Home DIY

Having pondered a bit on my flooring repairs, is there a tool that does something like this? Part depth cut adjacent to a vertical wall or similar. Guided plunge router? @nefarious I assume this is what you meant in terms of chiseling it out?

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We used a system called Loftzone. It was only fractionally more expensive than buying all the bits separately and it feels very secure.

Yeah, that's what I meant by chiselling it out.

You can also get multi cutters with depth stops.

You could make a guide for a router but you're not going to be able to get it close enough to the frame.

Easiest way would probably be oscillating tool to make the plunge cuts, then chisel the material out. You wouldn't have to make it full depth, as any strip that protrudes above the floor level can be sanded or planed flush.

I would say that it will be tricky tho. Deffo give it some practise on some scraps.

Quick and probably easy question for the electricians.

I'm trying to replace the bedside light switches that turn the main light on/off.

I've a 1 gang 2 way switch as the new switch but the old switch has additional wiring as per the photo.
Have I bought the wrong switch of can one of the "extra" wires go double up into the new switch.

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And this is the back of the new switch. Sorry for the double post, still can't post more than one picture

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You can also get multi cutters with depth stops.

Ah that's good to know!

You could make a guide for a router but you're not going to be able to get it close enough to the frame.

Fair enough. (It's still been an interesting thought experiment to imagine the tool and then see if it exists!)

Easiest way would probably be oscillating tool to make the plunge cuts, then chisel the material out. You wouldn't have to make it full depth, as any strip that protrudes above the floor level can be sanded or planed flush.

Agreed.

give it some practise on some scraps.

That's the plan! I've also reserved a mitre saw from my local tool hire library to cut the strip wood. Planning to build a small fake floor from offcut boards and practice on that. If it's too horrendous I'll default to having the strip wood sit proud of the floor.

Have I bought the wrong switch

Original is an intermediate switch, new one is a one gang 2 way as far as I can tell.

That looks like an intermediate switch. Would normally be in the middle of two 2 way switches. Halfway up the hallway or something like that.

If you want to post multiple pictures you need to select them at the same time in the upload file chooser.

I was 2 hours too late to answer that one!!

Cheers!

Hadn't known about intermediate switches so back onto the website to order more stuff.

@Airhead I'll try that but sure it only gives the option for one file and then if I select another one the first gets deleted

I had been encountering the same problem earlier this evening, I was able to select both in the file menu and they both appeared in the Upload a file area before posting the reply. I couldn't select one and then go back and select a second another one.

Thanks a lot for all this. Despite the very valid last line I'm still kinda tempted. Will have a read.

A lot of people figure that it's common sense issues with most portable professional gear.

Sound systems have to be careful with their gear too, most venues say they need PAT stickers but no one ever checks.

I don't want to diminish the importance of the PAT test in scenarios where no one wants to take responsibility for equipment but owner operators who don't care about frayed power cables or faulty extension cables probably don't care about PAT testing either.

TLDR - A lot of it is common sense you will already be applying.

Cheers, will have a look. Looking at the loft legs online, it's hard to get a grasp of how stable they would be, & I don't want anything wobbly. Loftzone system looks decent.

What do people normally do about the threshold between two different height of floor? I've just put down a floor in one room and the adjoin floor is a about 1 cm lower. I've got a doorbar/trim do I stick it down on the wonk, pack the lower side or something clever that eludes me?

We didn't realise this when we ordered it but all of our joists were spread at relatively random intervals. But because you get the metal cross pieces with the loft zone kit it means that there is flexibility for where the supports go without having to worry about where the corners of the loft boards are.

Hmm, that would make things easier, I did a bit of a survey of the loft but it has involved a lot of extrapolation.

Running a soil pipe across two internal walls (Boxxed in) - crazy idea?

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will you be able to get enough fall over the length of the pipe? (I think 1:40 for soil but not 100%)

Just as a heads up also think there are a maximum number of turns before stand pipe?

Will need someone smarter than me to double check that but the current soil pipe leaves the room at floor level, or very close to, so should be fine (I think).

Will the boxing have a couple of access panels and the soil pipe have rodding points?

It will now! Noted. Thanks.

Can anyone tell me what is going on here? Its a thermostat.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EuhRaKmDcbq4iSVx6

This is not going to be fun.

Live comes from the timer (or direct from the mains if you don't have one) through the thermostat. If the temperature is about the set point then the thermostat is an open (off) switch. If the temperature falls below the set point the thermostat closes and turns on the boiler (makes the call for heat line go live). About as simple as you can get.