Home DIY

is the pop likely to pinpoint the fault source?

More than likely. If you can hear it I'll bet it not surrounded by plaster!

So after a complete renovation and then a following change in circumstances I'm considering a move to a smaller place.

This has me looking at terraced houses and the potential for a side return extension off the already existing galley kitchens.

Has anyone on here carried out a similar job?

My current place has a large kitchen off the back that I put on but access/ drains were not a problem there.

Not really sure what I'm asking now I've reread that.

This is going to get messy!

But is it aerodynamic.

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Correct but it only took us chippies about 3 millennia to figure this out.

Either that or the stiletto one that is very similar for full on hammer pron points, the face on the stiletto is changable so you can swap between a smooth and milled face without spending another 200 plus notes on a second hammer. Or you can do what a mate of mine did; not notice that the face is unscrewing and then spend half a day searching the site for it, not finding it, and having to fork out £90 for a replacement.

That's just Ogee (Ogee 1 from Bobbo's diagram - the top is not normally in line with the bottom part from skirting I've seen), with a thick layer of paint on, isn't it?

https://ceskirting.co.uk/shop/skirting-board/standard-range/mdf-ogee-skirting-board/?attribute_pa_thickness=18mm&attribute_pa_height=69mm&attribute_pa_length=4200mm&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkPO55JrK6gIVQuvtCh23Cw7fEAQYASABEgJNj_D_BwE

@grams and @allshookup - Thank you!! will drop Tim a line! The machine doesn't work without the capacitor, but I have read that the 707 one doesn't have a capacitor in the pedal like other models and so it does need a capacitor. I have the same problem with my newer Bernina, capacitor has gone and I have a replacement on the way - but that one does work without the capacitor.

Ok, I borrowed a megger from work and ran insulation resistance tests...

SFO to socket cable = 500v pass (>999MOhm or whatever it says)
CU to SFO cable = wouldn't ramp past about 2-3v, no resistance reading. Used the ohm-meter function (200ma), ~2.4-3k resistance between all 3 conductors. Resistance between 'earth' and a grounded water pipe ~4.4k.

I assume that all tells the same story - fucked cable.

OK. You need to do the following and tell me the readings. Turn off the CU at the main isolation switch first.

Disconnect the circuit live and neutral at the CU and test between them at 500V. Record the reading.

Then test between Live and Earth at the CU, don't disconnect Earth. Again at 500V, record the reading.

Same thing with neutral and earth.

Don't confuse IR tests with Continuity tests and don't think a water pipe is an actual ground.

Gas and water are bonded to the supply ground to become equipotential. Your 'Earth' is the one the supplier gives you.

Also, you do have new batteries in the tester?

Is there a reason to used 10mm² wood battens / strips to hold shed window panes instead of putty?

(currently fixing shed window and the battens are warped and some snapped)

Ps any other tips - they are the ones with little plastic blocks to hold the corners on the inside.

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I'm building a deck for my garden office and am wondering about a slope for drainage. The boards will be grooved composite and run parallel to the office. I was going to have it slope slightly away from the office ie perpendicular as the garden naturally slopes anyway, but am wondering if I will have a standing water problem in the grooves since they will be level in their orientation? I don't really want to introduce a slope in that direction as it would be an eye sore.

I know you said you didn't want to introduce a slope but even a slight one will be enough to run off the water. I had to do the same with my place and unless you're laying on the floor you wouldn't notice.

Are the boards going to be butted up against each other or any spaces in between?

I hadn't even thought of that. Even a shallow run off of 1.5° is going to be ~8cm height difference over 3m, and that's going to look weird.

I didn't think of it; I always run my designs past my dad before I commit and he always finds something wrong with them.

I'd accept like 5mm max over my 4m width but any more and it would just start to look like it was just a shoddy job.

Running the boards perpendicular is another option, but the cladding is vertical, it would be impossible to get the boards to line up with them and it would annoy me that they didn't.

@spenceey 6mm gap between boards, the boards will be 4m long so no butting in the longitudinal direction will be needed.

Because it's cheaper, quicker and requires less skill than window putty.

If you are having difficulty with the pins for the window cut off the peened part (the round bit you hit with the hammer) of a pin using wire cutters and put the pin in a drill. This will allow you to friction drill a hole for the pins and will make driving them easier also it will minimise the chances of damaging or splitting the bits of wood.

You can use clear silicone to bed the glass into the frame and also between the glass and the beads.

I normally put a 1:100 fall on decking when I do it so 10mm for every m. It's hard to see it and carries water away from any structure the decking is meeting, this is especially important if the deck sits above the dpc of a building.

The tests last night were with the whole run disconnected from the CU - tried both ends and got the same non-results. Tester is a fully charged lithium job and the passed test was in between the two fails!

I’m going to either remove the tiles and dig out the cable or snip off the ends, ignore it and get plugs from the room ring. Haven’t decided yet

Plumbing question - the (chromed & fancy) trap under the sink has a knackered washer in it, and I can't find anywhere that has the same size

The washer itself is shredded, so I can't measure exactly, but the gap it fills is 31mm I/D, 39mm O/D (which I guess could also be 1.25", 1.5")

It's a red fibre washer

Does anyone have a good source for odd washer sizes?

Ta

Toolstation nearby?
TS part number 61418 or 66356 might work,
(neither are red fibre),
or peruse page 192 of the July 2020 catalogue?

Thanks. That's really helpful.

I've got some window putty, so will go that route. Application might be harder, but vs. finding the time to source, buy, cut paint, and fit new wood strips I think it's going to be the easy route.

The only thing that's a shame is this would be perfect time to add an acrylic/similar pane to make a basic double glazed window and protect it from being broken by kids in the future.

Anyone had any luck sourcing plaster recently? Finally got a plasterer to come in and do my front room, but it’s all on hold till he can find plaster. Thought I might be able to source my own multifinish to get him on his way. Other than checking wickes website every five minutes, not sure how else to compete with the plaster hoarders!

You can use clear silicone to bed the glass into the frame and also between the glass and the beads.

The people who put up my new shed did this. Vertical battens to hold the glass in place. Clear silicone at the bottom. Not sure if they used clear silicone on the vertical bits behind the battens.

I know that I'll give my daughter loads of warnings about the windows on the shed and it'll be me that smashes the first one with a mis-kick/hit. I'll replace them with perspex when I inevitably break them. (No rush as there's been a bit of a run on perspex recently, and I need some for a different project.)

plaster

Fwiw my builder mate has said this has been a massive issue.

Anyone else tempted by the Wera turbo screwdriver?