Home DIY

Looks really neat and tidy and yes, I would pay a bit extra for the electrician to do it by the book. but unfortunately most tradespeople I have hired to date have let me down in some way. I might just be too much of a perfectionist.

For future reference be careful with conduit and cabins as they do rise and fall substantially throughout the year and nothing is fixed to the timbers, everything has to slide vertically e.g. the door frame isn't screwed to the logs, but just slotted in.

(from https://www.timberbuilding.co.uk/index.php?main_page=page&id=77)

I’m very aware of this! Need to trim a couple of bits of pvc where I didn’t leave enough slack but otherwise it’s all expanded and contracted without issue. I made sure to not glue the joints for this exact reason.

An actual hole between boards seems like a construction/design fuck up to me tho!

IMO let anyone do it, and those who can't install and test competently can still hire electricians. To be fair, part P hardly covers anything now. But enforce the law severely if anyone, electrician or not, doesn't follow BS7671 to the letter. Competence instead of credentialism.

On a related note, how does one become an electrician? I am a software engineer working in the energy sector anyway. I have been thinking about starting a company installing smart home systems with custom software and being a qualified electrical installer would be handy.

Yeah, the mould buildup suggests this is an untreated cabin too

I mean, you could literally do all of that, what’s stopping you just getting building control down to have a look at it, telling them your plans, then getting them back to sign it off once completed? That’s perfectly legal AFAIK.

I’ve never done it via building control, but I’d assume you’d need a schedule of test results.

Electrician costs must vary quite a bit around the uk. I’m in Norn Iron and we had qualified electricians install two out door double sockets, four spot lights and outdoor switches. Cost included armoured cable and all the exterior wiring went to a spare fuse on our consumer unit (luck more than design). Total cost was £850 - 13 months ago. Two sparks worked at it for 3/4 day. At the time I thought it was expensive but they did a neat job and it’s safe. Personally, I avoid electric and plumbing stuff and rely on my wife to fix electric plugs.

Hmm on this shed biz - if I want to get power to a ‘garden room’ do I need a new individual connection from the existing house consumer unit - through the house and out or is it possible to extend from a standard mains double socket position (by the back door) - which is on a general house circuit? Would be to run one or two led lights and a computer.

As per my last post, if you have a spare fuse, you won’t. We hit lucky as the electrician discovered one was spare as it was used for our old electric shower.

Can someone check my thinking?
I've got a roll of cork to go on a wall and then I plan on putting a book case over it. to prevent the books touching an external wall, getting damp and bringing mouldy death to them.
I think it's best to glue the cork on. Wait. Then build the case, cut out where the screws go in the cork and drill the holes.
Right?

You could just put it on a spur from the double socket inside. If it’s only going to be a couple lights and a double socket that should be fine. You could either put plugs the lights or have another fused spur with a 3a fuse for the lights.
The slightly trickier bit is installing the armoured cable and terminating it properly to the sheath is earthed.

This is based on the assumption that the garden room is close to the house and a suitable place for the cable to run. If it’s a long run or you want to put more sockets in I’d be inclined to put it on its own circuit like talked about before.

What's to stop the cork from going wet and manky? Or is it condensation you're worried about rather than damp from outside?

Could you not just have an air gap?

Condensation, there's two kids in there overnight. I dunno. It seemed like a good idea last year. Then I've not had chance to put either the cork up or the bookshelf.

I could leave it off I suppose.

Air gap, I'm not sure I have much space to play with, the book case will just about fit where I want it.

All of the specifics that follow (including BS 7671) are essentially hints and tips on how that might be achieved, but strictly speaking none of it is required. A bit like the Highway Code.

Ha, ha. If you are willing to stand up in Court and say that then good luck.

The 'Requirements' may not be a legal document but they satisfy the Electricity at Work Act and Part P of Building Regulations if Domestic.

That is a Law. You need to satisfy that Law and following BS7651 (and Part P if you bash domestic dwellings) means you do.

'Hints and Tips' are Kitchen Fitter territory.

I mean, you could literally do all of that, what’s stopping you just getting building control down to have a look at it, telling them your plans, then getting them back to sign it off once completed? That’s perfectly legal AFAIK.

I’ve never done it via building control, but I’d assume you’d need a schedule of test results.

I have previously. You need to notify Building Control at local council and pay a fee. You can then do the work and they will send someone to test it at completion.

It is well worth photographing the progress to show hidden work. If you can present them full test results they will love you but still test the install. They sign it off after all, I wouldn't accept a sheet of paper for proof.

I still have to test for the company even though I trust my colleagues to wire it up correctly.

Recommendations on garage shelving?
Looking for 900x1800x45 and 1200x1800x45 or similar.

Not so keen on the bright orange and blue shelves, prefer the silver/grey/black finishes.

I have this, it’s pretty decent, certainly for the price
https://www.screwfix.com/p/5-tier-steel-heavy-duty-shelving-900-x-450-x-1800mm/2817r

After more research than I care to remember we went for Ikea Bror shelving. It's made of a thicker gauge of metal than the other stuff I've seen, and it's all galvanised steel - no chipboard shelves to eventually go mouldy etc. Will get a third one eventually.

Metro shelving comes in those dimensions

So electrics are a hot topic atm so I thought I'd try to squeeze my own question in.

Had a new immersion tank installed and full rewire. Forgot to ask them to install a wifi fuse/timer. (so have a 2 standard fused spurs on own circuit)

Tried to do a temporary install myself but the wire gauge makes it impossible to fit the new timer fuse and then relay the next spur.

Next step junction box? How can someone step down gauges over very short distances then connect the smaller gauge timer boxes?

many many thanks

At that size, how about DIY with 12mm ply (which seems cheaper and stronger tham other 11mm / 12mm sheets at the moment), heavy duty brackets, either into the wall directly or into a bit of 2x4.

I don’t quite understand what you’re describing. But if you need to spur off for small loads, I’d just put on a spur with a 3a fuse and then run 1.5mm cable out of it. 1mm would probably be fine. Anything down circuit from the 3a fuse can be on a small cable.

Or do you just mean that you can’t fit the two line conductors etc in a single terminal? In which case spurring off a junction box is probably easier. Junction box - fused connection unit - 1mm cable out.
If you install a fused spur and have smaller cable going out, remember to change the 13a fuse for a 3a one.

I had thought about it, as I need to build a workbench as well at some point.
The worktop needs to butt into a brick pier, so need to build myself.

One wall is drylined, and the other is not, so thinking simple shelving for now.

Found the G-Rack shelving for £33.12 for 1200mm x 450mm x 1800mm with 5mm moisture resistant MDF (a lot are supplied with standard) which seems almost suspiciously cheap.

Should be able to rip down a thicker sheet of ply or chipboard if I want to replace the shelves with something sturdier.

Also bought 12 really useful boxes in 35l from Asda of all places, cheapest place to get them on the internet it looks like.

That's a nice looking job and reasonable money. It's often underestimated the time it takes to properly specify and fit stuff to that standard.