Placement of bellcast beads

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FreeD

FreeD

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What an absolute ballache...windows went well then got down to the bottom and it was a nightmare...

Does the bellcast have to follow the damp proof course? or can you leave a gap to it roughly 10mm.

On the job i'm on there is a french door in the middle of the wall i'm putting a bellcast either side I though it looked best in line with the sill of the door but that means its roughly about 10mm above damp course at one end is that ok?
 
its new build extension (block work)...see i'm thinking its better to follow damp proof course with the bead equal distance all the way along wall...so if the plinth is rendered theres no gaps underneath bead...just a few mms for dpc or does this not matter? more important to get it looking right to eye?


but if I do this then the bead wont fall level with the door sill
 
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Are you going by thhe bottom or the top of the sill its usually the bottom It wants to be at a right angle to the dpc by the book but never is
 
Its new extension...the dpc does not come level with the door sills...i would have to tac the bead about 10mm (mortar joint) above dpc to come level with the door sill...maybe i'm just being a perfectionist and it doesn't matter
 
Yea bottom of the sill m8, its not at right angle...dpc is about 10mm below bottom of sill
 
Follow dpc mate more than likely the render wont match the original any way unless you are doing the lot it wont make any difference.
 
so it doesnt matter if the bead isnt level following dpc...it will be straight but not level?
 
the other problem is if I follow the damp proof course the bead looks way out of level cause the patio is level
 
ok so it doesn't matter if theres a bigger gap say 10mm at one end under bead to nothing at the other end providing its level and looks good to eye
 
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cheers Dave got to say I hate bellcasts worst part of plastering down on your knees in the wet! arghhhh!
 
FreeD said:
ok so it doesn't matter if theres a bigger gap say 10mm at one end under bead to nothing at the other end providing its level and looks good to eye
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I would just level the bead, follow the DPC bed either at the same height or above. You can't do much about the patio not being level, not your problem really.
 
FreeD said:
so it doesnt matter if the bead isnt level following dpc...it will be straight but not level?
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If the DPC is out of level (as is usual) by up to about 15mm over a 5 or 6 metre length just fix the bead following the DPC but then manipulate the front edge of the bead into level or near level over it's length. This way you are not bridging the DPC but are also making it look right to the eye. This is one of the reasons I always nail my beads on as I reckon you'd end up pinging the bead off the wall if you tried this when sticking them on.
 
that sounds like an old school tip cheers for that Andy..didn't realise you could manipulate the bead that much
 
FreeD said:
by manipulate I take it you mean gently bend?! stainless steel
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Yeah bend it, I though manipulate sounded............ more professional lol. You'd be surprised how have you can make it go without loosing the drip (angle) or the required thickness.
 
I would just level it round from the lowest point round but explain to the customer first and tell them why you need to put the bead on like that. Unless its really aesthetically not pleasing then i dont think it will notice. I have done jobs in the past like that without any come backs, also some people like the fact the new extension dont match up to the existing i know planning laws some time insist on it.
 
Started afresh today, and knocked out the bellcasts in no time...redid a couple of them. Used all the advice above so thanks.
 
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