall - there is no insulation there either.... I am also considering removing the plasterboard from the main wall behind where the cladding is to insulate there and reboard it, as there is no insulation between the boarding behind the cladding, and the plasterboard of the room... It's no wonder that room gets so cold!!