Home DIY

It will depend on how old it is but it could be pressure treated. See if there are any markings on the timber. C16 or C24 would be a good sign.

Alternatively, I have some left over 3m or so long C24 6" x 2" joists left over from building the deck that have been stored under tarp since last April that you're welcome to for a fiver each if you can collect from SE19. I can cut them to length if it makes it easier to transport.

See if there are any markings

Time to sneak into the neighbours garden.

I suspect that they are upwards of 100 years old though...

Thanks for the offer of the 2x6s - I'm going to have a look for my roof rack to see if I can transport them.

Cool just let me know. I have a large mitre saw so it's no bother to cut to spec.

These boyos - http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Exterior-Grade-Joist---47-x-150mm-x-3m/p/101318

Although I swear mine are marked C24. I also have some glavanised joist hangers left over for them that are taking up space in the shed.

Hive, Wiser or What?

We have been around this question before but it would be good to get updated advice on choices and people's experiences.

• I want remote control of the heating, and possibly hot water.
  
• The use is extremely random with no regular leave or arrive times
  
• The thermostat should be moveable, battery powered because when the woodburner is going we have to move the stat away.
  
• I don't want geofencing. That would require a phone to be active all the time - also we may approach the house on foot, bike, car, train+bike or ferry+bike. The train and ferry options bring us within 2 miles of the house before stopping further away. Basically I don't think any geofencing can help.
  
  

The options seem to be:
Hive
Netatmo
Honeywell Lyric wireless model
Drayton Wiser multizone 2

The Drayton seems attractive, it fits over existing wiring and if I buy rad thermostats later it can give room zoning effect and react to wood burners being on or off.
As far as I can see Nest and Tado require a hard wired thermostat which I don't want.

Tado require a hard wired thermostat which I don't want.

The Tado thermostat also runs on battery - I don't have it wired in. It communicates with a receiver that is wired to the boiler. You don't have to use the geofencing if you don't want to.

Your heating & hot water setup will determine which ones you can use too.

I've used Hive on a combi, and it's pretty straight forward.

Netatmo's customer support is utterly clueless. Tado's is the opposite, and some of the best customer support I've ever encountered.

Nest doesn't have a battery powered thermostat, but does just have a plug you can just move around, so depends if you are willing to do that.

Hive has a nice interface and the remote app works well. There’s no geofencing/learning/smart anything unless you use third-party apps (ie IFTTT for geofencing).

Nest is a PITA if you want to put the thermostat unit in a hall that has no socket, however.

Netatmo isn't moveable, it's wired in in place of your existing thermostat. Simple to fit and cheap but a bit more basic than the others.

True. Extension lead?!

I've been fairly unimpressed by our Nests. We've ended up using them like standard programmable stats as the learn-my-schedule functionality invariably leaves you with a pattern of use you probably don't want (just because I stayed up till 2am last Thursday doesn't mean I will do that perpetually etc). The home/away assist is not exactly geofencing but it is a reasonably effective way to ensure your heating goes off if you leave home during an 'on' period. Nests can be either wall-mounted or on a stand plugged into the wall; the latter can obviously be moved and they have a small internal battery so it doesn't reset when you do so.

What about this: https://www.ecobee.com/ecobee4/

I concur on the learning schedule thing, I suspect it is very much designed for people who keep rigid lifestyles, I work from a log cabin in the garden, so it gets very confused whether I am there or not. The one benefit I found is that it is lot easier to program than a standard stat. Oh and ours links to our smoke alarms, so will switch off the boiler if it detects any issues which is nice to know.

so it gets very confused whether I am there or not

NFC or Bluetooth or motion sensors, with ITTT (or Home assistant, if you like to homebrew) and you'll be good to go.

It's more the fact that I pop over to the house for 5 minutes to grab a coffee or use the loo and it thinks I have come home...

This is not true. It's wireless and freestanding and ours sits in the hall way in a cabinet. It comes with fittings to install it on the wall in place of an existing thermostat should you wish.

Never had an issue with Netatmo generally and the relay sits in the garage with the boiler quite some distance away.

Thanks for the updates. Nest is out because I don't have convenient sockets or wiring where it will be most of the time.
Ecobee looks like a real dog, room sensors without room temperature control???
There is still more research to do before I decide.

You're right, I totally forgot that option (although I think it partly depends on the boiler as well but I imagine that's the same for most).

I need to buy, and have delivered two fence panels (6x6ft) and two posts. Most places do packs of 3, wickes do individual ones but then ask for £30 delivery.

Why can't I use this? Much cheaper. If you neighbour used this instead of proper fence panels would you be pissed off?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-Screening-Privacy-Protection-Papillon/dp/B0076YKRZQ?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-ffab-uk-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B0076YKRU6&th=1

1 Attachment

I'd regard that as a decorative feature, and certainly not a substitute for a boundary fence.
I'd also be surprised if bamboo lasted more than a couple of years, whereas a traditional fence panel should be good for at least ten years.

If you neighbour used this instead of proper fence panels would you be pissed off?

Why don't you ask your neighbour?

I think you should do it properly and stop being so tight tbh.

Whereabouts are you?

Reading.

yeah. i guess the bamboo is a no go.

I've had a new toilet fitted onto a tiled floor. Should there be sealant around the base of the toilet? I assumed yes but the internet seems to be split on this.

Anyone has any experience in tanking cellar? We have a small one in our new house (brick walls and old concrete floor) that gets flooded once a year or so by 1 inch max. Seems to be raising water from the ground (we are based in a clay soil area). I am looking to tank it so can store more things without worrying about water. Any advise?

Anybody in the house incontinent or poor at aiming? Any sealant would prevent any liquid from flowing underneath the wc. You don't want any odours from slowly evaporating urine.