Home DIY

Not going to answer the caulking question 😉 because I've been beaten to it.

As far as the filling goes I'd probably use timbabuild if I was doing it for a paying client. Problem there is for a DIY job you will need to buy a tube of the filler £28, the primer ~£30, and the specialised mastic gun ~£50 so for a small job it's a pretty big outlay. As its a step I'm assuming that this is subject to regular use in the summer months so 2 part fillers which are fairly inflexible are likely to fail due to repeated flexing, so brummer is probably your best bet as its slightly more flexible there is also the added bonus that it can be colour matched if you don't want to paint

I use Toupret Wood Filler (brown pot, ready mixed) for interior and exterior wood. It keeps for months, maybe years even. Properly painted I've not seen failure yet.

Otherwise I use Repaircare and Timbabuild like Bobbo mentioned. It is worth investing in a beginner kit because the tubes last. Repaircare entry cost is £120+. If I had to pick one it would be repaircare, I have Timbabuild because their 1 hour version is useful from time to time.

That and the IR stripper make a great combination for external wood.

@Bobbo & @Airhead,
Both products look great!
Will see which of the two I can procure and report back with results!
Thanks for the comprehensive replies

I should add that the tubes in the beginner kit of Repaircare used to be small, smaller than the regular tubes. That is a bit of a con but the stuff itself is so well suited to repairing exterior wood that it's overall worth it. I end up with more wastage with timbabuild despite the slightly lower price per tube. The 4 hour version doesn't build or hold it's shape as well as Repaircare.

Putting a freezer in part of our outhouse (one designed for outbuildings). The room is 87 x 138cm.

The fuseboxe for the outhouse and shed is located in the same room. The fridge will need some sort of extension cable to reach the double socket. One socket is used for the electric heater in the outdoor loo next door.

A few questions:

1. Electrics: As the freezer isn't constantly visible and we don't want something to happen to it is there anything is should be aware of re an extension cable? And would it be easier/preferable to make my own? I'd assumed I would want a fused extension lead multiplug.
   
2. Counter top. Adding the freezer removes space, so I'd like to regain some above. I don't want to build perminant shelves, but a faily perminant work counter top that could take a decent weight if it was layen with drinks. What's the most economical way to do this, considering the limits of the lockdown? Also does there need to be some sort of venting at the back?
   
   

Cheers.

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Looking to store my bikes in cupboard under stairs but found that the wall I wanted to mount to is just drywall. I was hoping there would be some studs behind but no joy. I was thinking of using some very strong adhesive plus some screw's to place a plank of wood against the drywall then use a clug mount to mount at least one of the bikes. This wouldn't be weight bearing so don't think this would be too much of a stress. The question is how to mount the other bike. Thoughts?

Added photo of the space the bike will be mounted.

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The question is how to mount the other bike.

I'm confused, how were you originally planning on mounting the other bikes?

Also there's a thread here which might yield some inspiration: https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/129069/?offset=1300#comment15106615

With a Clug mount, the majority of the force is on the floor, so I'd have thought if you use some proper plasterboard fixings it should be fine.

The other bike I was going to use a hook, similar to the Park Tools one. Only way I'd fit both bikes is having the other one mounted higher so the bars don't get in the way.

This is working out better than expected.

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Oh ffs.

How about a piece of plywood cut to cover that entire wall? Can you afford to lose 25mm in depth?

Hey hive mind. One of the many jobs this weekend is to clean the flagstone steps to my house. I’ve removed most of the moss and mould off using Zep masonry cleaner but some small areas of black mould remain. I’ve tried vinegar and also a 2.5% solution of sodium hypochlorite, neither of which have worked. Anyone got any suggestions?

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Jetwash?

I'm guessing the staining is in the surface texture of the stone.
How long did you leave the masonry cleaner on for?
You might need extended contact time to get into every pore of the stone.
You'll lose nothing by applying some more tonight and leaving it overnight.

The staining is / was mostly water I think but there is an unevenness to the colour as the stone is quite porous which is why I haven’t used bleach or a pressure washer. Here’s a better picture.

I’ll try another go with the chemical cleaner tomorrow, thanks. Ideally I’d like to restore some of the colour to the stone before I seal it. Has anyone any experience of using colour restoring like this?

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Do you have a small roof above these steps?
Is it waterproofed with lead sheet,
and,
covered in moss?

Just struck me if some of the discolouration is moss-based you might need to use iron sulfate
to kill off moss spores.

Yeah but no. There’s a roof but it’s painted with a compound sealant. The house is a regency villa so I guess at some point it would have been lead sheeting. There was a lot of algae-like buildup on the stone and some moss on the roof (but not much) so thanks for the tip on iron sulphate. The main reason for the buildup is that the entrance is north facing so gets relatively little direct sunlight.

Lockdown DIY: turned an old DIY shelving unit into a skinny side table to fit the gap beside the guest bed

Was:

Is now:

Sodium Hypochlorite is a bleaching agent, so you have already used bleach on it.

Been reading through last few pages...incredibly informative. Thanks all.

Not DIY, home tidying. What’s the right thing to do with old electronic cables? Landfill?

Leave them for freelance metal recyclers

Our local recycling centre classes cables and connectors (mains, computer, hifi, co-ax etc.) as 'small electrical' - not that they're open at the moment.

Yep they're considered WEEE recycling so this is the right answer.

There are sometimes bins for small electrical items on the street. At least in Hackney.