Home DIY

Open the black tap on the braided hose.

Awesome, thank you - will give it a go when back home.

So yesterday, as part of the programme of refreshing the decor in the lounge, I called in a plumber friend to remove the radiators (very old and painted blue and yellow WTF) & source some replacements from Sids. We agreed he'd leave them off for a day so I could do three coats of white paint behind them which I duly did before bed. Was woken by the eldest at 6.00 this morning who proclaimed that the lounge was flooded. In a sleepy daze, I ran downstairs and the entire manky contents of the heating system awaited me soaked into the carpet. "fuck me" I thought as I text the plumber. As the water stank, and had wicked through the entirety of the 8x4m lounge, my partner and I very quickly made the decision to rip it up and drag it outside. Required removing all the furniture and the tandem into the hallway. Plumber very apologetic and the first thing he said as he came through the door was "new carpet on me". As the (very) long term plan was to polish the floors, he called up his floorsander mate who came over straight away. Plumber is going to pay for this which I feel a bit awkward about. As the carpet was up, he also fitted new valves (no plan to initially) and lifted the floor boards to ensure the pipes were in the right place as new radiators slightly different size. Floorsander doing the job on the 8th Jan. Have to keep our 1 y/o out of the lounge until then which is easier said than done.
It's the putting right that counts so karma/10 for plumber mate for not only going above the call of duty paying for floor sanding / filling but also fitting the radiator valves etc. Bit of a pain but massively good vibes too.

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Did he not cap the thermostatic valve or something?

I'm pretty sure that's what happened :( silver lining and all that!

Fair enough, that's pretty rookie, I wouldn't lose much sleep over accepting his offer.

And you got a free pipework flush into the deal!

Can I replace a socket myself? Without needing an electrician's involvement. In Scotland.

I don't see why not

Do you mean just swapping over the wall plate or moving the socket?

If you're just changing the wall plate i think you're all good. You can move the socket yourself too but i think you have to get it signed off by your local authority (or get someone registered to do it...).

Not in Scotland but that's what I'm doing today too. Some lovely Gira sockets recommended in this very thread. Pretty sure in England you can replace like for like yourself (unsure anyone actually know?)

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In England you only need to notify if do any of the following:

1. The installation of a new circuit, whether at low voltage (typically 230 V) or extra-low voltage); or
   
2. Replacement of a consumer unit (fusebox); or
   
3. Any alteration or addition to an existing circuit in a special location*, whether at low voltage (typically 230 V) or extra-low voltage
   
   

*A special location is a room containing a bath or shower, swimming pool or a sauna heater.

Cheers @7ven @soul I'm just thinking of a straight replacement rather than moving or modifying.

Soul has it right about notification in England. Not sure if it applies completely to Scotland though but it should do.

You just need to follow proper (common sense) health and safety procedures i.e. make sure you are not working on a live circuit, check you have wired the socket correctly (N,L,E in correct place) etc.

I have old sash windows which I'll be sanding down, refurbing a little and repainting both inside and out. Wondering what sort of caulk/sealant should be used around where the frame meets the window? Paging @Airhead as I think this is your bag?

I should be able to use the same SDS drill to remove render (with a scutch attachment) and a path laid with ceramic tiles over concrete paving stone & poured concrete, shouldn't I?

Also - corded SDS drills - Makita or DeWalt, or some other brand?

No usb sockets?

I've got nothing but positive things to say about my Makita SDS. A mate had a Hilti, which was very impressive

Frame sealant is the quick way, generally acrylic these days as the silicon type doesn't accept paint well and doesn't weather well either. On my own windows I used Toupret flexible reinforced filler - Fibracyl. It shrinks and takes time to dry so it can take a few days to get to a finished level, it's also doesn't sand well.

I use zinnser one coat gloss white on exterior windows these days. It doesn't cover in one coat but it's durable and easy to apply.

I have a couple of Bosch ones, I did burn the motor on a smaller Bosch one channeling in some concrete. The larger one can demolish walls. You have to get a model that has the no rotation chisel function of course.

Extractor fans controlled by a humidistat in an old (120 year) building. Will be installed in a single-pane upvc window. No other external walls (it's a narrow bathroom).

It'll be a non-shuttered fan, so that I can have a pull cord override.

Is this going to work adequately do you think? I have the fear that the temperature will drop overnight, pushing the relative humidity up and triggering the fan to start, which will wake me up (my bedroom is next door).

Fear #2 is that the lack of a shutter means the humidistat will just record the outside air relative humidity.

Anyone know where I can by Synstryp paint stripper (or equivalent) in London? I’m either West or East usually.

Cheers @Airhead - the Fibracyl filler, is that for any minor filling that needs to be done? i.e You'd also use an acrylic frame sealant too?

By the time I've finished with the Fibracyl it doesn't need frame sealant but you can use a little frame sealant to easily finish a Fibracyl filling job.

I want to get three rooms painted all around 4x3m (one is a kitchen so less) and one wall and ceiling in the bathroom. All currently white.

What sort of cost am I looking at (minus paint) and do I need to remove shelves etc or would they do that?