Send in your questions to Steve. . .

Q I am thinking of converting an old outhouse into a one-bed apartment. All the walls are sound and only the roof needs replacing. What size of an extension can I build without seeking planning permission? There are foundations of another shed which fell seven years ago directly adjacent. It's the same size as the original shed. Would I even need planning permission if I had proof of these foundations? I suppose I could convert the two buildings. Of the old shed the gable wall and side wall are standing. I would love to include these as there is lovely stone work, around 90 years old. What kind of support would I need for these walls?

J O'Donoghue A person can add an extension to the rear of their property up to a maximum of 40 square metres, providing that the extension to the rear of the house does not increase the original floor area of the house by more than 40 square metres and is not higher than the house. The extension should not reduce the open space at the back of the house to less than 25 square metres which must be reserved exclusively for the use of the occupants of your house. If your house has been extended before, the floor area of the extension you are now proposing and the floor area of any previous extension (including those for which you previously got planning permission) must not exceed 40 square metres. There are also some other height restrictions. It is always best to approach your local planning office with a rough sketch of your proposals and seek their advice. Without seeing the building I would not be able to advise you on the structural issues. If you decide to go ahead with this project it would be best to employ the services of an architect and structural surveyor.

Q I bought a new house last October. Recently I've started to notice little hairline cracks in the plaster all along some of the walls and ceilings. Is this normal or is there something wrong with the house? How do I cover them up? There are little cracks in nearly all the rooms. Am I going to have to paint all the walls again?

Liza McCrudden

Painting the walls again will not solve the cracks in the walls. If you paint over the cracks they will not show through for a while, but they will in a very short period of time and you will have only wasted your time, energy and your money. If the cracks are very slight, then you will have to widen them for the filler to get a grip. To do this use a Stanley knife and slightly widen the crack. Then use what is called decorators caulk. This is a tube of ready mixed filler and you will have to use an applicator gun, more commonly known as a silicone gun. When you have widened the gap you should wet the gap, this stops the filler from drying out too quickly and not taking hold and eventually falling out of the cracks. Then apply the filler. Use a filling knife or scraper to scrape the filler flush or very slightly proud of the wall. Let it dry and then use a fine grade sandpaper to smooth the wall. This should stop the cracks from appearing again. These types of cracks very often occur when a building is drying out. It is generally recommended to let a newly built house dry out for at least six months before decorating to let the building settle.

Q I live in a two-storey house where the walls upstairs are stud partition walls and the floors are wooden.

Noise transmits very easily between rooms. Is it possible at this stage to insulate the walls to reduce noise transmission? If so what is the procedure, and is it effective?

Teresa McGuire, Co Leitrim

There are two ways of reducing noise transmission between rooms and neither are what you might call straight forward. You can blow insulating material into the wall by drilling holes and then blowing the material in through these holes. With this method you will have to make sure that if there are electrical cables in the wall that they are of a sufficient rating to prevent them from overheating once they are surrounded by the insulating material. Or you could attach 50mm x 50mm timbers onto the existing wall and place insulation in between the timbers. Then fix insulated plasterboard to the timbers and apply skimcoat plaster to the boards. This will lose you some 75mm of "oor space but should considerably reduce the noise transmission.