Owning your own home

Anyone know of any recycling facilities west / north that will take polystyrene?

Is having two thermostats for up/downstairs a thing? I find that when we have the wood burner on downstairs gets nice and warm but the heating turns off meaning the kids bed rooms are a bit too cold. Any suggestions?

Is having two thermostats for up/downstairs a thing?

Yes, but overkill for your situation. Increase the temp on the thermostat and use the TRVs to keep the temperature consistent across the house. Fit TRVs if you don't have them already.

The numbers on the thermostat are basically meaningless - you just set it to a point where it will warm the coldest bit of the house and then use TRVs to modulate the temperature everywhere else. Total headfuck but that's central heating in 2020. The future is not here yet because both consumers and fitters are largely demotivated and somewhat clueless.

For the full nuclear option get Tado and its robot rad valves.

I find that when we have the wood burner on downstairs

You monster.

Unless your in a mansion yes, get TRV's fitted as said below and you could zone the system if you wanted full control of up and downstairs which would be better than two thermostats.

I have upstairs + downstairs. helpful to regulate between them (underfloor heating throughout so cant tweak radiators etc.)

just set it to a point where it will warm the coldest bit of the house and then use TRVs to modulate the temperature everywhere else

It took me 10 years to figure this out but you are totally right.

Good tenon game.

Ceiling pendant will be secured when we know if the ceiling needs replastered or not. There's no heavy shade on it. It has to be safer than the bare wires the seller left dangling out of the ceiling.

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Well, it's better than nothing but not by much :)

Stick a smaller plug inside the existing plug or pack it with matches or drive a larger screw in, with matches and bits of smaller rawlplugs and then eventually glue it with no more nails and wedges around the edge of the box until you finally give up and screw the face plate back on!

Nicely done.

Some of the loose sockets just have loose or missing faceplate screws, so they are an easy fix. And the CU, although old, does have working trips. So rewire might not be as urgent as first thought. Will likely still get the CU replaced and speak to the spark about a rewire anyway as there are a few interesting socket placement choices, and I want an extra circuit for a future shed.

New windows are climbing the priority ladder so have a quote request out with Anglian. The alu frames in the front bays are totally knackered. As is the sash window in the back, first floor bedroom. Thankfully it's not freezing cold, yet. But I can see that 99% of the damp (of which there is mercifully little) is from the knackered windows.

But, none of this is a surprised, really. Just shuffling stuff that we knew needed done around. No nasty surprises, yet. Our main bug bear is we just keep finding filth and disrepair that totally beggars belief. Like holes in plaster caused by teenagers, or layers of grime in the kitchen and bathrooms, painted over dust bunnies, etc. Still, if it didn't have all that, we wouldn't have been able to afford it.

I mean, it's a level of foresight not afforded to much else in this place.

Neat!

You've seen my level of DIY before then?

Thanks all. What is a TRV?

I know I am an animal for having a wood burner but I do live just shy of the arctic circle tbf 😂

Thermostatic radiator valve.

Adjusts the radiator flow to the temperature in the room. Acts like a localised thermostat. But it can't 'call' the boiler get it heating unless you get something 'smart' like Tado.

Best thing on YouTube

Cheers

Yep, just struck me as weird to prominently advertise it. Looking at Google satellite view it doesn't seem to have been there for long so not sure about the retrospective approval and, as you say, Haringey don't tend to approve roof terraces.

Painting question. Can I use Zinsser 1-2-3 on the dado/picture rails and skirting as well as the walls? Looking at the next stage of nicotine suppression after cleaning/scrubbing before decorating.

Pretty sure you can, Zinsser is a great product but relatively expensive. But it's my go-to for stuff this this.

Cheers. So far as paint that will help with the staining/smell, money is no object (within reason). If we find after a few cans/a room that something more drastic is required (like replastering) then we'll stop throwing money at paint.

Now, loose plug socket back boxes. What do?

Push it back into the wall, then poke an expanding foam nozzle into one of the three pin openings and keep squirting until it doesn't move anyway.

Tiled. I’m really happy with it

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