In this episode we finally, at long long last, start to build the main structure. There's lots of bricklaying with hints and tips in this video detailing how we do things and why we sometimes do things differently to other builders.
The original wall will cause a moisture bridge at the junction When both my conservatory and extension were done a slot was cut in the original brickwork to break the moisture bridge. Surely that is part of building regs.
Happy New Year! The commons (aka Flettons) are a pressed brick made of granular clay and as such are susceptible to frost, particularly when the face is damaged, this also goes for the LBC facing bricks - Dapple Lights, Tudors, Milton Buffs etc. In the past they were used as more economic facings as in your example. Originally, Fletton Commons from the inter-war years were a creamy coloured brick that was known for its hardness and frost resistance being close to a Class B engineering brick but that changed post-war. Its good to see that you are laying the LBCs frog up as they were intended although too many builders back in the day would lay them frog down ([permitted by LBC for low rise work) to save mortar. I was called in to propose a rectification spec for a 3 storey office block, built on a hill that p****d water in through the walls in torrential rain as the client's own property department had purchased the cheapest bricks (LBCs) and allowed them to be laid frog down to save money. Its also good to see that the abutment will be finished externally with a mastic joint because it will move as you say, and a crumbing mortar joint will look unsightly rather than being of structural/waterproofing concern. Where you have the gable adjacent to the neighbour's fence, I am not so sure that the vertical 'tanking' will do any good as water can enter the cavity lower down below the lower dpc. I have exactly this same condition on my 2 storey garage extension with the neighbour's ground level being above the normal external dpc level. This was resolved by incorporating a cavity tray to shed any incidental moisture within the insulated cavity towards the outside of the building and the brickwork below dpc was with Class B engineering bricks. It works and I have had no sign of any damp issues at all. As an aside, I found the cavity tray was built in the wrong way around that would have shed water into the building. The brickies insisted that the BI had told them to do it that way but when quizzed he sounded embarrassed and denied giving that instruction. Building Inspectors have no contractual involvement on the building and so cannot instruct any works at all unless there is a clear life threatening situation. Anything required by him should be passed to the person in charge of the contract, most good BI know this but some see themselves as boy scouts.
Morning Sonia, do you mean to the left of the door at the bottom? I built the engineering bricks higher to give better protection to that side of the house. Hope that helps. Have a great day.
A great channel and thank you for the time and effort to post. I love your attention to detail and desire to get it right. Working in conditions akin to the Somme I admire all of you guys working in less than desirable conditions. Hurry up and get the roof on as maybe that will be the turning point when the weather changes for the better 🌞 Happy New Year to you and the team. Regards Mike
Thank you MOAZE, that's great to hear, thank you. You're right about the roof, as soon as it's on it'll be 25⁰C!!! Happy new year to you and yours. All the best.
Not sure youve got your technique right for fitting the cavity insulation! Lifting both leaves then stuffing the insulation down the gap risks the insulation rolling up as its pushed down and then not joining up with the batt below it leaving thermal holes . It also leaves snots on top of the batt below risking damp/thermal bridging. Check out the BBA cert for the insulation and it'll likely say raise one leaf, fit insulation, raise second leaf. Where youve joined to the existing house and not cut out the brick to separate the new inner and outer leaves, ends up with a massive thermal bridge. Youve got 4" of solid brick where there should be 4" insulation- you wouldn't close the cavity round a door or window with solid brick, would you.
Hello Paul, hope you're well. There's nothing wrong in the slightest regarding the installation of the insulation. It's not "stuffed" down the cavity, it's applied with care and to maintain the practical efficiency of the building process. There isn't an application method that exists that aid the build up of snots that cause thermal bridging, poorly maintained cavities are the sole cause of that, and that isn't an issue here. In regards to creating a continuous cavity.... good lord! Many people may have been told that that's what needs to be done, but no one can explain how the benefits trump the structural damage you need to make in order to do so. It's a complete nonsense that thankfully isn't enforced by the building inspectors round these parts. Appreciate the comment and you watching mate, all the best.
@@mrabuilders6723 Theres no extra work involved in following the manufacturers insulation install process but it virtually eliminates the chance of edges/corners getting rolled up when the batt is pushed into a completed cavity. Following the directions on the BBA cert is best practice and ensures the best quality. The presence of snots(blobs of mortar) is wholly down to the construction, nowt to do with maintenance. Working above an open cavity is a sure fire way to get snots on top of the insulation at the bottom of the open cavity.
Sorry but you’re talking BS regarding the vertical dpc . Should absolutely have one cut in . I have seen damp track along the old brickwork when this hasn’t been done. It’s less likely to happen on a fairly sheltered wall but when it’s exposed to driving rain the brickwork can get soaking and it tracks along easy .
Hello Lee, hope you're well. No need to apologise, we're all entitled to our opinions. I see you've also replied to another comment in this feed regarding the same issue. Before we get into it, when you fit yours, what size cutter do you use?
Hi mate. Again I will apologise because my reply comes across a little arrogant and it wasn’t meant to be . I am genuinely just surprised because you look like you do a really good job and then can’t get your head around the requirement of the vertical dpc . If you think about it, it’s no different to a window reveal, and you wouldn’t not put a dpc or break that with a cavity closer would you?! :) We use a standard size diamond blade in the stihl saw. Slot the dpc in and then hold it in with a low modulus silicone bead. As said on the other reply , it’s take 10 mins extra on top of fixing the wall starters. Makes no sense not to do it imo mate . Also, we stopped using that full full cavity insulation too a few years ago . We had a period where we got about 2 weeks of persistent driving rain, and even though it’s impregnated with a water proofer it only stops ‘damp’ and not water. The rain was soaking the brickwork on exposed walls and soaking the insulation in the process. Damp patches inside. It was happening all over our area , building inspector had been to loads of jobs with issues with it ! We now only use 50mm Pir now. Well , we do until we do a job with the new regs requiring 100mm PIR in the cavity ! Ridiculous! Long winded reply that one 😂
I live in Durham (NE England), Building Control here insist on a vertical damp to restrict damp penetration. Like you, I don't see the point, but they always whinge at you anyway. Love the videos. HNY
Ah that's interesting, I was wondering what part of the country make you do it! You've got to do what you've got to do haven't you. Happy new year mate, take care.
The purpose of the vertical d.p.c against the existing building is to bring it up 1 metre above, F.F.L. It stops rising damp from the existing building crossing into the new build. I see in the Midlands a lot of houses built out of flettons/ commons , i thought if used externally you woul have to render them to stop the ingress of water.
How much length does ur labourer get in the thunder box it’s usually 6inch but he’s limping maybe try him on a whs or smaller he obviously can’t take the full 12inch it’s giving him sores an he may tell mommy
A nice video and some good work, I find it interesting how the building regulations vary around the Country, I built a 40sq m extension to my bungalow a couple of years ago and the council here on the Isle of Wight insisted on vertical DPCs which was a pain to be honest. Also I still had to have a 50 mm cavity as well as the 50mm insulation I wasn't allowed to fill the cavity.
Hello Michael, thank you for your comment. It's strange isn't it. I didn't realise just how much they differ up and down the country until we started this channel and people started commenting on what have to do and we don't, or vice versa. All the best for the new year mate, take care.
How is cutting a dpc in a right pain ? While you’re fixing the wall starters in you cut the channel with a Stihl saw and slot the dpc in . Takes about ten minutes
@@leer798 I still think it;s a pain to do, I have never managed to cut right through a full story of brickwork in ten minutes, however I have always done it as it is a council requirement in most areas.
Common practice to cut out same width of cavity and feed insulation in to stop cold spots and moisture penetration . I have been building for 48 years now retired.
You may not think this to be A good idea but when I labourd for my m8 we put up a long marquee tent so when it raind we wouldn't be held up waiting for it to stop 2 it protects the bricks you've layed from the rain a frost's
I'm hearing you, Barry! I've done it once and half way through its first day a gust or wind kindly relocated it three doors down! I said it then and I'll say it again now...never again! Haha!
Hello dominic, hope you're well. The cavity regs haven't changed but the amount of insulation that you have to use has, meaning that you need to put more in and that's across the board, i.e the floor and roof too. The easiest way to do this regarding the cavity is to make it bigger and put all the insulation needed in it. You could keep the 100mm cavity and add the extra insulation to the face of the internal wall, cladding it basically, but I can't see many builders taking that route. Hope that helps?
Is a vertical cut in the wall with damp course stuck in it between the starter packs not to stop damp travelling across the wall as the outside wall in the new build is now a inside wall
i seen another youtuber saying you shouldnt build an external skin out of block unless its going to be rendered or cladded because blocks are not waterproof. whats your opinion on it. i thought solid blocks are more waterproof than a brick? is there actually any issues?
Thank you John! It's a great little milestone to get to, even if at the end of the day it doesn't really mean anything! Also, thank you for watching our videos, we really appreciate it. All the best mate.
All the best guys. Been waiting for the next episode..Now I know how you tie them into the wall as discussed the other week. That's changed compared to what I remember? ...It's a bit warmer as well.. I bet your client happy to see you back? :
Happy new year. I must say the music / song had me reaching for the razor blades the singing sounded like a depressed brummie. 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 Sorry it had to be done.
Haha! Sorry Bill! It's one of the few tunes that we know we can use and not get pulled on it by RU-vid! We'll do better next time! What sort of music do you like?
On the topic of bricks, I love those ones in the garden wall behind you at 1:20. Nice and smooth but lots of depth and character. Some similar ones round here.
When I built my extension building control made me cut a full channel up the existing house to form a continuous cavity! It was a complete pain in the backside but sometimes you have to do what they want.
Hello Simon, yes mate you have to do what you've got to do. If the building inspector makes us do it then of course we'll do it, luckily though they don't!
Absolutely. There absolutely must be a moisture break. It is done around windows so why not there. Both my extension and conservatory had continuous cavities. Surely it is part of building regs?
Nice work mate. Always a debate about the pros/cons on cutting out the cavity. I believe it is necessary and there is no denying when it is not done there is a definite cold bridge. A simple question I'd ask is; if you were building the entire house from scratch would you continue that cavity? Of course you would and that answers it for me! Anyway happy NY mate, looking forward to more videos!
Hello Tiktok, hope you're well mate. I can't argue with the statement that if you were building it from scratch you'd have a cavity, but the corners would be properly bonded and structurally sound. Hoofing a 100mm channel 3000mm+ out of a corner of a house, both sides, doesn't sit right with me. As for the cold bridge... really??? It's that much of a problem that it deems this imperative? I'm not too sure. Saying that though, if I had to do it of course I would but thankfully we don't...yet...
Building control down in the south are anal about it And to be fair its good practice forms a break To be honest i wouldnt do it without but your job you have your own methods
Hello David, we could debate for hours on the vertical damp issue and I still wouldn't be convinced! The structural damage to the house for the benefit of nothing is something I'll never understand. But saying that me not putting on in isn't my method, it's just that thankfully the building inspectors here don't require it, if they did of course I'll put one on because at the end of the day they are in charge.
@@mrabuilders6723 I like the way you explain the finer points of the job. It educates people like me( will never do it myself but have studied building and bricklaying via youtube since the pandemic started and couldn't play golf 😂)
Always looks good when you're finally out of ground and the walls are flying up. Got to wholeheartedly agree LBC bricks are sh*te! You nailed it with cost, banana bricks and more broke than you can shake a big stick at, a pallet of 390 might only have 300 decent in it. I tend to use the best of the sh*te for 1/2s and cuts. Well done, keep the videos going and Happy New Year.
Happy new year, great vids... I enjoy a challenge.. vertical damp! If driving rain soaks the face brick in the corner on original house brickwork to say half way through the brick, the warmth on the inside of the new extension will draw the moisture water through. Once this capillary action starts it is impossible to stop without major works.
Cheers Deano, happy new year to you too. I get the theory...sort of... although why you'd do it to a house that isn't prone to prevailing rain is beyond me, I've seen this been done on a mid terrace! Then there's the huge damage to the strength of the corner that's just been caused. Madness I say, MADNESS!!! Haha! Take care mate.
Only time I'll do it is if I'm bolting a timber wall or post to a brick wall. Feel like if the brick holds any water it could stop the timber from drying out properly.
At the 8:00 mark, there are two reasons why you must either fit a vertical DPC or cut the full cavity. The exterior wall around that door is now an interior wall, an interior is only connected to an exterior wall by wall ties. So firstly, cutting the cavity stops cold bridging which is part of the building regs. Secondly, you maintain the cavity to stop damp tracking across onto the inner leaf.
Hello , hope you're well. There is no "must" around these parts mate, the building inspectors don't ask for it because of the damage that it causes to the building and the absolute nothing positive that it brings. Needless to say if they ask for it then I'll do it but until that silliness reaches us, we're not doing it.
@@mrabuilders6723 I have a 14" stone saw so it cuts fully through the brick so I get a hassle free cut out. When you do your City & Guilds in bricklaying, it's all about clear cavities. I always cut to maintain the full cavity, even 3 course below dpc. You would probably get pulled in Cumbria by Building Control. Top of cavity, used to be closed off by sitting bricks on the top, then because of cold bridging, changed to kingspan. Then because of Grenfell, has to be closed off with loft insulation as kingspan in combustible and the loft insulation stops the chimney effect within the cavity. Building Control in Cumbria can get quite anal, but rightly so in a way.
Yeah mines 14" too (if you pardon the expression) which as you say goes' straight through...if that cut is the corner of the original building which in most cases, like this one, it is then the structural damage that you've just caused is quite significant. All the strength that that corner creates has just been completely undone. That's the reason it's not a requirement here.
@@mrabuilders6723 The corner is fine for strength because it's got a return of a couple of bricks. If the single storey extension had been built at the same time as the house, it would have been built with a cavity. If it had been full height extension, we take the outer leaf off so it's not within the house. Either way, it needed a vertical dpc as a minimum.
Very true, if the extension was built at the same time as the house then the cavity would be throughout...and the walls therefore would be fully bonded together, which is a huge, huge difference. Not knowing that cutting vertically up a corner weakens it is an issue. Thinking that a set of wall starters along the cut replaces that strength is a bigger issue. It's a fundamental misunderstanding of what bonded brickwork does and how it works.
Where is the vertical dpc in cavity. Building control wouldn't except that in my area. The structural issues caused by cutting brickwork is countered by the stainless steel fixings creating corner/butress
Wouldn't that be something! It wouldn't change us though!!! Haha!! Happy new year mate, thank you for sticking with us from the very start, we really really appreciate it.
I was doing some work with NHL lime mortar a few months ago, felt strange because you're not supposed to point it with tools at all. Supposedly it can seal the surface and prevent it from breathing properly. Have to scrape it flush, let it go off a bit and then tap it with the bristles of a brush until you can see the stones in the mix.
Happy new year to you too mate. In my experience they all vary so it is what it is. My only advice is to get all of whatever brick you choose from the same place at the same time but even then you're in the lap of the Gods! Sorry that I couldn't have been more help!
Hello Richard, hope you're well. It just goes to show just how much goes into a project in order to give the customer what they want. There's just so much to it and that's one of the purposes of our videos, to show everyone everything that needs to be done. Hope you're enjoying them, thank you for watching.
Just stumbled across your channel. I'm not a builder just keen diy'er. Love how informative you are and how you find time to reply to most people's comments. If you're ever in Telford/Shropshire let me know I'd love to come watch and learn in person.
Morning Jim, hope you're well mate. Really glad that you're enjoying the videos, hopefully that'll continue! We work all over so when we're up your way I'll give you a shout! Thanks again mate, take care.
happy new year guys, so you went for fletton or common and not the brick you stated earlier? Bag rub joints, air vents on opposite side are too low if cave in??
Hello Scott, happy new year mate. The brick choice is all explained in the video. One of the vents may be in the firing line but that'll be a maintenance issue for the customer. The others on that run are protected by next doors building, there's nothing to collapse there.
Thank you TozBeats. We used to do it like that on site and when I moved into private work the building inspector told me not to! So now I do it like I shown in the video. Appreciate you watching and commenting mate.
That's great to hear G B and thank you for your sub too! If there's anything that you'd like to see or know just let us know. Thanks again, happy new year!
Hello Ashley, if it was a solid floor then there wouldn't have been any air bricks. Also I would have used the same damp the same way if it would've have been a solid floor.
Something I got pulled up some time ago by BC and we had to take it down, standard 7.2 concrete blocks are not fit for purpose and must be rendered.When I checked manufacturers spec he was correct. Face blocks are a different animal, special order and weigh a ton is what should be used might as well use engineerings, hopefully your inspector won't be so attentive 👍
Hello Andy, happy new year mate. Hope you're having a great holiday, it looks ace. Hopefully that kind of building inspector is about as rare as a smoker in Costa Rica!!! The building control company that we use have never pulled us on it before and I've got to be honest I've never done it any other way but it's definitely food for thought for the future. Thank you as always mate, take care.
Morning Dale, happy new year to you too. I used to do cavity trays on site but since I left site and started private work the building inspector told me to just do it the way that's shown in the video.
Been loving the videos mate. Not a builder but you’ve given me a lot of tips on getting this sort of work done in future - hoping to find a firm like yours!
Happy new year to you too Nigel. Glad you like the videos, you've watched nearly all of them haven't you?! Thank you for that! I understand that people have to do this vertical damp but I'm glad we don't have to, for the time being anyway!
@@mrabuilders6723 i dont lay im afraid, im a mechanical engineer but ive had work done in the past and it was explained to me that way, frogs down mass production but frogs up for critical and structural areas.
Frog up is the way it should be done, there's no argument. However, for reasons that you've just explained when I was an apprentice on site it was always frog down! Whole housing estates built like it!
@@mrabuilders6723 I agree frogs up every time. Dont agree that the vertical damp on the hedge side is over engineered though. You need some form of protection there.
Hello Katie and John, hope you're well. No I haven't as yet, although now that the regs have changed our next job will be 150mm cavities. Not that the process is any different in any significant way. The only loser is the customer, everything is more expensive and the space that's created is smaller.
@@mrabuilders6723 Hi, great channel, been following for a few months now. I am not in the trade but having an extension later in the year and have been following numerous builders channels to understand better. Is there an alternate way to achieve the same 'U' value that the new regs are striving for but with maintaining a 100mm cavity?. When I was chatting with an architect they suggested that there was an alternate, but I didn't get the detail. As you say, sounds like thew new way takes longer and reduces space. Thanks
Hello, hope you're well. Appreciate you watching our videos. The 100mm cavity hasn't gone, the amount of insulation has increased and you can implement that one of two ways...a bigger cavity and the insulation fills it, or keep the 100mm cavity and insulate the internal wall. The wall thickness is the same both ways. I think that I'll be advising that customers go down the 150mm cavity route but each job will need be to be assessed individually.
@@mrabuilders6723 Thanks for the swift reply, makes sense. For the customer their wall thickness is therefore the same either way, but will come down to builders preference. I have noted my architects plans have gone with the 150mm cavity route. Thanks again.
Happy New Year! Absolutely love your content, well edited, informative easy to watch, and feel your pain when things go against you, you managed to prevail. Keep posting my friend ! 🎉
To be totally honest with you, Tanzania, it's comments like yours that make it all worth while, I mean that! Thank you so much! All the best for the new year.
@@mrabuilders6723 I’m 70 this year retired conrtact plumber and domestic work mainly in the latter year, your work ethic is second to none if you didn’t live so far away, you’d be my first choice for my new garden room extension, stay safe and for decks sake don’t ever change.. your gem in this fecked up world. Total respect. 🍺🍺🍺
Yes i really like the clear info and descriptions. As a Yorkshire stonemason who does a bit of block and brickwork, I don't always find brickie jargon that easy to follow.
Hello Jon, hope you're well. I'm glad that you find what we do easy to follow, I get so tongue tied sometimes I wonder if anyone would be able to make any sense of it! Appreciate the comment mate, take care.
Great video, bringing back memories. How I missed those times, Its not about bodging, rather in the trade you come across a lot of anomalies during the working life of a brickie, the skill is how to get over them! Good video keep them coming.
Hello Keith, hope you're well. I've got to get properly clued up on them as I haven't done one as of yet but my basic understanding is that the new regs are all about more insulation rather than the size of the cavity. From now on you'll need 150mm insulation overall and not 100mm. I believe that you can choose to have either a 150mm mass filled cavity or 100mm and an insulated plasterboard, depending on which method suits the project that you're on. Don't quote me on that but as it stands that's my understanding of the insulating of the cavities. Take care mate.
Not a fan of that cavity insulation which i believe is not allowed in the new regs . There is no air gap , the sun will cook the outer skin heating the insulation heating the inner skin , too warm in summer .
@@mrabuilders6723 first hand experience of it on our 2 story extension . The gable end faces south , in summer the external wall heats the internal skin .
Some very useful info explained and included here. Thanks for that. Just a bit curious about the 'underground' wall next to the neighbours. You used an internal DPC on the outside wall in case any soil or whatever fell against your new brickwork, but the air bricks were below it. Would those outside problems just fill up your ventilation bricks?
Hello Peefor, thank you for your comment. One of the air brick may be in the firing line but that's a maintenance issue for the home owner so it's very important that the customer knows that. The other two air bricks are between the two buildings so they can't be covered as there's nothing there to fall on them. Hope that helps?
Haha! Cheers man. To be honest they are some of the best I've used when it comes to how tight the tie fits in the runner so I'd recommend them. Have a great day pal.
