Home DIY

2025 is pie in the sky stuff, thats for sure. Manufacturers currently are putting big money into hydrogen/methane mixes right now Baxi and Worcester which will eventually become hydrogen boilers I imagine. Theres no way that gas will be done by then (2040), considering there about 30/40 million boilers in the UK and we change about 1 million a year. Ground and Air is gonna have to come a long way before people start buying into it never mind electrical boilers.

OK folks, need some advice and pointers.
Looking to build an outdoor kitchen to match my bench as seen in attached pic.
Its built with a 70x45 frame, 90x20 edges, and 45x22 batons.
I can find plenty of wood to create a similar frame but nothing for the edges (kinda the frame which hides the real frame) and going for C16 Treated and Kiln dried.
Frame wood.
What would folks recommend for the exterior frame? Could I et non treated and treat myself? It will be pained.

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For small filling jobs, Poundland have their own version of the euro filling knives from Toolstation for less than half the price. Stocking up.

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I'm soon going to be fitting a small wooden window (60x60cm) and a wooden door into my shed. It has wooden stud walls skinned with tongue and groove on the outside, it will have mineral wool and OSB lining on the inside.

Any key tips for fitting? My googling mainly throws up PVC or alu windows and normally concerns houses or much better insulated structures.

My current plan is to have the opening 10-15mm larger than the window / door, shim around it to get it centered, screw the hinge side, hang the door, adjust handle side shims, screw handle side, foam around all sides. I think I'll try and get the outside quite flush so that I can cover it with trim, then worry about whatever is left on the inside afterwards. It is only a shed after all.

Anything I've missed or top tips for all wooden structures?

I'm also considering hanging the door 'backwards' so that it opens outwards and I can gain a bit of space inside the shed. I've yet to buy the door, but the one I'm looking at doesn't have flanges or anything on the frame so I can't see why it wouldn't work.

Are the door & window holes framed already?

Fitted in 2004 if the sticker is anything to go by.

So getting on for 15 years old. It's a valiant which are meant to be quite hardy aren't they?

More or less yes. I have to still add a header for the window.

So i dont fuck things up - i think I now have hollow plasterboard walls - if i knock it, it sounds hollow. That right?! Its a 5 year old building.

And what do i use to hang pictures and clocks? Expanding Wall plugs?

Are you going to attempt to build cabinets at the bottom next? Asked a joiner for a quote for shelves and cabinets, came back at £4.2k ex VAT which is definitely motivation to go down the DIY route!

It's a valiant which are meant to be quite hardy aren't they?

Dunn0, whatever is boiler du jour, suspect they are all as shit as each other, some just give the fitters sexeher kickbacks.

hang pictures and clocks? Expanding Wall plugs?

3m does a double sided tape specifically designed for hanging pictures without making stupid holes in walls. Command Strips or something

Overkill for pictures and clocks, I've just used regular picture hooks

Same here. The pins would normally just go into the plaster anyway on a more solid wall.

Removable Command adhesive/Velcro strips for pictures.

Rivet style wall plugs for anything particularly heavy, like shelves, units, TVs. (Though ideally OSB or ply behind the plasterboard for these areas)

I’ve used these for years with no issues. As mentioned, if it’s heavy, other fittings should be used.

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All valid answers depending on the weight involved. I use these quite a bit with some success for heavier items.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/easyfix-self-drill-plasterboard-fixings-metal-32mm-100-pack/2422H?tc=IC5&ds_kid=92700048793290424&ds_rl=1249413&gclid=CjwKCAjwlrqHBhByEiwAnLmYUFRehY5h0tvL1NbkRUZGUyyVht_gu853Xoff2pDrDstu3o7JC02nWxoCJYgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I use this for light things https://takker.com/

These for medium
https://www.screwfix.com/p/fischer-duopower-wall-plugs-6-x-30mm-100-pack/1030p

And these for heavy (with a setting tool)
https://www.screwfix.com/p/rawlplug-hollow-wall-anchors-m5-x-37mm-20-pack/99201

Any ideas how I could clean this brick work. I think it was caused by a tiler and the residue is likely tile adhesive. It’s been there over a year and I have tried power hose and brick cleaner with no appreciable change.

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With the rivet style wall fittings, how do you get them out of the wall if you take something down?

You could work your way through a few solvents to test - white spirit, acetone, (toluene, but that would probably leave a lot of trace).

There's brick cleaner, which is often just concentrated sulphuric acid. If that doesn't work, go the other way with sodium hydroxide.

With appropriate PPE, of course.

I’ve tried hypocholite and brick cleaner - with no joy. I may try white spirit and acetone. Thanks

Can anyone suggest where I could get some moulding like this? It's rotten to shit and I'd like to have a go at splicing some in. My attempts at rot hardener and building up filler is not going to give me a result I'll be satisfied with I don't think.

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It might be lambs tongue but you will have problems finding an exact match. I use a combination of victorian moulding planes and a stanley no. 92 to make them from scratch or build up with repaircare (epoxy resin) and cut back using the no. 92 using the existing shape to blend it in.

Looking at the amount you have to do that would be my approach. I can't recommend substituting body filler for repaircare.

You normally tap them in so they don’t sit proud of the wall and use filler.
Alternatively you tap them in completely and repair a bigger hole.

Thank you for the reply - which repair care product is it you're thinking of? I'm not familiar with them. I had a go with ronseal 2 part wood filler and sand paper but it's not going well.

I don't have a no 92. Maybe I should invest. I feel like there might not be enough space for it to fit in where all the mouldings come together.

(please don't laugh...)

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