Home DIY

Yeah, my local council (harringey) sub everything out to a local contractor so £325 a time for a certificate. When thorough 16 and 17 edition qualifications, through ex employers so that I could identify that work was done correctly and was correctly certified. Suppose that is what you need when you employ the cheapest bidder and they then sub out to the cheapest person.

Do a search for ikea hacks. I’m sure I saw some good used not too long ago
Like this

The BS7671 qualifications are pretty useful but you need the Installation and Testing one 2391 to cover basic installation. The 2392 is what you need if you are carrying out condition reports.

It's not that easy to get registered and stay registered if you're not working on consumer unit installs etc. regularly. I couldn't see that it was worth it for me as I'm not interested in doing that kind of work. Staying registered just to be able to add circuits or work in gardens is tempting.

Would it be irresponsible to order timber online for delivery?

For your health?

If you can have the wood left for however long CV19 is meant to survive on a surface you should be fine.

Fine with taking my own precautions, worried about making others go out of their way and put themselves at risk. B&Q are doing contact free click & collect.

As are Screwfix. Used it yesterday and it was very slick. Items are sat in the back of the car for the next couple of days de-Covid-ing

Aye, would likely be some pressure treated stuff that I wouldn't get around to using straiht away so could sit outside getting a good dose of UV too.

Make sure you weigh it down and sticker it properly or you may well end up with banana shaped timber.

Edit: in all fairness it will probably arrive banana shaped but will get even worse if not stored properly.

Aye, I have a dry spot that I can lay it down flat. Pulled out some 2.4m 2"x2" lengths that I had stored outside since last year and they were still (as) straight (as they came from B&Q).

sticker it properly

What is stickering in this context?

When you're storing / seasoning timber each row should have smaller timbers placed across them at regular intervals that the next row lays on these smaller timbers are called stickers (at least that's what I was taught there are about a thousand different names for them).

Ah - cool. Luckily I've been doing that - I guessed that as the timber yard stored them like that, I'd not go far wrong doing the same.

I've also used some big clamps to keep some of the bendier timbers in line.

i find b+q 2x timber to be bob on, tbf

I've also used some big clamps to keep some of the bendier timbers in line

Be careful when you take them off! It's unlikely but they could spring back with force.

While you are doing no harm by doing this it won't have much effect in the overall straightness of the timber. Generally when you use bendy timber you arrange it so that the curves work for you, for example when you are joisting out a floor you place the timber so they are "crown up" (so the top of the curve is on the top side of the joist). This way gravity will pull the curve back relatively straight and you won't end up with a big dip in the floor.

Id be wary of buying timber if I can’t select it myself. When I’ve been to our local timber yard I’ve had to discard about 30-50% as it’s too wonky. If I had that picked for me or delivered I’d be pretty disappointed

I had the waste from a bedroom sink plumbed into a soakway. It was horrible as kept overflowing and leaving grey water around. Hadn't realized it was a soakway and thought it was into the drains so worth knowing

None of what I'm ordering will be for cabinet making. I can live with a few curves.

Over the next two years I'm going to be redoing the house. Because of my job I'm pretty good with most DIY (except plastering), can do the electrics myself and have mates at work who can do gas.

However I've not embarked on something like this before. Is there any good 'house project management' resources or books out there?

No major works like extensions or loft conversions just a rewire/new boiler/new kitchen and bathroom/redecorate.

I've found a few YouTube channels which have been really useful:

Spend Time, Save Money, DIY:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJNvGAjGJd54BoabQEC7RbQ

Charlie DIYte:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7x7wk8yeN2ZEJCo6BgP2ag

I'm aware that we're a different audience though - they might well be too basic for you and not cover projects quite as large as yours but things like that could be decent starting points.

We got some offcuts from our wooden (don't care) worktops and I've promised to make them into shelves.

It seems now that I've dragged my feet for long enough that I might be allowed to buy a power tool to help me.

Should I buy a circular saw, which I'm guessing would be necessary for cuts along the lengths of the pieces, or a compound mitre saw?

I think I'd feel more confident using the latter, but a circular saw might actually be more what I need for this.

For long cuts, I would get a track/plunge saw. Can also be used for cutting to length if you're careful about the set up. You won't be able to rip cut with a mitre saw, but you can cross cut with a track saw.

A plunge saw is a great tool but a circular saw is much more versatile. Most new circular saws will run on tracks plus they can be used to cut free hand accurately and can do things like drop cuts that you could never do with a plunge saw. Added to that you can buy a very good circular saw for the price of a very cheap plunge saw.

Replacing dual fuel cooker- almost like for like, same manufacturer and style just newer version. Currently plugged into socket in cupboard to side and about three feet away. Any reason can’t do same with new cooker? I know separate circuit and cooker switch is optimal solution j.

I second this. Love my track saw, and have some useful accessories, but for ripping timber, freehand cuts, and cross cuts on timber, a circular saw is simply better suited.
A track saw is really for cutting sheet material when it needs to be accurate and you don’t have a table saw, or if you need to cut in situ.