Send in your questions to Steve. . .

Q I'm looking to slate and felt a roof. It's an old house but I think the timbers are fine. I also need to put two Velux windows in while I'm at it because eventually I'll probably convert the attic. The house itself is a threebed and approximately 1,400sq ft. It's an up-and-over roof. Can you give me an idea of the cost of roofing the house?

Shilah Broderick.

Costs for building work can vary considerably, depending on the quality of the tradesman and whether or not he is legal with the relevant insurances in place. Assuming that the person you are considering using is a professional you can expect to pay between 1 and 2 per slate. The Velux windows should cost between 100 and 150 each. However, the only way to get a true costing is to get at least three quotations for the work from different people. Why not post a job on my website . . . www. tradesmenireland. com . . . and let me know how you get on.

Q I think we have damp. The walls don't look bad, but they have black marks along the bottom.

You can wipe off the marks quite easily but I'm worried as we have only just bought this house. To me it doesn't look like damp just dirt, maybe soot. It's more the smell I'm concerned about. The smell is not like damp either . . .

well not what I would consider damp. Please help.

Jessica, Roscommon.

If, as you say, you have only just bought the house and it has been vacant for a while before you purchased, then the smell could come from the fact that the house has been closed up for a while with no heating or windows opened to air the property. The same could be said for the dirty patches along the bottom of the walls. If a house is locked up without being aired then the rooms tend to have a musty smell. You could purchase an inexpensive damp meter to check the walls. Try your local DIY store or B&Q.

Q Do you know of a way of removing lime staining from windows? We are in a new house, not yet painted on the outside, but when it rains the rain hitting the plaster on the house is marking the windows. Window cleaners say there is nothing you can do about this.

Olwyn.

I haven't come across the answer as yet to this problem but you could try the following. Mix a half cup of vinegar and a quarter cup of baking soda into half a gallon of water. It's used to remove water-deposit stains on shower glass panels, bathroom chrome fixtures, windows and bathroom mirrors, etc. Vinegar is a good multi-purpose cleaner.

You could also try a sugar-soap solution. During the course of construction, windows should really be protected as some blocklayers/plasterers can be messy and cement on your glass or frames will cause stains and scratches if not washed off straight away.

Q I am seriously considering blocking up a double doorway, measuring 5ft x 6ft, with glass blocks.

However I'm not too sure as my home-improvement knowledge is limited. Is this an expensive task? Are there any potential pitfalls to doing this? And would I need a block layer or a tiler for this job?

Conor Fleming, Dublin.

I wouldn't expect this to be a very costly job and it should be quite straightforward. I would suggest using a blocklayer/bricklayer. It should take around one day to lay the blocks and perhaps 200 for labour and material costs. As always I would suggest you get a few quotes from different people to get a more accurate idea of costings and time.

Don't forget. . .

If you are purchasing a property and wish to get a snag list done (from 300 upwards) contact www. tradesmenireland. com. All readers who book a snag list with Steve in April and May will be entered into a draw to have their snag list prepared free of charge (one winner each month). Draws will take place on 1 May and 1 June.