How-To & DIY
221 sources in the library on how-to & diy. Each one says what the document covers and what it is good for. Name a source to see which document it is and where to read it. One at a time. Page 5 of 6.
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NIE Networks
Splits an electricity alteration in Northern Ireland into jobs NIE Networks does and jobs the customer's own electrician must do. NIE Networks moves poles, stays, mini-pillar cabinets, manhole chambers, and underground or overhead cables, and relocates the meter itself. The customer or their electrician must install the new cubicle, the backboard, the incoming hockey stick duct, and the meter tails into the premises. NIE Networks will not replace a meter backboard or a meter box (cubicle): the electrician does that, and NIE Networks temporarily turns off the power to allow it, which is built into the design so a separate temporary disconnection application is not needed. Process: apply online with a registered account, then a quotation pack sets out costs and responsibilities, and the customer has 90 days to accept, sign the offer documents and pay. Customer-side preparation such as trench excavation or installing the new meter box must be finished first, and if the site is not ready the start date is delayed.
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Northern Gas Networks
The three reconnection options after a meter move, which decide whether you also need to book your own Gas Safe engineer. Full reconnection: NGN disconnects the meter, moves it and reconnects internal pipework and appliances, available only where no more than 2 metres of internal (copper outlet) pipework is required, and a representative may visit first to confirm. Partial reconnection: NGN moves the meter but does not reconnect internal pipework, which applies where more than 2 metres of internal pipework is needed, and the customer must arrange a Gas Safe registered engineer. No reconnection: NGN moves neither meter nor connections, which applies when changing to or from a semi-concealed meter box or when the customer is arranging reconnection separately; in that case an Ofgem Approved Meter Installer (OAMI) is needed to reconnect the meter to the service pipe. Customers can opt to do their own excavations or install the meter boxes, but that must be done before the planned start date. Connections Team 0800 040 7766 option 2. Annual gas load is calculated as hourly gas load x usage hours per day x usage days per week x usage weeks per year.
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Northern Gas Networks
The information the application form actually demands, which is what delays most gas alterations. The applicant must give the distance in metres between the existing and proposed positions, always rounded up to the nearest metre, and an annual gas load estimate calculated as hourly load times hours used per week times number of weeks in the year. The reconnection choice must be made on the form: full reconnection where no more than 2 metres of internal pipework is needed, with NGN disconnecting, moving and reconnecting the meter, pipework and appliances, subject to a possible site visit to confirm; partial reconnection where more than 2 metres of internal pipework is needed, with the customer arranging a Gas Safe registered engineer to reconnect; or no reconnection, which applies when changing to or from a semi-concealed meter box or when arranging reconnection separately, in which case an Ofgem-Approved Meter Installer must be engaged to reconnect the meter to the service pipe and internal pipework, and the gas supplier contacted if the meter itself is changing.
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Northern Powergrid
Sets out exactly who owns what at the incoming supply, which is the single most misunderstood point in a rewire or extension. Northern Powergrid owns and is responsible for the service cable, the cut-out (service fuse unit) and the meter board; the energy supplier owns the meter, the timeswitch and the double-insulated cables between cut-out and meter; the homeowner owns the tails from meter to fusebox, the switchfuse and the consumer unit. Northern Powergrid will expose and cut the service cable, live joint it, reposition the cut-out, test and energise, and recover redundant equipment, but explicitly will not alter your wiring or move the meter, which must be arranged separately with the electricity supplier. The customer must install the outside meter cabinet, service duct, hockey stick and tile tape before the crew arrives. Technical requirements: ducts to ENATS 12-24, black and embossed 'Electric Cable Duct'; meter cabinets to ENATS 12-23; service ducts for 230V single conductors 38mm (125mm for three phase), smooth outer wall, uPVC or HDPE; 150mm wide tile tape laid 75mm above service ducting or 100mm above mains ducting to satisfy the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002; duct laid so the top is 450mm (18 inches) below pathways and 600mm (24 inches) under driveways. Wrong ducting or missing tile tape means the crew will refuse to lay the cable and the connection is delayed. Freephone 0800 011 3332.
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Northern Powergrid
The split of duties when a supply has to move for an extension or a new kitchen wall. Northern Powergrid moves the service cable and the mains fuse; the electricity supplier moves the meter, and the customer must arrange for the supplier to attend on the day the network work is done; a qualified electrician must do any work on the customer's own internal wiring. Cost varies with the service required, the complexity of the work, and how and where the connection is made, and the company points customers to its published guide prices and timescales rather than quoting a flat rate.
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Northern Powergrid
Practical safety services a builder can actually book. Northern Powergrid installs shrouding on overhead lines where work will take place close to them, and offers a fast-track service for a fee under which the shrouding is completed within two working days, which matters when scaffolding or roof work is already programmed. Overgrown trees and plants near overhead lines are treated as a safety hazard and vegetation can be reported for trimming free of charge. The company also runs a live power cut map giving real-time restoration updates and a route to report a power cut.
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Openreach
The installation visit, useful when planning where sockets and services go in a refurbishment. A Full Fibre install usually takes around four hours. The engineer phones ahead, agrees a route for the fibre cable and where a hole will be drilled to bring it in, and may drill a couple of extra holes outside for ladder safety, which are then repaired. A permission to work form must be signed by the customer before any drilling or digging. The fibre is run from a nearby pole or from underground to a small junction box on an external wall, then a cable runs from that junction box to the Optical Network Terminal, a white wall-mounted box inside the property. The ONT and the router must be close together and near a double socket, which is the single planning decision a homeowner should make before first fix. More complex jobs may need a return visit. Anyone relying on the phone line for an intruder alarm, health pendant or wrist alarm should tell their service provider before the copper switchover.
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Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Dating and caring for historic floors. Medieval floorboards were predominantly oak, riven, axed or pit sawn, in widths up to 450mm or more and varying within a single floor, laid parallel to and rebated into the upper edges of heavy joists laid flat rather than on edge. Elm boards typically 300mm wide were common in the 17th century, softwood came into general use in the 18th century as carpeting spread, and tongued and grooved boards came later. Defects to worry about are structural failure from removing posts or partitions below, inadequately supported joists, and insect attack or rot in beam ends embedded in walls. Voids can open under solid floors from collapsed buried features or clay shrinkage leaving a gap of up to 50mm, with the slabs spanning as a beam until one fails. Gypsum plaster floors are a layer of gypsum binder with aggregates such as crushed brick, burnt wood and coal, typically 35 to 75mm thick, laid on water reed or straw over timber joists; cracks are raked out to a good key, edges dampened to control suction, and defective areas cut back to full depth. On cleaning, avoid household soaps, washing powders, alkaline cleaners, bleach and abrasives, using at most a little neutral pH soap.
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Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Douglas Kent's technical advice note on dampness in buildings predating about 1919. Key figures: relative humidity becomes detrimental at 70% or higher; rising damp usually extends only 10 to 50mm above internal floor level, though it can reach 900mm or more depending on external ground levels, masonry type, water table and evaporation rate; timber in a normal dry living environment sits at roughly 9 to 16% moisture content and becomes susceptible to fungal decay above 21%. States that most pre 1919 buildings were built without damp proof courses or damp proof membranes by design, that rising damp is usually far less of a problem than commonly supposed, and that inserted DPMs and chemical injection are frequently unnecessary treatments applied after misdiagnosis, where maintenance and occupancy changes plus respecting the building's need to breathe are the appropriate response. Also covers rainwater penetration, condensation on porous lime surfaces and hygroscopic salts, and notes listed building consent may be required.
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Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Philip Hughes' step by step method for patching rather than replacing old boards. Tools and materials specified include a hardened steel plate, a hammer, a 13mm (half inch) batten roughly 200mm (8 inches) longer than the opening to support the board while it is cut, and 25mm thick slats laid on battens beneath. Sets the judgement threshold that a board weakened by holes may still be sound, but wear approaching 5mm (a quarter inch) or more changes the assessment. Describes billiard cue jointing for splicing across the width of a board and the use of 25mm dimensions in the patch detail.
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Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Andrew Townsend and Martyn Clarke on repairing rather than replacing wood windows. Argues from durability: many replacement windows fitted in the last 30 years have already decayed beyond repair while original windows from the 18th century and earlier survive. Thousands of repairable wood windows are destroyed each year, degrading the character of old buildings. Covers window types, defects and deterioration, splice repairs, glass, preservatives, pointing and painting. Practical figures include glazing bars often around 50mm wide, bedding in lime mortar or mastic, a linseed oil putty bevel covering about 1mm of the glass, and a burnt sand and quicklime mix in a 1:3 ratio by weight, with haired lime mortar used for bedding.
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Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Philip Hughes on why modern impervious materials fail in old buildings. Old walls of brick or stone were bedded in lime and sand, sometimes earth or earth and lime mortars, rendered in lime and decorated almost exclusively with limewash, so the fabric absorbed and released moisture. Modern buildings instead rely on an impervious barrier. Sets the rule that pointing mortar should be a soft lime mix weaker than the surrounding brickwork, and shows the failure mode when it is not: strong cement pointing is forced off the wall, efflorescence and decay migrate into the brick faces instead of the joints, and cement render traps moisture and causes decay of earth and lime mortars behind. Cement render can sometimes be removed by working the surface over and taking it off in small pieces by forming hairline cracks, then making good with a lime mix. Paint should be replaced with limewash once existing impermeable coatings have broken down.
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Thames Water
The document checklist to assemble before applying, because an incomplete submission delays the application: a location plan; existing and proposed building and drainage plans; a sectional drawing showing the proposed foundations against the sewer. Additional items where they apply: proof of disability benefit to claim the fee discount, a piling method statement if using piled foundations, and structural calculations if using a raft. Thames Water notes the plans an architect prepares for building regulations are usually not the same as those needed here, and publishes example drawings to hand to the architect or structural engineer.
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Thames Water
Lead in water pipes has been banned since the 1970s, so a home built after 1970, or one fully re-piped since 1970, is unlikely to have lead. The mains themselves are not lead and there is virtually no lead in water leaving the treatment works; the risk is the supply pipe to the property or internal plumbing. Identification test for a homeowner: unpainted lead pipe is dull grey, joints are rounded and swollen where two pipes meet, a scratch reveals shiny silver metal, and tapping gives a dull thud rather than the clear ring of copper or iron. Look at the pipe feeding the internal stop valve, typically under the kitchen sink, behind kitchen units or in the understairs cupboard. Thames Water doses most of its water with a small amount of phosphate, which coats the pipe like limescale and lowers dissolved lead; it says that dose is around 500 times lower than the phosphate level in milk. Homeowners are warned not to disturb lead pipework because that raises lead content. Where samples show elevated lead the company will only replace its own communications pipe; the customer-side pipe is the owner's, though a lead replacement scheme is offered. Sampling line 0800 316 9800.
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Thames Water
The step-by-step clock and the inspection rules for a new water supply. Thames Water aims to issue a quote within 28 days of receiving the completed application form and fees; the quote covers only its work between the property boundary and the water main, with everything on private land the applicant's responsibility, and the charge is cost-recovery. Allow 5 working days for payment to be processed and another 5 working days for the company to process the pipework notification. Any plumber may lay the supply pipe, but Thames Water recommends a WaterSafe approved one, because if the plumber is not WaterSafe approved a water regulations inspection must be booked (0800 009 3921) and the company aims to visit within 7 working days. A chlorination procedure is required for pipes 63mm or over, which does not apply to a typical house, since a home usually needs 25mm or 32mm. For a genuinely new supply, billing account setup follows within 60 days. A 2026/27 online calculator gives a preliminary estimate, with the caveat it can take up to 28 days to receive a real quote.
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Thames Water
Applying for a water meter is free. Thames Water aims to fit the meter outside the property within 50 days of the request; if that is not possible it looks at fitting inside, so the internal stop valve must be accessible for the visit. Installation may be refused where there is limited space, unsuitable pipework, or the property is on a shared supply, all three of which are common in older terraces and converted flats and are worth checking before planning a bathroom or kitchen around a meter position. Eligibility extends to the bill payer and to tenants with a tenancy of six months or more. A metered bill combines measured water and wastewater volumes with fixed charges for providing the services.
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UCL (Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering)
A comparison table of insulation materials by thermal conductivity (lambda, W/mK) and vapour diffusion resistance factor (mu), the two numbers that decide whether an insulation suits a breathable old wall. Bio-based: high-density wood fibre board 0.038-0.050 lambda, mu 5-10; low-density wood fibre quilt 0.035-0.040, mu 1-2; cork 0.037-0.040, mu 5-10; sheep's wool 0.035-0.040, mu 1-2; hemp 0.040-0.045, mu 1-5; straw 0.045-0.050, mu 1-2. Insulating lime plasters: hydraulic 0.800-0.900, mu 10-15; non-hydraulic 0.700-0.800, mu 5-10. Mineral board: calcium silicate 0.050-0.060, mu 5-10. Foams: open cell spray foam 0.035-0.040, mu 3-5; EPS 0.030-0.040, mu 30-70; XPS 0.025-0.035, mu 80-200; closed cell spray foam 0.023-0.026, mu 30-60; PIR 0.023-0.025, mu 50-100; phenolic foam 0.020-0.025, mu 50-100. Others: mineral wool 0.030-0.045, mu 1-5; aerogel 0.013-0.018, mu 5-10. The paper's central caution is that vapour permeability, moisture storage and liquid transport are not directly linked, so labelling a material simply 'vapour permeable' or 'breathable' is not sufficient: mineral wool is vapour permeable but is neither moisture-storing nor capillary active, and permeability is a gradual scale rather than a binary.
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UK Power Networks
The six-step sequence for a domestic supply move, and the two things that hold jobs up. UK Power Networks calls back to discuss the project and may arrange a site survey; a surveyor visits and can meet the homeowner, builder or electrician; a detailed price follows the visit and full payment is required before the work is booked. Before the crew arrives the customer must have the trench ready if they chose to dig it themselves, and must have the meter box already installed in the position the meter is moving to. If UK Power Networks is doing the digging it may take a few days before the cable is moved. Critically, the electricity supplier must attend on the same day to refit the meter, otherwise the power cannot be restored, so that appointment has to be booked by the customer in parallel.
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United Utilities
The government banned lead in water pipes in 1970, so a property built after 1970 will not have lead pipework; anything built before 1970 may still have a lead supply pipe underground and lead pipe inside. The greatest health risk is stated as being to children under six and pregnant women. Mains are not lead and water leaving the treatment works contains virtually no lead; the lead is picked up in the customer's own pipework or in the connecting pipe. Identification checks at the internal stop tap, usually behind kitchen cupboards or in a downstairs toilet: unpainted lead pipe is a dull grey; there is often a swollen joint next to the tap; tapping with a metal object gives a dull thud where other metals ring clearly. Explicit correction of a common myth: boiling the water does not help and will not remove lead. Do not knock or disturb lead pipes, which raises lead levels. The permanent fix is an application to United Utilities' Lead Replacement Scheme, after which replacement is done by a WaterSafe approved plumber.
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University of Portsmouth
A year-long practical test of rising damp on walls built from different mortars, compared against theoretical models. Findings: mortar characteristics significantly affect the height to which damp rises, and the rate of water absorption into the mortar is the key factor determining the height of the rising damp front, with a strong correlation to the Sharp Front Model. A second measured result is useful for diagnosis: walls that had received rising damp treatment were warmer than the untreated control walls, because reducing surface moisture removes the evaporative cooling effect, which is why a damp wall reads cold to the touch and on a thermal camera. The paper reviews the controlling mechanisms of capillary effect, water absorption, evaporation and salt formation.
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Yorkshire Water
Who is allowed to do which part of a water or drainage connection, which decides whether the job can go to a general builder. Work that must be done by a competent contractor includes laying a water supply pipe inside the property boundary, and laying new or replacement sewers or making new sewer connections in either private or public land. Work that can go either way includes new water mains and connections serving a development, which can be done by Yorkshire Water directly or by an accredited self-lay provider subject to acceptance, with adoption agreements governed by Ofwat's Codes for Adoption and Yorkshire Water taking ownership of new assets in the public highway on completion. For a single property or a small development, given as fewer than six properties, Yorkshire Water connects to the existing main. No connection may be made to the public water or sewer network without approval, and where the work crosses third-party land the affected landowner's consent is needed first. The statutory routes are named: Section 45 for water connections to the public main, Section 62 for permanent disconnection, Section 106 for sewer connections and Section 115 for highway drainage connections. Water connections enquiries wbu.service.centre@yorkshirewater.co.uk, 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
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ARDEX UK
Manufacturer data for a rapid drying white tile adhesive formulated for moisture sensitive natural stone wall and floor tiles, where a normal cement adhesive would stain the stone as it dries. Tiles can be trafficked and grouted 2 hours after fixing regardless of bed thickness, which is the significant claim because most rapid adhesives qualify their cure time by bed depth. Coverage is up to 6.4 m2 per bag at 3mm bed thickness.
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ARDEX UK
Manufacturer data for a rapid setting deformable S1 tile adhesive. Tiles can be grouted and trafficked just 3 hours after fixing. The S1 classification means the adhesive is deformable under BS EN 12004, the grade required for floors that move or warm up such as timber substrates and underfloor heating, so this product combines the deformability of an S1 with a same day grouting time.
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ARDEX UK
Manufacturer data for a fibre reinforced flexible tile adhesive. Pot life is 3 hours and open time is 60 minutes, both far longer than the 15 to 45 minutes typical of standard and rapid adhesives, which is what allows mixing and fixing in larger batches. Coverage is up to 8 m2 from a single 20 kg bag, and ARDEX claims this goes up to 40 per cent further than leading competitors, comparing published coverage and mixing data for 20 kg cement based adhesives. Embodied carbon is 0.49 kg CO2 eq per kg for the grey version and 0.96 kg CO2 eq per kg for the white, so the white adhesive carries roughly double the embodied carbon of the grey.
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BAL (Building Adhesives Ltd)
Manufacturer coverage table for an SBR primer and admixture, the numbers behind a preparation estimate. As a primer, coverage is 12 m2 per litre undiluted (60 m2 from a 5 litre tub), 36 m2 per litre diluted 1:2 with water (180 m2 per 5 litres) and 40 m2 per litre diluted 1:4 (300 m2 per 5 litres). As a bonding and gauging additive, coverage is 5 m2 per litre for 12mm plastering, 1.5 m2 per litre for 12mm rendering and 0.25 m2 per litre for 50mm screeding, the latter two quoted at 10 litres per 50 kg of OPC. As a slurry coat with Portland cement it covers 3 m2 per litre, mixed 1 part sand to 1 part cement by weight. Drying time is 15 to 30 minutes at 20C. Pack sizes are 1 litre and 5 litres. Approved backgrounds include plasterboard, rendering and shower areas. For an integral plaster mix the dose is 2 to 4 litres of SBR.
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BAL (Building Adhesives Ltd)
Manufacturer technical data for a floor levelling compound. Bed depth is 2mm to 80mm, with up to 80mm only in localised areas, and a minimum 3mm over timber floors. Coverage is 5 m2 at 3mm per unit, or 0.2 m2 per kg at 3mm bed thickness applied with a steel trowel. Working time is more than 30 minutes and it sets in 3 to 4 hours at 20C. Ceramic or natural stone tiles can be laid after 4 hours at 20C, but soft floor coverings such as carpet and vinyl need a minimum of 24 hours, and in wet areas a minimum of 24 hours is required before proceeding. Service temperature range is -30C to 100C. Underfloor heating must be switched off for a minimum of 48 hours before application. BAL defines the flatness target as 3mm or less under a 2 metre straight edge. Anhydrite and calcium sulfate screeds are approved subject to a suitability check and a suitable primer.
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BAL (Building Adhesives Ltd)
Manufacturer technical data for a flexible cementitious tile grout. Coverage depends entirely on tile size and joint width: 6.05 m2 per kg for 200 x 200 x 6mm tiles with a 2mm joint, 4.03 m2 per kg for 300 x 300 x 9mm tiles with a 3mm joint, and 8.01 m2 per kg for 600 x 600 x 9mm tiles with a 3mm joint, which shows that larger tiles need far less grout for the same area. A 2.5 kg pack takes 0.512 litres of water. It sets in 2 to 3 hours at 20C. Classification exceeds BS EN 13888 CG2WA, an improved cementitious grout with additional characteristics. Service temperature range is -15C to 70C. BAL states the grout must not be used below 5C, that porous tiles should be dampened when grouting above 25C, and that a new shower must not be used for at least 2 weeks after grouting. The key warning for a bathroom note: the grout is water resistant but NOT impervious to water and is not a substitute for a waterproof tanking system.
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BAL (Building Adhesives Ltd)
Manufacturer technical data for a rapid setting tile adhesive usable in a thick bed. Bed thickness is 2 to 25mm with a typical application of 2 to 6mm, and a minimum 3mm for floor tiling. Open time is more than 30 minutes with 60 minutes adjustment and a 3 hour set, and it can be grouted after just 3 hours at any thickness. Coverage from a 20 kg bag is 0.5 m2 per kg with a 4mm notched trowel on dry wall, 0.4 m2 per kg with a 6mm notch on dry wall, 0.3 m2 per kg with a 6mm notch on wet wall, 0.25 m2 per kg with a 10mm notch solid bed on exteriors and floors, and 0.125 m2 per kg with a 20mm notch, so a thick bed roughly doubles the adhesive needed for the same area. Service temperature range is -30C to 100C. All open and setting times extend in colder temperatures and when fixing low porosity tiles, and external tiling needs protection against inclement weather.
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BAL (Building Adhesives Ltd)
Manufacturer technical data for a rapid setting flexible tile adhesive, with the numbers a tiling estimate needs. At 20C and a 2-6mm bed the open time is 20 minutes, adjustment time 45 minutes and set time 3 hours, and tiles can be grouted after 3 hours. Coverage depends on trowel and background: 1.0 m2 per kg with a 4mm notched trowel on dry wall, 0.8 m2 per kg with a 6mm notch on dry wall, 0.64 m2 per kg with a 6mm notch on wet wall, and 0.42 m2 per kg with a 10mm notch on exteriors and floors. A minimum 3mm bed is required for floor tiling. All times extend in colder temperatures, on impervious backgrounds and with low porosity tiles. Service temperature range is -30C to 100C. Critically for a bathroom job, BAL states a maximum 20 kg/m2 tile weight when tiling onto plaster and a maximum 32 kg/m2 onto the heavier background, which is the limit that decides whether large format porcelain can go on an existing wall at all.
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BAL (Building Adhesives Ltd)
Manufacturer technical data for a very fast setting tile adhesive. At 20C in a 2 to 10mm bed the open time is 10 minutes, adjustment 15 minutes and set 30 minutes, and it can be grouted after 30 minutes, which is the trade-off for the speed. Minimum bed for floor tiling is 3mm. Coverage is 0.5 m2 per kg with a 6mm notch on dry wall, 0.4 m2 per kg with a 6mm notch on wet wall and 0.26 m2 per kg with a 10mm notch on exteriors and floors. Service temperature is -30C to 100C. Maximum tile weight including adhesive is 20 kg/m2 onto plaster and 32 kg/m2 onto plasterboard. It can be used with BAL Rapid-Mat or BAL Flexbone 2Easy uncoupling mats. A significant restriction the manufacturer notes: as of May 2024 plywood and timber is no longer an approved background. A new shower must not be used for at least 2 weeks after completion.
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BAL (Building Adhesives Ltd)
Manufacturer technical data for an adhesive recommended for large format tiles of uneven thickness. Bed thickness is 3 to 25mm, typical application 2 to 6mm, minimum 3mm on floors. Open time is 45 to 60 minutes with 90 minutes adjustment and a 6 hour set, grouting after 6 hours at 20C. Coverage is 0.5 m2 per kg at 1.5mm bed depth, 0.25 m2 per kg at 3mm and 0.125 m2 per kg at 6mm, so doubling the bed depth halves the coverage exactly. It exceeds BS EN 12004 for a C2E adhesive. Service temperature range is -30C to 70C. The background must be no more than 75 per cent relative humidity and the top surface mechanically abraded where required. A shower must not be used for at least 2 weeks after completion, and swimming pool work follows BS 5385 Part 4.
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C-Tec (CT1)
Manufacturer datasheet for an all in one filler and caulk. Application temperature range is +5C to +40C, and the manufacturer states explicitly that it should not be applied below 5C, which is the constraint that stops exterior decorating work in a cold snap. Service temperature range once cured is -20C to +70C. Storage is in dry conditions between +5C and +25C. The +5C floor applies to both the environment and the substrate, not just the air.
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C-Tec (CT1)
Manufacturer technical data for CT1 hybrid polymer sealant and construction adhesive. Cure rate is 3 to 6 mm in 12 to 48 hours. Hardness to DIN 53505 is 55 degrees Shore A, with a 42 degrees Shore A variant listed. Substrate bonding tensile force is 3.07 N/mm2, equal to 31.3 kg/cm2. Fully cured tensile strength is quoted at 22 kg/cm2 and shear strength at 11 kg/cm2. The manufacturer claims three times stronger bonding and 250 per cent more elongation than traditional alternatives. It carries EC1 Plus certification and A+ Indoor Air Comfort GOLD for low emissions. As a universal adhesive CT1 bonds to all metals.
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Dunlop (ARDEX)
Manufacturer technical data for a deformable S1 tile adhesive. Coverage from a 20 kg bag is approximately 2 kg/m2 on dry walls and approximately 4 kg/m2 on floors, exterior and wet areas, so one bag covers roughly 10 m2 of wall or 5 m2 of floor. Open time is 30 to 45 minutes and bed thickness 2 to 6mm. Mix ratio is about 3 parts powder to 1 part water by volume, with 5.4 litres of clean water per 20 kg bag, stood for 1 to 2 minutes then remixed for 30 seconds, and used within 3 hours at room temperature. Application temperature is around 20C and it must not be used below 5C. Storage is 5C to 30C off the ground. It exceeds BS EN 12004 for a C2TES1 adhesive. The critical loading limits: maximum weight of tiling including adhesive is 20 kg/m2 onto plaster and 32 kg/m2 onto plasterboard, and the manufacturer's remedy where those are exceeded is to overlay with a tile backer board.
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Dunlop (ARDEX)
Manufacturer coverage table for a standard cementitious floor and wall grout, showing how strongly tile size and joint width drive quantity. Coverage is 0.21 kg/m2 for a 200 x 300 x 7mm tile with a 2mm joint, 0.25 kg/m2 for a 300 x 300 x 7mm tile with a 3mm joint and 0.45 kg/m2 for a 300 x 600 x 10mm tile with a 5mm joint, so a large format tile with a wide joint needs more than twice the grout of a small tile with a narrow one. Joint width range is 2 to 12mm. It is not recommended for soft glazed decorative tiles or tiles with a metal decor, and unglazed floor tiles should be test grouted first because the pigment can stain the face, in which case a protective sealer is applied. Tiles must be fixed with a water resistant adhesive. The method is to work in small areas, fill joints with a rubber squeegee or float and compact well, then wait about 15 minutes for the grout to firm up before cleaning off diagonally with a damp sponge. Dunlop products carry a 10 year guarantee subject to conditions.
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Dunlop (ARDEX)
Manufacturer technical data for a water and frost resistant flexible powder grout. Coverage is approximately 0.38 kg/m2 based on a 300 x 300 x 7mm tile with a 3mm joint, with separate figures tabulated for other tile sizes and joint widths such as 200 x 300 x 7mm at 2mm. Application temperature is around 20C and never below 5C. The method sequence: the adhesive must be fully set and dried before grouting; work in small areas filling joints with a rubber squeegee or grout float and compacting well; allow about 15 minutes for the grout to firm up before cleaning off excess with a damp sponge. Tiles can be subject to normal conditions after a minimum of 24 hours, and external work must be protected from weather and frost during application and for at least 24 hours after. The critical instruction for a heated floor: after grouting over underfloor heating the heating must not be turned back on for a minimum of 14 days. Highly polished tiles, soft decorative glazes and metal lustres need a test area first, and a protective sealer where staining occurs.
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Dunlop (ARDEX)
Manufacturer technical data for a ready mixed waterproof wall tile adhesive, and the source for why a tub adhesive is limited. Coverage is approximately 2 kg/m2 in dry areas and 3 kg/m2 in wet areas. Open time is 30 minutes and maximum bed thickness is 3mm. Application is at about 20C and never below 5C. The limitation that matters: tile size must not exceed 300mm x 300mm for glazed or unglazed ceramic, because a ready mixed adhesive dries by evaporation through the tile joints and a larger tile traps it. Drying time increases to a minimum of 3 days on backgrounds such as certain boards. Maximum weight of tiling is 20 kg/m2 onto plaster and 32 kg/m2 onto plasterboard, with plasterboard fixed at 300mm centres and of suitable thickness. New plaster needs a minimum 2 weeks drying and bonding or browning plaster must not be used.
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Everbuild (Sika)
Manufacturer data sheet for a bath and kitchen silicone sealant. Curing time is 3 to 5 days depending on bead thickness, ambient temperature and humidity, and Everbuild specifies protecting the joint from water for a minimum of 24 hours after application, which is the answer to how soon a newly sealed bath can be used. Shore A hardness after cure is approximately 30. The bead should be smoothed down within 20 minutes of application and the nozzle held at an angle to the surface. Storage is 5 to 30C in dry conditions, protected from frost. Test data is quoted on a 20 mm by 10 mm joint profile.
- supplier figure RN-CNWBPI
Junckers
Manufacturer installation data for a load bearing solid hardwood batten floor. Only 22 mm 2-strip and 20.5 mm plank floorboards can be nailed to battens and joists. Battens must be plain at a minimum 38 x 56 mm or laminated at a minimum 39 x 40 mm. Joists must be whole, half or laminated timbers of at least 100 x 100 mm where used over ventilation spaces or cellars. The expansion allowance is 1.5 mm per metre of width on each side and 1 mm per metre of length at each end, and all perimeter gaps must be a minimum of 12 mm, or a minimum of 15 mm in the UK, which is the number a fitter must leave under the skirting. A Sylvathene 0.2 mm PE-foil moisture barrier is specified. The system can be combined with underfloor heating subject to the manufacturer's separate datasheet.
- supplier figure RN-6C5V36
Ronseal
Manufacturer coverage and method data for an exterior wood paint. Coverage is up to 12 m2 per litre, double the 6 m2 per litre of the same maker's fence treatment because the substrate is planed rather than sawn. It is touch dry in one hour with four hours between coats. No primer is required. Ronseal's stated preparation rule is 240 grit for a light sand where the old paint is sound, and 120 grit where the paint is cracked or flaking. The protection claim is 10 years.