Home DIY

I drilled some 6mm holes in my bathroom tiles to put up a cabinet but I'm now having second thoughts about the fixings and have decided the holes need to be 8mm.

What's the best way to open them out without cracking? I used a diamond core bit which doesn't have any centre to locate in the existing hole so I imagine doing that neatly with an 8mm bit would be a bit of a sod.

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/specialist-drill-bits/0569792

Or drill an 8mm hole in wood to use as a guide, position that somehow over the 6mm hole and use an 8mm core bit, if you have one.

These. And they self-centre, pretty much, if you're making bigger holes.

I've only ever used the diamond ones on glass tiles - Even with my heavy-handedness, I've not managed to crack ceramic tiles with the triangley bits.

Cheers, that type looks like it will do the job. I don't have an 8mm diamond core so would have needed another bit anyway.

On the latest instalment of why are things never bloody easy, all I want to do is put a bathroom cabinet up, I've found that the combined thickness of tiles and plasterboard is about 30mm. This has ruled out the nylon plugs I was planning on using to hang the cabinet as the majority of the length would just be against the tiles and board rather than crumpling behind it.

I was pondering using something like this https://www.orbitalfasteners.co.uk/products/m4x59-interset-cavity-fixing-rawl-p-no-r-sm-04059 but have some concerns that the anti-rotation spikes will crack the tiles when done up tightly? Any thoughts or other bright ideas.

Trying to avoid spring toggles so I don't need to drill big holes in the tiles.

Philips Hue.

Coving - talk to me...

Where'd you get it from?
How did you stick it on?
Was it easy?
Are you happy?

https://www.fischer.co.uk/en-gb/products/standard-fixings/plastic-fixings/duopower

Would these work?

What blanking nut do I need to cap this radiator valve while I'm having some plastering done? It measures about an inch across. I can't see anything that big on screwfix.

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Maybe https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Compression-Blanking-Cap---22mm/p/424952

Or https://www.screwfix.com/p/bsp-female-cylinder-blank-1-x/21851

related question - when a radiator is disconnected/bled and these pipes isolated (i.e. thermostatic valve set to 0 on one side, valve closed on the other side), can I use the rest of the system?

Good spot. I'd searching for blanking nut as that is what all the other sizes were called.

Actually it's a 3/4 now I've checked the bsp spec. How lovely and confusing.

Yes. The radiators aren't in one series loop but in parallel.

Pipe specs are complicated and I don't really understand them but does 3/4" BSP refer to the internal pipe diameter?

lovely stuff - thanks

The tile drills I prefer are shaped like a diamond, with softer sides. You can open up the holes as long as you're careful.

http://p.luckyretail.com/Uploadfile/20160510/001152/001152.jpg

realised this had already been answered...

Sorry, It's just out of the frame. Came with the house, and it's old and crumbling.

did you have to use a cement mixer or manage to mix by hand?

Mixed by hand - repointing in (small) stages so I was only ever using a bucketful at a time.

I was pondering using something like this https://www.orbitalfasteners.co.uk/produ­cts/m4x59-interset-cavity-fixing-rawl-p-­no-r-sm-04059 but have some concerns that the anti-rotation spikes will crack the tiles when done up tightly? Any thoughts or other bright ideas.

When I had to do the same thing years ago, I just bent the spikes flat using pliers - they went back into the cutouts they are formed from, leaving a (mostly) flat disk to bear against the tile.

Use a setting tool with them - doing them up with a screwdriver mostly works, but there's always one that wants to rotate, and it's a lot more satisfying squeezing them tight than it is spinning madly ...

Cheers, I guess that using the setting tool does make the spikes somewhat redundant.

@moog I think the bigger versions of those could work but would need to open the holes up even more. They look decent though so may pick some up anyway.

@airhead Cheers, I've got one of those on order

A coin and a rubber washer inside a normal compression nut can seal off those. From memory I think a 10p piece works.

I'm redoing my kids room to insulate it properly, room is a nightmare, cold in winter and roasting in the summer. Considering using a mix of solid insulation board for the vertices and then wool on the inclined ceiling. Am I going down the right route and does anyone have experience of best materials?

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Could I get an opinion as to whether a quote I've had is in the right ballpark, or wildly out?

Work involves (at a high level) to a 7m x 5m L-shaped living/dining room:

• skimming the walls and ceiling, but no decorative finish
  
• ripping out an old gas fire place, including the mantel, capping gas supply below boards and replastering as a 'void' space
  
• re-boarding the entire floor with ply (but no finish, so carpet/boards extra)
  
• minor electrical work (one new socket)
  
  

All in, I've been quoted £2.8k (ex VAT). Seems reasonable-ish, but this is all fairly new to me...

Have you had a look behind the knee wall to see what has been put there so far?

You'll likely be limited what you can do, given the rafter height and need for ventilation.

Unless you take out the existing plasterboard and stud the celing out a bit further, sacrificing headroom.

A quick (and minor) win would be an awning for the window and a reflective blind.