Knowledge Hub

Guides and a glossary for each of our services, from waterproofing to small repairs.

Glossary

The terms you'll meet in our jobs and guides, explained simply.

Acrylic paint Anti-corrosion coating Bitumen membrane Built-up shower base Concealed cistern Concrete curing Condensation Cool roof coating Crack Debris (rubble)Demolition Efflorescence (salt deposits)Elastomeric waterproof coating Emulsion paint External wall insulation (ETICS)Falls (drainage slope)

Quick answers

All answers (42)

What does it mean to strip a bathroom or kitchen "back to the brick"?It means the tiles, render, fixtures and old pipes all come out until the bare masonry shows. The renovation then starts from a sound base, and you can see what the walls were hiding.Why is my roof leaking when it has been waterproofed?Water rarely comes through the middle of a roof. It gets in where the waterproofing is interrupted: seams, the corner with the parapet, and the bases of posts, pipes and drains.Can I just paint over a damp or mouldy wall?No. Paint hides the stain for a while, but if the damp is still there it comes back and takes the new paint with it. First find the cause, then scrape back and repair the wall.The joints in my stone courtyard have gone dark. Does it need relaying?Not necessarily. If the stones are sound, the joints alone can be redone, which binds the floor together again and completely changes how it looks.What does a full bathroom renovation involve?Stripping back to the brick, new water and drain pipes, a floor sloped to the drain, rendering, tiles and finally the fixtures. Each stage is hidden under the next, so the order matters.A crack has opened in my ceiling and I can see rusty steel. Is it dangerous?It means the reinforcement is rusting, usually because of water, and shouldn't be left. Local damage is repaired: clean, protect the steel, rebuild with repair mortar. If it is spreading or on a beam, call an engineer.My wooden shutters are faded and peeling. Can they be saved or do they need replacing?If the wood underneath is sound, they can usually be saved: sanded back to clean wood, primed and painted, or given a clear finish. Wood that has rotted and gives under pressure needs repair or replacing.

Guides

Spray Polyurethane Foam: Flat Roofs, Metal Roofs and Pilotis Ceilings

4 parts

Insulation

Spray Polyurethane Foam: Flat Roofs, Metal Roofs and Pilotis Ceilings

What spray polyurethane foam is, where it fits, how the surface is prepared, how the awkward spots are sprayed and what has to cover it. With examples from real jobs.

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5 parts

Repairs

Cracks, Loose Plaster and Rusty Steel: A Guide to Small Repairs

What a crack or a stain is telling you, how a ceiling with rusty steel is repaired, and how a wall is properly closed up after the plumber or electrician. In five parts.

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Wooden Shutters, Doors and Pergolas: A Restoration Guide

4 parts

Woodwork

Wooden Shutters, Doors and Pergolas: A Restoration Guide

Why outdoor wood fades, greys and rots, when paint suits it and when varnish does, and how restoration works step by step. In four parts.

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Courtyards, Sidewalks and Balconies: A Guide to Outdoor Floors

4 parts

Paving

Courtyards, Sidewalks and Balconies: A Guide to Outdoor Floors

Why joints fail, when a refresh is enough and when the floor needs redoing, how a concrete sidewalk is laid, and why falls make or break a balcony. In four parts.

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4 parts

Demolition

Demolition and Strip-Out: What to Know Before the First Blow

Which walls can come down and which need an engineer, how tiles and render are stripped, how to protect the home from dust, and where the rubble goes. In four parts.

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Damp and Fire-Damaged Rooms: The Work Before the Paint

5 parts

Painting

Damp and Fire-Damaged Rooms: The Work Before the Paint

How to read the damage, how far the scraping goes, how the wall is rebuilt with plaster, filler and primer, what changes after a fire, and what to ask before the work starts.

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5 parts

Renovations

Bathroom Renovation Step by Step: From Strip-Out to Fixtures

What happens in a full bathroom renovation, in what order and why: from the decisions before the strip-out to the final checks, with examples from real bathrooms. In five parts.

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