Home DIY

Thanks.
The alignment isn’t ‘perfect’ but only I will notice - probably.
The positioning of the mixer and 3 way diverter was nightmarish - if I’d used large format or mosaic it wouldn’t have mattered so much.
Absurdly complicated piping didn’t allow much adjustment - would definitely do differently next time (make a jig to hold fixtures in place or something)

The Douglas fir window I built myself- I wanted a plain casement with no frame showing inside and which closed slightly proud of the tiles-so the sash is massively thick as the frame is buried in the wall and tiled over.

manual diy today, clearing out ditches around garden

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Love the window.

Do you have drawings/plans for it?

Tiling directly onto a wall ...

Depends on the tile and the wall and the substrate.
I stripped all the plaster off the brick and plastered with a thick cement reeder - the tiles (which are literally the cheapest you can buy) have been up for years (without grout 😖) and there have been no problems.
When I removed some to change the mixers and fit a hand held shower they were stuck on forever.
The repair after the plumbing was also cement render - but I tidied it up with bonding to get a smoother surface for tiling onto.

IMO outside walls should always be cement render - especially next to a window.

Can you build one for me too please?

Do you have drawings/plans for it?

Nah, I built it about 10 years ago and probably just did a sketch on a piece of A4 (I have used Autocad and Sketchup but I prefer to hand draw in the workshop.

Will pm dimensions.
Thanks.

That window really is stunning. Love the way it lines up.

I’m pretty happy with this.
There was a lot of planning to avoid cut tiles which mostly worked.
My mission to pay as little as possible for everything has cost a lot in time planning and getting shit stuff to work ok, but I’d rather that than throwing £££ at it.

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Next phase will be casting a concrete countertop with integral basin.

If anyone has any experience I’m all ears.

The ‘knee wall’ is probably supporting the purlin (large transverse timber the rafters rest on) the posts you’re seeing may be purlin props/hangers.
Removing one of the studs/posts it probably fine, but if you just need 40mm -put another post in out of the way.
Alternatively you can double up the purlin and remove the knee wall - if you know what you’re doing
If the attics weren’t built as living spaces/bedrooms is likely that the roof had struts and/or collar ties, when these are removed the support for the purlins needs to be beefed up. If the attics were always open rooms then the knee wall was built as part of the roof to support the purlins and in turn the rafters and whole roof.

Tldr?
Don’t remove more than one post.

That window really is stunning. Love the way it lines up.

Thanks.

Didn’t happen by accident.
😝

There are these too, I've used them and they work well: https://www.screwfix.com/search?search=gripfix

Pretty much finished my outbuilding (part 1 at least - there's another side to strip, insulate and re-clad). Final bits of trim to add and tidying up inside, but pretty amazed I seem to have managed it without any obvious disaster.
Before (blue) and after (green).

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Thanks @absurdbird - quick question.

Each of these studs/posts is at ~40cm interval aligned with roof rafter and joist so I would likely want to remove maybe 2 on one side of the knee wall. When you say "put another post in out of the way" how would that be supporting the purlin (if they are).

Maybe I could add some photos to help this if needed.

First go at patching plasterboard holes left by the previous owners. There were never big enough holes to warrant buying plasterboard, but the plasterers working on other rooms left behind some off cuts so decided to give it a go. They left half a bag of multifinish too so will be giving a go skimming this soon.

Two vertical battens behind the hole screwed above and below in the good board, to screw the patch board to.

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Maybe I could add some photos to help this if needed.

This would be good.
🙂

I usually support the plasterboard
around all the edges with some ply or something to stop movement - which can end up cracking.
Also any movement in the board can allow a ridge to form when you’re skimming.
Edit; Is the left side cut back to the next stud? In which case after some glass tape and screws both sides of the vertical joins -you’re good to go.

The original hole was at the large end of what is suitable for a California Patch which is a quick and cool way of patching holes in PB.
You square up your hole, cut your patch about 100-150 mm bigger, score the back to the size of the opening then snap and peel off the excess pieces. This leaves you with a patch with an overlapping front face of paper which you then just stick in place with plaster and skim over.
It’s kind of hard to explain.

https://youtu.be/17awCvAA7Q0

I was shown how to make them by a hippie plasterer in California- 😎

Ah - very timely thanks. I have a hole almost exactly that size + recent plasterboard offcuts. I will be having a go at that this weekend.

Does anyone know the trick for removing spring loaded kitchen draw fronts?

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Whyyyyy

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Thanks for the tips. I had seen that California Patch method before (just wasn't aware of the name). I want to try it for some of the smaller patches (door handles and no door stop etc).

The battens are pretty close to the edge (probably about an inch) and the right side is over the edge of a stud, but if I notice movement, i can easily redo. This is in the "utility room" which is basically just a small hallway before the kitchen and we're nowhere near ready to decorate, so happy to be experimenting.

Actually, thinking about it, it is just the right height and location for someone to have backed their arse into the wall getting something out of the washing machine. Although, it's not a narrow space so they were either pissed and fell, or particularly stubborn duvet came loose as they were wrestling it out of the Beko.

stick a crosshead screwdriver into screw in the top-centre of the cut out (above the little hinge) and twist right (toward the drawer) and it should pop off.

Looks like the pipe used to go through a hole before the joist, assume it was extended and for japes they went over the joist (maybe through) rather than under.

or particular stubborn duvet came loose as they were wrestling it out of the Beko

😂

Probably a domestic.