What is a stair string margin?
The margin (Dutch: voorhout) is the part of a stair string between the top of the tread and the top edge of the string, and the standing margin projects in front of the first tread at the bottom.
What is a voorhei?
A voorhei (or proost) is a wide, pointed steel spike that is temporarily driven into the ground to break up rubble or old piles, so that the new pile does not break.
What is prestressed concrete?
Prestressed concrete is concrete in which steel is put under tension so the concrete is compressed in advance, allowing longer spans with less cracking.
What is a foamed PVC profile?
A foamed PVC profile (Dutch: volschuim profiel) is a plastic profile with a rigid PVC foam core and a UV-resistant top layer, used for fascias, bargeboards and dormers.
What is a vollewand (solid web or solid wall)?
Vollewand (or volle wand) is the Dutch term for a closed web plate in a beam, a sheathed load-bearing wall, or a solid wall without a cavity, with all three meanings explained.
What is a solid brick?
A solid brick is a brick with no holes or only a few, and this article explains the difference from perforated and hollow bricks and where to use each type.
What is vol en zat (fully filled joints)?
Vol en zat is a Dutch trade term meaning that mortar fills all the space completely, without voids, used for bricklaying, plastering and broadcast floors.
What are damp problems in walls?
Damp problems in walls are caused by rising damp, penetrating damp, condensation, leaks or construction moisture; here is how to recognise the cause and tackle it in a targeted way.
Making a pavement garden: lift the slabs, green up your street
Making a pavement garden: how wide, how deep to dig, which plants survive and what it costs. Full step by step, including the pitfall nobody mentions.
How to fit timber cladding: putting up a wooden façade step by step
Fitting timber cladding? How the ventilated cavity works, batten sizes, which timber, which fixings, planning permission and cost per m² if you do it yourself.