Home DIY

looks great - you'd think the professional would have done that...

Good job @Cupcakes

Must be a relief to have it sorted out!

Good work dude. Looks spot on

Thanks all. I'm really pleased. I'm also absolutely shattered, it turned out to be quite physical work.

Mostly I'm relieved as I cut the mitres freehand with a generic second fix saw. That plus it being my first time properly using either of the other tools made it a nerve wracking experience.

Whoever last painted my window frames made no attempt at masking and got loads of it on the aluminium. Most of it came off with a kitchen sponge and sugar soap, but I've ended up down the rabbit hole of trying to get right into the corner and it's more awkward than expected.

Any suggestions of how to go about it without damaging the actual windows? Am not worried about the wood, that's gonna be repainted.

Have a Dremel but none of the attachments to hand have been much use. Seem to have the effect of melting the paint and smearing it around rather than removing it. Also have a small Bosch multi sander, but can't see anything less abrasive than actual sanding sheets for it.

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Stanley blade?

Sounds reasonable, but not sure if I'd trust myself to leave the paint underneath unscathed.

Take your time doing it.

Nicely done! That looks great.

Spent today getting duct for the new mains water supply under the floorboards. That was a bastard.

This afternoon was spent replacing floorboards before I get the sander in next week and also measuring up for some alcove shelving I'm toying with putting up over the festive period.

Right about ready for a beer and snooze!

Electricians - burying cable. I'm wiring up a cabin, powered from a small DB in a neighbouring shed (which was wired in with the intention of including the cabin and its supply in the future). I'm going to supply the cabin's DB with SWA running out of the shed and into the cabin.

The shed and the cabin are less than 2ft apart. They both sit on a formed concrete slab. My question is about how I should arrange the cable run. The owner (father in law), wants to chase a groove into the concrete and run the cable in the chase but the regs state that cables need to buried at sufficient depth (usually taken as 600mm), so I've told him that's a no go.

He isn't keen to have the cable in the air. Would it be reasonable to put the cable into galvanised conduit and put that in the chase instead? I guess if I chase the concrete but don't fill it back in, it's not technically buried, although I'd still want the extra mechanical protection of the conduit.

It's a bit annoying as I can't seem to get through to him that him "having a think about it" isn't sufficient grounds for deviating from the regulations - but that's a separate matter for the rant thread...

Even more impressive for a first go. You should be proud. Also, DIY is definitely more tiring than doing it for a job! I can work a 5 day week on the tools no problem, but doing projects at home seems to nearly kill me.

the regs state that cables need to buried at sufficient depth (usually taken as 600mm)

That's if you bury them, iirc. They don't have to be buried.

IANAE, i dont have access to BS7671 etc...

That's if you bury them, iirc. They don't have to be buried.

Oh for sure. I'd happily have them in the air, or surface mount on the ground (albeit with the galv conduit as extra mechanical protection to stop it getting kicked when he goes between the shed and cabin to store wood there).

This issue lies with his insistence on burying them. I think I'm going to suggest the chase + conduit, with no backfill idea. So the result will be flush, but not technically buried.

I'm not registered (christ, it's my first job as a spark), so I'll have to get it signed off by someone else, so don't want to do anything that'll raise eyebrows.

Ah - got you. Even a conduit needs to be buried deeper than that though, no?

But what I mean is, chasing a groove to lay the galv conduit in, but having it visible/not filling it in. Essentially surface mounted, just recessed. Or is that a no-no? Or should I just surface mount the conduit on the ground and be done with it?

I'm about 100% not qualified to answer, but it sounds like it's iffy.

It's preferable to use armoured. Also preferable to keep it above ground. You can put it in the chase though, it doesn't require protection. You should put some tape on top of it though.

I'm pretty sure that's the regs but it's been a few years since I did a garden.

Victorian staircase; am I correct in assuming this is the stringer and therefore matching skirting on the landing above is going to be essential when I re-plaster this wall? The treads and risers will be getting replaced/ painted too but I guess doing much to the stringer will be a much bigger job.

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I've had a look through the regs, and only found stuff about buried cables needing to be of sufficient depth and with mechanical protection - SWA or conduit to equivalent level of protection. Quite excited about getting it done tbh.

I reckon it'll be fine. Convincing the FIL is the main hurdle.

I'm not able to go through the regs right now but I think it has something to do with properly earthing the sleeve of the SWA. Then you can lay it on beds in the garden so I can't see why it needs to be buried deep.

On the other hand the whole job needs sign off from building control so whoever is doing that should be able to advise you:)

Try searching the IET forum, I've found they are the best for electrical advice.

I tried the IET forum but it’s a pain to navigate.

Electricians forum said there was no need for the conduit and laying it in a groove was totally fine.

The supply SWA’s armour will be earthed as it comes out the supply DB (using a gland and a banjo, something along those lines).

I’m just finishing my C and G 2365 level 2 and 3, so I have sufficient understanding to do the job. The practical experience is what I need to build - fairly handy, but electrical installation experience is clearly lagging behind other aspects. A course mate is a registered competent person so he’s agreed to sign it off. I’ll obviously do a full test to make sure it’s alright. And I’ll do the cable calcs beforehand for practise anyway.

My main concern is that the Zs at the cabin DB will be too high and I’ll have to upgrade the SWA, or have to faff around with an earth rod. But otherwise should be straightforward.

I don't want to come across as aggressive but ask your registered competent mate :) If he's signing it off for you he will be able to answer the question easily enough.

I'm qualified for installation but not registered so of course I get asked to do gardens all the time!

I'm pretty sure I've been roughly where you are a few years ago. I had just done 2365 and wanted to do my own garden lighting. The conclusion I arrived at was SWA earthed at the glands and buried under cement and in my case tiles was fine. Where it comes out of the ground it is fixed to the walls and it's fixed to the walls for the majority of the run around the garden.

I would ask your course tutor or mate for advice, or just ask the question on the IET site.

I've not read this thread but it might have an answer :-

https://www2.theiet.org/forums/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=205&threadid=81732&highlight_key=y&keyword1=swa%20depth

Tutor reckoned bang it in conduit for extra protection. Others seem less convinced of its necessity.

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