Home DIY

I've got an 8.7kg mirror which needs to hang from a single screw above a fireplace - so drilled into a brick chimney stack.

What size screw do I need?

Cheers.

Hello hive mind...
Refurbishing sandstone window cills? Can an amateur do a decent enough job?

Probably , depending on what you need doing.

I've used Namurian Rock to harden crumbly stone (after digging out the worst of it).

I had planned to rebuild with Conserv Repair Mortar (using a box frame), but ended up getting someone in, as I needed the sills ground down to create a runoff.

The repair person actually ended up using a lime mortar mix, with cement added - I think that was a bad move, but time will tell.

Thanks. It looks kinda simple really, they're not too bad, just pitted and a bit crumbly on the surface so I figured I could just fill with a product and smooth over with a trowel to make it decent but far from perfect. Once painted it'll probably look a lot better.

Finding something that bonds to the stone is likely the trickiest part.

Cement will bond, but if any water gets between (which will invariably happen, no matter how careful you are), the sill will degrade far quicker than without.

The lime mortar companies are usually good to talk to - they've lots of experience, and happy to talk. Try the chap at Mike Wye, or Conserv themselves.

Will I need a stain blocker or just primer/undercoat for water stains to the ceiling in the shower? Looking at the recommended Zinsser

Would it not be possible to get a heavy duty bracket and secure that to the wall with a few screws?

https://www.ukpictureframingsupplies.co.uk/heavy-duty-picture-hanging-32-c.asp

My parents getting rid of their internal pine doors. Is there a second hand market for this kind of thing?

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It seems overkill when the mirror's instructions say "hang on a screw" and it's a strong chimney breast.

Frame fixing/hammerfix

Is there a slot in the back of the mirror that will retain a screw head?

Yes, there's a market.

I would generally start with cover stain. If you have time to check you can try the water based 123+ first and see if the stain comes through that. Cover stain washes up best with meths, proper pain to have to keep meths around just for that one job but it needs it.

Usually a 6mm rawlplug and 5.5mm screw or similar. 8's are kind of overkill and 7.5 kgs is not a lot of weight.

washes up

Can you dumb that down for the luddites in the back (me)?

Cheers.

(closer to 9kg tho)

Started the mezzanine bed this weekend

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Looks promising!

Make sure the platform has holes in it to allow the mattress to breathe...

Expect mold otherwise...

Yes, it’s just over 2m high. Will be fitting 18mm ply this weekend, then front the exposed 5x2, create some kind of rails and fit stairs. Was going to build the stairs but can get them made to measure for around £200, which will save a lot of time. Should complete the job for under £420

Yep, will be drilling the ply and varnishing

Nice. Not bad for under £500!

Not sure it's a thing, I meant to say you need to use Methylated Spirits to wash the brushes. I think white spirits work but meths works properly. Of course meths and white spirit are quite unpleasant to handle and not that great for the environment.

I would start to worry around 20 kg. Probably worth having 2 screws then. I fitted one the other day must have been 25-30 kgs, it was supplied with a French cleat fixed with 4 screws. Total overkill because you would have trouble getting it off the wall with a crow bar.

Ah, wash up. I was over thinking it expecting it to mean something about thinning out the paint or something