Structure & Layout
Nicole Bickley
How Much Floor Level Difference Is Acceptable?
A 5mm step between adjoining floor finishes is acceptable and unnoticed; 15mm is a trip hazard at a threshold; 20mm or more needs a ramped transition...
Nicole BickleyNicole Bickley
Writes about renovation sequencing, material schedules and building control.
Structure & LayoutNicole Bickley
How Wide Does a Hallway Need to Be?
A main hallway needs 1,200mm clear width for comfortable two-way movement, 1,000mm as a working minimum, and 900mm where it is a secondary route. Below 900mm...
Nicole Bickley
Budget & SchedulingNicole Bickley
How Do You Compare Three Renovation Quotes Fairly?
Compare against your own schedule of work, line by line, with each quote priced or explicitly excluded, and treat any unpriced line as a future variation...
Nicole Bickley
Bathroom RenovationNicole Bickley
How Do You Stop Mould Coming Back After a Refit?
Mould returns after a refit when the moisture source has not been removed, which in a bathroom almost always means ventilation or a cold surface rather...
Nicole Bickley
Materials & SpecsNicole Bickley
Which Insulation Goes Behind a Rainscreen?
A ventilated rainscreen needs a rigid or semi-rigid insulation board fixed outside the structural frame, a drained and ventilated cavity of at least 25mm behind the...
Nicole Bickley
Budget & SchedulingNicole Bickley
Why Do Renovation Projects Always Overrun?
Because the plan assumes the building is as surveyed, the trades are available when needed, and the client decides once. In practice all three assumptions fail,...
Nicole Bickley
Permits & ComplianceNicole Bickley
What Certificates Do You Need Before Selling a Renovated House?
Four documents matter at sale if the property has been renovated: the planning decision or lawful development certificate, the building regulations completion certificate, the electrical certificate...
Nicole Bickley
Structure & LayoutNicole Bickley
How Do You Plan Drainage Falls in a Rear Extension?
Plan the falls first, then the floor level, then the finished ceiling height, because the drain has to fall at 1 in 40 to 1 in...
Nicole Bickley
Structure & LayoutNicole Bickley
What Size Steel Beam Do You Need for an Opening?
The size is calculated, not chosen: it depends on the span, the load above, the bearing points and the deflection limit, and a typical domestic opening...
Nicole Bickley