Home DIY

If you haven't ordered it yet then quite a lot of places do half price installation offers on some hobs. I think I paid £35 to AO for installation which, even though I reckoned I could have done it myself, gave me peace of mind.

You can use ohms law to calculate the amps based on wattage if that's the supplied figure for current draw.

Son is doing physics GCSE and I've been cramming these calcs with him for the last 5 days!

You're not going to find a 13A plug on a non-induction electric hob. The existing hob will be hard-wired, and most likely on a 32A breaker and cabling already unless you have very old wiring or it's been installed by complete cowboys.

My original idea was more like that - but I definitely want a one piece top - it’s about 3.2m long and I can’t cast it in the bathroom so it needs to be light and flexible/strong enough to carry upstairs without cracking.
So I’m thinking Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete is the way to go.
It’s possible to buy all the ingredients separately- but they’re not easily available in the Uk. Concrete countertops are big in the States. So I’ll probably end up buying a just add water mix.

I already know how I’m making the mould -melamine, silicone etc. I’ve got a fair bit of casting experience from sculpture days.

I need to borrow or hire a spray hopper thing to spray the inside of the mould with slurry.
They’re not used so much in the UK I think.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Multiple-Functions-Ceiling-Texture-Painting/dp/B07JZH3LQQ/ref=asc_df_B07JZH3LQQ/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309950300084&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3114880059041853713&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9044974&hvtargid=pla-809240448644&psc=1

?

hooray build/MCP! Thought he was the coolest thing when I was 14, probably the reason I got into design. I need to get all of mine framed and on the wall.

Having had a look now, this is the unit, seems hygena, no longer exist so probably quite old.
Is it likely to be some sort of dual unit or a stand alone job? I’m thinking it may be easier and better to replace the whole lot.
Power seems to go though this which does both appliances.
Any thoughts?

Photos went walk about

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It's probably two units. The oven is likely to be held in with a pair of screws around the front, remove those and you can usually slide it out and then get access to the cables to confirm how it is wired, what the current one is rated at etc.

Hygena was MFI own brand. They collapsed in 2008.

That cooker switch is pleasingly retro. I wouldn't be surprised if it predates the rest of the kitchen, especially with the inexplicable paint on it. Probably still safe but you might consider replacing it.

Cheers , I think I’m going to get someone component involved!

Filling under 'regreted starting 1/3 of the way in': striping paint from my coving.

Right next to sanding the stairs.

I'm going to be pulling down the plasterboard and renewing the insulation over the summer as it seems to be 50mm fiberglass behind the plasterboard and viewed with an IR camera there's several places with none (or very poorly fitted)

First job was moving a lighting junction box so I can pull up a section of loft flooring and replace the mass of wires with insulation. It turns out there were three additional round JBs stashed under the floor and covered by insulation.

Some wires were rather long, but so too short to get to the centre, so still ended up with four boxes, but they are now fixed above any insulation and about 15m of spare cable has gone.

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Does anyone have any informed opinions on

90mm PIR board between studs with 25mm PIR over the studs, covered by plasterboard

Vs

40mm breathable superfoil battened between studs, with 40mm superfoil over studs, 25mm battens and plasterboard

https://www.roofingsuperstore.co.uk/product/superfoil-sf19bb-breathable-thermal-insulation-15m-x-10m-roll-15m2.html

https://www.roofingsuperstore.co.uk/product/superfoil-sf19-multi-layer-thermal-insulation-15m-x-10m-roll-15m2.html

where can I buy this threaded rod?

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In my country most hardware/diy centres will have that.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brass-lamp-holder-tube-rod-all-thread-10mm-with-2-locking-nuts-2-fibre-washers-/223599125794

spot on. thanks

Forgot how dull stripping paint off a door is. Now 'looking forward' to the sanding and repainting stages.

Also found there is not enough gap behind the plasterboard to use geefixes I bought and now have 4 25mm holes in the wall.
Ordered gripits as a replacement and extra long m8 bolts I'll need. And will have to drill the shelf brackets to fit them. It's a shambles of a job so far.

Depends on where you're putting it, I'd have thought.

Then it's all about u-values, ventilation / vapour barriers, and how much space you're prepared to give up.

When plasterboard goes wrong 😑

If it’s dot and dab and there’s something more solid behind it can you fix in to that instead?

Did go for the DeWalt 18v multi tool in the end (@TGR / @absurdbird).

Very happy with it. I was preparing to run ethernet cable today and it made cutting floorboards/chasing a wall easy.

I was dreading chasing a whole wall for some 25mm conduit but it was positively joyous.

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What the beefiest wall plug I should be using with an M5 screw? Brown/8mm feels about right but I can't seem to dig up a definitive answer.

It's for shelving that I'll probably be loading hideously over spec*. Each upright sits on 3 of these cleats so I don't think a shield bolt is an option.

Haven't actually checked the maximum loading but it'll be carrying some amount of vinyl and hi-fi equipment.

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Reet tidy

Depends what it’s going into, for brick or concrete I like the smallest (usually red) plugs, 5.5mm hole and 5x50 screws. Bigger hole and plug seems like a waste of time, it’ll only be looser.

You do get M5 shield anchors though, just put a countersunk bolt in instead of the hex head.